The Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute celebrated its 10th anniversary with a 500-person luncheon and an uplifting speakers program Dec. 11 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.

Since former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe founded the Institute at the conclusion of her political career, more than 1,000 high school girls have entered the three-year mentorship program focused on finding their values, voice and vision.

Longtime national and international news correspondent Cynthia McFadden, who grew up in Auburn and campaigned for Snowe as a 17-year-old, spoke at the first Institute luncheon a decade ago and enthusiastically returned for the anniversary.

“The goal of the Institute, as I see it, is to allow young women make decisions about their lives from a position of strength, not fear,” she said. “This is the only program of its kind in the nation.”

Since the inaugural class of 45 Olympia’s Leaders, the Institute has grown to serve more than 550 young women annually, supported by more than 200 volunteer mentors, at 38 high schools across all 16 Maine counties. In the past several years, Olympia’s Leaders have received free college credit and $2.8 million in Institute-exclusive or Institute-partnered scholarships.

“At Lincoln Academy, the teachers try to choose students who have leadership potential but maybe don’t see it in themselves,” said Brynne Whitney, a Bangor Savings Bank vice president who volunteers in Newcastle. “I’ve watched my group grow tremendously, and now they’re doing amazing things in college.”

Lily Bailey, a 2023 alum from Spruce Mountain High School in Livermore Falls, was born with a physical disability. “The Institute helped me realize and embrace my passion for disability advocacy,” she said. “Through the Institute, I learned that my voice is powerful. I feel that expanding the program is very important for many female-identifying individuals in high school who feel like their voices are not heard.”

In response to Snowe’s statement that she would like to see the number of participants double, McFadden said, “I want this thing to be in every state in this country. I’d like to be part of trying to make that happen, and I hope there are others in this room that would too, because the challenges young women face are not unique to Maine.”

In honor of the 10-year anniversary, McFadden pledged to visit as many of the school programs as possible over the next year, including her alma mater, Edward Little High School in Lewiston, and to make a financial gift each year for the next decade in honor of Snowe.

Despite the luncheon not being a fundraiser — most of the tickets were complimentary — attendees followed McFadden’s lead, donating $30,000 in honor of leaders they admire.

And McFadden found herself holding a pile of name tags. “All these women are giving me their names and telling me that they want to be involved with a national group,” she said, grinning.

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.