Mitchell Scholars Reflect on Summer 2026 Internships and Work Experiences Supported by the Mitchell Institute As the telltale signs of late summer begin to appear, many Mitchell Scholars are packing their belongings, finalizing their class schedules, and heading to campus for the start of a new academic year. Some will reenter the classroom this fall with real-world experiences directly applicable to their education following a few months of interning and working.
The Mitchell Institute is dedicated to supporting Scholars throughout their college journeys—especially as they consider what life post-graduation might look like. These are stories from a few Scholars who spent the summer of 2026 exploring their interests, developing skills, and establishing new communities—thanks, in part, to the network and resources available through the Mitchell Institute.
Max Viselli, Consigli Construction Co.
Max Viselli, 2023 Mitchell Scholar from Richmond High School
One year ago, Max Viselli, a 2023 Mitchell Scholar from Richmond High School and rising senior at the University of Maine at Orono, spent his summer living and working in Wisconsin at a paper machine company. Viselli is a mechanical engineering major who is starting to consider his options after graduation. He said his experience in the Midwest confirmed that in the long term, he sees himself ending up back in his home state.
“My end goal will always be Maine,” Viselli shared.
That’s one reason why it was exciting for Viselli when Mitchell Institute Scholarship Director Casey Near approached him with an internship opportunity much closer to home for the summer of 2026. Consigli Construction Co. was looking for UMaine engineering students to apply, and Near thought of Viselli.
“It can be very overwhelming on the hunt for internships because there are so many out there,” Viselli expressed. “It’s nice to have someone reach out and say, ‘Hey, I think you would be a good fit for this,’ or ‘This seems like a good opportunity for you’—like someone to have your back out there looking out for you, which really embodies the Mitchell Institute as a whole.”
Following multiple rounds of interviews, Viselli was hired for a project management position—a different experience than he had in Wisconsin. Viselli said he enjoyed the balance of desk and on-site work and getting to see what he was working on in the office in real life.
“On the construction management side, especially as an engineer, you get to be really involved—up close and personal—with these very important projects that make an impact on people’s lives,” Viselli said, noting that the site he was working on this summer was for a brand-new MaineHealth orthopedic surgery building in Scarborough. “Thousands of people will be going [there] to get life-changing surgeries. It’s really rewarding to say I’m a part of that.”
Max Viselli, Consigli Construction Co.
Viselli said this internship also helped him expand his professional network, as he learned from various experts in the field—from architects to designers to subcontractors. Viselli said some of the work in this internship, such as calling vendors and talking to subcontractors, was invaluable to him, as it isn’t necessarily replicated in school.
“I’ll be able to graduate with four years of experience, a couple of internships, and tons of real-world experience before I’m even into the workforce,” Viselli said, noting that thanks to support from the Mitchell Institute and other scholarships, he also will be graduating practically debt-free.
“This internship allowed me to really see myself doing this in the future,” Viselli said, later adding, “It’s definitely something I’m looking to pursue after college.”
Dasha Artemchuk, The Longwood Players
Dasha Artemchuk, 2025 Mitchell Scholar from Mount Desert Island High School
In 2023, Dasha Artemchuk and her family moved to Maine because of the ongoing war in her home country of Ukraine. For Dasha, art has always been an integral part of her process in understanding and embracing the new places she has lived.
“I think art can tell a lot about a culture and the major influences on the philosophy of that culture,” Artemchuk explained. “For example, in Ukraine, a lot of art is centered around protection—like embroidery or necklaces.”
For a long time, Artemchuk has wanted to pursue art—specifically acting—professionally. Through the Mitchell Institute scholarship, she has had an opportunity to do so, completing her freshman year at Emerson College in Boston last spring as a theater and performance major.
“When it came to college, it was a little bit of a culture shock for me because schooling in Ukraine and Europe is so much cheaper,” Artemchuk said, acknowledging how essential financial support from both the Mitchell Institute and her college has been to her pursuing her dreams.
In the spring, Artemchuk applied for and received a Mitchell Fellowship to help her stay in Boston a few weeks past the end of her semester so she could perform in a play at The Longwood Players in Chelsea, Mass., called “Translations.”
“It was really important to me because I got out of my college bubble and talked to people who were doing theater for work and also as their second jobs,” Artechuk expressed, later adding, “That performance was really meaningful to me because it was my first serious experience in theater, and I was really happy. It was a little bit of a challenge, but I got really nice reviews.”
Following the run of “Translations,” Artemchuk returned to MDI for the summer and worked at the Summer Festival of the Arts to continue sharing her passion for the arts with local children. Specifically, she led a global arts class—the idea for which originated from master classes that she took in Boston.
Dasha Artemchuk, Festival of the Arts
“In school, I was one of the only kids who was from a different country, and there wasn’t a lot of diversity on the Island during the winter,” Artemchuk shared. “It was really important to me to expose kids to cultures from different countries and different continents.”
Gabriel Durazo, Space Camp
Gabriel Durazo, 2024 Mitchell Scholar from Leavitt Area High School
From an early age, Gabriel Durazo was fascinated by space. As a rising junior studying aerospace engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, he is taking steps with every credit earned toward his ultimate ambition.
“The main goal is to be working at NASA,” Durazo shared. “I remember as a kid that was all I wanted to do.”
Durazo said when he was young, his family didn’t have the financial means to send him to any space-related programs. That’s why one work opportunity that his parents mentioned for the summer of 2026 stood out to him.
“When they said Space Camp was a possibility, I was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’ because then I could inspire these kids [to go to space],” Durazo explained.
Durazo was hired as a resident advisor and camp counselor and drove to Alabama in May to begin training. Space Camp attracted youth from nine to 18 years old and had sessions with various focuses, such as aviation, the military, and cybersecurity. Durazo worked with elementary and middle school students in the traditional Space Camp program and did his best to inspire them.
“I had a few kids who didn’t want to be there, but then by the end of the week, I eventually got them to [admit], ‘This was a really great experience. I really liked this,’” Durazo said.
Gabriel Durazo, Space Camp
Durazo said the area in which he grew the most was communication, gradually building confidence in speaking with campers, his fellow camp counselors from across the country, and families.
“I remember one mom said, ‘You know, as an engineer, you can communicate really well!’” Durazo joked.
Durazo also used the opportunity this summer to refine his professional “elevator pitch” about his career path, with plans to do more networking this coming semester.
“There’s a good chance that one of those families that I was leading through Space Camp works at a company like Boeing or NASA or SpaceX. You never know,” Durazo said. “I practiced my elevator pitch with them because they would always ask me, ‘What do you want to do when you get out of here?’”
Aerospace engineering is a niche major, and Durazo said just a handful of Mitchell Scholars are pursuing it. One, who has already graduated college, is “leading the torch,” according to Durazo.
“I give him a lot of credit for giving me ideas a year ago, talking about how to respond to employers and stuff like that,” Durazo expressed.
That advice, and his own independent drive, landed him in a position to meet four astronauts this summer while working at Space Camp.
“I shook their hands,” Durazo said, conveying his excitement, later noting, “[Space Camp] was definitely a great experience. I highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to figure out what they’re doing.”
Luka Rosolino, Kazakhstan
Luka Rosolino, 2024 Mitchell Scholar from Gray-New Gloucester High School
Luka Rosolino, a 2024 Mitchell Scholar from Gray-New Gloucester High School, has always been interested in learning about other cultures. That passion brought him to Connecticut College, where he is a rising junior double majoring in international relations and Slavic studies, with a minor in government and a focus in Russian.
“I think it’s really good to get associated with different cultures around the world and to bring it back home,” Rosolino shared.
This summer, Rosolino had an opportunity to put that philosophy into action when he visited Almaty, Kazakhstan, for one month. His visit was part of an independent research grant he was awarded to investigate the question, “How is the 2026 conflict between the U.S. and Iran changing Kazakhstan’s role in global oil politics?”
“I had a lot of interesting conversations. It was definitely a different culture,” Rosolino said. “It really is good to put yourself, in my opinion, in a different country and learn. I think that’s the best way to learn—to get other people’s opinions, so you can be open-minded.”
Luka Rosolino, Kazakhstan
For Rosolino, it felt important to experience the culture, history, and language that he would be writing about in his research project. He met a professor in Kazakhstan, whom he later interviewed, and he did a Russian program while he was there to immerse himself in the language.
“I’m not fluent in Russian, but it was great doing the best I could,” Rosolino smiled.
Rosolino said he applied for and received a Mitchell Fellowship for this trip, which helped fund his flights to and from different locations to inform his research.
“That was really helpful because I probably wouldn’t be able to afford all of this,” Rosolino acknowledged.
Rosolino is currently writing an article for his research project that he will present to faculty, staff, students, and alumni at his college this fall. That work will eventually lend itself to another program he is participating in at his school called the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA), culminating in a final senior capstone.
Ahead of the upcoming semester, Rosolino shared a few words of wisdom with rising Mitchell Scholars about all they can accomplish with the right mindset.
“Take risks, and take opportunities in life,” Rosolino said. “You never know what will happen or who you will meet. It can lead to places you’re not even dreaming about right now, and it can be really beneficial to your future and career.”
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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.