Hello Class of 2018!
I invite all of you to send me any information about yourselves and what exciting things have taken place for you since graduation. Feel free to also send me any photos you may want to have published in the Alumni magazine. Any little bit of news is newsworthy!! Your classmates do want to hear from you and what you are doing.
Melissa Jankowski ‘18G is a UMaine Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology. She recently participated in a competitive internship at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC. This is part of her journey to become a forensic psychologist. She has many responsibilities including attending team meetings, presenting cases to the in-house risk panel, conducting locked housing rounds and leading competency restoration, illness management and recovery groups. Working at this complex has raised her awareness to dispel the many biases that surround those that are incarcerated; a key reason behind her goal of becoming a forensic psychologist. She stated recently, “working in a correctional setting has opened my eyes to the historical and systemic complications that can result in incarceration and has forced me to challenge many of my own internal assumptions and to acknowledge my own privilege.” The next rotation of her internship will enable her to provide correctional psychology services at another facility in FCC Butner. Her duties will involve monitoring the wellbeing of the inmates as well as providing individual and group therapy and conducting suicide assessments.
Melissa received a three-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2017. This enabled her to support her investigation into peer relationships and their association with risk and resilience in adolescence. She plans to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship after she graduates, which is a requirement to become aboard-certified forensic psychologist.
Genevieve Kurilee McDonald is currently in her second term as a Maine legislator. We reported on her last publication. Since that time, she has announced her intentions to seek a suddenly open seat in the State Senate in a special election for Senate District 7, which serves the communities of Hancock County; however, the new legislative term will also serve Knox County community of Isle au Haut. Genevieve is a lobster boat captain in Stonington as well as the Downeast Region Representative on the Maine Lobster Advisory Council and a member of the Board of Advisors for the William S. Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service.
Dina Yacoubagha G was elected to be Bangor’s newest city councilor. Dina came in second to incumbent Susan Hawes with 18 per cent of the vote. She ran a campaign that emphasized bringing her extensive experience in nonprofits and as a licensed social worker to the council. This is her first-time holding office. She also chairs the Bangor Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion and Human Rights.
Carly Parent G and Cassandra A Demick have recently been hired on to Malone Commercial Brokers. Carly has been hired as a broker assistant and marketing specialist. She had previously held a marketing position with the Boulos Company. Cassie Demick was hired as an operation assistant.
Emalee K. Couture was recently appointed as growth manager for Dirigo Labs, a Waterville-based startup accelerator. She is responsible for developing and managing relationships with a variety of organizations, startups, founders, and business professionals across New England. Emalee had previously served as an associate officer at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology Licensing Office, where she was
responsible for evaluating and protecting inventions and working with entrepreneurs and established companies to execute on intellectual property agreements, enabling the commercialization of MIT inventions. Emalee graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in May 2018 with a BS in engineering physics, concentration in Mechanical Engineering.