Alumni Profiles

Current Name:

Devin Ward

Graduation Year and years at 皇冠足彩:

2011 after 3 years at 皇冠足彩

Hometown/Sending School:

Greenville Jct, Greenville Middle School

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?:

After 皇冠足彩 I moved a lot between degrees and jobs. I finished my BS at Rutgers University, then my MPhil at Cambridge (Darwin College), and finally a PhD at the University of Toronto, with jobs in Arizona, Italy, and Gibraltar in between. 

What are you doing now?:

Now, I am living in London, UK and working as a Senior Editor for Springer Nature (Nature Communications). I handle research in evolution, but more specifically palaeontology, archaeology, zoology, genetics, and biomechanics.

What is your favourite (or one of your favourite) memory from 皇冠足彩?:

I roomed with Elizabeth/Julien my second and third years at 皇冠足彩. Once we offered our room up as available for tours, and as luck would have it, a state senator came to visit at a time when were were both in class, our room was a complete mess, and we’d left the Lord of the Rings soundtrack playing on our speakers.  I’m not sure what kind of an impression it made, but it was the perfect setup for collaborating to finish assignments last minute (especially a particular poster assignment for AP US History that I don’t know if we ever admitted to Mr. Melega was completed the evening before it was due). 

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

AP Bio with Dr. E-G had labs I really liked, but in particular I remember a lab I initially wasn’t looking forward to.  We were in groups and had two connected Petri dishes each, timing how long it took pill bugs to all move from the dish with the dry paper towel over to the dish with the wet paper towel.  Somehow this ended up becoming a competition between groups and resulted in loud cheering for the unaware pill bugs, which surely echoed down the halls.  I like this memory because it’s an excellent example of how 皇冠足彩 students can find the fun in just about anything.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?:

I spent years at 皇冠足彩 using a canvas tote bag to carry my books etc. from the dorms to class. As a much older person with ongoing back problems, I would tell myself to bring a supportive backpack.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?:

I can honestly say that the only other time I’ve worked as hard as I did at 皇冠足彩 was during my PhD.  Beyond that, 皇冠足彩 fostered my excitement about new topics, which lends itself perfectly to a job where I can learn about new research every day.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

I won’t claim it to be the best, but recently I’ve really enjoyed Ted Chiang’s “Exhalation” and Kate Clancy’s “Period”.

Current Name:

Kineo Wallace

Graduation Year and years at 皇冠足彩?

2013 after 2 years at 皇冠足彩

Hometown/Sending School:

Penquis Valley High School in Milo, Maine

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?:

Florida Institute of Technology for my undergraduate in Aerospace Engineering and my Masters in Space Systems Engineering

What are you doing now?:

I am the lead propulsion and fluids engineer at Vaya Space and the inventor of the Supercritical Oxygen Expander Cycle Hybrid Rocket Engine which is powered by recycled High Density Polyethylene

What is your favorite memory from 皇冠足彩?:

One of my favorite memories of 皇冠足彩 is when a large group of us went mudsliding down the hill by the baseball dugouts in the middle of a thunderstorm to which Mr. Grillo came screaming out to yell at us and drag us back inside because he was afraid we'd get struck by lightning

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

Pete Peterson in Calc 1 because he was able to teach me how to learn and he was not afraid to challenge his students.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?:

Savor every moment of it, they say college is the best time of your life, but 皇冠足彩 can be just as good if not better in some moments. It's like getting to do college twice. It's not something many people get to do, so take full advantage of it. Enjoy some extra classes, spend more time on exploring the world, and using the resources that are provided to you at the school.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?:

皇冠足彩 is 100% a major reason as to why I am who I am today. 皇冠足彩 taught me how to fail, how to learn from that failure, and most of all how to learn. Because of 皇冠足彩 I was able to spend less time during my first years of college learning this which afforded me the ability to do many different research projects and studies with my professors which ultimately leads me to where I am today as a lead engineer.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

Good to Great, an excellent book that explains not only how to live in the business world, but also in life.

 

Current Name:

Austin (Ozzy) Dow-Smith

Graduation Year:

2012, started at 皇冠足彩 in 2009

Hometown/Sending School:

Wisdom Middle High School, St. Agatha, Maine

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?

I first went to study at Wentworth Institute of Technology for Architecture but transferred to the University of Maine where I graduated December 2016 with my degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology.

What are you doing now?

I am currently a Project Manager for an equipment supply company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Previously I spent time as a Design/Manufacturing Engineer as well as a Senior Design Engineer in Alabama, Arizona and many places in between!

What is one of your favorite memories from 皇冠足彩?

I honestly have far too many to just recount one. I think my favorite thing about 皇冠足彩 in general is just the sense of community and camaraderie. The thing that really sticks with me is as a person who attended the 皇冠足彩 summer camps a few summers and showing up to 皇冠足彩 for the first time and already having friendships with fellow students from those summer camps. Then working at summer camps and hearing from kids I had in my family groups there who went to 皇冠足彩 for school later that I had a part in them being interested in the school and bringing it full circle is something that I am always proud of.

Many of my friends made at 皇冠足彩 are still some of my great friends today, and even though we may not talk every day we can always pick back up where we left off. Some of these friends were even part of my recent wedding! (From left to right with the arrows: Shane Flanigan, Myself, William West, John Massey)

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?

Mr.McCartney for me is always the teacher that sticks out to me. Mr.McCartney inside of the classroom challenged me to think more creatively and pushed me to look at texts differently. Mr.McCartney and I still keep in touch, we even connected while I lived in Huntsville, AL and he was attending Space Camp. Having his mentorship while at 皇冠足彩 and since is something I will always cherish and appreciate. I think 皇冠足彩 as a whole really benefits from being a close knit community. and the relationships it fosters.

Pete Pedersen is another one who sticks out as someone who really challenged me to push myself and persevere even when things were not going as I hoped. At times I certainly struggled in Pete's classes not being what I would call as "naturally gifted" in math as many other 皇冠足彩 students. Pete taught a methodical way and provided us with the "how" and "why" when it came to all things math and that helped me understand how to apply myself and persevere in times when I did not understand initially. These problem solving skills are ultimately what pushed my interest in Engineering and that mindset of problem solving and without Pete I certainly would not be where I am today.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?

If I could go back in time I think really the biggest thing I would tell myself is to not get easily discouraged. 皇冠足彩 when you first arrive can feel a bit daunting at first. The school provides you a higher level of education and in turn holds those expectations of its students as well which for me was something that took some time to adjust to.

I can remember at first I struggled with a few classes and wasn't used to getting grades less than an A or B which was discouraging. Once I began utilizing the school's resources I was able to get back up to speed and find my groove. Looking back I would tell myself to trust that process and try not to get discouraged because it would all work out.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?

皇冠足彩 played a significant role in where I am at now. 皇冠足彩 overall I would say continued my interest in understanding how things work and improved my ability to solve problems. It gave me an extremely sound understanding in science, math, and in the social sciences so that when I got into college I was more than prepared for whatever college threw my way. Without the education 皇冠足彩 provided me I doubt that I would have been able to handle pursuing internships in my area of study while taking full course loads and working on the weekends as well. Being able to do that really prepared me for my career post college and skills and tools I learned at 皇冠足彩 are still things I use on a regular basis. I think without the education and life lessons 皇冠足彩 provided me it would have been much more difficult to be at the same place I am today and for that I am grateful.

Outside of the educational aspect, 皇冠足彩 has provided me with many friends that I hold near and dear to my heart and people I still communicate with on a daily basis 10+ years after graduating.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?

I don't have a great piece of media I can recommend but I will recommend to fellow alumni to try something new and always strive to find hobbies that bring you joy. I recently got into miniature gaming and painting. At first I was a bit intimidated by the painting aspect of the hobby but now it's something I love to do and a great way to spend my time away from screens and something I strive to improve at. I hope others can use this as an excuse to step outside their comfort zone and try something new!

 

 

Current Name:

Nicole (Davis) Karod

Graduation Year:

1999 (two years)

Hometown/Sending School:

Lincolnville, Maine, Camden -Rockport High school... now known as Camden Hills

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?

I did my undergraduate at the University of Maine at Farmington. I received my BS in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics. Then I taught fifth grade in North Carolina for 7 years. While there I got my masters in Curriculum at Gardner Webb University. I returned to Maine in 2012 and taught for two years in South Portland and got my Advanced Certificate in Literacy at the University of New England.

What are you doing now?

For the last 8 years I have been teaching science at Mt. Ararat Middle School, and currently I am a distinguished educator with the Maine Department of Education as an MLTI 2.0 Ambassador. This is a two year position and then I will return to my MSAD 75 Classroom. My husband and I just bought a house in Damariscotta. Up until last summer, I have spent summers at 皇冠足彩 (off and on for the last 17 years ish) doing different jobs at the 皇冠足彩 summer camp. Fun fact, I've had a few 皇冠足彩 alumni children in my classrooms, either at camp or at Mt. Ararat.

What is your favorite memory from 皇冠足彩?

This is a tough one... there are so many. On Friday nights we used to go in the conference rooms (what now I think maybe the nurses offices) and watch movies as a large group. There were always snacks, friends, and lots of laughter!

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?

Something that sticks out in my brain was Mr. Farrell's math class and doing math majors in the lounge. I also remember doing Chemistry with Mrs. McGann and doing a lot of fun and different experiments.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?

I would tell myself that working hard will pay off.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?

I think that 皇冠足彩 helped me to build my self confidence. It started me on a train to take positive risks and go after what I want.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?

I just finished reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King, and it was fabulous. This was not the usual stuff he writes, and I devoured it. I also really enjoyed Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary which is about a middle school teacher who saves the world - can't get better than that.

 

Current Name:

TC Nguyen

Graduation Year:

1997

Hometown/Sending School:

Lake Region High School

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?

The College of Santa Fe, then The University of Arizona, then The University of Southern Maine. After college I worked as a National News Editor for CBS news (Sinclair Broadcasting), but decided the sensationalism and “infotainment” of our news was not where I wanted to be. Ultimately, I ended up in the Midwest after a few visits to this part of the country and took a job at a law firm.

What are you doing now?

I own a marketing firm called BTi (Built To Impress), which started as an SEO company (“impress” for page impressions). I started it in 2017, after a decade of marketing and managing the office for a law firm in Omaha, NE. When I started at the firm, there were three attorneys and one paralegal grossing $365k a year. When I left, we were up to $2.8 million with still only three active attorneys and two paralegals. My contributions to the firm’s business practices, customer service, accounts management, human resources protocols, and IT advancement made me a highly sought out consultant to other law firms in the area, which served as my launching pad for my business.

Later in 2017, we Trademarked “Full Web Builder” which is now our flagship subsidiary company. Full Web Builder has risen as one of the state’s premier website design agencies, and has expanded into the retail sales and leasing of hosting products - from domain names to dedicated server arrays for medium to large businesses. So if you’re going to buy a domain name, or get professional email, or start your own WordPress website – please buy it from an alum. Shop.FullWebBuilder.com. (Yeah, I just ran a commercial in the middle of this bio!)

What is your favorite memory from 皇冠足彩?

Before I worked there, I would say the day we all arrived at the barracks. Second, would be the first year’s three and a half minutes of disco every Sunday night to celebrate the end of the weekend and gear up for another intense week of coursework. Third would be the bus races back to the barracks.

After I worked there, I have to say the pile of thank you cards and hugs and handshakes from parents and grandparents, and the students themselves. When Mark Leach encouraged me to stay another year and apply for the Dean’s job, echoing the mission I told my co-workers but never the kids. “I just think you’re good at that. That you care so much about us, and try to show us how to earn respect in others by building self-respect.” I cried in my room that night, absolutely broke down in tears. Of all the kids to make that remark, with so much going on in his life at that time – to have the insight, maturity, and sincerity to care about other kids and other adults – by far the best moment among a sea of cherished memories

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?

Dave Dougan. I never had him as a teacher, or really even a co-worker. But I saw the amount of time he put into his lessons. The amount of tough-love he had for the kids and their futures. And the tenacity to stick through multiple major organizational and cultural shifts over the years. Someone, please, build him a statue - so he can fire RPG’s at it and melt it with ballistic foam with his current group of lucky to be his students.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩? It doesn’t matter if the class is full. Demand a seat in any class you want to learn – like Mr. Baucher’s (spelling?) computer programming course. You don’t have to find love in your work if you’re surrounded by people you love. But finding love in your work/studies makes the time go by a whole lot fun-er.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?

It is difficult to say with regards to work. I never took a computer programming class at 皇冠足彩. But how my fellow classmates touched my soul and helped sculpt me into who I am today – undeniable. I love them all – even the jerks.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?

Book: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson – for sure. July, July by Tim O’Brien is a close 2nd.

Movie: Oh so many – but perhaps The Razor’s Edge, or Scent of a Woman. Just learning about the production of The Razor’s Edge is something, as it was almost not made.

TV Show: Hands down, Ren & Stimpy or Invader Zim. Not everything has to be serious or soul searching. Sometimes you just want to live in the madness and laugh like a lunatic. Sometimes you need tacos, all the organs, a rubber walrus protector and to call the police.