Lindsay Levesque, of Thornton Academy, received a full-ride scholarship to St. Joseph’s College for her TikTok video highlighting a commitment to bringing light into the lives of lonely senior citizens. Levesque, a native of Arundel, is one of several winners of the college’s #MakeMercyReal challenge.

St. Joseph’s College launched the challenge in late October, with the submission period lasting until January. The challenge required participants to capture an act of “mercy,” defined as actively doing something to alleviate another’s pain, in an “authentic, original” 15-30-second video and tag both #MakeMercyReal and the @saintjoesme TikTok account.

Participants were required to be incoming first-year students who have already been accepted to St. Joseph’s, and the winners are offered a full-ride scholarship, covering room and board and tuition, renewable for each of the four years the student attends St. Joseph’s in Standish.

Levesque’s scholarship honors her commitment to nursing, which will be her major. Levesque is enrolled in the certified nursing assistant program at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology.

Paulette Bonneau, director of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, praised Levesque’s achievements, saying the honor was not only about her skill and academic success, but also about compassion and kindness.

Bonneau highlighted Levesque’s service at St. André Health Care, a senior facility in Biddeford. Levesque’s TikTok submission focused on her service with seniors at St. André, and said her mission was to provide genuine connection for residents and at other nursing homes.

Levesque reflected on her service, which involved taking time out of school to visit residents and distribute goody bags. This, she said, was to remind residents, who are often isolated and have high rates of depression, that they are valued and not forgotten. Her goal was to go to more facilities to continue “making mercy real.”

Levesque thanked St. Joseph’s, saying it was an honor to be one of the students chosen. She said the challenge made her think about what compassion means in her life and, moving forward, will continue living her values and embodying what the challenge stands for.

“I’m humbled. Really excited for this opportunity, so grateful for being chosen (and) really excited for the next four years,” said Levesque.

When asked if she would continue to work in nursing while in college, she said she would love to have the opportunity to work in a hospital, even as she focuses on studies and volleyball.