Maeve Carlson wasn't sure if she was going to apply for the Hood Sportsman Scholarship.

She would be going up against students from much larger schools, with a bigger pool of potential voters stashed in larger towns than little Wiscasset.

But then two things happened to Carlson.

“I was at Shaw's this fall after soccer season ended and a teammate's dad came up to me — I had never met him, but he said that he really liked the way I played,” she said. “I wasn't sure if I was going to apply, but I decided to because I really think the community sees me as a role model for sportsmanship, especially in soccer, which is really big here.”

The second thing was more gradual: Carlson said Wiscasset's motto of “We are small, but we are mighty” extends beyond the playing field or classroom and reflects the town as a whole.

“I have a lot of respect for our school and the games we play,” she said. “I'm a three-season varsity athlete, but more than that, it's about the attitude you bring. To me, that embodies what our town wants from its (scholarship entrants).”

It's not just the community that sees her filling that role: Carlson was picked as team captain for the soccer team in both her junior and senior seasons. She has also swam at the varsity level and plays tennis.

In 2014, she was awarded the Wolverine Award by head soccer coach Duane Goud, for best-exemplifying her school's values.

Carlson was also honored with a 2015 Maine Principal’s Association’s Principal Award, which recognizes academic achievement and volunteering and community service.

Pushing her further towards applying for the Hood Scholarship was that Wiscasset, despite being small, usually has a large turnout when it comes to supporting its students, she said.

“Briana (Goud) last year was also a contestant and she ended up winning, so it's great to see that, because it's not always that kids from small schools end up winning,” Carlson said. “The fact that she was in the top 10 for number of votes is ridiculous and I think the town could get behind me and help me move forward.

“It's nice to be a part of such a small community that actually knows you as an athlete and also in school. I wasn't sure if I was going to run for the contest, but I have a very high level of sportsmanship. I decided go for it because a lot of people have a lot of pride in our school and the students in general.”

If Carlson is eventually awarded one of three $5,000 scholarships in Maine, she said it would have a very large impact on her future plans. Carlson has been accepted to the University of Maine in Orono, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Vermont and Clarkson University, but deciding which one could depend on how much money she is awarded.

“I haven't decided where I am going to go, but the big decision will be on the financial side if I get the Hood Scholarship,” she said. “I've applied for a bunch of scholarships, but this is one of the bigger ones and it would really help me make that decision based more on the school and the program than on the price tag.”

Once she does matriculate, Carlson said her focus will be on environmental engineering.

“Math and science have always been two of my strongest subjects, but it wasn't until I was at Chewonki last spring that I really learned about some of the hardships and the issues facing our environment,” she said.

That time spent outdoors growing up and while at Chewonki settled Carlson's mind to begin exploring a possible career catered towards environmental protection and engineering. Carlson said that some of the schools don't offer the program that she seeks, so having the Hood Scholarship would allow her to attend one of the schools that caters more to her pursuits.

Votes can be cast once a day, every day for Carlson at the Hood website. Voting ends April 24, and the top 10 vote-getters will move on to the next round. After interviews, three students are picked for the scholarship.

To vote for Carlson, visit www.hood.com/scholarship then select Wiscasset High School and vote.