Investing in the future of students, state

Since 1995, the Mitchell Institute has given out $5.7 million to graduates of Maine high schools who are going on to college.

What’s remarkable, however, is not the total amount of money given out, in and of itself a notable achievement, but what’s come with it – mentoring and support.

Founded by Sen. George J. Mitchell, the institute has worked to get more Maine students to go to college, stay there and find careers after school. The institute honored a new class of Mitchell scholars Sunday at a ceremony in Orono.

Each year the Mitchell Institute gives out 130 scholarships – one to a student from every public high school in the state. Students are selected based on academics, community service and financial need.

Once they are selected, scholars receive much more than money. Staff members at the institute stay in close contact with students as they decide what they will study and what they will pursue as a career after school. Many scholars get jobs through the connections they make in the program.

Michele Savage, a 1999 recipient of the scholarship from Scarborough, is now working as an assistant vice president of corporate sponsorships at TD Banknorth, after graduating from the University of Maine in 2003. She first met executives from TD Banknorth at a dinner hosted by the Mitchell Institute while she was still in college. She later got an interview, and the company kept her resume on file and called her when a position opened up.

The program is giving financial assistance and guidance to first-generation college students, like Madison Gouzie, a Westbrook High School graduate. Gouzie, who is now a junior at Colby College, got $4,000 to help him pay for his education and guidance to help him through his first years of school. His 13-year-old brother, Lazio, is now thinking about going to college, as well.

The Mitchell Institute is also studying what obstacles stand in the way of Maine students getting to and staying in college. The institute released a study last month entitled, “From High School to College: Removing Barriers for Maine Students.”

The study found that some of the most influential people in the lives of high school students – teachers and parents – weren’t doing enough to help students get to college. Many educators believe some students are not ready for college immediately after high school. While that might be true in some cases, educators haven’t always done the best job guiding students toward other options, such as a two-year, as opposed to a four-year, program. And, parents aren’t always as knowledgeable as they could be about the financial aid process.

While $5.7 million in scholarships might seem like a large investment, it’s a wise one considering it’s helped 800 Maine students get to college, stay there and find jobs in their home state after graduation. It’s a bargain when compared to what it sometimes costs to build a single school – $30 million or $40 million.

This program is worth continued investment and will, we hope, attract more student applicants each year.

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