Marie-France Georges: Outstanding Graduating International Student

What difference has UMaine made in your life and in helping you reach your goals?
Getting a quality education at a university that strives to be more inclusive of everyone. UMaine has helped me grow into an open-minded and more accepting individual. The university has also made my dream to live in Europe more accessible than it was before, having studied abroad in Birmingham, England during my junior year.

Have you had an experience at UMaine that has changed or shaped the way you see the world?
I grew up being exposed to the world, especially languages and was encouraged to learn. Thanks to my parents’ perspicacity, I am fluent in four languages and have a basic understanding of a few others.

UMaine has helped me experience diversity at a different level. Diversity is needed and each and every person — from their cultural background, their financial status, their sexual orientation — has a voice and must be heard.

Haiti’s flag emblem is something I grew up with and carry with me: “L’Union fait la force,” which translates to “unity is strength.” So in today’s world this is even more relevant, and the University of Maine can pride itself in teaching students that together we are stronger.

Why UMaine?
First and foremost, my sister graduated from UMaine. I had visited her while she was a senior and spent a few days with her. I got a chance to experience the UMaine campus, I got to meet her friends and saw the international student community and even attended the international student coffee hour. This gave me a better perspective of the university.

To me, UMaine is a family. It is a close-knit community in which everyone can have a voice, and that is exactly what I was looking for in a college.

How would you define the opportunities for student success at UMaine? Is there any particular initiative, program or set of resources that helped you succeed?
In order to succeed, international students and local students must find ways to get involved on campus. My advice is to take advantage of office hours with professors, show up to classes, ask questions even if you think they can be perceived as “stupid.”

My involvement in clubs has helped me overcome my shyness and allowed me to approach people I do not know and express myself. Black Bear Catholic has allowed me to practice my faith and find myself spiritually, especially being away from home. Maine NEW Leadership organized by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center has given me the confidence to take on leadership roles on campus and in my personal life. Lastly, the Office of International Programs creates the space for international students to bloom and share their culture with the international and Maine communities.

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who made your UMaine experience better?
There are so many names, I am afraid I will forget a few, but I would like to offer a special mention to my thesis adviser, Sebastian Lobe, who was been a great support for the past year and a half during my research. I would also like to mention Margaret Killinger who, since my first semester at the University of Maine, has showed me what being a member of this community is and how supportive professors can be to new students.

What advice do you have for incoming students to help them get off to the best start academically?
My greatest advice for incoming students is to not be afraid. The University of Maine community is welcoming and your years here will be some of the greatest in your life.

I also recommend attending all the welcoming events, showing up to classes and getting involved right away so they can build and cultivate relationships with peers and staff and make a positive impact in the community.