Rachel Sirois: Outstanding Graduating Student

What difference has UMaine made in your life and in helping you reach your goals? 
The people I have met and the experiences I have had during my time at UMaine have been pivotal in shaping me into who I am and who I strive to be as a person of faith, reflective educator, loving friend, and contributing citizen. These qualities began as seeds, but UMaine proved to be a perfect growing environment for them to bloom.

Have you had an experience at UMaine that has changed or shaped the way you see the world?
My experience in Mary Ellin Logue’s Curriculums and Methods of Teaching Young Children Social Studies class served as a catalyst for my passion for teaching students with a focus on social/emotional learning. Our discussions about the importance of relationships, understanding that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs must be considered before we can expect students to achieve academic success sparked my Honors thesis journey. These beliefs formed the foundation for my personal philosophy of education.

Because of this, and many other incredible education courses, I have been able to actively consider how I will meet the holistic needs of each student I have the opportunity to interact with and teach not only during my student teaching semester, but also throughout my future career.

Because of the coursework and field experiences I have had during my time at UMaine, my perceptions of what a teacher is have changed. A teacher is not just someone who transfers knowledge to another. A teacher is a caregiver; a support system; a giver of warm smiles and comforting hugs on a hard day; a holder of high expectations; a fierce advocate; a champion for children and families, and much, much more.

Why UMaine?
Why not UMaine? UMaine is a place with all kinds of opportunities, whether they are academic or social. UMaine is like the valued mentor who pushes you just outside of your comfort zone, because they believe in your potential, but is always there as a backbone of support and care.

How would you define the opportunities for student success at UMaine?
The opportunities for student success are expansive. There are a plethora of resources on campus to assist in making the transition from high school to college. I especially benefited from building working relationships with my advisers and professors. They are there for you and truly want to see you succeed, so let them help you.

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who made your UMaine experience better?
Julie DellaMattera made my experience better because of her push for me to switch to the early childhood education concentration initiating a wonderful journey into the profession that I have come to love.

Mary Ellin Logue’s mentorship and ability to help her students expand their thinking about children and the world in which we live has been pivotal in shaping my philosophy of education.

The Honors Thesis process would have been much more difficult without the guidance of my thesis adviser, Sid Mitchell, and the rest of my committee who took my research seriously and were consistently available to provide support.

Finally, I have to acknowledge the work of my field experience supervisor, Doreen Page, in enhancing my UMaine experience. I speak for my entire early childhood cohort when I say we think she is a total rock star. Her gentle demeanor and genuine care for us student teachers has made the last couple semesters significantly less stressful than they could have been without her support. When Rita Pierson said, “Every kid needs a champion”, I am confident she was describing Doreen Page.

What advice do you have for incoming students to help them get off to the best start academically? 
To incoming students: Get involved and be gentle with yourself. Honestly, you may think that you should hoard your time in order to achieve academic success. However, it has been my experience that the semesters where I maintained an appropriate work/life balance, I was more successful academically and felt better emotionally. Now, the keyword here is “balance.” I am a firm believer in self-care; finding ways to best meet your holistic needs.

Give yourself adequate time to complete your readings and study for your exams, but at the same time, get involved. Allow yourself the time to adventure with friends, serve in the community, try a new sport or club, join Greek life, explore faith, and also, don’t forget that it is OK to say “no” to these things, as well.

If you need to take some time to study, it is OK to decline whatever social opportunity is knocking. It is OK to acknowledge that your need for a quality night of sleep trumps the pull to attend that event or this service project. It is OK to take care of yourself.

Remember, you are a human being, not a human doing. But on the same note, do whatever it is you need to do — within reason, of course — to make sure these four years are all you want them to be.