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History of the Alumni Council

In 2005, nine former recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship came together to form the Alumni Council — a body of Mitchell Scholar Alumni that works to provide resources to Mitchell Institute Alumni and current Mitchell Scholars. The Council also supports the work of the Institute, its programs, and fundraising efforts.The Council is always looking for new members. If you are a Mitchell Scholar Alumni and are interested in the Council, please email Son Nguyen at snguyen925@yahoo.com.

Zach Boyce

Zach Boyce was raised in the metropolitan hotpot of Parkman, Maine. He graduated Piscataquis Community High School in 2003 (as a Mitchell Scholar), was voted most artistic by his fellow classmates, and decided from that day on, he mustn't let them down. Zach arrived with the fresh batch of undisciplined, immature superstars at the University of Maine and left as an enlightened, highbrow with a bachelors degree. That degree was in New Media, a nebulous conglomerate of various digital and avant-garde, art leagues, which Zach felt he fit in with quite sublimely. His passion of choice was film-making and graphic design, which led to numerous all-nighters and emotional breakdowns, but eventually he found his way. Zach made a handful of very creative short movies for homework, university marketing material, and even wrote and directed his first feature length for his Honors College thesis project. He now resides in Portland, and makes slick art for the corporate powers that be.

Robin Caron

Robin Caron is from Portage Lake and a 2003 Mitchell Scholar of Ashland H.S. Robin was vice-chair of the alumni council for two years and spoke at the 2008 fall Gala.

Robin attended Saint Joseph's College of Maine and graduated in 2006 with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and math. During her undergraduate education she also conducted research in the Emergency Department at Maine Medical Center and completed a one-year commitment with AmeriCorps.

Robin is currently attending the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is completing a dual program, her masters in public health, which she completed in June, and her doctorate of osteopathy. This summer Robin completed a two-month internship at the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing where she wrote cancer "QWEST" a program for children who have a parent or another adult loved one diagnosed with cancer. The program provides the children with: ways to improve their quality of life, wellness services, education, support, and time through various methods, such as play/art and or music therapy, etc. Robin continues to volunteer every Friday night at the Barbara Bush Children's hospital.

Shelly Chasse-Johndro

Shelly Chasse-Johndro of St. Agatha is a 2000 Mitchell Scholar. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science from the University of Maine at Farmington and a Master of Education from the University of Maine. Shelly is a certified Elementary Education teacher and holds an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement.

Shelly is Project Coordinator for Project Opportunity and teaches ESL endorsement courses for in-service and pre-service teachers at the University of Maine. Project Opportunity is funded through a Title III grant from the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), United States Department of Education and is operated through the University of Maine's College of Education and Human Development. In addition, Shelly serves as a member of the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) and New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Bias and Sensitivity Committee through the State of Maine Department of Education.

As a member of the University of Maine's Diversity Leadership Institute (UMDLI), Shelly cultivates opportunities to understand, appreciate, support and strengthen the diversity of the University of Maine's community. Also, she volunteers her time as a Maine State Representative for the Northern New England Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (NNETESOL) Executive Board. Shelly is the lead individual of the Mathematics for TESOL forum though the Global Education Association of TESOL. The forum is for educators interested in the effects of language acquisition, instructional strategies, and culture in the teaching and learning of mathematics concepts.

Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx- (Chair)

Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx is serving his first term in Maine's House of Representatives. He grew up in the small town of Solon and attended Bowdoin College as a Mitchell Scholar. Cornell du Houx joined the Marine Reserves in 2002 and was deployed to Iraq with the Marines' Alpha Company in 2006 - spending a year patrolling the streets in and around Fallujah. After his return, Cornell du Houx continued his work serving the Maine communities through political and community service.

Rep. Cornell du Houx led a service trip to Guatemala with the program Safe Passage to help kids move from working in the city dump to gain an education. He also worked in Peru to help build a playground for children in Lima. At home, Cornell du Houx volunteered and serves on the board of Maine's Habitat for Humanity and volunteered in local schools for the past six years. He coaches lacrosse at Brunswick's Junior High School and conducted a year of service with AmeriCorps.

Rep. Cornell du Houx also worked for the Office of Health Policy and Finance and is working to promote green energy and jobs in his districts and across the sate. Cornell du Houx is also working to improve veterans' issues both in Maine and nationwide, including access to higher education and healthcare. He currently works with the Truman National Security Projects on National Security and energy issues.

Cassandra Cote Grantham

Mitchell Scholar Alumna Cassandra Cote Grantham graduated from Falmouth High School in 2000. She continued her education at Colby College where she completed a degree in French and Religious Studies in 2004. While there, she completed an independent study of the political, social and economic implications of honor killings in Pakistan. Her junior year was spent studying religion and French literature at the Institut Catholique and the Institut de Science & de Th�ologie des Religions in Paris. She discovered her interest in health communication while interning at Swardlick Marketing Group over two summers, a job she received through assistance from the Mitchell Institute Staff. After graduating from Colby, Cassandra completed a master's degree in health communication at Emerson College and Tufts University Medical School in 2006. Cassandra returned to Maine, working as the Major Gifts Coordinator for the Mitchell Institute before joining MaineHealth as a Program Coordinator for the Healthy Living Club, an employee health improvement program, and the MaineHealth Learning Community, a clinical practice improvement initiative. In 2008, she was promoted to Program Manager of the Cardiovascular Health and Heart Failure Programs. Cassandra lives in Portland with her husband, Andrew, and remains active in community service programs through the United Way and the Portland Public Schools. Cassandra has served on the Mitchell Institute Alumni Council since its inception in 2005 and was the organization's first Vice Chair.

Loren Bowley Dow

Loren Bowley Dow is a 2000 Mitchell Scholar from Bonny Eagle High School. Loren was also a Top Scholar award recipient at the University of Maine where she studied English and Secondary Education. While at the UMaine, Loren participated in a student teacher exchange program where she taught in Australia for two months. After graduating, Loren taught English in Maine for five years at both the middle school and high school level. She has recently moved to New Hampshire to teach Humanities at Windham High School. Windham High School is an innovative school that is the first public school in New Hampshire to have one to one laptops for its entire student body. Loren is also a high school field hockey coach and a women's lacrosse official. She will soon complete her Master's in Reading and Language from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Johann von Hoffmann- (Treasurer)

Johann von Hoffmann is a Senior Analyst with McKinsey and Company, a global management consultancy, where he has worked since 2006. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Johann works in the Global Economics Practice, specializing in development economics and industry economics, serving private- and public-sector clients around the world.

In 2008, Johann spent three months on leave from McKinsey working in field management for the Obama for America campaign. As a Regional Get-Out-The-Vote Director in the key Philadelphia suburbs during the general election and a Regional Field Director in Massachusetts for the Super Tuesday primary election, Johann managed paid staff and volunteers to turn-out the vote for Barack Obama.

A 2002 Mitchell Scholar from Orono High School, Johann graduated magna cum laude from Colby College in 2006 with a degree in government. At Colby, Johann produced a documentary film, Town Hall, utilizing the game of bingo to illustrate community life in Central Maine.

Clinton King- (Secretary)

My name is Clinton King, I am a 2000 Mitchell Scholar I graduated from Jay High School and proceeded to attend the University of Maine at Fort Kent for a BS degree in Computer Applications and I picked up my Masters in Science Management from Colorado Technical University. I have been working in the IT department at Northway Bank for the past 4 and a half years. My primary functions are repair and troubleshooting pc related issues. I have been part of the Mitchell Alumni Council from the beginning first as treasure and now as Secretary. I've helped with the planning of the MILE II event as well as some of the other programs put on by the Mitchell program.

Carrie McGilvery Logan

Carrie McGilvery Logan grew up in Yarmouth and attended Bowdoin College as a Mitchell Scholar. After graduating from Bowdoin in 2000, Carrie joined the Teach For America ("TFA") program, where she spent the following four years teaching third grade in rural Louisiana and Houston, Texas. Following her tenure with TFA, Carrie attended the University of Maine School of Law, graduating in 2007. During her time at Maine Law, Carrie was co-president of the Maine Association for Public Interest Law, was a member of the Women's Law Assiciation, practiced as a student attorney in the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, contributed time to the Volunteer Lawyers Project, and participated in the Bernstein Fellowship where she clerked for several York County District Court judges during the summer of 2005. Carrie is currently a business and real estate attorney with the Portland law firm of Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios, LLP. She lives in an old farmhouse in Portland with her husband, Scott (also a Mitchell alum), and her son, Selwyn.

Jason Long

Jason Long is in his fifth year teaching at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. He grew up in South Portland, and attended Bowdoin College as a Mitchell Scholar. While in college Jason remained very active with the Mitchell Institute by attending fundraisers, serving as the Institute's summer intern, and receiving financial and networking support with various government internships. After graduating in 2005, Jason moved to western Maine to begin his career in public education thanks in part to his relationship with Mitchell Institute Board Member Duke Albanese. Active in his district, Jason serves on numerous committees, acts as adviser to the National Honor Society, and regularly volunteers as an announcer or performer in community events. In 2007, Jason was selected to serve as SAD 17's first exchange teacher, and traveled to teach and live in Jinhua, China for 4 months. Since returning Jason has promoted global awareness in his rural district by organizing an authentic Chinese community banquet and offering an elective course entitled Global Identity and Interaction. When not found whistling in the hallways of his high school, Jason can be found stacking firewood, reading non-fiction or enjoying a good baseball game.

Son Nguyen- (Membership Coordinator)

Son Nguyen was born and grew up in Saigon, Vietnam. His family moved to the US when he was twelve years old. Son attended Bangor High School, and while English was not his first language, he excelled in math and science. During his junior year, Son was selected to attend the "What's an Engineer?" summer program at the University of Maine. Inspired by this introduction to engineering, Son received scholarships, including a Mitchell Scholarship, and studied chemical engineering at UMaine. After college, he worked a couple years in the paper industry in Maine, and then moved over to Hannaford Brothers Co. in southern Maine. Son recently accepted a supply chain analyst position with Delhaize Group, the parent company of Hannaford. "With the financial support from Mitchell Institute, I was able to further my education beyond high school and realized my career goals. Along the way, I have developed great friendships with many Mitchell scholars and staff. It is now my privilege to be involved with the Mitchell Scholar Alumni Council and helping other young people pursue their dreams. Thank you George Mitchell."

Megan Patey

Megan Patey is a 2004 Mitchell Scholar from Kennebunk High School. She graduated from Bates College in 2008 with a degree in Biochemistry. Megan has been an EMT since 2002 and while at Bates she was the chief of Bates Emergency Medical Services, an all volunteer Maine licensed EMS service. She was also an Aesop leader, leading first year students up Mt. Katahdin, and served on the Trustee's advisory committee. Megan is currently working at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. She coordinates all of the phase II-III pharmaceutical, NIH and investigator-initiated clinical trials for hematologic malignancies and bone marrow transplant. Megan is looking to pursue graduate education as an advanced practice nurse. In her free time, she's running in charity road races and cheering on the Red Sox.

Michele Savage

Michele Savage was the 1999 Mitchell Scholar from Scarborough High School. She graduated from the University of Maine in 2003 with a major in Journalism. After graduation, Michele worked for a small newspaper, then was hired at TD Banknorth, where she is currently the Assistant Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships. She also chairs the Mitchell Institute Alumni Council.

"The Mitchell Institute opened many doors for me as a college student and a working professional. By being a Mitchell Scholar, I gained access to internship opportunities, on- and off-campus events, community service initiatives and networking functions. It has also been great to be identified with the Mitchell Institute -- and to make lasting connections with other Scholars who have similar goals.

In my role as a Mitchell Scholar Alumni, I now want to make the Mitchell Institute proud and show them a strong return on their investment in me. The Mitchell Institute has created a solid network of Scholars, and they will be a tremendous asset to the state of Maine."

Dakotah Woitko- (Vice Chair)

Dakotah Woitko is 2003 Mitchell Scholar from Fryeburg Academy. She studied for a year at the University of Maine, and completed her degree in Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. There she spent two years working for the Department of Psychology, where she conducted environmental toxicology research that looked at the effects of prenatal arsenic exposure and flame retardant compounds on development.

Dakotah joined the Portland Identification and Early Referral (PIER) program as a data analyst in May of 2006. The PIER program is a treatment research program that focuses on early identification and intervention in an attempt to offset the progression of serious mental illness. PIER has since received a 15 million dollar grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and has developed into a multi-site national study. Dakotah was promoted in January of 2009, and is currently serving as the data manager of The Early Detection and Intervention for the Prevention of Psychosis Program (EDIPPP) in conjunction with Maine Medical Center and the EDIPPP National Program Office.

Dakotah has spent time volunteering in Santa Rosa De Copan, Honduras, and is currently a member of the nationally recognized animal rescue group Pilots N Paws. She is working to develop better alternatives and options for high-kill animal shelters, particularly in Georgia and Tennessee.