Mitchell Institute Announces the 2009 Mitchell Scholars

    One hundred thirty  Maine high school students have been chosen as 2009 Mitchell Scholars by the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute.  With the selection of this year’s scholarship recipients, the Institute is pleased to announce that it has supported 1,650 Maine students in their pursuit of higher education by awarding more than $7 million in financial assistance. 
    2009 Mitchell Scholars from the local area are: Danielle Cropley, Central Aroostook High School, Brianna Hanington, Hodgdon High School, Emma Senzek, Southern Aroostook Community School, Isaac St. John, Houlton High School (Stephen B. Center Diversity Leadership Award), Jenna Guiggey, Katahdin High School and Kelsey Daoust, East Grand School.
 Founded by Senator George Mitchell, the Mitchell Institute annually provides scholarships to one student from every public high school in the state of Maine. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service and financial need. Scholarships average $5,000 each, dispersed in increments of $1,250 for up to four years.
    In addition to scholarship help, Mitchell Scholars gain access to Mitchell Institute support programs, which include community service projects, leadership and professional development, mentoring opportunities, and summer employment fellowships. These programs connect and engage the Mitchell Scholars with their communities and their chosen career paths with a goal of encouraging graduates to remain in Maine after college. Mitchell Scholars demonstrate a remarkable college persistence rate of 95 percent and a six-year college graduation rate that is 45 percent higher than the Maine average.  Mitchell Scholars also become a part of an ongoing longitudinal research study that will track their progress and evaluate the impact of the organization’s programming.
 Since 2003, KeyBank has provided funding for 16 Mitchell Scholarships (one for each county in Maine) in the amount of $6,000 each ($1,500 each year). The KeyBank Mitchell Scholarships are targeted to first-generation college students.
 The Mitchell Institute has also named the recipients of the Unum – Stephen B. Center Diversity Leadership Awards. These five annual awards seek to encourage those who inspire others to value differences and end discrimination. 
 Overall, 65 percent of Mitchell Scholars come from families where neither parent holds a four-year degree and 69 percent are from families whose household income is below the state median.
 “These are students for whom the scholarship will make a real difference and who will, in turn, make a difference in their communities,” said Senator Mitchell. “My family had few financial resources. Neither of my parents finished high school, but they believed in education. With their help and the help of others, I was able to go to college, and it changed my life.  Maine’s young people deserve the same opportunity to succeed.”
 For more information about the Mitchell Institute, please visit www.mitchellinstitute.org.