Dead River Co. welcomes scholarship winner
By Felicia Knight
Special to The Star-Herald
SOUTH PORTLAND — It is the rare CEO who spends a weekday afternoon at a lemonade party for a 12-year-old.
Photo courtesy Dead River Company
SPECIAL VISITOR — Trinity White of Mars Hill, seated center, is given a lemonade toast by employees of the Dead River Company, including CEO Bob Moore, far right, during her recent visit to corporate headquarters in South Portland. Dead River Company sponsors the Maine College Circle Future of Maine scholarship, which White won recently for her essay on why she’d like to attend college.
It is the rare 12-year-old who has earned the respect and admiration of the entire senior management team of one of the largest energy companies in New England.
Unbeknownst, until recently, to Trinity White, a soon-to-be seventh-grader at Fort Street Elementary School in Mars Hill, the folks in the South Portland corporate headquarters of Dead River Company have been keeping an eye on Trinity and the many other students who have won Future of Maine scholarships from Maine College Circle.
Dead River Company underwrites many of the $100 scholarships that are awarded to students who write compelling essays about their desire to go to college. Company CEO and Maine native Bob Moore is a strong believer in raising the aspirations of Maine students to include a college education.
“Education makes all the difference between a life of struggle and a life of opportunity,” said Moore. “What Maine College Circle does is introduce these kids to the idea of opportunity and how to work towards it.”
Maine College Circle is a statewide non-profit that helps students aspire to education beyond high school, with a strong focus on rural parts of Maine. White has been involved with Maine College Circle for the last three years, beginning when organization president Bob Stuart held a workshop in her Mars Hill school. At these workshops, Stuart provides inspiration for students to work harder, to reach higher, and to visualize a future that includes continuing education.
The program emphasizes effort and diligence in working toward a goal. For White, the goal was to win one of the $100 scholarships, by writing a strong essay. Her first effort was not successful but she was undeterred.
“Trinity didn’t earn a scholarship the first time she applied, yet instead of being discouraged, she latched on to the goal and to the concept of working hard toward that goal,” said Stuart. “Many of our students, including Trinity, face challenges at home that can obscure planning for the future. We help them move beyond immediate difficulties by setting achievable goals to improve their chances.”
White now aspires to study theatre at NYU—a goal she wrote about in her scholarship essay. And a goal that brought her south for Portland Stage Company’s Summer Theater Camp. With the help of a patron in Portland, White spent a week working with students from around Maine, in grades 5 through 9, producing “Adventures in Narnia.”
Alerted by Stuart that White would be in the neighborhood, the Dead River corporate team invited her to stop by for a visit. In addition to a table full of cookies and lemonade, she was presented with a tour of the fourth floor offices by Moore himself.
“Hey, look what I have here!” said Moore once they reached his office. “A brochure from my alma mater. You should have this,” he said, as he handed Trinity a packet of materials from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. “I’ll write you a letter of recommendation, too.”
Other Dead River managers were intrigued by White’s week of theatrical training and asked about her upcoming performance in “Adventures in Narnia.”
“It’s not really a full show, but we create it. We all take turns being different characters,” said White. “It’s fun. And it will be on the Mainstage,” a reference to the professional company’s primary performance space.
In her winning essay, White illustrated her determination to achieve a set goal and her commitment to a career for which she’d be “perfect.” She writes: “If I have to stay after hours I wouldn’t care because I’ll be doing what I love.”
“I’ve read all of Trinity’s essays over the years she’s been in the program,” said Moore. “It’s a treat for all of us to put a face to the name and to see her start to realize her ambition of learning more about things that interest her. We take our support of this program seriously and personally. We’re delighted to see the result.”
After a lemonade toast to White, she was off on another leg of her southern Maine journey with several shouts of “Break a leg!” following her down the hall.
