Student profiles

Elizabeth Trenckmann

Elizabeth Trenckmann: Seeking to inspire high schoolers

Elizabeth “Betsy” Trenckmann wants to inspire science students similar to how Rita Kasper motivated her at La Veta Junior-Senior High School in Colorado. Trenckmann soon will have that chance. In August, the highly decorated 2017 University of Maine Master of Science in Teaching (MST) graduate will begin her career at Hermon High School instructing students […]

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Dante Baskett

Dante Baskett: Creating music in the community

On Dante Baskett’s first day of classes in the University of Maine School of Performing Arts, he attended a recital lab overseen by Beth Wiemann. During the lab, Wiemann mentioned a local woman, Pat Steward, who writes country songs and was looking for help putting her lyrics to music. Baskett, who has mostly made music […]

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Madeline Wehrle

Madeline Wehrle: Researching structural thermoplastics for use in medical field

Editor’s note: An updated version of this story appears in the College of Engineering’s winter 2017 magazine. Madeline Wehrle was interested in medicine from an early age. After being introduced to isometric drawing and computer-aided design, or CAD, modeling in high school, she also became interested in bioengineering. “It was more of a realization that […]

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Jesse Orach

Jesse Orach: Outstanding at optimizing performance

When Jesse Orach starts his job as a process engineer at Verso’s Androscoggin Mill in Jay later this spring, he’ll strive to optimize the paper machines’ performance. Maximize output and minimize energy use and waste. Orach excels at achieving results. During his five years at the University of Maine, the Gorham native has demonstrated productivity […]

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Emily Illingworth

Emily Illingworth: Fearless fortitude

What is the key to success? Emily Illingworth might say it is failure. Even when failure seems as likely an outcome as success, Illingworth is not afraid to reach. She sees failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, and her many achievements at the University of Maine are a result of this fearlessness and […]

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Katie Dube

Katie Dube: Finding true self through theatre

While searching for the perfect college, Katie Dube knew she wanted to attend an institution that would allow her to pursue her love of theatre, as well as her interest in teaching English. “When I visited the University of Maine for the first time, I realized it was the first university I had been to […]

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UMaine 2017 valedictorian, salutatorian earning a total of four degrees

Editor’s note: Story updated April 20. Allyson Eslin of Bangor has been named the valedictorian and Joshua Patnaude of Sanford the salutatorian at the University of Maine for 2017. Between them, the two top students will receive a total of four degrees at UMaine’s 215th Commencement in Harold Alfond Sports Arena May 13. Eslin, who […]

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Brie Berry

Brie Berry: Ph.D. student exploring Maine’s reuse economy

University of Maine Ph.D. student Brie Berry’s interest in sustainability was sparked during the two years she spent in a rural area of the West African Republic of Mali as a Peace Corps volunteer. “I joined the Peace Corps to experience what it was like to live in another place with a very different culture,” […]

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Kyle Goupille

Kyle Goupille: Trumpeting success

When Kyle Goupille first decided that he wanted to play an instrument, he chose the trombone. But he was in fifth grade and at that time, too short to reach all the slide positions on the trombone. “My mother wisely pointed out that there are just three valves on the trumpet — and (that I […]

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Victoria Hernandez

Victoria Hernandez: Army ROTC in Paraguay

University of Maine ROTC cadet Victoria Hernandez’s role models are her parents. Her father immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras in the late 1980s. Her mother followed a few years later. Successfully building a better life as her parents did for the family requires discipline, focus and faith. Hernandez found her own version of the […]

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