FARMINGTON — During his 33 years in admissions at the University of Maine at Farmington, Jim Collins has granted approval for 500 new freshmen each year. 

That’s 16,000 students he’s introduced to higher education from the nearly 2,000 applications he processed each year.

Friday was his last day as senior associate director of admission at UMF. A retirement party was held earlier in the month and about 70 family, friends and co-workers attended. State Rep. Gary Knight presented him with a legislative sentiment, he said.

In his speech, he remembered five UMF students who stood out the most to him and taught him a lesson.

Ben Harris, a student from a politically minded family, encouraged him to run for a town selectman’s seat. Collins is serving his third term as selectman in his hometown of Livermore Falls. He previously served on the town’s school board.

Janet Paintor was the most intelligent student Collins said he ever interviewed. After earning a doctorate, she’s now a biology professor at Arizona State and does a television show on science for children.

There was also Steve Clifford, from a small town in Maine, who is now an assistant National Basketball Association coach with the Orlando Magic.  Collins said he learned that “you don’t have to be from a big city to make the NBA.”

UMF senior Marcel Hutchins, now editor of the school paper, the Farmington Flyer, came to Maine from Africa. Collins said he realized from her how much someone from Africa has to offer.

Lastly, he remembered Paige Barton, a woman born with a rare chromosome disorder for which she was misdiagnosed with Down syndrome. She took classes at UMF and later worked for the Maine Bureau of Mental Retardation before her death.

“I realized that the handicapped could do anything,” he said.

Perhaps the largest lesson learned: “Never underestimate anyone,” he said.

After teaching science in public schools for a couple years, Collins was a guidance counselor at Mexico High School when it combined with Rumford to become Mountain Valley. Two other counselors had more tenure, leaving him without a job.

That’s when he came to UMF, where he travels to high schools and college fairs throughout New England, New York and New Jersey and interviews applicants at UMF. He enjoys helping parents who never went to college learn about college life and opportunities available for them and the student.

Former students often come up to him when they see him outside Farmington. A UMF business major approached him in New York and thanked him for being “‘the only one who believed in me. The only one who took a chance on me,'” he said.  The former student now owns his own company.

That’s what he thinks he’ll miss the most, the interaction with students and parents, he said.

His future plans will have him continue with some college fairs this spring as a representative for the New England Association for College Admission Counseling.

He’ll continue as a selectman and a member of Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, where he served as president for two years.

He’s considering a run for Androscoggin County commissioner if voters extend the number of seats this spring.

First, however, he and wife, Arlene, will spend a couple days a week caring for their 1-month-old granddaughter when their daughter-in-law returns to work.

He’ll also make time for a few more Red Sox games. A lifelong fan, he saw his first game in 1955 when Ted Williams was playing, he said.

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