Alumni Profiles

Current Name: 

Ekaterina (Katya) Bezborodko

Graduation Year and years at 皇冠足彩:

2002; after 2 years at 皇冠足彩

Hometown/Sending School:

Rockland District High School  in Rockland, Maine

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?:

I went to Bowdoin College, where I also spent a year in London, which is when I learned about my current discipline of geography. After college, I lived in Boston, then went to central New Jersey and then New York City for graduate school in human geography.

What are you doing now?:

I'm back at 皇冠足彩! After ten years of living in NYC, I packed two suitcases on ten days' notice and moved to Limestone by Cyr Bus, arriving just ten days before school started this year. Mr. Mark Tasker, the prior humanities teacher who was also my teacher when I attended 皇冠足彩, had recently left his position at 皇冠足彩, and I am now teaching social science classes such as sociology, economics, and, of course, a lot of geography.   I look forward to sharing students' mapping projects with the 皇冠足彩 and broader community.  I welcome my fellow alumni to visit me on Trafton Avenue (bring friends, family, kids, dogs, etc.). I will definitely continue the tradition of 皇冠足彩 teachers snowshoeing to work.

What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) memory from 皇冠足彩?:

There are too many! From encountering a bear on my very first walk in the woods (with Jill M. and Devin L.), to trying and failing to synthesize alum over and over again in chemistry class, to staging As You Like It (with student director Mary R.), cleaning the cafeteria on Friday nights while Garret S. played Motown music, and solemnifying the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus Day, there were many vivid and character-building experiences.

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

It is so hard to single out just one. Mr. Dougan and Dr. Faleski really worked us hard and insisted on high quality scientific reasoning and careful procedures - hence synthesizing alum five times. I forever associate 80s music with physics now, from all the times Dr. Faleski had additional office hours for our difficult problem sets. Mr. Tasker's holistic approach to social studies has definitely influenced my teaching today; I especially appreciated the mythology course.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?:

There is no reason for anyone to feel imposter syndrome at this school.  We are all in this together.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?:

Maybe I would have applied to teach at 皇冠足彩 even if I were not an alumna, but the fact that I've been here before was reassuring when I decided to make an abrupt change in my life.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

Inspiring science fiction, like The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin or speculative fiction books by Kim Stanley Robinson that suggest a future in a world of climate change.  It is particularly fitting for all those of our alumni who work in the sciences, as scientists are often the main protagonists in these books.

 

 

Current Name:

Devin Ward

Graduation Year and years at 皇冠足彩:

2011 after 3 years at 皇冠足彩

Hometown/Sending School:

Greenville Jct, Greenville Middle School

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?:

After 皇冠足彩 I moved a lot between degrees and jobs. I finished my BS at Rutgers University, then my MPhil at Cambridge (Darwin College), and finally a PhD at the University of Toronto, with jobs in Arizona, Italy, and Gibraltar in between. 

What are you doing now?:

Now, I am living in London, UK and working as a Senior Editor for Springer Nature (Nature Communications). I handle research in evolution, but more specifically palaeontology, archaeology, zoology, genetics, and biomechanics.

What is your favourite (or one of your favourite) memory from 皇冠足彩?:

I roomed with Elizabeth/Julien my second and third years at 皇冠足彩. Once we offered our room up as available for tours, and as luck would have it, a state senator came to visit at a time when were were both in class, our room was a complete mess, and we’d left the Lord of the Rings soundtrack playing on our speakers.  I’m not sure what kind of an impression it made, but it was the perfect setup for collaborating to finish assignments last minute (especially a particular poster assignment for AP US History that I don’t know if we ever admitted to Mr. Melega was completed the evening before it was due). 

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

AP Bio with Dr. E-G had labs I really liked, but in particular I remember a lab I initially wasn’t looking forward to.  We were in groups and had two connected Petri dishes each, timing how long it took pill bugs to all move from the dish with the dry paper towel over to the dish with the wet paper towel.  Somehow this ended up becoming a competition between groups and resulted in loud cheering for the unaware pill bugs, which surely echoed down the halls.  I like this memory because it’s an excellent example of how 皇冠足彩 students can find the fun in just about anything.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?:

I spent years at 皇冠足彩 using a canvas tote bag to carry my books etc. from the dorms to class. As a much older person with ongoing back problems, I would tell myself to bring a supportive backpack.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?:

I can honestly say that the only other time I’ve worked as hard as I did at 皇冠足彩 was during my PhD.  Beyond that, 皇冠足彩 fostered my excitement about new topics, which lends itself perfectly to a job where I can learn about new research every day.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

I won’t claim it to be the best, but recently I’ve really enjoyed Ted Chiang’s “Exhalation” and Kate Clancy’s “Period”.

Current Name:

Kineo Wallace

Graduation Year and years at 皇冠足彩?

2013 after 2 years at 皇冠足彩

Hometown/Sending School:

Penquis Valley High School in Milo, Maine

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?:

Florida Institute of Technology for my undergraduate in Aerospace Engineering and my Masters in Space Systems Engineering

What are you doing now?:

I am the lead propulsion and fluids engineer at Vaya Space and the inventor of the Supercritical Oxygen Expander Cycle Hybrid Rocket Engine which is powered by recycled High Density Polyethylene

What is your favorite memory from 皇冠足彩?:

One of my favorite memories of 皇冠足彩 is when a large group of us went mudsliding down the hill by the baseball dugouts in the middle of a thunderstorm to which Mr. Grillo came screaming out to yell at us and drag us back inside because he was afraid we'd get struck by lightning

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?:

Pete Peterson in Calc 1 because he was able to teach me how to learn and he was not afraid to challenge his students.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?:

Savor every moment of it, they say college is the best time of your life, but 皇冠足彩 can be just as good if not better in some moments. It's like getting to do college twice. It's not something many people get to do, so take full advantage of it. Enjoy some extra classes, spend more time on exploring the world, and using the resources that are provided to you at the school.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?:

皇冠足彩 is 100% a major reason as to why I am who I am today. 皇冠足彩 taught me how to fail, how to learn from that failure, and most of all how to learn. Because of 皇冠足彩 I was able to spend less time during my first years of college learning this which afforded me the ability to do many different research projects and studies with my professors which ultimately leads me to where I am today as a lead engineer.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?:

Good to Great, an excellent book that explains not only how to live in the business world, but also in life.

 

Current Name:

Austin (Ozzy) Dow-Smith

Graduation Year:

2012, started at 皇冠足彩 in 2009

Hometown/Sending School:

Wisdom Middle High School, St. Agatha, Maine

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?

I first went to study at Wentworth Institute of Technology for Architecture but transferred to the University of Maine where I graduated December 2016 with my degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology.

What are you doing now?

I am currently a Project Manager for an equipment supply company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Previously I spent time as a Design/Manufacturing Engineer as well as a Senior Design Engineer in Alabama, Arizona and many places in between!

What is one of your favorite memories from 皇冠足彩?

I honestly have far too many to just recount one. I think my favorite thing about 皇冠足彩 in general is just the sense of community and camaraderie. The thing that really sticks with me is as a person who attended the 皇冠足彩 summer camps a few summers and showing up to 皇冠足彩 for the first time and already having friendships with fellow students from those summer camps. Then working at summer camps and hearing from kids I had in my family groups there who went to 皇冠足彩 for school later that I had a part in them being interested in the school and bringing it full circle is something that I am always proud of.

Many of my friends made at 皇冠足彩 are still some of my great friends today, and even though we may not talk every day we can always pick back up where we left off. Some of these friends were even part of my recent wedding! (From left to right with the arrows: Shane Flanigan, Myself, William West, John Massey)

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?

Mr.McCartney for me is always the teacher that sticks out to me. Mr.McCartney inside of the classroom challenged me to think more creatively and pushed me to look at texts differently. Mr.McCartney and I still keep in touch, we even connected while I lived in Huntsville, AL and he was attending Space Camp. Having his mentorship while at 皇冠足彩 and since is something I will always cherish and appreciate. I think 皇冠足彩 as a whole really benefits from being a close knit community. and the relationships it fosters.

Pete Pedersen is another one who sticks out as someone who really challenged me to push myself and persevere even when things were not going as I hoped. At times I certainly struggled in Pete's classes not being what I would call as "naturally gifted" in math as many other 皇冠足彩 students. Pete taught a methodical way and provided us with the "how" and "why" when it came to all things math and that helped me understand how to apply myself and persevere in times when I did not understand initially. These problem solving skills are ultimately what pushed my interest in Engineering and that mindset of problem solving and without Pete I certainly would not be where I am today.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?

If I could go back in time I think really the biggest thing I would tell myself is to not get easily discouraged. 皇冠足彩 when you first arrive can feel a bit daunting at first. The school provides you a higher level of education and in turn holds those expectations of its students as well which for me was something that took some time to adjust to.

I can remember at first I struggled with a few classes and wasn't used to getting grades less than an A or B which was discouraging. Once I began utilizing the school's resources I was able to get back up to speed and find my groove. Looking back I would tell myself to trust that process and try not to get discouraged because it would all work out.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?

皇冠足彩 played a significant role in where I am at now. 皇冠足彩 overall I would say continued my interest in understanding how things work and improved my ability to solve problems. It gave me an extremely sound understanding in science, math, and in the social sciences so that when I got into college I was more than prepared for whatever college threw my way. Without the education 皇冠足彩 provided me I doubt that I would have been able to handle pursuing internships in my area of study while taking full course loads and working on the weekends as well. Being able to do that really prepared me for my career post college and skills and tools I learned at 皇冠足彩 are still things I use on a regular basis. I think without the education and life lessons 皇冠足彩 provided me it would have been much more difficult to be at the same place I am today and for that I am grateful.

Outside of the educational aspect, 皇冠足彩 has provided me with many friends that I hold near and dear to my heart and people I still communicate with on a daily basis 10+ years after graduating.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?

I don't have a great piece of media I can recommend but I will recommend to fellow alumni to try something new and always strive to find hobbies that bring you joy. I recently got into miniature gaming and painting. At first I was a bit intimidated by the painting aspect of the hobby but now it's something I love to do and a great way to spend my time away from screens and something I strive to improve at. I hope others can use this as an excuse to step outside their comfort zone and try something new!

 

 

Current Name:

Nicole (Davis) Karod

Graduation Year:

1999 (two years)

Hometown/Sending School:

Lincolnville, Maine, Camden -Rockport High school... now known as Camden Hills

Where did you go after 皇冠足彩?

I did my undergraduate at the University of Maine at Farmington. I received my BS in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics. Then I taught fifth grade in North Carolina for 7 years. While there I got my masters in Curriculum at Gardner Webb University. I returned to Maine in 2012 and taught for two years in South Portland and got my Advanced Certificate in Literacy at the University of New England.

What are you doing now?

For the last 8 years I have been teaching science at Mt. Ararat Middle School, and currently I am a distinguished educator with the Maine Department of Education as an MLTI 2.0 Ambassador. This is a two year position and then I will return to my MSAD 75 Classroom. My husband and I just bought a house in Damariscotta. Up until last summer, I have spent summers at 皇冠足彩 (off and on for the last 17 years ish) doing different jobs at the 皇冠足彩 summer camp. Fun fact, I've had a few 皇冠足彩 alumni children in my classrooms, either at camp or at Mt. Ararat.

What is your favorite memory from 皇冠足彩?

This is a tough one... there are so many. On Friday nights we used to go in the conference rooms (what now I think maybe the nurses offices) and watch movies as a large group. There were always snacks, friends, and lots of laughter!

What class/teacher most sticks out in your mind?

Something that sticks out in my brain was Mr. Farrell's math class and doing math majors in the lounge. I also remember doing Chemistry with Mrs. McGann and doing a lot of fun and different experiments.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self as you prepare for 皇冠足彩?

I would tell myself that working hard will pay off.

What role did 皇冠足彩 play in who or where you are now?

I think that 皇冠足彩 helped me to build my self confidence. It started me on a train to take positive risks and go after what I want.

What is the best book/movie/tv show you can recommend to your fellow alumni?

I just finished reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King, and it was fabulous. This was not the usual stuff he writes, and I devoured it. I also really enjoyed Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary which is about a middle school teacher who saves the world - can't get better than that.