Meet 2022 Sara’s Scholarship Winner Kristopher Edgar
At the start of each year, Teens to Trails offers Maine high school sophomores a chance to win a summer trip through Sara’s Scholarship. The scholarship is named after Sara Leone, a 15-year old student from Wiscasset who loved the outdoors, and tragically died in a car accident in 2005. To honor Sara’s adventurous spirit, we award up to three students a summer expedition led by some of Maine’s best trip-leading organizations. These trips can last a week or a month. Students visit beautiful natural spaces in Maine, learn useful outdoor skills, and even discover ideas for future careers outdoors.
Kristopher Edgar, who is currently a junior at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, enjoyed paddling on the Damariscotta River and exploring the waters around Boothbay on his grandfather’s motor boat, but never had the chance to spend time away from home kayaking or camping. For this reason, Kristopher selected a 3-week kayaking expedition with Chewonki for his Sara’s Scholarship experience. Learn more about Kristopher’s trip below, and remember to apply to Sara’s Scholarship before March 7!
Kristopher’s group paddled to North Haven to view Goose Rock Lighthouse. He’s pictured on the far right, second to the last person.
Kayaking on open water for an extended period of time can be challenging. How did your group manage it?
We paddled 3-½ miles the first day, 4-miles on day two, and then by day three we jumped to 8 miles. On days 4-5, we paddled from sunrise to sunset for a total of 17 miles. I was exhausted after that!
What were some of your most memorable experiences?
We camped on Fort Island, which is about an hour long paddle up river from where I live. It was super cool to see places I know from a totally different perspective.
Similarly, I’ve driven to the top of Cadillac Mountain but seeing it from the water was completely different. When we neared Acadia, it was early in the morning and the water was very calm. It was a surreal moment for me — I had a lot of different emotions around that experience.
Did you make any meaningful connections with other students on the trip?
It was a small group, about 7 of us. Most were from the East Coast, but one person was from Italy. It was interesting because there was only one other person from Maine, and he was from the Portland area. We talked a lot about our different experiences growing up in the same state. His school is larger, and not everyone knows each other, mine is smaller and everybody knows everyone. We also talked about what Maine meant to him and me.
What was it like to be without a phone for 3-weeks?
It was awesome, actually — not having to check my phone constantly, and not having to look at the news. I think I connected better with the people around me. We always spoke directly to each other, rather than text. Conversations were better and a little more real.
Would you do a longer paddling trip like this again?
I would love to do something like this again. I would start on the border of Maine/New Hampshire, and then paddle to Wiscasset, then Acadia, and then on to Eastport. It would be amazing to see the entire coast of Maine.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.