Sam Betts, second son of Danielle and Brad Betts, is one of the top 10 students in the senior class at Boothbay Region High School. His brother Ben was a top 10 senior three years ago.

Sam Betts’ favorite subjects are math and English literature. He isn’t sure yet what he’ll focus on in college, but after applying to 14 colleges, his choice was narrowed to one pretty close to home: Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

Betts said he’s fine with being one of the “top ten” students, but doesn’t really consider it a big deal. A semester at Chewonki Foundation the winter of his junior year impacted, and in some ways changed, his outlook on the importance of some things. “I don’t really see much significance in the top ten anymore,” he said.

The overall experience left him with a positive lasting impression, though he almost changed his mind about going at the last minute. “The mental part of leaving home, and your friend group, and creating a whole new life was a little scary,” Betts said. In hindsight, though, he thinks his reluctance was ill-conceived.

“I went to Chewonki for four months and stayed in a cabin. It was great. There were students from all over the United States and one from China. It was really the best experience of my life,” he said. The stint started in January 2016. There were six to eight students, mostly juniors, in each cabin. The cabins are insulated, but wood stoves are the only source of heat. “A lot of people from New York and New Jersey in my cabin didn’t know how to build a fire, and it was cold,” he said. Luckily he knew.

Betts said his focus has been, and remains, on mathematics and English. “That hasn’t changed since before my time at Chewonki. What has changed is thinking I wanted to go to school for finance and economics and business. Chewonki really brought out my appreciation of education, and focusing on the learning aspect rather than the ‘diploma,’ and being in the top ten.”

Since his experience at Chewonki, his perspective of what college is for, and what will be best for him, has changed. Betts decided to attend Bowdoin for its “loose curriculum.”

“Bowdoin doesn’t have very many distribution requirements. The distribution is done in a way that you get something from each subject area. It’s all about exploring your interests. If your focus is science, you’re encouraged to take a music, or art class. And I won’t be pressured to make a decision as to what I’ll concentrate on for two years.”

He likes that Bowdoin is pretty close to home, with some reservations. ‘It might be a little too close,” he said with a laugh. “But I couldn’t turn down their offer because it’s a fantastic school. I feel that it’s important to find a new perspective, which is why I was also looking out of state for a college, but I’m totally fine with Maine.”

Betts has competed in cross country all four years of high school, and Nordic skiing for all but the second part of his junior year when he went to Chewonki. Now he’s involved in baseball and tennis. “I like tennis. Everyone tells me it’s a lifelong sport, and I’m having a lot of fun learning to play.”

Betts also has a knack for graphic design and visual art. He hopes to be accepted to an apprenticeship at a branding company in Lewiston this summer. He plays piano and does photography and woodworking.