Alumni profiles

Iva Jugovic

Iva Jugovic: UMaine alumna shares her journey from Serbia to Switzerland

Iva Jugovic started her academic journey at the University of Maine in 2011. At the age of 19, she traveled 4,000 miles across the Atlantic, from her hometown Leskovac, Serbia to Orono, Maine to pursue her undergraduate studies. The recipient of a full-tuition scholarship to UMaine, Jugovic quickly took an interest in the health-related sciences […]

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Kaitlin Young

Kaitlin Young: Music education alumna named 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year

Kaitlin Young isn’t letting accolades go to her head. “I feel incredibly honored and humbled to be named the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year,” says Young, a 2010 UMaine graduate in music education. “I am grateful for the opportunity to further the discussion about the importance of education for all students, as well as […]

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Cassie Vaillancourt: Alumna works at Sappi North America in Skowhegan

Cassie Vaillancourt ’12 (MBA) is using her business degree in the forest products industry. Vaillancourt, who earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Maine in 2010, works as an operations planner in the supply chain department at Sappi North America in Skowhegan. “I am responsible for planning production of the mill’s three […]

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Cary James

Cary James: UMaine alumnus and champion for students

University of Maine alumnus Cary James has been teaching chemistry at Bangor High School (BHS) for 17 years, and currently serves as the head of the school’s science and technology department. He has received numerous distinguished teaching awards, and his students have been recognized internationally for their academic achievements and innovations in the STEM fields. […]

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Alexandra Barzin

Alexandra Barzin: Kinesiology grad to teach English in Thailand

After graduating from the University of Maine this summer with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science, Alexandra Barzin is already off to her next adventure. The Jamestown, Rhode Island native has accepted a teaching position in Thailand. Barzin, who will teach English, says she’s a little nervous, but mostly excited. “I have always […]

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Don Oakes

Don Oakes: Sails translate to sales for CEO of Sea Bags

When Milo native Don Oakes was a boy it was a big deal to travel 40 or so miles to Bangor to buy school clothes and supplies. Oakes, now CEO of Sea Bags, describes his life in the ’70s in the town with 2,500 people and three rivers as similar to his favorite TV show, […]

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