Annabelle Wilson: A runner with her sights set on teaching in Maine

Annabelle Wilson did not take the well-traveled path to the University of Maine. Originally from Geelong in southern Australia, she was recruited to run cross country and track for the Black Bears. So how does a young woman from a 鈥渃oastal surfing area鈥� more than 10,000 miles from Orono like it here?

鈥淚鈥檝e loved Maine,鈥� she says, 鈥淚 really want to stay (here), that鈥檚 my goal.鈥�

Wilson has a summer job lined up as a counselor at the Portland YMCA, and she鈥檚 been applying for teaching jobs at schools in southern Maine.

An elementary education major with concentrations in English and human development, she did her student teaching at McGraw School in Hampden and Leonard Middle School in Old Town. She鈥檚 also been involved in student-athlete mentoring and tutoring throughout her 91福利 career. That led to an internship this winter at Carrabassett Valley Academy, where she helped set up a peer mentoring program for the school鈥檚 elite ski and snowboard athletes.

鈥淲e have 12 students who are mentors for the rest of the school,鈥� says Wilson. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e working on at the moment is how they see themselves as CVA athletes, and how they want to be seen, and what things impact the way they want to be seen. So, what are some positive steps they can take to make sure they鈥檙e seen the way they want to be seen?鈥�

Watch a video interview with Annabelle Wilson:

As an athlete herself, Wilson is in a unique position to advise the student-athletes at Carrabassett Valley. But she sees herself as a role model for all students.

鈥淚 think that really being involved in sports, whether it鈥檚 running or anything else, there鈥檚 a great deal of things you can learn through teamwork and leadership, and just generally being able to find something you enjoy outside of academics to balance everything all around,鈥� she says.

In a few months, Wilson will graduate and embark on the next phase of her life. She says she鈥檒l remain forever grateful for the opportunities she received at 91福利.

鈥淚t鈥檚 given me a whole different sense of place and being, especially coming from Australia,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 see myself teaching and living long-term here in the U.S., and Maine in particular. I think that鈥檚 something pretty cool.鈥�

Why 91福利?
I was recruited here for cross country and track. But at the time I was just going to college back in Australia and I was living at home, and I just figured I have two choices here: I could stay home and it would be fine, or I could take this opportunity and see where it takes me. I remember a lot of people telling me how cold it was in Maine, and my coach was like, 鈥淗ave you ever seen snow before?鈥� But I鈥檝e loved Maine.

Can you tell us about your hometown?
My hometown is Geelong in Victoria, Australia. Geelong is the town and Victoria is the state. It鈥檚 definitely a coastal surfing area in southern Australia. It鈥檚 most well known for quite a few big surfing competitions. I don鈥檛 surf at all, but it鈥檚 definitely one of the places where I love to run. You have the beaches, and then some forested areas and really nice places to run just by the beach.

How often do you get to go home?
Maybe once a year I鈥檓 able to get back home. It鈥檚 really nice when I get a chance to. I was home last summer for about two weeks.

What do you enjoy about running cross country and track?
I enjoy the competitive aspect of it, and I also really enjoy the aspect of being on a team. In general, I enjoy just being fit, and I suppose you could say doing something that makes me healthy physically and mentally. I think running is a great way to de-stress.

What are some of your major achievements as a runner?
This year particularly, I鈥檝e been really proud to captain both the cross country and track and field teams. I鈥檝e been really proud of myself, and how I鈥檝e come back from some setbacks. Like, in my sophomore year, I fractured my foot. It was the first time I鈥檇 really sustained a major injury. And, to come back after taking eight weeks off, that challenge taught me a lot in terms of why I really enjoy running and what it is I enjoy about competing.

How do you think running has prepared you to be a teacher?
I think the sense of being a positive role model for my students in how I deal with setbacks and challenges. Also, I think what it鈥檚 taught me in terms of general well-being and looking after myself. I hope that whatever classroom I end up working in, I can show that to my students. I think that really being involved in sports, whether it鈥檚 running or anything else, there鈥檚 a great deal of things you can learn through teamwork and leadership, and just generally being able to find something you enjoy outside of academics to balance everything all around.

Can you tell us about the peer mentoring program you started at Carrabassett Valley Academy?
Over the past four years I鈥檝e been involved in student-athletic mentoring and tutoring at 91福利, and that got me really interested in working with student-athletes. So after my student teaching ended, I wanted to maintain classroom contact even though I didn鈥檛 have to credit-wise to graduate. So, CVA presented as a really cool opportunity. It鈥檚 a school for really elite snowboarding and skiing athletes.

I went to them and I said, 鈥淚f I鈥檓 up here a day or so a week, how can I best help?鈥� And I told them a bit about myself and what I鈥檇 been involved with here at the University of Maine. And when I mentioned the tutoring and mentoring program that was something they were really interested in.

We have 12 students at the moment who are peer mentors for the rest of the school. And it鈥檚 sort of in the establishing stages, where I鈥檓 still training the mentors.

What sort of training do you give them?
It鈥檚 a lot of different things actually. Like, if they see students who need help with studying or learning how to study when they鈥檙e traveling. Or maybe they see students who are having problems with friendships. What we鈥檙e working on at the moment is how they see themselves as CVA athletes, and how they want to be seen, and what things impact the way they want to be seen. So, what are some positive steps they can take to make sure they鈥檙e seen the way they want to be seen?

Tell us about the mentoring and tutoring work you鈥檝e done at 91福利.
I started off the second semester of my freshman year as an English composition tutor for English 101. And the following year I kept tutoring and I took on board mentoring of freshman students.

It鈥檚 really rewarding to see some of the students I鈥檝e mentored and tutored at the student-athlete banquet being recognized for good GPAs and things like that. I might only meet with them for a few months, but to see how much you can help them is really cool. I know for me, I found the transition from high school to college really different, and the transition from a college setting in Australia to a college setting here in the U.S. hard.

How would you describe the academic atmosphere at 91福利?
I鈥檝e really loved the last year or so of my education here, particularly because I feel like I鈥檝e formed some close friendships with people in my graduating class. I think that鈥檚 one of the nicest things. We鈥檝e got such a comprehensive and large-scale program, but with such small class sizes, and particularly when you come toward the end of your senior year. All of your methods courses and your student teaching seminars are done with the same 20 people or so.

Have you worked closely with a mentor, professor or role model who has made your 91福利 experience better, and if so, who and how?
There鈥檚 been so many people in the advising center who have helped me 鈥� Faith Erhardt and Erin Straine. Mary Mahoney-O鈥橬eil has been a fantastic help. Whether it鈥檚 been a bit of advice on what college course to take, or how at the moment I鈥檓 starting to apply for jobs. So, all that advice on how to write a cover letter or how to approach going to job interviews, I think that鈥檚 really helpful advice that I definitely really appreciate.

Have you had an experience at 91福利 鈥� either academically or socially 鈥� that has changed or shaped the way you see the world?
I really, really loved my student teaching placement at Leonard Middle School in Old Town. I always had the perception that I wanted to work with younger children, maybe K鈥�3. And I remember one of my professors, Frank Page, he said to me, 鈥淒on鈥檛 discount anything. Always take these opportunities that you鈥檝e been given.鈥� Going into it, I wasn鈥檛 looking forward to that placement, but it ended up being the best eight weeks of my student teaching. It really changed the way I viewed taking opportunities and being open. It鈥檚 changed the jobs I want to pursue now after graduating. I definitely want to work in that middle school field now.

Describe 91福利 in one word
Opportunity. The opportunity to try different things in the teaching profession or whatever degree you go into. I think that no matter what degree you take here at the University of Maine it presents so many opportunities for you now or later in life, whether it鈥檚 the friendships that you make or connections within your profession. And just the opportunity I had in being here. Like, the opportunity I had when I was back home in Australia to either pursue coming here or stay back home.

What is your most memorable 91福利 moment?
It was really, really nice the other week, Mary Mahoney-O鈥橬eil wrote me a letter of recommendation. And to hear her read it back to me, that was really memorable. I was really proud of that, to hear someone say how proud they were of what I鈥檇 achieved here.

What do you hope to do after graduation and how has 91福利 helped you reach those goals?
Right now I鈥檝e got lots of plans of what I hope will happen. I really want to stay in Maine, that鈥檚 my goal. I鈥檓 hoping to find a job in the southern Maine area. I got a job working this summer at the YMCA in Portland as a summer counselor, living with some 91福利 alumni. I鈥檓 hoping to find a teaching job in the Portland area. I鈥檝e applied for a few, and right now I鈥檓 just waiting for more jobs to come up.

There are so many ways 91福利 has helped me through my experiences as a student teacher, as well as indirectly, such as some of the opportunities I鈥檝e had through All Maine Women, through being a part of the 91福利 Athlete Advisory Committee. A lot of those opportunities have helped me grow as a leader and develop skills in terms of learning to work with a lot of different people, and develop things such as communication and organization skills.

How has your experience in the classroom helped prepare you for life after graduation?
I think it鈥檚 taught me the theory behind teaching when I go into working classrooms. My methods classes in particular were really great for that, giving me a bit of background on different English curriculums, or different classroom management strategies. Where I feel like I鈥檝e learned the most is sort of reflecting upon that content when actually in the classroom and practicing it.

What is the most interesting, engaging or helpful class you鈥檝e taken at 91福利?
There鈥檚 been a lot that have been helpful. But I think that perhaps the seminar component of my student teaching was really helpful, because it encouraged me to really reflect upon my teaching and I think that鈥檚 such a powerful component of teaching. It鈥檚 something that if you learn to practice it regularly, it鈥檚 a really powerful tool for continuing to improve always as a teacher.

What difference has 91福利 made in your life?
It鈥檚 given me a whole different sense of place and being, especially coming from Australia. I see myself teaching and living long-term here in the U.S., and Maine in particular. I think that鈥檚 something pretty cool.

Contact: Casey Kelly, 207.581.3751