Robin Caron Joins the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society

Robin Caron remembers what it felt like to be named a Mitchell Scholar. “It felt as if the entire state was saying, ‘We believe in you,’” she said.

Caron, a 2003 Mitchell Scholar from Portage Lake and valedictorian of Ashland District School, has joined the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society, continuing a long-standing relationship with the Mitchell Institute that has taken many forms over the years.

“Joining the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society is both an honor and a deeply personal milestone,” Caron said. “Being part of a group that embodies Truc’s legacy and pays forward the opportunities we’ve received feels like coming full circle.”

The Mitchell Scholarship played a defining role in Caron’s path after high school. While it made college financially possible at Saint Joseph’s College, she credits the Institute with opening doors that shaped what came next. “The Mitchell Scholarship was truly transformative,” she said. “It didn’t just help me get to college; it helped me envision and build a future.”

Through Mitchell career opportunity programs, Caron worked at Aroostook Medical Center and conducted research at Maine Medical Center, experiences she said were instrumental in her acceptance to medical school.

After graduating from Saint Joseph’s College, Caron earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and a concurrent Master of Public Health. Her training and career took her well beyond Maine, including a program at the Betty Ford Center in California and a month in Guam, where she gained experience in different health care settings and communities.

During residency, Caron also served as a medical contributor for national news outlets, including Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer. “Working alongside journalists and medical experts helped me hone my communication skills and reinforced the importance of making medical information accessible to the public,” she said.

After completing her residency and fellowship, Caron practiced medicine across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, holding medical licenses in all four states. In 2021, she returned home. “Returning to Maine to serve the community that shaped me has been incredibly meaningful,” she said.

Today, Caron is a double board-certified psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She works in outpatient medication management, serving both a hospital-based behavioral health facility and a private practice. “My work is deeply rooted in community mental health,” she said. “I strive to make psychiatric care accessible to families across Maine.”

Caron has remained closely connected to the Mitchell Institute over the years, serving as a summer intern, volunteering at fundraising events, and participating on the Alumni Council. That continued engagement informed her decision to join the Truc Huynh Alumni Giving Society.

“I give back out of gratitude and a sense of responsibility,” she said. “The support I received was life-changing, and I want to ensure that today’s students have the same opportunities.”

As the year comes to a close, Caron’s decision reflects a familiar arc within the Mitchell community, one shaped by connection, timing, and a desire to support what comes next. “I hope my support helps open doors for students who might not otherwise see a path forward,” she said. “I want them to feel the same sense of belonging, encouragement, and possibility that I did.”

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.

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