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Why ����ֱ��

The atmosphere and how nice everyone is at ����ֱ�� really drew me here. I also like how quaint the campus is. We’re right on the water, and just walking around on campus, people hold the door open for you, say hi to you, and don’t ignore you. You’re actually a person here. You can walk up to anyone or walk around the hallways and start a full-on conversation with anyone.

I wanted to be an occupational therapist right out of high school because of an internship where I shadowed OTs, PTs, and speech therapists. As I've started in the major, it's very inclusive of all areas of wellness, and it's a very holistic way of looking at health — I really liked that aspect of it. It’s a person-based major and career path, which is something that's really important as our society is moving away from that.

Beyond the Classroom

I got really involved with second semester of my first year. By the end of the semester, I ran for club president and got it. For two years, I was doing that and planning all of the trips. I started our first annual spring break trip, which was really exciting and super successful.

We went out to Utah to Zion National Park with 10 people. I came up with the idea for a spring break trip because we do so many awesome, cool things anyway, I felt like, why not take that extra step? I chose different hikes for different days and found an affordable campground right near the national park. We coordinated to book flights, made a plan for food — then we just went for it.

There were two days that we hiked Angels Landing, which was incredible. Then we did Observation Point, which is an 8-mile roundtrip hike that’s unexplainably pretty. We even saw snow at one point on that trail, but we were also in the desert, so it was really unique. On the other days, we did a bunch of smaller hikes. It was a really good bonding experience — the people from that trip are some of my closest friends.

Set For Success

After graduation, I am going to apply to grad schools. I'm probably going to stay at ����ֱ�� and go to the M.S.O.T. program. I think the way we’re taught lets you know what to expect and really helps you succeed in whatever program you're going to go into. There are so many resources on campus that help you through the steps of getting into grad school or job searches. ����ֱ�� also helped me find and assisted me in applying for my upcoming internship with Momentum in Windham.

����ֱ�� is the perfect place to go if you are looking for a small school. All of the professors have been absolutely amazing, and I don't think that you find that at a lot of places. The professors and advisors that I have go out of their way to assist me and make me comfortable and a priority. All of them know me by name and have a sense of what I'm doing with my life and my interests and hobbies. They just really want you to succeed. I think that's an important part of going to school.

I did my first semester of college at a large state school in Massachusetts. During my first semester, I felt lost. It was a very big school, and I felt like I was being treated like a number. I didn’t feel personally connected to my professors. No one really knew my name. After the first month or so, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me, so I started looking at other schools. I had always known of ����ֱ�� because I grew up vacationing in Old Orchard Beach with my family.

����ֱ�� felt comfortable and there is so much opportunity for global exploration and experience. Coming back after time away, professional staff and fellow students are like, “Oh my gosh, we missed you.” I don’t know any other college that welcomes you in like that. ����ֱ�� embodies what I really want out of a school. It makes me my best self in every way possible. Also, I am able to be an athlete here and balance it with my academics, fieldwork, and research. I feel so well-rounded from my experience already. I am really grateful for my ����ֱ�� community.

At ����ֱ�� I always feel seen and heard, and I have never been spoken down to here because I am a student, because I am young, because I am female, or for any other reason. Even as a student athlete here, I have always been treated with so much respect, love, and kindness. ����ֱ�� is a place full of people with passion for what they are doing. I am inspired by this place and its people.

I love the education program. All of the professors are amazing, and everyone has their own kind of niche, which is really cool. I've had classes with all of the professors and my [academic advisor]. My advisor is all about special education and innovation in the way of different kinds of learners. She has taught me a lot about adapting to students’ different learning needs. 

Another of my professors is all about technology, innovation, and global studies. She has taught me a lot about education here in the U.S. versus other parts of the world. Then another is such a humanitarian. She cares so much about people, equity, and welcoming different kinds of cultures. 

It’s so interesting to get diverse perspectives from my different professors.