Students’ Stories and Data Driven Personas

Meet Your Students

On this page you will find a mix of UMaine students’ stories and data driven personas walking you through challenges and successes that impacted their learning journey.

These students’ stories and data driven personas are meant to help you think through your courses and to explore existing barriers to inclusive learning by asking the following questions: 

  • would this student be able to succeed in my class?
  • what simple changes can I make to my course material, assignments, course policies, etc to make this student feel welcome in my class?

We invite you to explore you biases with regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, or veterans status. As you open each of the resources presented on this page, take a moment to reflect on the mental image you had formed of the students before accessing their information.

This project was inspired by the work of our colleagues at Penn State World Campus: Universal Design with Personas.

Who are you helping?

The following data driven personas are not actual students, rather they reflect the experience, challenges and success of several students. Learn how Universal Design for Learning practices help the diversity of students you have in your classes at UMaine/UMM.

Aerial view of Ibadan, Nigeria, with a large corporate building in the forefront, and a commercial area and medium to low rise residential buildings behind it.
Aerial view of Ibadan, Nigeria, with a large corporate building in the forefront, and a commercial area and medium to low rise residential buildings behind it.

Adéṣínà

  • International Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
  • First Year Graduate Student
  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)
  • English accent from outside the United States
Meet Adéṣínà
Wooden plank path through a pine tree forest in Baxter State Park, Maine
Wooden plank path through a pine tree forest in Baxter State Park, Maine

Billie

  • Autism
  • Diabetes
Meet Billie
Apartment buildings by the sea
Apartment buildings by the sea in Tyros, Lebanon

ابتسام (Ibtisam)

  • English Language Learner (ELL)
  • Culture Shock
  • Homesick
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Meet Ibtisam
Frozen lighthouse in Cleveland, Ohio
Frozen lighthouse in Cleveland, Ohio

Drew

  • Post Concussive Syndrome
  • Transitioning
  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)
Meet Drew
Porch of a New England style house, with in the background a small private house and apartment building in Somerville, Massachusetts
Porch of a New England style house, with in the background a small private house and apartment building in Somerville, Massachusetts

Taylor

  • Deaf
  • American Sign Language (ASL) speaker
  • Parent of young children
  • Works full time
  • Commuter student
Meet Taylor
Concrete stairs set in a grassy hill with trees on in the background, on top of the hill
Concrete stairs set in a grassy hill with trees on in the background, on top of the hill

Jaz

  • Chronic Illness
  • Dyslexia
  • Social Anxiety
Meet Jaz
Covered path in Gent, Belgium. Walls and ceiling are covered in Graffiti. Two people are standing at the end of the path where it meets a narrow street in the daylight.
Covered path in Gent, Belgium. Walls and ceiling are covered in Graffiti. Two people are standing at the end of the path where it meets a narrow street in the daylight.

Jo

  • Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • English Language Learner (ELL)
  • Economically challenged
  • Culture shock
  • Grief
  • Graduate student
Meet Jo
Buckwheat field in bloom
Buckwheat field in bloom

Jessie

  • First Generation student
  • Anxiety
  • Homesickness
Meet Jessie
Buckwheat field in bloom
Aerial view of San Antonio, Texas, with high rise buildings in the forefront and more residential areas in the background.

Gabe

  • Low vision
  • Color vision deficiency (color blindness)
Meet Gabe