Maine Perspective Front Page
Addresses by Heyerdahl, Mitchell Highlight UMaine's 192nd Commencement
Two world-famous leaders will address graduates and receive honorary degrees at the 192nd Commencement of the University of Maine Saturday, May 9, at Alfond Sports Arena.
Renowned Norwegian scientist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl, author of Kon-Tiki and many other books, will address the morning Commencement ceremony that begins at 10 a.m. U.S. Sen. George Mitchell will address the 2 p.m. ceremony. His talk will come just 13 days before citizens of Ireland and Northern Ireland vote on whether to accept the peace accord developed in the past two years in talks chaired by Mitchell.
Both Heyerdahl and Mitchell will receive honorary degrees from the University of Maine. Heyerdahl last year accepted a position as distinguished research associate with the University of Maine Institute for Quaternary Studies. Mitchell served Maine in the U.S. Senate from 1980-1994 before he retired as majority leader.
The honorary degrees will be presented by University of Maine System Board of Trustee Chair Sally Vamvakias and UMaine Vice President for Student Affairs John Halstead.
To date, 1,238 UMaine students - 968 undergraduate and 270 graduate students - are expected to attend Commencement. Of those graduate students attending, 15 will receive doctoral degrees.
Class of 1998 Valedictorians and Salutatorian
A highlight of this year's Commencement is the naming of co-valedictorians for the Class of '98, and the first international student to be salutatorian.
Eric Klocko of Old Town and Peter Tessier of Lyndonville, Vt., are the co-valedictorians. Both achieved 3.99 GPAs (one A-) during their years at UMaine.
Klocko, the co-valedictorian of Bangor High School in 1993 and an Eagle Scout, is a UMaine history major. He has a minor in
economics and achieved the distinction of High Honors in the Honors Program. His particular area of interest is late 19th and 20th century American history. Klocko's older sister, Kathy, graduated with a UMaine degree in history in 1994.
Klocko says he chose the University because of its reputation for good academic programs, and because it was close to home. In addition, a Presidential Scholarship and Trustee Tuition Waiver provided the financial support, allowing him to complete his undergraduate work and prepare for graduate school without "a pile of debt" he would have incurred at another university.
This fall, Klocko will begin graduate studies in history at the University of California, Berkeley with a goal of attaining a Ph.D. and one day teaching history.
The keys to his academic success have been support from his parents, and his love of learning - "not just studying and working but enjoying what you do," he says.
Tessier, a chemical engineering major, attributes his academic success to strong family support, motivated classmates and effective professors. It was his father, an electrician for a paper company, who inspired him to pursue chemical engineering.
For two semesters, Tessier participated in a co-op education program, working for a chemical company in Bangor. That experience helped convince Tessier of his desire to pursue graduate work. This fall he will enter the Ph.D. program in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware.
Tessier says the milestones during his years at UMaine have included "trusting Christ as (my) personal savior" and meeting his future wife in his sophomore year. Maria LeBlanc, also a chemical engineering major, and Tessier will be married in Saco May 30.
Salutatorian of the Class of "98 is Daniela Starcevic of Croatia. Starcevic came to the United States as a senior high school student. She enrolled at UMaine for its strong science programs.
Starcevic is following in the career of her mother, a microbiologist in Croatia. The UMaine microbiology major with a 3.98 GPA attributes her academic success to her parents' support and to her professors. "I learned so much and had the opportunity for hands-on experience. There was a lot of hard work and persistence, and people pushing me to my limits. As a result, I found out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
In addition, for the past three years, Starcevic has taught Italian through the Critical Languages Program. She also has served as a resident assistant and head resident for Campus Living. Special friends in the University community include the Peter Dufour family of Old Town.
"The biggest lesson I learned at the University was how much I don't know - and how much I want to learn," says Starcevic, who has been accepted into the Ph.D. program at Yale University to study microbiology and immunology. "Commencement will be very emotional. My mom will cry and I will too. I started a whole new life here. That chapter is ending and I am moving on to new things."
Commencement Morning
The day of Commencement begins with an ROTC Commissioning Ceremony at 8 a.m., 100 Corbett Business Building.
Hoff will preside over the ceremony, which will be highlighted by an address by the Chief of Staff for the Maine Air National Guard, Brig. Gen. George Christakos.
Nine UMaine students who are cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants that morning. Eight are Army cadets and one is an Air Force cadet who has taken ROTC classes at the University of New Hampshire.
All UMaine graduates, their parents, faculty and friends are invited to attend community receptions in Wells Conference Center 8:30-9:30 a.m., and 12:30-1:30 p.m.
A highlight of the pre-Convocation receptions will be the presentation of black spruce seedlings to parents of UMaine's new graduates. The University of Maine Parents Council is offering the seedlings in recognition of parents' roles in the success of students. The seedlings have been donated by Great Northern Paper Co., which last made a similar contribution as part of UMaine Commencement in 1992.
Commencement Ceremonies
Attending the morning ceremony will be students in the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Division of Lifelong Learning. The afternoon ceremony is dedicated to students in the College of Education and Human Development; College of Engineering; and College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture.
This year graduate students will march with their colleges.
Presiding over the Commencement will be UMaine President Peter S. Hoff. Conferring undergraduate degrees will be John Alexander, interim vice president for academic affairs and provost; graduate degrees will be conferred by Dan Dwyer, vice president for research and graduate studies.
Mace bearer leading the processional of faculty and graduates will be Fred Irons, the 1998 Distinguished Maine Professor.
Greeting new alumni will be Maria Fuentes, General Alumni Association Board Chair and Class of '85.
Marshals for the ceremony will be Nancy MacKnight, William Small, Constance Perry and Gary Schilmoeller.
Singing the National Anthem will be graduating music education majors Sandra Bisson of Barre, Vt., and Tammany Shankle of Topsham.
Music for the ceremonies will be provided by the UMaine Symphonic Band, directed by Curvin Farnham, and the Concert Band, conducted by Chris White. Amanda Garvey, a music education major from Bridgewater, Mass., will conduct the recessional for the morning ceremony; Nicole Beaudoin, a music education major from Old Town, will conduct the afternoon recessional.
The Army ROTC Color Guard members will be: Cadet Jenny Collins, Color Guard Commander; Cadet Hannah Corbeil; Cadet Darren Fickett; and Cadet Tomoki Ito.