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PORTLAND – Students from several central Maine high schools were among those who won a total $170,000 worth of scholarships Thomas College for pitches at Future Innovators Camp, held in June.
Winners of $10,000 scholarships to attend Thomas College in Waterville included Rishi Duvvuru from Hall-Dale High School and Stephen Worthley-Argraves from Overman Academy in Skowhegan, part of a team that pitched Yett-e, a self-driving snowplow to help elderly Mainers access necessities.
Second-place winners, who received $8,000 scholarships to Thomas included Daniel Howard from Richmond High School, Izzabella Simmons from Morse High School in Bath, Natalie Libby from Sacopee Valley High School in Hiram and Tianna Eames from Winslow High School, part of a team who pitched an online game for young children designed to increase aspirations in STEM fields for women and minorities.
Third place winners pitched a new type of green crab trap, winning $6,000 scholarships.
“The innovators experience was a great one,” Sacopee student Libby said. “It was very hard to sum it up. Working on our project all week nonstop was the hardest thing I did, but it came out amazing.”
They were among more than 50 Maine high school students who spent the week in Portland as part of the Future Innovators Camp. Educate Maine, Thomas College, and the Roux Institute at Northeastern University partnered to develop the unique college and career readiness opportunity for Maine students who wish to make a difference in the future of Maine’s economy. The goal is to help grow local and diverse talent in entrepreneurial and tech-forward fields, especially those that tie directly to Maine’s traditional industries such as biotech, green tech, aquaculture, fintech, e-commerce and cybersecurity.
Students spent their nights on Cow Island learning outdoor leadership and teamwork with Rippleffect and their days at the Roux Institute learning design thinking with Thomas College and Roux Institute professors to prepare for their innovative pitch that they presented at the end of the camp. They were also visited professionals from across industries in Maine who served as project mentors or shared expertise during lunch talks.
