Landyn Hyde of Caribou, Maine is the 2026 Outstanding Student in Child Development and Family Relations (Early Childhood Education concentration) in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. During her time at 91福利, Hyde joined CHAARG, as well as the Dance and Hip Hop clubs.

Parent(s):

Stacey and Christopher Leger, and Sheldon Hyde.

Why did you choose to come to 91福利?

I chose to attend the University of Maine after visiting my brother on campus, where he graduated in 2023. Of all the campuses I toured, it stood out to me as the most beautiful. After applying, I was awarded a scholarship that made it nearly impossible to pass up the opportunity, so I accepted the offer and came here that fall of 2023!

Have you collaborated with a mentor, professor or role model who made your time at 91福利 better, and if so, who are they and how have they impacted your time at 91福利?

My professor for CHF 304 (100-hour field experience) and CHF 424 (student teaching), Susan Ward, made my final year in the program especially meaningful. She provided our small seminar of 10 students with countless opportunities to connect with current educators and access resources that have and will support us as we come to the completion of our program. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been guided by Sue in both of these courses, and I hope future students are just as fortunate as I was.

What has coming to 91福利 enabled you to explore beyond academics?

Coming to 91福利 has allowed me to explore different clubs and organizations that I otherwise would not have had the chance to be a part of. I joined both the Dance and Hip Hop clubs, as well as CHAARG, an all-women鈥檚 workout group, which helped me build strong connections, stay active, and become more involved in the campus community.

Favorite 91福利 memory:

I have two memories that stand out to me as being my favorite from the time I鈥檝e spent at the University of Maine. The first one was from the Research Learning Experience I attended during my freshman year. I joined my professor, Dr. Melissa Ladenheim, and 16 other students on a trip to Hurricane Island, where we studied science and leadership. We got to explore the small island together and worked hard to build a strong community with each other. My second favorite memory comes from this semester. We got to see The Driver Era perform at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, which was such an exciting and unforgettable experience that I got to share with my closest friends!

What鈥檚 on the horizon? What are your plans after you graduate?

I am excited to begin my journey beyond college and into teaching. As I have continued to strengthen my teaching skills, I look forward to applying them in a school that aligns with my educational philosophy. With that being said, I am still open to different locations and am excited to see where this next chapter takes me!

Special thank you message:

Thank you to Mom, Chris, Dad, Bree and Alex, for your support through my educational journey. A lot has happened in the past three years that I would not have been able to navigate without your unconditional love. I also want to thank both of my mentor teachers, as they taught me everything I need to know about working in K-3 classrooms. It won鈥檛 be an easy transition into my own classroom, but I could not have asked for better mentors to prepare me for it!

Abby Bourgeois of York, Maine is the 2025 Outstanding Student in Early Childhood Education in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. Bourgeois graduates with a double major in Elementary Education and Child Development and Family Relations (Early Childhood concentration). Her post-graduation plans include enrolling in a graduate program to become a certified librarian. 

Why did you choose to come to 91福利? 

After completing my freshman year at the University of Southern Maine, I decided to seek other opportunities and I found that 91福利 was a much better fit for me! 91福利 provided a great opportunity through scholarships and field experience which was immensely helpful. I also found that there was a wonderful system of running trails to give me an occasional break from my studies.

Have you collaborated with a mentor, professor or role model who made your time at 91福利 better, and if so, who are they and how have they impacted your time at 91福利? 

During my undergraduate career, I had the wonderful opportunity to study under Connie Ronco. Her courses provided guided experience in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) related fields, working with elementary and middle school students. Connie is incredibly encouraging, supportive and has a contagious enthusiasm about education. 

What鈥檚 on the horizon? What are your plans for after you graduate? 

After completing my internship last fall, I began working at the Edythe Dyer Library in Hampden. I spend my time in the children鈥檚 room of the library and it has been an absolute joy! In this setting, I鈥檝e been in charge of designing and creating the crafts for the patrons and I occasionally lead storytime for the kids. Moving forward, I have enrolled in a graduate library certification program and I am incredibly excited to get more experience in the field!

Aislyn Tkacs is the 2024 recipient of the Dean’s Award from the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. The award is intended to honor a student who has overcome significant challenges along the path to graduation, and is only given in years when there’s a nominee who meets these criteria.

A child development and family relations major with a concentration in early childhood education, Tkacs began her student teaching as a long-term substitute in a first grade classroom.

“Even though there were some sleepless nights, I am so thankful for my time there,” she says.” This placement聽provided me with countless opportunities to grow and develop within the field.”

Unfortunately, she was involved in a head-on car crash that resulted in a broken wrist and a totaled car, and ultimately led her to give up the long-term substitute position and threatened to derail her student teaching experience altogether.

“Despite my best efforts, I found myself no longer able to meet the needs of my students,” Tkacs says.

Thanks to the support of the College of Education and Human Development’s Advising Center and student support staff, she’s been able to stay on track to complete her degree and graduate this spring.

“I am more than grateful to the faculty and staff in the College of Education and Human Development, as well as my placement school for trusting me to take on the unique opportunity of being a long-term sub as part of my student teaching,” she says.

Read more below.

Hometown: Bangor, Maine

High School: Bangor High School

What difference has 91福利 made in your life and in helping you reach your goals?

When I got into my accident, I worried about my ability to manage my responsibilities associated with student teaching. However, my instructors and the entire staff of the College of Education and Human Development Advising Center were nothing but supportive and understanding, which absolutely made the difference in helping me reach my goals! The trajectory of my recovery, both mentally and physically, was positively impacted because of the supportive response I received from the 91福利 staff.

Have you had an experience at 91福利 that has changed or shaped the way you see the world?

This past summer I enrolled in KPE 450/550: Bringing the Classroom Outdoors. This class changed the way that I view education and the potential that the outdoors can have in enhancing student learning. I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people who shared the same enthusiasm for outdoor learning as I did, as well as be exposed to knowledge and experiences that have improved my philosophy as a future educator.

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who made your 91福利 experience better?

Without a doubt, Doreen Page has been a pillar for me throughout my student teaching experience. She went far beyond the responsibilities of her role as an instructor, being somebody who I could consistently rely on for guidance, support and reassurance. I cannot begin to explain my gratitude for Doreen. I know my experience at 91福利 has been exponentially better due to the care and dedication she showed for my well-being and growth as a future educator.

What advice do you have for incoming students to help them get off to the best start academically?

My best advice for incoming students is to take time to find a solid organizational method that works for you and STICK TO IT! For most of my life, I have struggled to stay on top of my assignments, remember plans and just feel like I am in control in my life. The biggest game-changer for me was finally sitting down and dedicating time to creating a schedule/system that worked for me. My schedule outlines when my classes are, when I work, plans I have and what days I have assignments due throughout the week. Creating a place to put all of these things together really helped me to stay on top of all of my responsibilities and took a large mental load off of myself.

Why 91福利?

I originally came to 91福利 because of the proximity to home and for my previous major. But almost every (if not every) professor I have had since switching to early childhood education have shown true enthusiasm for the profession. Not only that, but they are very understanding and cooperative when unexpected things in life occur. Having professors who are dedicated and enthusiastic makes me look forward to coming to class!

Special thanks:

Thank you to all faculty in the College of Education and Human Development. I am truly grateful for the compassion that was shown to me throughout my academic career, especially the past few months. There are too many people to name individually, but I am so appreciative of everyone who went above and beyond to support me. This support made a huge impact in my success this semester.

Favorite 91福利 memory:

My favorite 91福利 memory has to be spending time in the Bear鈥檚 Den. I can鈥檛 count how many hours I spent hanging out with my friends and studying there! The burrito bowls single-handedly fueled my hours long study sessions.

Hayley Roy is the 2024 Outstanding Student in Child Development and Family Relations, Early Childhood Education concentration in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. Roy transferred to 91福利 after spending the first two years of college at Eastern Maine Community College. Read more below.

Hometown: Holden, Maine

High School: Brewer High School

Parents: D’Ann and Richard Roy

Special thanks: I want to thank my family and friends for being such an amazing support system throughout my educational career.聽Thank you to my professors at Eastern Maine Community College for giving me guidance and inspiration during my first two years in education. I also want to thank Doreen Page for being a phenomenal instructor throughout my 100-hour experience and student teaching.聽She has been a wealth of knowledge for me and an incredible support during my time here.聽A special thanks to Mrs. Allen, my mentor teacher, who couldn鈥檛 have given me a better student teaching experience. She solidified my love for education and creating special moments for young children. I will forever be grateful for her guidance!

Favorite 91福利 memory: My favorite 91福利 memory was taking a field trip to Swans Island and riding on a ferry for the first time. Definitely a unique and nauseating experience!

Like many states, Maine struggles with . At the same time, fewer college students nationwide are choosing to major in .

Despite these trends, the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development 鈥� the state鈥檚 largest educator preparation and training program 鈥� has largely maintained its enrollment numbers in recent years. On Friday, the college celebrated those students who have chosen teaching as a career with its first ever pinning ceremony.

鈥淭eachers transform individuals, schools, organizations and communities for the better. I can think of no more noble aspiration, nor can I recall a time that your commitment to the teaching profession has been more needed,鈥� said Penny Bishop, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, in her remarks. 

During the ceremony, students who have recently achieved teacher candidacy received a pin in the shape of an apple with the 91福利 鈥淢鈥� logo and the word 鈥淓ducation鈥� on it. Teacher candidates are those who have reached the point in their academic career 鈥� usually during their sophomore or junior year 鈥� when they are able to start taking upper-level courses and have shown a commitment to becoming a teacher. 

Pinning ceremonies to recognize and celebrate people who have chosen a particular career or field are not new. For example, the 91福利 School of Nursing has held a pinning ceremony for graduating nurses for several years.

鈥淭eaching is one of the few fields where students typically do not have paid internships,鈥� Bishop noted. 鈥淕iving our students a pin is not going to solve that issue. But we want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that goes into becoming a teacher.鈥�

She added that 91福利 and other teacher preparation programs throughout the state are working on projects, such as pathway programs and initiatives, to help education students find paid work while they鈥檙e in school.

鈥淭he hope is that, cumulatively, these efforts will help address teacher shortages and other challenges facing K-12 education in Maine schools and communities,鈥� she said.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Rep. Holly Sargent, a member of the Legislature鈥檚 Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, and 91福利 alumnus Jon Doty, assistant superintendent of RSU 34, the school district for Old Town, Alton and Bradley. Doty was presented the inaugural Robert A. Cobb Award for Extraordinary Service to the College of Education and Human Development, named for the former dean of the college from 1977 to 2007.聽

You can read about  two of the teacher candidates recognized at the ceremony online.

91福利 System is the state鈥檚 largest producer of classroom-ready teachers, having awarded nearly 4,000 education degrees or certificates in the past five years. Seven of the past 10 Maine Teachers of the Year are proud System graduates, including 91福利 graduates Kelsey Stoyanova (2022), Cindy Soule (2021), Kaitlyn Young (2018) and Tamara Ranger (2017).

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu

Ask any veteran educator what the most important thing an aspiring teacher can do to prepare themselves for a career in the classroom, and they will likely say there鈥檚 no substitute for first-hand experience.

At the University of Maine鈥檚 College of Education and Human Development, 鈥淓arly and Often鈥� is the motto when it comes to getting education majors into K鈥�12 schools and other educational settings. Starting in their freshman year, 91福利 offers a variety of opportunities for students to observe practicing teachers and to teach themselves, including multiple courses with a field experience component.

One of those courses is celebrating a milestone this year: CHF 321: Curriculum and Methods of Teaching Young Children Science, which has tasked many 91福利 students with running after-school science labs for 15 years as part of their coursework. Since its inception, the program has grown from working with young children from one school to many in Orono, Old Town and surrounding communities.聽

Connie Ronco, an adjunct instructor who has taught the course since 2017, says 91福利 preservice teachers get hands-on experience working with children in prekindergarten to grade four, using actual science lesson plans that they can take with them in the field.

鈥淲e cover all the areas included in the Maine Learning Results for science,鈥� says Ronco, who served on the Maine Department of Education committee that developed those standards. 鈥淟ife science, physical science, engineering, and Earth and space science.鈥�

The science lab began as a partnership between Mary Ellin Logue, associate professor emerita of early childhood education, and Joanne Alex, former director of the Stillwater Montessori School in Old Town. In 2001, when she was working on her master鈥檚 degree at 91福利, Alex started an environmental club for students at the Montessori school. Eight years later, Logue asked Alex to teach the CHF 321 class.

鈥淢ary Ellin helped schedule the class during a time when the environmental club met and facilitated transportation for our students to come to campus and work with the university鈥檚 pre-service teachers,鈥� Alex says.

Although Alex retired from teaching and closed the Montessori School in 2019, the collaboration is still going strong and educating many young students in the area.

鈥淚鈥檓 very glad we鈥檝e been able to keep it going,鈥� Alex says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great for 91福利鈥檚 student teachers to design lessons for children and to get to work with children themselves.鈥�

One important component of the science lab, says Alex, is getting children outside to explore nature. This was on full display at a recent session in October, where several 91福利 pre-service teachers led small groups of children in a lesson titled 鈥淪eed Need鈥� on the grassy area between Lengyel Hall and Buchanan Alumni House. With the mid-afternoon sun shining over the Stillwater River, each group examined different kinds of seeds, including acorns, pinecones and fruit seeds on large pieces of cardboard. The 91福利 students encouraged the children to pick up each seed and notice how they were the same or different. They also discussed how wild animals eat seeds and plants, as well as how they might help spread them to new places. Following the small group activity, all of the students and pre-service teachers came together for large group games and songs.

Rebekah Mellor, a senior from Stockton Springs, Maine majoring in elementary education with a concentration in child development and family relations, worked with a group of first-grade students along with two other pre-service teachers. She says the most helpful aspect of the class so far has been creating and using lesson plans, as well as reflecting on how the lessons went after each class.

鈥淚t gives you an opportunity to see what works and what doesn鈥檛, because it might not necessarily work the way you want it to when you write it down on paper. So, just seeing what those obstacles are and how to overcome them has been really beneficial,鈥� says Mellor.

Mellor, who is planning to become certified in both elementary and early childhood education when she graduates from 91福利, says the course offers a different perspective than some of her other field experiences, such as teaching observations and student teaching. 

鈥淚鈥檓 writing lesson plans that I will actually use and reflecting on actual practice and observing children in a totally different context than a traditional classroom,鈥� she says. 

In addition to the 鈥淪eed Need鈥� lesson, other themed lessons from the after-school science lab this semester have included 鈥淣ature Detectives: Learning to Look, Learning to See鈥� and 鈥淢aking and Tinkering with STEM.鈥� 

The final lab class of the semester will be 鈥淓xploring the Night Sky鈥� on Thursday, Nov. 30.

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu

Hometown: Westbrook, ME

High School: Westbrook High School

Parents: Christine and Jeffrey Herbert

Special thanks: I would like to thank everyone in the early childhood education program at Southern Maine Community College for preparing me so well to continue my bachelor’s education here at 91福利. I would also like to thank my fifth-grade science teacher and mentor, Ms. Hebert, for giving me hands-on experience and learning opportunities during some of my most challenging times. I finally would like to thank the peers I have met through my coursework at 91福利, as well as professors, Julie DellaMattera, Doreen Page, Connie Ronco, Diane Jackson, and everyone else who has made my education and passion for teaching so fulfilling here. Lastly, I would like to thank my student-teaching mentor, Mrs. Chandler, for her support and inspiration, making my last semester of school here the most gratifying one yet.

Favorite 91福利 memory: My first day of classes as a transfer student in EHD 202 with professor Rebecca Buchanan. I sat next to a stranger, who because of that course, became one of my best friends. And of course, professor Buchanan is amazing!