Christine Wirsen graduated from the Master of Social Work Program in December 2020. In this post, she talks about how she got interested in Social Work, how she overcame some significant challenges, and how she is putting her MSW to work to move her career forward. Can you tell us about yourself and what encouraged you to pursue your MSW?…

Lynn Montgomery, MSEd ’20, is a kindergarten teacher heavily involved in teacher leadership and the new teacher mentoring program at her school. She decided to pursue her MSEd because she felt that it was the next step in her career. She also wanted to understand more about the inner workings of school leadership in order to gain a deeper understanding…

LaToya Bryant is an alumna of the MSW program here at UNE Online. Here, she talks about her social work career, why she feels that having her MSW makes her more marketable, and how her education prepared her for clinical work. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what encouraged you to pursue your Master of Social…

Rose Aitcheson received her MPH at UNE in May of 2021. She is currently employed as a Clinical Informatics Specialist within Primary Care Medicine and her goal is to apply for Physicians Assistant school. Here she talks about her time at UNE, and how she was able to positively impact her community through her APE and ILE experiences. Can you…

Jessica Swindlehurst is a second-grade teacher and MSEd graduate. In this post, she talks about working in the school district of her dreams, and how this master’s degree has helped propel her forward in her career. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what encouraged you to pursue your Master of Science in Education? I am a…

Jimmy Grattan earned her Master of Science in Applied Nutrition in order to advance her career and open up new options for herself in academia – specifically in the area of nutrition and sustainability. Here, she discusses her journey through the Applied Nutrition program and how it has aligned with her goals so far. Can you tell us a little…

We previously interviewed Joel Lowsky, Ed.D. ‘17, about his career, his research, and his plans for the future – here’s an update on what he’s up to, how he is using his Ed.D. in his work, and how his Ed.D. has helped him with career advancement. Do you want to give us an overview of what you’ve been up to…

We previously interviewed Darryl Vincent, MSW ’14, about the power of integration in his social work practice – here’s an update on what he’s up to, how he is using his MSW in his work, and how his MSW has helped him with career advancement. Could you give us an overview of what you’ve been up to since graduation? Initially,…

Melissa Oran, MSW, is a recent graduate of the Master of Social Work program at UNE Online, the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. In this interview, she discusses why she decided to pursue her MSW, some of the standout experiences she has had in the program, and words of wisdom for future MSW students in the program. Can you…

We interviewed Melanie Berdyk, MSAN, when she was a Student Ambassador in the Applied Nutrition program at CGPS in 2018. Here’s an update on what she’s up to, how she is using her MSAN in her career, and how her MSAN has helped her with career advancement. Can you give us an overview of what you’ve been up to since…

Sarah Kilgore is an RN in the Department of the Army in New York, and a recent UNE Online MPH graduate. Here, she talks about how her professional life has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what encouraged her to earn her MPH. What encouraged you to get your master’s in public health? I became interested in…

Megan Thompson is an alumna of the MS in Applied Nutrition program. Here, she talks about her writing career, how she got interested in the field of nutrition, and how she plans to move forward with her MSAN. Could you start out by telling us a little bit about yourself, and why you decided to pursue your Master of Science…

Amber Huff has overcome great obstacles to get her Master’s in Social Work online. Not only will she be the first in her family with an advanced degree, but this Mom of three will also be graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. A major source of her inspiration was to be a positive role model for her children, particularly…

Mona Haimour, RN, BScN, MSN, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. As a 2016 inductee to UNE’s Chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society, she also proved herself to be one of UNE’s brightest Master of Public Health students. From Jordan to Canada Originally from Jordan,…

Dianna Montfort, Ed.D. is a graduate of the UNE Doctor of Education program and was a presenter at last year’s inaugural CGPS Virtual Research and Scholarship Symposium. Here, she talks about her experience in the Ed.D. program as well as what it was like presenting at CGPS’s first Symposium in 2019. Last year you presented at our first Virtual Research…

Katelyn Beeley, RN, BSN, MHI is the Manager of Clinical Informatics under Medical Affairs for Maine Medical Center and a 2020 graduate in our Master of Science in Health Informatics program. Here, she talks about what led her to the field of health informatics, what she learned from her studies, and about her experience with the UNE community. Can you…

In celebration of our Graduate Programs in Public Health’s successful CEPH reaccreditation, we sat down with Monica Huelga, MPH ’18, who found herself at UNE Online rather serendipitously. Monica is passionate about the power of communication to promote global health and equality. She completed her applied practice experience on environmental health literacy at the non-profit MEarth Carmel while working at…

Mae L’Heureux is a graduate of the Master of Public Health program. During her time in the program, Mae served as Membership Co-Chair of the APHA-SA, and Member of the Graduate Programs in Public Health Advisory Committee here at UNE Online. We had a chat about her experience in the program, how she liked the online format, and how getting…

Bonnie Blake, Ed.D. is a graduate of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program at UNE Online. Here, she talks about her experience with the online Ed.D. program, and how she is putting her dissertation research to work, planning the next steps in her career.  Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your…

Jesse Bell, MPH, is a UNE Online alumni of the MPH program and is currently working toward getting his Ph.D. We spoke to him about what compelled him to get his MPH, his experience as an online student including his practicum, and his advice for incoming online graduate students. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what…

Nicole Petrin is a student in the Master of Social Work program at UNE Online. She has her undergraduate degree in social work, works in the field, and is also very active as a mentor for rising social workers. She just recently returned from an international social work conference in South Africa, and she shares her experiences with us here.…

Dr. Mike Wilber, an Ed.D. graduate, is an Adult Basic Education Instructor at the Delaware Department of Education Adult and Prison Education Resources Division in Wilmington, Delaware, helping inmates earn their GEDs and learn job skills. He is also a GED Instructor in the Adult Education Division of James H. Groves Adult High School. Dr. Wilber’s Ed.D. dissertation was designed…

Mansoor Shafqat is a public health graduate student at UNE Online, residing in California. He has had many life changes while enrolled in his program, including becoming a new parent, so he finds the flexibility of the online public health program to be essential to his success as a student. We spoke with him recently about his experience with the…

Rachael Flaxman is an elementary school teacher in Maine and a student in our online MSEd program. We celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week by speaking with some of our students who have dedicated their professional lives to education. Teachers make a profound impact on the lives they touch, so we want to honor some of these very special teachers who are…