How MILE Has Changed Mitchell Scholars’ Lives for 25 Years

In mid-October, 70 Mitchell Scholars embarked on a journey to the Katahdin Region to experience a longstanding, signature program of the Mitchell Institute: MILE (Mitchell Institute Leadership Experience). This weekend-long event—which has been happening since 2001—is a beloved and impactful tradition in the Mitchell Institute community, helping Scholars make new friends, develop their leadership skills through various activities, and reflect on their growth as students and community members.

In 2026, Scholars from 23 colleges in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont attended MILE. About half were joining MILE for the first time, while four were attending for their fourth year.  

The entire group of Mitchell Scholars posing for a picture at the end of the 2026 MILE weekend

Friday, October 9, 2026: The First Day

By mid-afternoon on Friday, Mitchell Institute staff were ready to welcome Scholars to the beautiful New England Outdoor Center (NEOC), where they would be based for the weekend. As Scholars pulled up in cars and vans to River Drivers Restaurant—for many, following hours-long drives on highways and gravelly backroads—staff greeted them with warm smiles and enthusiastic hugs, marking their names one by one off the registration list. Scholars grabbed their MILE gear from a nearby table, lined with rows of name-tags and piled high with branded T-shirts and beanies from MILE sponsor L.L. Bean. Then, they found their cabins to settle in for the weekend.

To kick off weekend festivities, some Scholars sat down to introduce themselves over a cup of coffee, while others embraced the brisk outdoors with a social game of Spikeball. Rain showers earlier in the afternoon cleared out of the area with serendipitous timing, as the sun sank lower on the horizon and set the surrounding fall foliage aglow.

By early evening, most Scholars had arrived and piled into a blue bus to head to dinner at the NEOC Event Center. While they awaited a buffet of tacos, Scholars played a group icebreaker game to get to know one another. Then, they sat down with friends for their first communal meal of the weekend. Throughout the rest of the night, Scholars mobilized the room, meeting new faces and sparking different conversations

Following a staff overview of expectations for the weekend, combined with smaller group huddles to discuss the planned activities for Saturday, Scholars returned to their cabins to get some rest before an early and busy morning.

Saturday, October 10: A Day of Excursions

On Saturday, a handful of Scholars were off to breakfast before sunrise to fuel up before hikin Katahdin. Others opted for different excursions throughout the day, including whitewater rafting, mountain biking, a hike on the local Rainbow Loop Trail, and an indoor leadership session. By mid-morning, all Scholars had departed for their selected activities, with plans to reconvene later in the day.

A period of downtime in the afternoon offered space for reflection, as Scholars pondered how these various experiences had helped them grow and develop.

“All of the excursions are inevitably about building that teamwork, that trust, and being able to go back to your campus with some leadership skills.” – Lily Bailey, a 2023 Mitchell Scholar who participated in the leadership session

“Summiting Katahdin, my legs were exhausted by the first mile. I wanted to quit over and over and over again, but I think it’s important to challenge yourself.” – Noah Hart, a 2024 Mitchell Scholar who hiked Katahdin

“It takes so much teamwork. You’re working with six other people in this boat, as well as a guide. You’re having to listen to instructions right off the bat, all the time. It’s very fast-moving. You’re also having to work in sync with the people around you, and it’s really important to be in time with them.” – Emma Alden, a 2026 Mitchell Scholar who went whitewater rafting

“The leadership experience is really all about working together as a team to become better leaders. We work on puzzles. We do activities together. The whole goal is to come together as a group and successfully complete everything.” – Alex Brooking, a 2024 Mitchell Scholar who participated in the leadership session

“I don’t get chances to work in teams most of the time, so MILE is a very good opportunity to actually have everyone put their brains together to come up with a solution.” – Consolation Sumbu, a 2025 Mitchell Scholar who participated in the leadership session

“In schools, we’re taught math and English, but here, we’re taught how to build connections and build these skills that are used in every field we can go into.” – Charlotte Plourde, a 2026 Mitchell Scholar who participated in the leadership session

Before dinner at Knife Edge Brewing on Saturday night, some brave Scholars donned their swimsuits and dashed into Millinocket Lake for a polar plunge. Others offered their sideline support from the shoreline, huddled around the heat of a campfire.

Over pizza, wings, and soft drinks, Scholars spent part of Saturday’s dinner penning thank-you notes to donors and community members for making MILE possible. Scholars also wrote encouraging letters to their future selves, to be mailed directly to them at the end of this school year.

“I saw how much I grew as a person,” Isaiah Belyea, a 2025 Mitchell Scholar who participated in the activity last year, said. “I’m not the same person I was one year ago, and it is very meaningful to see my growth and think about the goals that I had in mind and the fact that I was able to accomplish them.”

Other Scholars who have also attended MILE in years past had similar takeaways.

“My first year, I barely spoke,” Savanah Compare, a 2023 Mitchell Scholar who has attended MILE every fall since she became a Scholar, said. “Now, the juxtaposition of being able to reconnect with people and feel more present with those connections has been so special. I feel much more like I’ve grown into myself.”

Staff and Scholars then moved the restaurant’s tables and chairs to the sides of the room for a favorite annual activity among Scholars called the “gratitude circle.” All Scholars formed a ring, with their backs facing the center, and closed their eyes. Then, staff called out various prompts such as, “Tap someone who demonstrated leadership this weekend,” or, “Tap someone who made you feel included this weekend.” In groups, Scholars took turns doling out anonymous compliments and receiving them.

“I really liked the gratitude circle. It made me feel so appreciated,” Kallie Richards, a 2025 Mitchell Scholar attending MILE for the first time this year, said. “I just feel like I made a difference—like someone was thinking of me to go up and walk over to me and tap me.”

Sunday, October 11: A Day to Give Back

Before returning to their college campuses on Sunday afternoon, Scholars piled into the backs of pickup trucks to ride into Baxter State Park for some community service. For a few hours, Scholars stacked wood and shoveled gravel to prepare campsites for visitors—work that park rangers said would have taken weeks to do alone.  

For many Scholars, this opportunity to give back encapsulated the main theme of the MILE weekend: community.

“The community that we’ve built here, I haven’t seen it in many other places.” – Caramon Cotroneo, a 2024 Mitchell Scholar

“My favorite part of MILE has been getting to spend time with other Scholars. It’s really nice to be able to connect with people.” – Jared Conant, a 2022 Mitchell Scholar

“I hope to one day have a big impact in the Mitchell Institute—not just as a Scholar but as an Alum and help future generations as they helped me.” – Ngengele Adolphe, a 2026 Mitchell Scholar

A Tremendous Thank-You

MILE would not be possible without the support of the broader Mitchell Institute community. Thank you to L.L.Bean for sponsoring this weekend and to the New England Outdoor Center for being an accommodating, reliable host for two decades. We also extend our appreciation to the Baxter State Park rangers for guiding Sunday’s meaningful volunteering activities.

Thanks go to the following Mitchell Scholars for serving as “Scholar Leaders” throughout the weekend: Malak Alkattea, Arnaldo Amado, Lily Bailey, Isaiah Belyea, Alex Brooking, Savannah Compare, Kamy Dube, Natalie Esposito, Noah Hart, Kristian Jacques, Baqer Jalil, Djino Kavula Nzau, Cassie Kromer, Kat Mitchell, Ben Moore, Hawa Muana, Bay Nadeau, and Libby Whidden.

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For 30 years, the Mitchell Institute has helped Maine students overcome barriers to higher education. By providing financial support, personal guidance, and a lifelong network, the Institute empowers Mitchell Scholars to graduate, build meaningful careers, and strengthen Maine’s communities and workforce through their success and leadership. Learn more.