Hello, my name is Alex Morgan.

I am a psychology major from Perry, Maine, and I’m your 2025 salutatorian.

Maine has a pretty big shortage of psychologists, psychiatrists, and so many other vital physicians.

And especially growing up in rural Maine, I really noticed this.

So I would love to come back to Maine one day and be a psychologist here.

But I think first, there are so many structural barriers to how people receive care.

That that’s kind of where I would want to start first and find ways to mitigate those barriers for Mainers.

I think a good mark of a mentor is someone who cares about you both in me academic sense, but also in how you’re doing personally.

And one of my mentors, Dr. Jordan LaBouff, had once reminded me during a time of, like, personal struggle, but also global struggle, that it’s important to remain vulnerable and open to new experiences from life; to remain soft to all the the world has to offer.

And that’s been something that I think about regularly.

Every year, I get to volunteer at the Special Olympics, which is inspired by my brother, who is also a local Special Olympian himself.

I find that like getting to have a real-world experience really enriches my psychology education.

I think you can learn so much in the classroom, but I think a lot of real-world learning begins outside, with other people.

I knit for different community specials like the Community Giving Tree and also my local hospital donation bins.

I can find ways to knit and crochet in between classes and just to de-stress.

It’s a good way to give back while also taking care of myself.

I think next for me, after UMaine, I’m going to take like a year off and maybe work in the field of psychology, and then eventually pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology.

I think when I look back on my time at UMaine, I’m definitely going to miss the people and the community I built here.

I think that’s the thing I think about missing the most, looking forward, and something I’m already starting to miss now.

It feels very bittersweet to leave UMaine.

And I think a sign of a good education and good support is the readiness to leave.

But I do know that UMaine will always be home.