Windham High graduate earns Mitchell Institute scholarship

Destiny Potter, a 2022 graduate of Windham
High School, will receive a Mitchell Institute
Scholarship award of $10,000 to be paid out
in four equal installments, as well as ongoing
personal, academic, and professional support
from the nonprofit organization.
COURTESY PHOTO

Portland-based nonprofit The Mitchell Institute, founded by Senator George J. Mitchell to improve college outcomes for students from every community in Maine, has announced its annual scholarships and among the 147 recipients is a student from Windham.

Destiny Potter, a 2022 graduate of Windham High School, will receive a scholarship award of $10,000 to be paid out in four equal installments, as well as ongoing personal, academic and professional support from the nonprofit organization.

“The 2022 Mitchell Scholars spent much of their high school years facing upheaval related to the pandemic, and they have demonstrated remarkable resilience,” said Mitchell Institute President and CEO Jared Cash.

He said that The Mitchell Institute is honored to offer the scholars a $10,000 scholarship along with signature events and resources that are designed to meet scholars where they are and support them in college and well into their careers.

“Each Scholar represents the best of our great state and reflects Senator Mitchell’s vision of investing in young people so they, in turn, can strengthen their communities.” Cash said.

Class of 2022 Mitchell Scholars graduated in June from high schools across the state and will soon pursue their academic goals and career aspirations in higher education. They will do so with the support of the broader Mitchell Institute community, which includes more than 2,800 alumni who mentor Scholars and hundreds of donors whose philanthropic investments continue to sustain the Institute’s ability to fund the scholars.

Throughout college and the years following, the Mitchell Scholars will have opportunities to engage with Mitchell Institute programs and resources focusing on financial assistance, leadership training, and academic and career support, nonprofit officials say.

The new class of Mitchell Scholars will join 450 currently enrolled scholars who collectively will receive more than $5 million in awards from the Mitchell Institute during their college careers, Cash said.

All of the college-bound students in the 2022 scholar class, including Potter, have distinguished themselves through academic excellence and community involvement.

With financial and programmatic support from the Mitchell Institute, some 88 percent of Mitchell Scholars complete college and achieve a degree, compared with 58 percent nationally, and more than 90 percent earn all As and Bs in their college courses.

Potter will attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall and is undecided on a major but is leaning toward Wildlife Conservation with a minor in Animal Behavior.

“I’ve always had a passion for animals and hope one day to have a career that allows me to help them in any way I can,” she said. “These past 13 years have been a ride and I thank the RSU 14 district for the countless memories that I have accumulated throughout the years.”

Potter says she would also like to thank all of the wonderful teachers that have motivated her and allowed her to succeed in her education.

“Most importantly I want to thank my family for being my rock and guiding me through some of the most important years of my life,” she said. <