Alum Osage Crie Joins the Mitchell Institute as Scholar Program Coordinator 
The Mitchell Institute is proud to announce alum Osage Crie as its new Scholar Program Coordinator. In this role, Crie will manage the selection process for the Mitchell Institute Fellowship Program and help oversee the SOS (Support Our Scholars) and SPARC (Subsidy Providing Assistance with Recurring Costs) Funds.
Crie joins the Mitchell Institute in a full-circle moment. Originally from the small coastal town of Friendship, Crie left home at 15 years old to attend Fryeburg Academy as a boarding student on a merit-based scholarship. There, he was named the 2019 Mitchell Scholar, a development that shaped his trajectory.
“I’m a first-generation college student. I was not planning to go to college at all growing up,” Crie shared. “I had made myself promise I was only going to college if I could pull off a full ride.”
Crie attending the 2022 Mitchell Institute Gala as a Scholar
Through various scholarships, Crie managed to do so and graduated from the University of New England in 2023, where he majored in Applied Social and Cultural Studies and minored in Communications. Crie said that throughout his internships and interactions with nonprofits, such as the Mitchell Institute and Camp Susan Curtis, he realized he wanted to enter the industry professionally. Before arriving at the Mitchell Institute, he worked at the Boys and Girls Club as the Middle School Program Coordinator in the Portland and South Portland locations, creating programming related to career exploration for kids.
“I love having a job where I feel like I’m getting to make a difference in college kids’ lives and people’s lives, and this one in particular means a lot to me,” Crie said of his new position at the Mitchell Institute. “I’m just hoping that I can give out the same amount of support that was given to me.”
“It’s so meaningful to have Osage join us,” Casey Near, Mitchell Institute Scholarship Director, said. “We’ve watched his career grow from an undergraduate to someone making an impact in Maine through his nonprofit work. He brings such care, empathy, and integrity to this role, and we can’t wait to see this community become stronger because of him.”
“As we grow the number of Scholars we serve, I can’t think of anyone better than Osage to help us keep our supports personal and responsive,” Jared Cash, CEO of the Mitchell Institute, said. “He brings integrity and lived experience to this role, and our Scholars are going to be better off because of his care.”
Crie listening to remarks by Mitchell Institute CEO Jared Cash during MILE I weekend in 2022
Through the Mitchell Institute, Crie participated in the Promise Scholar Program, which provides enhanced supports and wraparound services to a smaller cohort of Mitchell Scholars who have demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming significant challenges, such as homelessness, involvement in the foster care system, or family instability. Crie said that throughout the years, the Mitchell Institute has helped him with various needs, ranging from questions about his taxes to driver’s ed.
“Mitchell Institute Finance Director Lisa Sirois actually took me for my driver’s ed test my freshman year of college. It has always been such a great community,” Crie expressed. “There’s so much effort put forth by the organization to know the current Scholars and Alumni.”
Crie participating in a Mitchell Institute event for Promise Scholars
Crie said as Scholar Program Coordinator, he is hoping to provide the same personal touch to the position that he experienced as a Scholar, even as the Mitchell Institute continues to expand its mission and recognize more Scholars annually. Crie mentioned it means a lot to him to be able to live, work, and give back to others in his home state of Maine.
“I’ve always wanted to end up in Maine and be more Maine-focused. I really love the community in Maine,” Crie said. “I’m proud to be from Maine and proud of how the state represents itself.”