Maine Community College System

Meet Karissa! Another outstanding employee at Maine’s community colleges. Karissa Cole is an essential part of the Student Success Commons at York County Community College as the lead math tutor. She makes math fun and approachable for students and has made the math tutoring section more inviting and inclusive. Not only does she meet with students in person or over Zoom, but she also makes custom videos describing how to work out a problem similar to the one they are working on in class. The best part about having Karissa on the team at YCCC is how she can coax even the shyest student out of their shell. Karissa goes above and beyond to give students their best chance at success here at YCCC! Beyond her math skills, Karissa manages the lively and creative Student Success Commons Instagram site – give it a follow! She is one of the best and employees at YCCC consider themselves extremely lucky to have her on the team! Karissa enjoys the opportunity to work with amazing students: “(They’re) changing the world by chasing their dreams AND I get to geek out about math every day. What's not to love!?” Thank you, Karissa! We are proud to work with you.

Happy 30th York County Community College! Amazing to see all the incredible work you do every day for the community!

Congratulations Deb Rountree, M.Ed! You've said it best: "We should all strive to make our community and the world a better place!"

Meet Michael! Another incredible employee at Maine’s community colleges. Michael Ramsdell is a facilities maintenance specialist at Washington County Community College. He is someone who continuously goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone receives the best experience possible on campus. While serving in this role, Michael earned his water license, a valuable asset in the field of water management and treatment. Washington County Community College has wells on campus that supply drinkable water to all buildings. Michael manages the water and wastewater on campus, a critical role for campus operations. What Michael enjoys most about working at Washington County Community College is the strong sense of community and family environment. Everyone is a member of this community, from students to faculty to staff. What he hears most often from students in the hallways is how approachable faculty and staff are and how students feel that the employees are invested into their education. Michael embodies that mindset, along with his colleagues throughout the college. They are there to make sure students get the best possible education and skills for their field of study. Thank you, Michael! We are proud to work with you.

Meet Julia! Another incredible employee at Maine’s community colleges.   Julia Trujillo Luengo is the system’s director of strategic planning management. She has dedicated her entire career to public service, driven by a desire to advance the common good and optimize opportunity for all, particularly those in marginalized populations. In her many roles at the municipal, regional, state, and national levels, Julia has worked to advance the dreams of racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities. Julia is extremely proud of the relationships she has formed and the best practices that she has helped launch.    Her creativity and imagination, along with a data-driven mindset, a strong purpose, and deep belief in driving a strong sense of belonging for all, describe her unique recipe of success.    “Education was transformative in my family’s life,” Julia said. “Working for MCCS is a true joy and sense of pride. I believe in its mission and its responsibility to open doors and brighten the future of so many. It is the ideal combination of big level thinking (which I love) and tangible opportunities to connect with those who drive our work and feel our direct impact.” She started her career at Maine Department of Education as the director of the Migrant Education Program and as part of DOE’s federal team. She then joined the state Department of Health and Human Services, serving as director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She was then hired by the City of Portland, Maine to build the Office of Economic Opportunity, the first office of its kind in Maine. Prior to joining MCCS, Julia led the coordination and implementation of the State’s first Economic Strategic Plan. Julia is from the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain. She also prides herself of having a strong cultural influence from Extremadura, Spain, where her mother is originally from. Thank you, Julia! We are proud to work with you.

Happy 60th birthday Central Maine Community College! What an incredible role you've played in the lives of your students, employees, partners, and the people in the surrounding communities. Here's to 60 more!

The Maine Community College System is looking to fill a full-time Enterprise Architect position. See the job description below or visit our website for more information on this and other employment opportunities. To apply, applicants must use the MCCS online application. https://lnkd.in/gYHAmTKv

Welcome Liz!

Meet Heather! Another outstanding employee at Maine’s community colleges. Known as a student-favorite instructor, Heather Lewis brings her passion for the arts to the students at York County Community College. In fact, to Heather, passion is what it’s all about! Heather loves to help others connect with their own creativity. She is a seasoned student arts instructor who inspires learning with an engaging and encouraging teaching style. This ignites a love of both art and expression for everyone she works with at YCCC and in the community. Heather is very involved with the River Tree Arts Center in Kennebunk, Maine as well as at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art in Ogunquit. She is an artist in resident at the Viewpoint Resort in York, and an art director for International Travel. Heather’s studied at The University of the Arts, Philadelphia; The State University of New York; and continued over four decades of actively creating art for exhibition and sale. This fall, Heather is teaching Introduction to Drawing and Introduction to Illustration. We are so thankful to have Heather’s expertise and passion at YCCC. Photo Credit: Mike Z. taken at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art during a sketching and painting workshop.

Meet Laurie!  Another incredible employee at Maine’s community colleges. Laurie Ficker serves as associate dean of advising and retention at Kennebec Valley Community College. She had a unique professional opportunity to build a new department - and more specifically a new student support structure - from the ground up. Laurie’s vision for The Advising Center at KVCC came to life shortly after she started at KVCC and has grown into an incredibly successful department that serves all degree-seeking students with a focus on open enrollment programs, providing onboarding, academic and career advising, new student orientation, progression planning, and supports referral with a goal of student success. They also provide transfer advising and career services to all students. Laurie’s work and success with The Advising Center has been a game changer for KVCC! Laurie says her favorite advising experiences are those moments during a student meeting when you can physically see a student’s shoulders relax, their head begins to nod, and they finally understand the road ahead and their nervousness subsides. Their questions have been answered and they know what they need to do next to reach their academic and professional goals. Laurie finds it critical for student success advisors to understand the full student experience, provide supportive guidance, check-in to help students stay on track, and to be a good liaison between student services. Prior to working at KVCC, Laurie was assistant director of advising and prior learning assessment at University of Maine at Augusta. She earned her master’s degree in Student Development in Higher Education at the University of Maine. Thank you, Laurie! We are proud to work with you.