Your Bridge from High School to Community College

A program of the Maine Community College System

In This Issue

YCCC Has 3 PTK Inductees

Glad to be at KVCC

WCCC Student Values ECforME

It's All About Security at CMCC

NMCC Student Welds a Career

Quick Links

"This is a wonderful program that we are so happy to be part of."

~Jon Moody, Principal, Messalonskee High School

Central Maine

Community College

Auburn

Eastern Maine

Community College

Bangor

Kennebec Valley Community College

Fairfield/Hinckley

Northern Maine Community College

Presque Isle

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland/Brunswick

Washington County Community College

Calais

York County

Community College

Wells

"Our students really benefit from Early College for ME, and [ECforME staff] have been wonderful to work with."

~Theresa LaPlante, Guidance Counselor, Portland High School

"[ECforME] made me want to achieve more in life."

~Sarah Baker (Woodland'12) Liberal Studies WCCC

"Give it a try. You might be shocked at how much you like college life."

~Casey Guptill (Traip Academy'12) Liberal Studies EMCC

"Without the scholarship I most likely would not have been able to go to college this year."

~Samantha Levy (Falmouth'13) Electrical Engineering Tech SMCC

"ECforME is a great way to prep for college." ~Carl Smith (Fort Fairfield'12) Computer Electronics NMCC

"Be on top of deadlines, don't let things slide."

~Alex Talmage (Kennebunk'12) Computer Tech YCCC

Spring 2014 Volume 8, Issue 2

STUDENT TO STUDENT

YCCC Inducts Three ECforME Students into Phi Theta Kappa: Honor Society for the Two-Year College

L to R: Kristen O'Connor, Tiffanie Delisle, and Kaitlin Downs. O'Connor (Marshwood High School, 2013), is a first-year student majoring in education. Her plan is to complete her YCCC degree, then transfer for a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Delisle (Thornton Academy, 2012) will graduate from YCCC in December with an associate degree in behavioral health. She hopes to work with children who've experienced trauma and also continue her education. Downs (Noble High School, 2013) is exploring career options as a first-year liberal studies student. Their ECforME Regional Director, Cait McGurty, is "extremely proud of their accomplishments!"

KVCC Student Was Unsure About College

Brandi Theriault (Messalonskee High School, 2011) holds her niece at graduation from Kennebec Valley Community College in 2013. When Theriault was a high school junior, "College seemed so far away. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go. Leaving friends, not knowing anyone, feeling pressured to know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life was so overwhelming."
That changed to, "I can do this!" when she met Pauline Stevens, Regional Director, and heard what ECforME offered. "ECforME and KVCC got me to overcome my fears. At times I wanted to give up, but with my family, friends, and the unconditional support of Pauline, I got my associate degree in liberal studies in only two years."
Theriault is currently co-manager of Eddie Bauer in Augusta and planning to earn a bachelor's degree.

ECforME Lightens the Load for a WCCC Student

Cody Pratt (Bonny Eagle High School, 2012) graduates in May from Washington County Community College with an associate degree in mechanical technology. He plans to work full-time for R.J. Grondin & Sons in Gorham as a heavy equipment operator. Pratt began working for Grondin last summer as an operator/laborer, which he says was "a great experience." He used the knowledge and skills he learned in college to operate the equipment, and "I was able to fix it as well." As the first male in his family to go to college, Cody appreciated the support of family and friends.

His ECforME scholarship, he says, made him work harder to keep his grades up. "It helped me financially and has given me something to work for." Also, he adds, "Early College for ME staff [Mary-Ann Urquhart, Regional Coordinator] helped me more than I expected. I am very thankful."

CMCC Student is All About Security

Artulean "Artie" Thomas (Spruce Mountain High School, 2012) is a second-year criminal justice student at Central Maine Community College. She works in Campus Security and was recently hired as a Corrections Officer at the Androscoggin County Jail. Because Thomas has an older brother, who with his friends made unwise choices, she realized, "You can become a mirror of who you hang with. His friends could have been my friends." When local police officers showed genuine concern for her as an individual, she saw policing as "doing good and helping to protect people."

She wants students to "know that your choices now will affect your future. Set realistic goals and have a plan for reaching them." Her plan, says Pauline Moreau, Regional Director, is to some day work for the Portland Police Department or at the Maine State Prison in Warren.

WCSH-TV Names SMCC Student to "Teens Who Care"

Michael Benecke is a 2013 graduate of Messalonskee

High School. Earlier this year, Benecke was honored by WCSH-TV as one of its "Teens Who Care" for his service as a firefighter. He began in his chosen career in Belgrade as a Junior Firefighter. He passed several firefighter and EMT courses, and at 18 belonged to the Belgrade and Oakland stations.
He's now a live-in firefighter at the Windham fire station and a first-year fire science student at Southern Maine Community College. He describes fire science at SMCC as "Awesome. The best part is that we do something different every day. Our instructors are all working or retired firefighters, so it's lots of fun hearing everyone share their experiences." Benecke says Early College for ME is also "Awesome, not only the scholarship, but having someone there [Christopher Ike, Regional Director] to go to."

NMCC Student Excels at Welding and Diesel Hydraulics

Zackary Levesque comes from St. David and a family of five. He graduated from Madawaska High School in 2012, having attended St. John Valley Technical Center, earning his national certification in welding, and placing third in welding at SkillsUSA. First in his family to go to college, Levesque is now a second-year student in diesel hydraulics (DH) at Northern Maine Community College. He has made Dean's List every semester because, he says, he's gone to class and put in study time. Last fall he was named work-study student for the DH lab. He has his commercial driver's license and is EPA-certified in motor vehicle air conditioning, refrigerant recovery, and recycling equipment. By graduation, he'll also have his certification from NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation). About ECforME and Ruth White, Regional Director, Levesque says, "You get a lot of help making it through the challenges of college."

EMCC Student Has Good Advice

Kathryn "KT" Connors (Wiscasset High School, 2013) is a dual major in culinary arts and food-service management at Eastern Maine Community College. While carrying 19 credits, tutoring in EMCC's Student Success Center, and working at Shaw's, she earned Dean's List fall semester and recently won a Bronze medal in culinary arts at the Maine SkillsUSA competition. She's currently co-chair of a fundraiser for Sarah's House, which provides housing for cancer patients at Cancer Care of Maine, notes her Regional Director, Hope Holyoke.

Connors' advice to incoming college students? "Don't get caught up in the drama." She cites a whole host of drama possibilities: roomates, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends in general, teachers. "At the end of the day," she says, "it's up to you to keep your head down and stay focused."

ECforME 1st- and 2nd-Year College Students

FALL 2013 HONORS LIST

*Honors 2 or More Semesters

ECforME 1st- and 2nd-Year College Students

HIGH HONORS

Zachary deMontigny* (SJVTC/Wisdom'12) Diesel Hydraulics NM

John Gerald* (UTC/John Bapst'12) Automotive Tech CM

Shannon Hand (UTC/Brewer'13) Culinary Arts EM

Emily Jackson* (Old Town'12) Hospitality-Tourism Mgmt EM

Timothy Leeman* (LRTC/Lewiston'12) Computer Tech CM

Abigial Smith (Freeport'13) General Studies CM

Ryan Theriault* (LRTC/Leavitt Area'12) Computer Tech CM

Cody Timberlake (Oxford Hills'13) Building Construction Tech CM

Madison Porter (Bucksport'13) Early Childhood Education EM

HONORS

Lyssa Agreste (Biddeford'13) Liberal Studies YC

Jennifer Alvarez* (Bucksport'12) Liberal Studies NM

Devan Armstrong (Nokomis'13) Liberal Studies EM

Kristy Ash* (Bucksport'12) Education EM

Kaylee Ayers (Windham'13) Liberal Studies SM

Alexander Badich (Lewiston'13) Culinary Arts SM

Joseph Baker (Freeport'12) Criminal Justice SM

Nicholas Barnes (Shead'13) Welding Tech WC

Mitchell Barton* (Sacopee Valley'12) Liberal Studies SM

Spencer Bernier (Freeport'12) Pre-Engineering SM

Joshua Brooks (Lewiston'13) Business Administration-Mgmt CM

Lauren Buzzell (Bangor'13) Business Mgmt EM

Kyle Calvo* (Winslow'12) Culinary Arts SM

Sara Cates* (UTC/Old Town'12) Medical Assistant EM

Benjamin Chamberlain (UTC/Hampden Academy'13)

Liberal Studies EM

Eliza Clark (MCST/Camden Hills'13) Automotive Body Repair NM

Bradley Clement (UTC/Central'12) Civil Engineering Tech EM

Allison Colson (Lawrence'13) Liberal Studies KV

Kathryn Connors (Wiscasset'13) Culinary Arts EM

Shannon Crooker* (Hampden Academy'12) Business Mgmt EM

Devan Cyr* (SJVTC/Madawaska'12) Automotive Tech NM

Gabrielle Cyr (Brewer'13) Education EM

Molly Daniel (CATC/Cony'13) General Science-Health Occupations

Hannah Davis* (Greely'12) Liberal Studies SM

Tiffany Delisle (Thornton Academy'12) Behavioral Health YC

Michael deMontigny (SJVTC/Wisdom'13) Diesel Hydraulics NM

Karly Derby* (Greely'12) Liberal Studies SM

Alphonso Dixon* (Skowhegan Area'12) Business Administration-

Marketing/Mgmt KV

Demarre Doody-Corriveau* (Caribou'12) Medical Radiography

Tech EM

Christian Dow (Sanford'13) Architectural Drafting-Design YC

Kaitlin Downs (Noble'13) Liberal Studies YC

Derek Fickett (Edward Little'13) Refrigeration, Air Conditioning-

Heating Tech EM

Jamie Fisher* (South Portland'12) Applied Marine Biology-

Oceanography SM

Michael Gallant (Biddeford'13) Computer Tech SM

Taylor George (Noble'12) Liberal Studies YC

Derek Haley (Mt. Blue'13) Culinary Arts SM

Garrett Hemphill* (Presque Isle'12) Diesel Hydraulics NM

Sean Hennessy (UTC/Orono'13) Liberal Studies EM

Ain Holmes (UTC/Home-Schooled'13) Electrical-Automation EM

Miranda Hussey (Wells'13) Digital Media YC

Hannah Huston (Telstar'13) Culinary Arts SM

Heather Ireland (Bangor'13) Liberal Studies EM

Erica Jipson (Old Town'13) Liberal Studies EM

Crystal Jones (Falmouth'13) Lodging-Restaurant Mmgt SM

Kayla LaBrie* (Winslow'12) Liberal Studies SM

Bryce Lambert* (Sanford'12) Integrated Manufacturing Tech SM

Zachary Levesque* (SJVTC/Madawaska'12) Diesel Hydraulics NM

Ashley Linscott* (Gorham'12) Early Childhood Education SM

Alexandra Lynds (Calais'13) Liberal Studies WC

Sarah Majka* (SJVTC/Fort Kent'12) Liberal Studies EM

Kelcie Marean (Bonny Eagle'12) Criminal Justice CM

Antonio Martell (Scarborough'13) Heavy Equipment Operations

Nakita Matthews (Washington Academy'13) Criminal Justice

(CMCC satellite) WC

Molly Mellor (MCST/Oceanside'13) General Studies SM

Calvin Morin (MCST/Home-Schooled'12) Welding Tech EM

Nathan Morris (Thornton Academy'13) Liberal Studies SM

Paige Nadeau* (Caribou'12) Business Mgmt EM

Yves Nzigiye* (Portland'12) Pre-Engineering SM

Kristen O'Connor (Marshwood'13) Education YC

Matthew Petrella-Woodward (Wells'13) Computer Tech YC

Blake Philbrick (Messalonskee'13) Diesel, Truck-Heavy Equipment

William Randall* (Nokomis'12) Diesel Hydraulics NM

Amanda Richards (Winslow'13) General Science-Health

Occupations KV

Ineliz Rijo (Marshwood'13) Architectural Drafting-Design YC

Karli Rockwell (Bucksport'13) Early Childhood Education EM

Alexa Salley* (Hampden Academy'12) Early Childhood Education

Sarah Scott (Hodgdon'13) Liberal Studies NM

Spencer Shores (Lawrence'12) Electrical Tech KV

Carl Smith (Fort Fairfield'12) Computer Electronics NM

Charlotte Southard (Woodland'13) Business Mgmt WC

Amanda Travers* (Nokomis'12) Education EM

Chris Trembly (Messalonskee'13) Electrical Tech KV

Jessica Veilleux (Messalonskee'12) General Science-Health

Occupations KV

Taylor Wagner (Hampden Academy'13) Education EM

Nicholas Weymouth* (Lawrence'12) Diesel Hydraulics NM

Dayna White (Hampden Academy'13) Liberal Studies EM

Megen Wright (Oxford Hills'12) Medical Assisting CM

Maine Community College System | 207-699-4899 | dfrench@mccs.me.edu

http://www.mccs.me.edu

Maine Community College System

323 State Street
Augusta, ME 04330

The Maine Community College System is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and employer. For more information, please call 207.629.4000.