Meet The Team

Meredith grew up in the beautiful small town of Fryeburg, Maine. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in elementary education from Western Governors University.

“I had some life challenges growing up, and the strength of this community allowed me to grow and flourish.”

After spending more than 20 years away from Maine—including teaching at a K–8 magnet school in Bend, Oregon—Meredith returned to Fryeburg in the summer of 2019. She has been actively involved with young people in the Fryeburg community ever since.

In the fall of 2020, Meredith helped launch Fryeburg’s first local Teen Center, creating a dedicated space for local teens that the community had never previously had. Located in the Fryeburg Recreation Department’s building on Recreation Drive, the Teen Center continues to be overseen by Meredith. Now in its sixth year, it serves eighth graders from Molly Ockett Middle School and local high school students attending Fryeburg Academy.

“We are definitely creating some amazing relationships. I am told regularly by the teens that show up how much they appreciate the safe space to be themselves…which makes my heart so happy because what we are doing is succeeding!”

While helping establish Fryeburg’s first Teen Center, Meredith recognized a significant gap in services for young people growing up in rural Oxford County. Many students needed greater social and emotional support, stronger connections with trusted adults, and access to meaningful, high-quality co-curricular age and grade specific programming that was not otherwise available in the community. Determined to address that need, Meredith set out to create the opportunities, relationships, and 360 degree support systems local young people deserved.

"Many of the skills I have acquired were from my years at Westside Village Magnet School and working at Indian and Forest Acres Camp. WVMS is a project-based school that uses a foundation of love to teach their children.  Being immersed in such a loving, community driven school and sleep-away camp for so many years taught me the importance of patience and tolerance when dealing with children. Most importantly, I was taught every child must feel like they matter and have a sense of purpose in their lives."

It was during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Meredith started wrestling with the following questions: 

"How can I help foster a real sense of purpose in these kids living in rural Oxford County who are lost and in need of support and direction?"

"How can [we] tie this all in and create a loving and strong community, where we all learn to support each other, regardless of the situation?"

Creating Rivers & Roads was the answer.