No-Agenda Meetings Are Where Scholars, Alumni Find Answers

Got a question or two? A no-agenda meeting with a member of the Mitchell Institute staff could be just the thing for you.

So named because any topic is welcome, no-agenda meetings provide Mitchell Scholars and Alumni with a chance to ask Institute staff a broad range of questions and learn about resources available to support their goals. A quick canvassing of staff revealed the most frequently raised topics at no-agenda meetings mostly pertain to choosing a major (or switching to another), finding internships and career opportunities, applying to grad school, and sharing personal and professional interests.

And if you are interested in meeting with staff in person at the Mitchell Institute on Washington Ave. in Portland, you might find yourself holding your no-agenda meeting over coffee and a bagel at Forage, just down the street. That’s where Jake Goodwin, the 2022 Mitchell Scholar from South Portland High School (above left and below), recently got the download on Mitchell Institute programs and resources from Scholarship Associate Adam Thibodeau.

“I always look forward to no-agenda meetings with Scholars and Alumni,” Thibodeau said. “These conversations help Mitchell Institute staff get to know Scholars and Alumni as individuals and to offer them a space to ask questions and talk about their dreams. Mitchell Scholars have amazing goals, and sometimes they just need reassurance that those goals are attainable.”