Alicia Greenlaw
I am originally from the small town, Island Falls, Maine. I graduated with my B.S. in Early Childhoood Education from The University of Maine in Farmington in 2008. I am currently the Lead Infant/Toddler Teacher at the UMaine Children Center’s Infant Program. I also worked part time for the company United Cerebral Palsy as a Behavioral Health Professional from last September up until this past June. Both positions have allowed me to work with a wide range of different types of families which lead me to choosing Human Development as my graduate major. I am anxious to continue my work with different types of families from various backgrounds because it is such a rewarding position.

Rachel Hasty
I am originally from Jay, Maine, a small mill town near Farmington. I completed my undergraduate degree in Child Development & Family Relations at the University of Maine in 2010. As an undergraduate, I worked for Camp Susan Curtis, Upward Bound, and participated in a Military Extension Internship through Purdue University. I am pursuing my Master’s degree in Human Development because of my love for working with children and teens and my desire to become a director in a child or youth program. I am the graduate assistant at the Center for Research and Evaluation.

Sarah Hinman
I am from Cumberland, Maine.  I graduated from UMaine in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Child Development & Family Relations. I chose to pursue my master’s degree in Human Development because I have a strong passion for human sexuality and would like to pursue a career as a sex therapist and sexuality educator. As an undergraduate student, I was a peer sexuality educator, a teaching assistant to Dr. Sandy Caron in both her live and online Human Sexuality class, and a research assistant for a study on virginity. I co-host a talk show that airs on Facebook and the Maine Channel entitled, “Sex and Wine.” I will be presenting this fall at my first professional meeting, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. I enjoy skiing, traveling, spending time with my family.  I am a graduate assistant for Dr. Caron.

Jessica Howard
I am originally from Brewer, Maine.  I completed my undergraduate degree in Paralegal Studies from Husson University in 2003.  Since high school, I have volunteered at Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House.  After graduation, I took a job working for the Attorney General’s Office in their Child Support/Child Protective Division.  In 2006 I moved to Portland and began working as a Social Security Disability Paralegal for a law firm. I am pursuing my Master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies because of my desire to help others, especially women and children. I continue to work part-time as a paralegal while I attend school.

Samantha Kane
I am from Portland, Maine and received my undergraduate degree in Child Development & Family Relations from the University of Maine in 2010.  As an undergraduate, I worked as a Resident Assistant and as a Black Bear mentor through the Bodwell Center. I was able to intern for my last semester with the Touchstone Project which addresses suicide prevention among college students. I am pursuing my Master’s degree in Human Development because I would like to expand my knowledge in this area.

Andrew Loring
I am originally from Bangor, Maine and completed my undergraduate degree in Marketing from the University of Maine in 2009.  While an undergraduate, I was a student-athlete on the UMaine Track & Field Team.  I was an active brother of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and a photographer for the student newspaper, The Maine Campus.  I served as the historian on the executive board for the graduating Class of 2009.  I also was very involved in a unique peer education program, Male Athletes Against Violence (MAAV).  Upon graduation I went on to work for Verizon Wireless.  I chose to pursue my Master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies to further my study of issues related to men, masculinity, and conflict analysis/resolution.  I am the Student Coordinator of MAAV and recently represented this group at the National Conference for Campus Based Men’s Gender Equality and Antiviolence groups.

Meagan McCready
I am from Hermon, Maine and recently graduated with a degree in Abnormal/Social Psychology and Spanish. I’m an active member in the Central American Service Association at UMaine, Assistant Editor for the Journal of Family Theory & Review and Graduate Assistant at the Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism. I hope to use my experience in this program to make a positive impact in the lives of individuals, families and communities.

Ruby Moore
I am originally from Weaverville, North Carolina but moved to Princeton, Maine when I was fifteen.  I recently graduated from the University of Maine Orono with my Bachelors degree in Abnormal/Social Psychology.  After completing my bachelors degree I found myself wanting to be in a more specialized field of study.  I have always wanted to work with families or teens in crisis situations, I have a strong desire to help those in need and to make a difference in the world.  When I read up on the Master’s program for Human Development it seemed to be just what I was looking for and I look forward to pursuing this degree.  I have a very busy, and sometimes hectic life going to school full time and being a married mother of two.  I have a little boy who is six years old, and a little girl who just recently turned two in June.  My children are what drive me to better myself and continue to strive towards a better education.

Amanda Pearman
I am originally from Connecticut but have lived in the Pittsfield (Maine) area since 1999. I completed my B.A. in Psychology and B.S. in Child Development and Family Relations here at the University of Maine.  During my undergraduate years I was a mentor and a sister of Alpha Omicron Pi. Through my sorority I was exposed to numerous opportunities to help our national philanthropy, juvenile arthritis as well as our community. In the fall of 2008, the semester after finishing my undergraduate education, I began working towards a Master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies. My goal is to serve children and families in multiple ways.  While I am working towards my degree I am employed at a local childcare center.

A Jacquith Porter – My hometown is Bar Harbor, ME. I graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2010, and under the guidance of Dr. Caron I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Human Development. I am the Residential advisor for Delta Tau Delta, Gamma Nu chapter, as well as a Residential counselor at the Shaw House, an emergency shelter for at risk youth. My interests in human development fall heavily in human sexuality and men’s sexuality. I hope to one day become a private therapist working with both gender/sexuality variant adolescents and male survivors of childhood sexual assault, as well as teach at the college level. My education and experience falls heavily in social work practice, and hope to bring a more strength based view on masculinity and sexuality education.

Alexander Whitney
I’m from Maine, born and raised in the Greater Portland area. My main area of focus, both in education and employment, has been with children. I’ve worked with children in one professional sense or another since I was 14 years old. Over the past ten years I’ve served as a counselor in training, junior counselor, afterschool program mentor, youth coach, tutor, camp counselor, assistant camp director, and most recently a behavioral health professional working out of Brewer. This wealth of experience played a key role in why I chose to graduate from UMaine in May 2010 with a BA in developmental psychology and a minor in child development and family relations! I’m now enrolled as a graduate student at UMaine in the human development program, where I hope to further the understanding I gained as an undergraduate and prepare myself for the challenges of my prospective career path: constructing and implementing programs for youth with social/emotional/and or behavioral challenges.

Ling Zhang
I am from Shanghai, China. I spent my first two semesters since my arrival at the University of Maine studying English. My undergraduate major was law. I studied it in China. I choose to pursue a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies for many reasons. First, I like working with children. It is so funny to talk with them.  Second, there are many connections between law and human development. Through this Master’s degree I hope to increase my knowledge in both law and human development. Thirdly I am interested in helping others through by gaining a greater knowledge of family issues.

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