My name is Meaghan Caron.

Everyone at UMaine knows me as Meg.

I have three majors. One is microbiology, the second is molecular and cellular biology, and the third is French.

I’m from Bangor, Maine, and I’m your 2025 valedictorian.

A lot of people are confused by my pursuit of microbiology and neuroscience and women’s health alongside French studies, and I don’t know how that will align in my future, but I have a dream that I hope to pursue where I fulfill all of these passions.

The funny thing is that I already have a 10-year plan at least.

So, after the book, after hiking the Appalachian Trail, I’ll be doing an M.D. Ph.D., which is an eight year feat, a joyous feat.

And I eventually have a dream to open a restaurant.

That’s my kind of retirement plan.

So that’s way longer than a 10-year plan, but that’s what’s next on my agenda. When I look back at my time at UMaine, I see visions of so many different families that I’ve made on campus from the field hockey team, from the cross country team, to my nerd friends in class, to people in the climbing gymand my labs that I’ve been a part of.

I think the part that I’m going to miss the most is being within those families and getting to see these faces every single day, getting to be in the library at midnight, laughing so hard because we’re delirious from the amount of studying that we had to do.

The individuals that make up this university are definitely the ones that make it so wonderful, and they will be missed the most.

To the Class of 2025 graduates, congratulations and enjoy every bit of your next chapter.

And for the ones who have yet to graduate, good luck and make sure to enjoy your UMaine experience to the fullest.

I wish you the best.