Arianna Stefanilo grew up on Chebeague Island. Her passion was cooking, and after completing a two-year culinary program at PATHS (Portland Arts and Technology High School) she decided that she wanted to become a professional chef. It looked like her dream was going to come true when she applied and was accepted at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York. Shortly after graduating from Greely High School, however, she realized that despite receiving a few local scholarships, she did not have the funds to go to school. While many students might have given up the dream, Arianna worked three jobs and considered her options.
Even though the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) was willing to defer her acceptance, Arianna came to realize that attending CIA, even with scholarships and financial aid, meant lots of debt. So she decided to attend Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland. Thanks to the Island Institute’s Sweet Scholarship and local scholarships such as Chebeague’s Stephen Ross Scholarship, Arianna has been able to get a start on her culinary education and plans to continue at SMCC to study business so that she will understand the financial side of owning and operating a restaurant.
But Arianna still aspired to learn more about cooking. She was excited when she learned that her mentor, Chef Wilfred Beriau, had taken SMCC students to Austria since 1997 where they spent days cooking and studying the Austrian history, geography, culture and cuisine. The more she heard about the program, which also awarded three college credits, the more she wanted to go. Like many of her college peers, her travel experience was limited to visits to grandparents in New Hampshire and Florida. With money so tight, she never dreamed that she would be able to study abroad—even for a few weeks.
Arianna was barely making ends meet at SMCC. As the deadline to submit a down payment for the trip approached, she decided to ask island friends, Beverly Johnson and myself, Donna Damon, to help her brainstorm possible funding options. As seasoned fundraisers, we suggested a community potluck supper. Arianna quickly decided that a dinner was a great idea, but that she wanted to organize and prepare it herself! Johnson questioned the feasibility of Arianna preparing a dinner for 50 to 100 people, but was quickly assured that some of the other culinary students had volunteered to help. As plans began to gel, Arianna and her friends decided to give islanders a choice of three entries, soup, salad and dessert—and all for $15 a head! It was soon evident that these students were professionals and were not planning a bean supper.
Donations and discounts lowered the cost of supplies. The lobster was donated by local lobsterman, Rusty Parmenter; the Chebeague Island Hall Community Center donated the use of the building and facilities; the Chebeague Recreation Center donated its round tables; and the Chebeague United Methodist Church served as the fiscal agent. The gifts started pouring in from individuals who couldn’t attend and local organizations such as the church, the grange, and the Ladies Aid. Tickets sold out quickly. In the end, 112 people attended the dinner. Beverly Johnson painted a bench with a scene of the Chebeague ferry, Islander, leaving the wharf, and she developed an online auction which raised $525. The night before the dinner, she created a 15 by 30 painting of the Chebeague Boatyard in winter that was raffled raising nearly $500 more for Arianna’s trip.
The Chebeague Island Hall had never looked better. Diners sat at round tables bedecked with white damask tablecloths that were adorned with petite salmon bouquets. “Quite elegant!” one dinner goer was heard to say. But it was the meal itself that truly impressed the diners. The fact that four students could cook three entrees that were hot when they reached the table pleasantly surprised even the most discerning guests. Family and friends served the meal and helped clean up.
Arianna’s three school friends marveled at the enthusiasm and generosity of the Chebeague community. One of them commented that he would come back anytime and help create another dinner. “This has been amazing. The people here are great! I just love this place,” he exclaimed.
Chef Beriau attended the dinner and proudly reveled in his students’ culinary success. He talked about SMCC’s culinary program and outlined the trip’s itinerary. He described how this experience had expanded the horizons of so many Maine students who, like Arianna, hadn’t travelled far from home.
While the final figure has yet to be tallied, it appears that Arianna is well on her way to reaching her goal of $3500, which is needed to make the trip to Austria a reality.
Some island fundraisers are community driven and the recipient is a passive observer. This was not the case with Arianna Stefanilo. She was proactive and the community supported her. In the process she has shown that hard work and a strong knowledge-base lead to success. Arianna has raised the bar for Chebeague suppers. Will Chebeaguers ever be satisfied with beans, hot dogs, and mac and cheese again?