Sara’s Scholarship Winners 2022

Thanks to Sara’s Scholarship, Liz Roman from Winthrop High School will be kayaking on Casco Bay this summer with Rippleffect.

April 8th is a special day in our 16-year history. We celebrate the birthday of Sara Leone — a Wiscasset high school student who died tragically in a car accident at age 15. Shortly after her passing, Sara’s parents, Bob and Carol Leone, founded Teens to Trails with the hopes of sharing their daughter’s love of the outdoors with local high school students. 

Today, Teens to Trails not only provides programming, gear and financial support to 82 middle and high school outdoor clubs across the state, we also offer 3 sophomores the chance to enjoy a free summer adventure through the scholarship named after Sara Leone, and generous camp partners.

The 2022 Sara’s Scholarship winners include David Gustin from Winthrop High School, who will experience a 5-day backpacking excursion with Rippleffect; Liz Roman, also from Winthrop, who will enjoy a 5-day paddling experience on Casco Bay with Rippleffect; and Kristopher Edgar from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, who was awarded a 3-week kayaking expedition with Chewonki. 

As part of the summer scholarship, the students share stories of their adventures with Teens to Trails. It’s a tradition that Executive Director Alica Heyburn says is a fun way to track the impact these trips have on the winners. “These experiences inspire a lifelong love of the natural world, they literally expand the horizons of young people influencing lives and careers. It’s a beautiful way to commemorate a young life.”

To learn more about Teens to Trails and how you can contribute funds for future student scholarships, visit here.

Many thanks to our outdoor partners and generous supporters for making this exciting outdoor opportunity possible!