On June 10, the Senior Activity Center’s Board of Trustees awarded the inaugural Rene and Elaine Morissette Scholarships. The scholarships recognize the legacy of service established by the Morissettes, who were the founders and benefactors of the city’s activity center – now in its fourth decade!

“Rene and Elaine Morisette were pillars in the Methuen community – involved in their church, the Methuen Organ Hall and Drum and Bugle Corp,” Board of Trustees President Genevieve Marks told the scholarship dinner banquet audience. “Rene served as President of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Council on Aging. He was known by everyone as Mr. Senior Center. Elaine was Treasurer of the building committee and later served as executive secretary of the Board of Trustees. Thanks to the efforts of these two extraordinary individuals, as well as other community leaders, we just celebrated the Center’s 40th anniversary last year.”

Meet the first two service-minded scholarship recipients, who each received $2,500:
*Kaya Asmar, a 2025 graduate of Central Catholic High School, volunteered in Lawrence General Hospital’s Telemetry Department. A 4-year varsity tennis player, she was a mentor and event organizer for CCHS’ new Imprescia Center for Female Sports Leadership which encourages strong, powerful women through athletics via kindness, humility and integrity. She was involved with the Outbreak Public Health Program, a collaboration with public health officials to increase public health ed among high schoolers. She’ll head to Dartmouth College majoring in neuroscience in the pre-med track. She hopes to become a physician.

*James Melanson, a 2025 graduate of Methuen High School, is vice president of the Methuen Sons of Italy Junior Lodge where he’s been involved for 8 years and active in a variety of impactful local community service projects. He’s also a peer tutor and is active with the Senior Center’s Adopt-a-Grandparent program. He’ll study at Tulane University as a math major with a strategy, leadership and analytics minor and in the sports management certificate program. He hopes to work in player development in the NFL.

After presenting both scholarships, Scholarship Committee Chair Regina McCarthy acknowledged that this duo’s selfless dedication to service undeniably parallels the Morissettes’ commitment to help others.

“Please continue to light and lead the way,” McCarthy said.