The University of Maine System will graduate thousands of career-ready professionals into the Maine workforce at commencement ceremonies across the state this weekend.
One week after the Department of Economic and Community Development released a refresh of Maine’s 10-year economic strategy that doubles-down on the need to increase the size and skill of the state’s workforce, the University of Maine will kick off the System’s commencements with the conferral of more than 500 graduate degrees and certificates at a ceremony at the Alfond Arena in Orono Friday.
Graduations will follow on Saturday, May 4 for UMaine (undergraduate ceremonies), the University of Maine at Augusta, the University of Maine at Farmington, the University of Maine at Fort Kent, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and the University of Southern Maine. The University of Maine at Machias, which is now a regional campus of UMaine, will hold its commencement ceremony on Sunday.
Maine’s only and public law school, the University of Maine School of Law, is scheduled to confer 82 in-demand juris doctor degrees on May 18 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.
“I want to congratulate our incredible 2024 graduates and all who supported their success, including their family and friends and our dedicated university faculty, staff and employer partners,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “This milestone is especially meaningful for the undergraduate Class of 2024, whose traditional high school commencement was canceled by COVID and whose college experience has been shaped by the pandemic and tremendous loss in our state and around the world. Nevertheless, these students have persevered and their investment of hard work in their postsecondary education will pay-off for their own social mobility and the future growth of Maine’s economy and communities. College graduates are more likely to be employed, enjoy higher earnings and career security, live longer and are happier, and Maine employers frankly need a lot more of them.”
Maine has a statutory goal that by 2025, 60 percent of working adults will hold a degree or credential of value and a key strategy of the State’s economic plan is increasing the talent pool by 75,000 workers by 2029. According to the most recent Measures of Growth report from the Maine Development Foundation, just 23.5 percent of Mainers have earned a bachelor’s degree and 12.8 percent have earned a graduate or professional degree, well below New England’s average rates.
As Maine’s largest education and economic development enterprise, UMS has the greatest impact on improving degree attainment and workforce readiness in the state and will do so this month. In total, 6,175 students are eligible to receive their degrees or certificates from System universities in May, though not all will take part in commencement.
UMaine leads the System in workforce development, with nearly 2,800 students eligible to graduate and more than 2,100 expected to participate in commencement ceremonies this weekend. USM follows with 1,635 students eligible to graduate and 1,063 expected to participate in Saturday’s celebration at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Every graduate has a story. Among those who will be highlighted this weekend are Tanner Meserve, Melissa Meserve and Brenda Plummer, three generations of one Maine family who will receive their degrees together this weekend from USM and UMA; UMaine’s co-valedictorians, Michael Delorge of Biddeford and Lydia Gilmore of Bangor; UMF graduates Avery Whitney and Robin Crockett, who got to know each through shared service at the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat; and Hamido Hassan, a new Mainer from Somalia who changed her career path from culinary arts to counseling as a result of the pandemic and will graduate with a master’s from USM and a commitment to care for others.
Honorary degrees will be conferred this weekend by UMS universities on MELMAC Education Foundation Executive Director and former Maine State Representative the Hon. Wendy Ault, retired educator and former Maine State Representative the Hon. David McCrea, celebrated Maine authors Cathie Pelletier and Monica Wood, communication industry innovators Neera and Rajendra Singh (UMaine) and national affordable housing developer Lyndel “Joe” Wishcamper.
UMS has awarded 106,362 degrees over the past two decades, led by those in nursing/health professions, business, education and engineering. Consistent with the State economic strategy’s goal of growing wages, working age UMaine alumni earn more than double the state’s average median income.
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