Meet the 2025 Outstanding Graduating Students
Ten undergraduates have been named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Students at the University of Maine. Read their short biographies:
Siddhartha Bajracharya
Maine College of Engineering and Computing
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
Siddhartha Bajracharya of Kathmandu, Nepal, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. A computer engineering major, Bajracharya discovered his passion for embedded systems, a specialized computer system combining hardware and software, through high-altitude ballooning workshops at the University of Maine and Montana State University. He collaborated with students and faculty from institutions across the country to design sensors and launch high-altitude balloons. These experiences expanded his technical skills and helped him build a nationwide network of peers and mentors. He plans to continue his academic journey by pursuing a master’s degree in computer engineering at UMaine.
A full Q&A with Bajracharya is available online.
Morgan Bisecco
Maine Business School
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance with a Second Major in Management and a Minor in Economics
Morgan Bisecco from North Haven, Connecticut, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine Business School (MBS). She is majoring in business administration in finance with a second major in management and a minor in economics. She has been active in Beta Gamma Sigma and worked as an MBS ambassador and peer leader, as well as an undergraduate research assistant for the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), all while participating in clubs including celtic dance and figure skating. A summer internship at Aetna Healthcare leading into her senior year exposed her to soft business skills such as professional etiquette, teamwork and networking. In fall 2024, she further developed her skills in time management, communication and leadership by working as a teaching assistant in a 300-level management course. She plans to continue her education in the Graduate School of Business while also working at the ASCC.
A full Q&A with Bisecco is available online.
Elizabeth Brennan
College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences | Honors College
Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology
Elizabeth Brennan of West Chester, Pennsylvania, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. She is a wildlife ecology major and member of the Honors College, through which she wrote a thesis titled “Phenological changes in Arctic and Common Terns across Maine’s coastal islands.” While attending the University of Maine, Brennan monitored and collected data on island seabirds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and performed abroad as a member of University Singers. After graduating, she plans to work as a shorebird steward in Massachusetts before pursuing her master’s in a wildlife-related field.
A full Q&A with Brennan is available online.
Daniela Chavez de Paz Solis
College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences | Honors College
Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Concentration in Pre-Medical Sciences
Daniela Chavez de Paz Solis of Lima, Peru, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Honors College. She is majoring in biology with a concentration in pre-medical sciences. Chavez’s experiences have connected her passions for science and service, beginning with her efforts to establish a chapter of the Maine Red Cross on the University of Maine’s campus. Her call to become a physician-scientist was further informed by her research collaboration with the University of Miami that has demonstrated the inequities in patient outcomes. Her honors thesis titled, “The Role of Inflammatory Mechanisms in Muscle Fiber Regeneration of Zebrafish Affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy,” combined her knowledge of muscular development and immunology. Having strived to surround herself with people who motivate and challenge her — in and outside of the laboratory — Chavez competed and traveled with the Women’s Club Volleyball team. After graduating in May, she plans to use gap years to strengthen her skills and prepare for medical school.
A full Q&A with Chavez is available online.
Thomas Freel
Maine Business School
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance
Thomas Freel from Aberdeen, Scotland, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student for the Maine Business School. He is majoring in business administration in finance and is a member of the Men’s Ice Hockey team. His experience connected him with a group of fellow student athletes who motivated him and helped him grow as a teammate and person, as well as exposed him to situations that developed his skills in time management, group work and situational pressure. Through the university, he was also introduced to people and culture from all over the U.S. and experienced the unwavering commitment of UMaine hockey fans as his team claimed the Hockey East championship title in TD Garden in spring 2025 for the first time since 2004. Freel plans to continue playing hockey at UMaine while continuing his education at the Graduate School of Business.
A full Q&A with Freel is available online.
Zachary J. Hopp
Maine College of Engineering and Computing
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics
Zachary Hopp of Maple Grove, Minnesota, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing and the inaugural Chandrasekar Scholar. A mechanical engineering major with a minor in mathematics, Hopp is also a member of the Men’s Swimming and Diving team. He has gained valuable experience in materials science by completing three internships in commercial HVAC, architectural glass and industrial abrasive systems manufacturing, as well as by conducting research on sustainable superhydrophobic coatings for food packaging. In addition to his degree, he earned a Composite Materials and Structures Certificate as an undergraduate. His time at UMaine has been shaped by interdisciplinary collaboration and mentorship, inspiring him to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University to advance research in composite materials and polymers.
A full Q&A with Hopp is available online.
Amanda Ahava Karomba
Division of Lifelong Learning
Bachelor of University Studies with Minors in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies and Leadership Studies
Amanda Ahava Karomba of Lewiston, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Division of Lifelong Learning. She is majoring in university studies with minors in interdisciplinary disability studies and leadership studies. Karomba pursued her degree online while raising two boys and working as CEO of Happy Haven, an agency that provides direct support to adults with intellectual disabilities. UMaine offered Karomba, who is originally from Rwanda but raised in Maine, the flexibility to obtain a degree and allowed her to incorporate life and work experiences into her learning. After graduating, she plans to expand Happy Haven’s reach by offering a variety of services to underserved parts of the state, while mentoring and creating development opportunities for professionals like herself.
A full Q&A with Karomba is available online.
Lara Kirkby
College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
Lara Kirkby of Adelaide, South Australia, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. A December 2024 graduate, Kirkby majored in biochemistry, researched in the Maginnis Lab and participated on the UMaine Women’s Soccer Team, through which she competed in and won two championships. After earning her bachelor’s degree a semester early, she joined the Adelaide United professional soccer team and is studying for medical school entrance exams.
A full Q&A with Kirkby is available online.
Alexandria Banou Morgan
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Honors College
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Minors in Neuroscience and Philosophy
Alexandria Banou Morgan of Perry, Maine, is a 2025 co-salutatorian and the outstanding graduating student in the Honors College and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is majoring in psychology with minors in neuroscience and philosophy. Her journey at UMaine has been one of self discovery through scholarly pursuits and service. Morgan applied her research on identity, religion and prejudice to help others find where they belong and secured approximately $63,000 in funding for her undergraduate research.
A full Q&A with Morgan is available online.
Zachary Wentworth
College of Education and Human Development
Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education
Zachary Wentworth of Calais, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). He is a secondary education major with a concentration in social studies and a minor in history. A Maine Top Scholar, a Maine Seacoast Mission scholar and a Galen Cole Family Foundation scholar, Wentworth served as president of the University of Maine chapter of the Student Maine Education Association for the past two years. He was also an undergraduate resident assistant with Residence Life, working with the communities in Hart Hall in the 2023-24 academic year and in Hancock Hall this year. Wentworth completed his student teaching placement at Orono High School with mentor teacher Shana Goodall, a two-time alumna of COEHD and the 2019 Maine History Teacher of the Year. After graduating, Wentworth plans to pursue a master’s in student development in higher education at UMaine, while working as a graduate assistant in COEHD’s Advising Center.
A full Q&A with Wentworth is available online.
Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu