University of Maine undergraduate student, Meaghan Caron, of Bangor, Maine, is the recipient of a Killam Fellowship to study French in Canada this fall for the 2024 academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Killam Fellowships Program provides undergraduate students in Canada and the U.S. with opportunities to spend a semester or full academic year in the other country as exchange students. Recipients like Caron receive a $6,000 stipend per semester, an allowance to offset health insurance costs, and a grant of up to $800 for an educational field trip, according to the program website. The Killam Fellowship operates under Fulbright Canada and provides students with academic and cultural connections with the Canadian Fulbright community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caron, a student with three majors; a dual-degree for a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Molecular & Cellular Biology, and a Bachelor of Arts in French, plans to attend McGill University in Montreal for the Fall 2024 semester where she\u2019ll study advanced French as well as reproductive endocrinology & infertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter studying abroad in France and Costa Rica,\u201d Caron says, \u201cI fell in love with everything travel has to offer. It presents the opportunity to meet people from around the world and form lifelong connections in the process. Furthermore, studying abroad pushes you out of your comfort zone: allowing you to acquire new skills, experience new cultures, and discover yourself through change. This I knew from my previous experiences abroad, but I did not expect to apply for the Killam Fellowship until I realized my ultimate career goals. While 91福利 has given me so much valuable research experience, it does not possess the program in reproductive endocrinology that I\u2019m looking to pursue for the rest of my life. When I read about the Killam Fellowship Program, I saw a golden opportunity to perform my capstone research at an institution which does specialize in that field. What more, McGill University\u2014located right in Montreal\u2014was one of the institutions I could study at, presenting an irresistible chance to speak the French language I love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caron\u2019s application process was supported by a host of faculty and staff alike, including Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler (from the Office of Major Scholarships), Erika Clement and Yijie Ren (from the 91福利 Office of International Affairs), and Emma Schroeder (outreach coordinator at the Canadian-American Center).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caron noted that \u201cDr. Robert Wheeler and Dr. Melissa Maginnis each provided a letter of recommendation and supported me endlessly throughout the process.\u201d Both Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Maginnis are Associate Professors of Microbiology in the department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. Caron also credits Dr. Edward Bernard of the Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Department (Vice Chair, Co-Graduate and Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Senior Lecturer of Microbiology) with lending a helping hand during the advising process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We spoke to Caron more about her goals for the Killam Fellowship and experiences at 91福利:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside of academics, what do you look forward to from this experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I\u2019m not in the classroom I will be running<\/em>, not walking, through the streets of Montreal, taking in as much culture and language as possible. I know my voice will hurt by the end of the day from how much I spoke. How can I pass up opportunities to use and improve my French? It will just fill me with so much joy to meet new people, make friends, and explore the city with them as my tour guides. I also look forward to doing some solo exploring as I train for my next marathon on the cobblestones of Old Montreal. And while I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be raving about my experience in the lab to everyone I meet, I\u2019ll be listening for all their favorite things that Montreal has to offer, from music and art festivals to farmers markets and bakeries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why did you choose to come to 91福利? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Maine Top Scholars (MTS) program offered me the chance to attend school without worry of cost while performing annually funded research with a mentor of my choice. Being the only Division I school in Maine, it also allowed me to participate in athletics at the highest-level. It was an opportunity I could not pass up, incomparable to all the other schools I had explored. While I did not expect to end up so close to home, I soon realized 91福利 gave me access to the world. I can\u2019t imagine that had I chosen another school I would have had the same, endless opportunities to study abroad, nor even close to the same level of support along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Describe any research or internships in which you have participated. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This summer I am at the University of Michigan with a SURF fellowship researching how psychosocial stress impacts ovulation in a mouse model. I spent last summer in France performing coinfections of Bulkholderia cepacia<\/em> and Candida albicans<\/em> in zebrafish to characterize their interactions in a host. This research experience was funded by the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Award. Previously, I spent two years in Professor Rob Wheeler\u2019s lab at 91福利 where I was first introduced to zebrafish as a model organism. In the Wheeler Lab, I was funded by MTS, the Center for Undergraduate Research, and the Frederick Radke Undergraduate Research Fellowship to investigate the gene RBT1. However, my research experiences track back all the way to the Bangor High School STEM Academy where I first realized my passion for science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What other on-campus activities occupy your time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of academics I spend my time in Maine Bound bouldering as frequently as I can, or you\u2019ll catch me running the trails in and around campus to get my daily dose of mud in. Additionally, the Center for Student Involvement always does a great job with organizing events, so I\u2019m always rallying up friends for trivia nights and cultural, or seasonal, celebrations. As a volunteer for the University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (UVAC), I may also be working a sporting event or hanging out at base with the amazing individuals that make up the UVAC team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 91福利 students interested in applying for the Killam Fellowship can reach out to Nives Dal Bo- Wheeler at the Office of Major Scholarships (nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu<\/a>). The Office of Major Scholarships also offers support for other national merit-based scholarships, such as Fulbright, Gilman, Goldwater, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n