Members of the 2008 All-Maine Academic Team
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Kyle Oliver, Central Maine Community College, Auburn Kyle graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and enrolled at Bates College. But finances were a concern, and he looked for other higher education options that were a “better fit” for what he wanted to accomplish. He found what he was looking for at CMCC: a business program that would allow him to transfer to the University of Southern Maine and earn a master’s degree in business. Kyle works full time at a Hannaford store while enrolled at CMCC and credits his single mother for his greatest strengths: hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. “Watching my mother work nearly 80 hours every week taught me that hard work and sacrifice is essential to being successful in life.” |
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Lisa Patton, Central Maine Community College, Auburn Lisa Patton discovered her true calling after volunteering at her daughter’s childcare center: she wanted to be a teacher. So at the age of 33 she enrolled at CMCC to gain the skills she needed to make her mark on the world and be a role model for her children. Raised by blind parents who instilled a sense of optimism and a solid work ethic, she now balances family and work obligations as a preschool teacher and birth doula and still finds time for extracurricular activities. “By setting the bar so high for myself, my children have embraced the value of academic excellence and the satisfaction of community involvement,” says Patton. |
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Robin Lozier, Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor Inspired by her mother, who graduated with the first class of nurses from EMCC, Robin also chose to earn her degree from the college. She works full time while enrolled in the college’s business management program and hopes eventually to earn her master’s degree. Affordability and quality are the reasons she chose EMCC as the place to start her degree. She says that if it weren’t for the community colleges, she wouldn’t have been able to attend college.
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Barbara Rozelle, Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor As a grandmother and full-time bus driver, Barbara fits the description of a non-traditional student. As she says, it’s the main reason she chose to attend a community college: “EMCC meets the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students who wish to further their education.”Barbara started her education at what was Eastern Maine Technical College in the 1990’s and returned to the college because it offered small class sizes and support services for students—in addition to being close to home and work. Barbara’s goal is to work with children.
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Angela Cookson, Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield As a single parent Angela knew she had to finish college in order to provide the life she wanted for her young son. She chose KVCC because of the availability of child care on campus and the fact that it was close to home. Although initially she was interested in nursing, she discovered—thanks to a supportive instructor—that she had a knack for mathematics. Her goals include earning a bachelor’s degree and becoming a high school math teacher. She’s getting a head start by tutoring several college and high school students in math.
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Margaret Davis, KennebecValley Community College, Fairfield After 25 years of hard work, Moddie Davis realized she needed an education beyond her high school diploma to obtain a good paying job in Maine. While working nights at a trucking company loading freight, she began taking adult education courses to “brush up” on her studies and then enrolled at KVCC. As a non-traditional student, Moddie appreciates the student support services available at the college. She says her college work has helped her provide support to others as a licensed foster care respite worker. Her plans include continuing her education at the University of Maine Augusta.
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Steven Pierson, NorthernMaine Community College, Presque Isle In addition to being a full-time student, president of Phi Theta Kappa, and treasurer of the Student Senate, Steven is a single father to a son who is autistic. His strong interest in automotive technology led him to NMCC, where he found he could develop his academic skills and be an active member of the campus community. His long-term goal is to return to NMCC as an automotive technology instructor. In the meantime he works as a work-study lab assistant and plans to pursue a master’s degree in teaching in order to reach his goal.
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Soon Ji Kim, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland In 2005 Soon Ji took the Korean equivalent of the GED in order to correct what she calls her “huge mistake” of leaving high school at 16. Soon after, she immigrated to the United States and began taking ESL courses at SMCC where she eventually enrolled as a student. This time she says, “I made a very wise decision. SMCC gave me a chance to start my new academic life and made me a strong student.” Having achieved academic success, Soon Ji intends to continue her education. Her goal: to become a medical doctor.
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Joshua Lobkowicz, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland Working ten years in a job that gave him little personal satisfaction, Joshua was eager to attend college and find a career that would allow him to balance work and his strong desire to make a difference in the world. He enrolled at SMCC and says he has “learned more than [he] could have ever imagined.” He’s been able to volunteer some of his time towards causes he believes in, work at the college library, and hopes someday to teach college level English.
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Keri Holst, Washington County Community College, Calais Going to college close to home was important to Keri. Attending WCCC allowed her to keep her two jobs, enroll in a career field that interested her, and spend time with family. More importantly, she says, “I wanted to know everyone around me and gain the most I could out of school.” An excellent student, Keri has also contributed in significant ways to the WCCC community as a volunteer and student leader. After graduating from WCCC, she plans to continue her education to become a nurse practitioner and to return home to use those skills for the benefit of her community.
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Elizabeth Phillips, Washington County Community College, Calais Elizabeth moved to the U.S. two years ago from Singapore to be near family in Calais. Already a successful educator and author of children’s books in her native country, she needed a degree to work in the field of education in her adopted country. She says her studies in the areas of child development and behavior management have helped her the most and have provided insight into the local culture and the problems faced by children and families. She plans eventually to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
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Ashley Sevigny, York County Community College, Wells Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 17 Ashley struggled with college because of her illness. After trying a number of colleges, she chose YCCC because of its low cost and location close to home. But she found that the college offered her much more than that. An outstanding student and active member of the school community, she says YCCC offered the flexibility and support she needed to succeed. Her goals include transferring to earn a baccalaureate degree in human rights and one day becoming a college professor.
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Grady Fox, York County Community College, Wells Grady says he did a lot of research on colleges before he chose YCCC. He wanted a college that offered small classes, was close to home, and would help him follow his dream of starting a career in digital media. His experiences as a tutor have helped build his confidence and pass that confidence along to others. “I have taken classes and attained excellent grades, but teaching what I have learned affirms that I have truly gained knowledge that I can use and share,” he says. His plans include earning a B.A. and becoming an animator or technical director. |
