Sasha Campbell

Long Island University, dance major, minor in psychology, graduated January 2009

Current hometown: South Paris

Age: 26

Live at home/rent/buy your own home? We are currently renting, but in the process of buying a home.

Current job? Teaching dance at Art Moves Dance Studio since graduation; doing massage at Possibilities Yoga Studio in Norway (just started); working at Portland Chiropractic Neurology two years; MOTHER! 1 year; dancing with The Maine Dance Project.

Enjoy what you do? YES.

Major milestones the last four years: Last year in August we welcomed a baby boy named Keegan into our family and we are in the process of buying our first house!

If you’re comfortable sharing, how much college debt are you still carrying? I have some school loans left from LIU, and I have some massage school debt (became a licensed massage therapist in May 2010). It’s a lot less than many people I know. I should be debt-free in the next 5 years.

So, the big question: Was it worth it? Definitely, not only for the schooling, but for the process of growing up, leaving home and learning about myself.

Is your job now related to your major? Yes, everything I do relates back to dance, massage, anatomy.

Please finish this sentence: “When it came to college, my parents were right about . . .” . . . getting a degree. My parents always taught me the importance of education. Every class I took taught me something, even when I thought it wasn’t worth it.

And: “My parents were wrong about . . .” . . . living in the city! It definitely wasn’t somewhere they would have lived, but for me it was amazing and I was so happy to leave Oxford Hills. It made me appreciate Maine and coming back home to raise my family . . . so I guess they were actually right. 🙂

What are you hoping for as you look out over the next 10 years? Buying our house, raising our kids and hopefully getting my MFA (master of fine art’s degree) in dance, to continue my training and teach at the college level, that’s my biggest goal.

Do you feel your college experience plays any role in those goals? Yes, my college experience taught me so much personally, professionally, academically, and I’m continuously going back to it in my mind. It was the foundation for where I am in my life now.

Grads face a new world: Maine college freshmen are trying to spend less, learn more and think jobs.

‘Explore careers.’ ‘Engage in classes.’ ‘Show up.’ ‘Go for it!’: Older, wiser: Our former freshmen offer advice to the class of 2017

Following the Freshmen: Where are they now?

Since the Sun Journal stopped following the original 15 students in our “Following the Freshmen” series in 2009, bringing to a close our four-year college project, they’ve established interesting lives, careers and pursuits. And gained a lot of perspective on the value of their educations. We were able to catch up with 11 former freshmen and quiz them about life, college and future goals, and how school played into all of it.

• Jennifer Berresford: In the pharmaceutical industry, pet foster-mom-to-be
• Tracy Bradley: Helping others get fit, enjoying Boston
• Sasha Campbell: Dancer, mom, busy lady
• Alison Coleman: Moving up the ranks at work, still fitting in softball
• Danielle Eaton: Marketer, mom, grateful former Bostonian
• Brian Erickson: Engineer open to new adventures
• Matt Jones: Computer engineer in Rhode Island
• Loren Lepage: Helping others rehab and loving it
• Elizabeth Mitchell: Taking life and career to the West Coast
• Tyson Morgan: Learning, teaching, writing
• Ryan Reed: Teacher, husband, dad