There have been lots of A’s, one “American Idol” audition and at least two (Jennifer and Dan) already leaning toward grad school. They’ve made the most of the year, in school and in the working world.

Here are updates from eight of our original 10 bloggers.

Ryan Reed, University of Maine at Farmington

I’ve attached three pictures that summarize some high points of my semester. I went to the World Series Parade in Boston, I got to go to Quebec City with my girlfriend (Megan Swett) on a class trip for “The History of Canada,” and I went to opening day at Fenway Park for the ring ceremony/banner raising with my friend Renee Scott. I’m completing my last education courses now, and will focus on my history classes next semester before student teaching in spring of ‘09. I’m still working as an RA on campus and as a tutor in a few area high schools, and I enjoy getting a head start on making a difference in these kids’ lives. I’m also incredibly excited that I’m moving into an apartment with Megan in June!

Hmmmm what else… I got a 4.0 last semester, that was pretty cool.

Danielle Sicotte, Suffolk University, Boston

So I have finally decided what to do with my life. I’ve declared my major in advertising with a minor in marketing. I stumbled upon advertising and realized how much I love it. I’ve been working/interning at St. Mary’s Hospital (in Lewiston) in the Marketing Department for the past summer and my winter and spring breaks, and absolutely loving it. I love being creative and being given obstacles and having to find creative ways to find solutions for them. Working at the hospital has given me much real-world experience and introduced me to many topics and issues that were later presented to me in class.

Personally I’ve been having the time of my life. This last January my boyfriend, Nate, and I went to Quebec and stayed in the Ice Hotel. Yea, it’s a hotel made of ice, and it was so awesome. Really really cold, but it was a trip of a lifetime. My aunt also took me to New York City for my birthday and it was the first time I’d ever been, so it was really exciting for me. I’m living in the North End of Boston now, which is cool because there are incredible Italian restaurants and bakeries right outside my apartment door. Thankfully I’m pretty broke since all my money goes to rent, or I would eat out there every night and be like 500 pounds. As usual I’m super busy choreographing the Spring Musical for St. Mary’s High School in Lynn. This year we are doing “The Wizard of Oz.”

So I have one more year left. (Sigh) It’s been quite an experience living down here in Boston and as much as I do love the city, I love Maine more. There are things I’m going to miss about Boston (i.e. Red Sox, sushi and shopping), but I can’t wait to get back home to the peace and quite of living among the pine trees.

Dan Magoon, University of Maine, Orono

I am still here at UMaine, I have a 3.5 GPA and still studying biology. I really like it here and have been enjoying the college life. Last year I moved out of the dorms into an apartment complex, which was a good transition from dorm life. And this year, 4 other kids and I moved into a house a few minutes away from campus and have really found out what it’s like to live independently. Paying bills, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning; all of the big responsibilities. But I really like it. I like having adult responsibilities.

I am still working in the bio lab on campus, this is the third year I’ve been there. I have my own project that, as I continue to work during the summer, will hopefully be published next year. My boss also gave me the opportunity to be a part of a paper that will be published next month, which is something that I’m really excited about! Last summer I worked in two labs, that one and another that worked on blueberries, which was interesting because it’s a big business for Maine. I got to go do field work and do research on blueberries.

School work is difficult, a lot of studying and a lot of tests! I’m almost done with organic chemistry, which is by far the worst class ever. It’s 10 credits, a yearlong course. And I have one more exam, then I’m done! Afterwards that will be a big weight off my shoulders. I am staying here for the summer, working in the lab, and just enjoying the summer life.

I plan to go to grad school afterwards but haven’t decided where. I MIGHT stay in Maine and work in the lab as a grad student, but I have time to figure it out.

I haven’t had any real life-altering happenings yet.

Tips/ advice:

1. “Work hard play hard” is the motto I have lived by the past three years. Getting good grades is the most important thing, but having fun and enjoying the college life is equally as important.

2. Try to get a focus early. It isn’t completely necessary, but it makes things very easy in the long run. Changing majors is common, but it becomes a hassle after a while. Getting a focus allows for greater gains quicker.

3. It goes faster than you think, so enjoy every day. Don’t get caught up on the little things.

4. Get a job! Nothing serious though, something that will give 10-20 hours a week that gives some extra money for the weekends. Ideally, if it can be related to your major, that is a huge resume builder, but if not that’s fine. I was so lucky to get the lab job, it has really given me a lot of experience and opportunity

Jennifer Dowling, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Penn.

This last year has been quite busy. I still am a chemistry major with a concentration in forensic science and a psychology minor. I am involved with different clubs and organizations on campus. This past year I was the treasurer of the Forensic Science Student Organization, and this coming year I will be the president. I have been inducted into a few honor societies this year. In the fall I was inducted into Delphi, the college’s honor society for juniors and seniors. This spring I was inducted into Psi Chi, the psychology national honor society and Alpha Psi Omega, the national theater honor society.

During the fall semester I completed my written research proposal and this spring semester I began working on my research. I am looking at screening domestic wines for GHB and related compounds that are naturally present in small amounts in wines. This is an important project because other labs are looking at only one or two compounds; while my research is looking at six. This summer I have an internship position in Augusta with the Forensic Chemistry/Toxicology Department of the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Lab.

This October I attended my first professional conference in Bolton Landing, N.Y. This was the annual meeting of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists. I had a great time attending talks and meeting other professionals. I am looking forward to next year’s meeting already.

During the first weekend in November a very important event in my college career happened. It’s called Junior Ring Ceremony and it is when the juniors receive their college rings. The ceremony is optional but it is a wonderful experience. The college ring comes with so much history and it unites each student with all past and future classes to go through the college. The ring is a black onyx stone with the three C’s engraved in the stone face.

I am still involved in the theater department; this year I stage managed two shows. The first show was “Big Love” by Charles Mee. It is a play about 50 sisters that were engaged to their 50 cousins. The sisters didn’t wish to get married so they ran away, however, their grooms-to-be located them and the sisters were forced to marry. The sisters therefore made a pact that their husbands would not live through their wedding night; in the end there are 49 deaths and one happy couple. This was a great show to work on; there was wedding cake that ended up all over the stage every night, a small pool in the set, confetti, and smashing tomatoes. This made washing the costumes a nightmare, especially since there were 10 wedding dresses.

The second show was “The Spitfire Grill,” which is a musical about an ex-prisoner going to a small Wisconsin town to begin her life again. It is a great story of an outsider reviving the small town without a future. This was my favorite show to work on to date; the cast was amazing, the production crew did a great job and the chemistry between everyone just made it a wonderful experience.

I plan on finishing out my bachelor’s degree here at Cedar Crest and if all goes well, I hope to stay here for one more year to obtain my master’s degree. After that I will be looking for a job in a forensic chemistry/toxicology laboratory, I think.

I am looking forward to next year, although I’m not sure were the last three years have gone. Everyone always says that four years will go by so fast, but you never believe them. Yet now, I understand, I feel like I just moved in for August orientation a few months ago, not almost three years ago. My advice to incoming freshman is enjoy every experience you have. We have a saying that we won’t remember the tests we failed (or did poorer than we wanted to), but we will remember the people that were with us when we were studying.

Tyson Morgan, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn.

The arcs of my academic and athletic careers remain the same as first projected. I’m still studying English, and still running track. I’ve changed the most in that I don’t study nearly as much as I did initially. And that’s my advice for people going into school: If you work too much, reel it back, and try to enjoy the people around you.

Elizabeth Mitchell, Bates College

So… I transferred to Bates College! Surprise! Not that I didn’t lovvve Connecticut College and all of my friends there (I miss them so dearly!!). I just really missed Maine, snowy winters, and I really wanted to sail.

So, I’m taking advantage of all those things! I took a wonderful Geo course with Dyk Eusden this fall, where we hiked the Presidentials (the first weekend of school, I got pretty sick three miles in and headed back down the mountain…) sea kayaked, and spent a three-day weekend at Acadia during tropical storm Noel. I’m also sailing for Bates! Wahhhoooo!! It’s a wonderful group of kids, we sail right on Taylor Pond in Auburn, where I grew up sailing. We sail every afternoon from September to November.

It has been so wonderful to take advantage of all of the outdoors that Maine has to offer. I’ve found that students at Bates are much more outdoorsy and that has been a wonderful change. This semester I was the photo editor of the The Student, our school paper. I’m still a studio art major … but at Bates it’s titled Art and Visual Culture. I’m adjusting to the new department. It’s hard having gone from a school where I had become rather established within the department, to one where no one knows me or my work, when I am already a junior. I’ve found a nice little niche in the Theater Department, working in theater design.

Next week I begin short term, where I only take one course for five weeks. My sailing team is hoping to form an intramural slow-pitch softball team, which hopefully means lots of BBQs and fun!! My short term course is called “Building a Studio Practice.” So I’ll be working pretty independently in the studio. I’ll be doing some sort of design/photo portfolio. It will be a really great start to my yearlong senior thesis next year.

I just got back from visiting my best friend in D.C. over break. I love D.C., but my tender little feet do not love all the walking.

This summer I plan on working and living in Portland. Hopefully in the design field. (If anyone in the area is interested in hiring a creative and motivated intern, please contact me!) I’m looking forward to living and working in the big city!

Amanda Johnson, focusing on work, for now

I am no longer in the same school, I actually dropped out after the first year. USM was not the right school for me and I wanted to focus on all the training for my work. I would really like to go back to school, but I want to make sure I am doing something that I really want to do, so I don’t end up wasting money for an education that will not be useful to me and my future. I am actually thinking of going to school for message therapy, but it’s just a thought.

I work at a group home in Minot. The company is called LEAP, it’s just like JFM (John F. Murphy Homes). I’ve been working here since October of 2005 and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life! I believe I moved out of my parents house in September of 2006, and have been living in an apartment in Lewiston since. I turned 21 in January so I have been enjoying the night life. Other than that, this past year I have been working and hanging out with the people I love. I met my long-lost brother, which has been a blessing. I also auditioned for American Idol, which ended up being a total train wreck (lol). My mother and I drove down to Philadelphia, which really makes you appreciate the beautiful state we live in, and everything about the trip was terrible and they ended up not excepting me. I auditioned with 20,000 other people so I knew I probably didn’t have a chance. Ideally I would love to be a singer! I would also love to volunteer my time at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and if I had the money I would open my own.

If I were to go back to college, I would definitely look into getting my degree online because of my work schedule; it would be much easier. Any advice I could give to anyone going on to school is to make sure you are going to do what you want to do and be who you want to be and don’t let anyone push you into anything you don’t want to do. Life is too short to make others happy!

Loren Lepage, University of New England

I am still majoring in occupational therapy at the University of New England. Next year, senior year, I will be traveling to the Westbrook campus instead of living at the Biddeford one. It is an amazing program and I would recommend UNE for anyone looking into OT, PT or any other health/medical profession. This August I am heading to Ghana in Africa to take part in the Ghana Health Mission with five other OT students and one OT faculty, along with a few nursing students and faculty as well. It should be very exciting.

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