Ines Ngoga, earning her wings; Carrie Reed, Community Host, Class of 1982
Apply as: UMPI STUDENT COMMUNITY HOST
A warm welcome to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and your new community!
“Meeting Carrie is one of the best things to ever happen to me. She is so loving and supportive of everything that I do and I know I can always count on her. She’s a good listener and I enjoy every moment we spend together. And she’s so helpful! Whether it’s allowing me to leave my things in her spare room over the summer or offering to pick me up from the airport. It was pure luck that we were paired together and I’m really grateful to my lucky stars. I know that this friendship that Carrie and I have is a lifelong friendship and I will cherish it forever.”
-Ines Ngoga, earning her wings
What is Community Connections?
Community Connections is a program designed to help ease the transition for new students to college life and a new community by:
- Providing support and friendship to students
away from home; - Introducing new students to Presque Isle
and Northern Maine; - Helping students access local resources
such as retailers, physicians, or places of worship.
“I met Ines on August 31, 2017. It was her18th birthday and the start of her college career at UMPI. My father, William Lothrop, who had been a math instructor there for 40 years, had died earlier that year. UMPI had been a part of my life since I had been eight years old and as an alumna, I saw this program as a small way for me to “give back” to an educational institution, who had given so much to me for most of my life!
Two years later, my friendship with Ines has grown and I find that once again UMPI continues to impact my life. We get together about once a month for dinner at one of the local eateries. We’ve been everywhere from Winnie’s to Cafe Sopresso! I’ve enjoyed meeting some of her friends and watching her play basketball on the UMPI Women’s team. It’s a pleasure to know her and I know that no matter where life takes Ines, this is a lifelong friendship.”
Carrie Reed, Community Host, Class of 1982
Who is Community Connections for?
We offer the opportunity for new students to be paired with Community Hosts in the Presque Isle area. Although new students have priority, there may be availability for continuing students to be paired with Community Hosts as well.
Community Connections is not a host-family program, but rather a friendship program.
Community Hosts may be members of the local community, UMPI alumni, or employees of the University who enjoy interacting with college-age students.
How does Community Connections work?
- Students fill out an application telling us about themselves and their interests, along with a statement of what they hope to get out of the program.
- We match students to Community Hosts with similar interests and expectations on a first come, first served basis. Some Community Hosts may be connected to more than one student.
- Once matched, students and hosts will receive a message of introduction and exchange contact information.
- Hosts and students come together for the first time at a Community Connections event. After that, they can arrange outings, meals, phone calls, and companionship as they wish.
- Students and hosts will be invited to social events during the year planned by the UMPI Alumni Association and UMPI campus departments.
Want to become a part of Community Connections?
Interested students and potential community hosts should click the apply buttons at the top or bottom of this page.
If you have questions, contact Craig Cormier at craig.cormier@maine.edu or 207.768.9425 for more information.
Students are encouraged to apply early in the summer so they can be matched with a Community Host and allow for ample time to correspond before their arrival in Presque Isle.
The deadline for applying is August 1st. Students who apply after the application period will be matched according to availability. Applicants are not guaranteed a community host.
Apply as: UMPI STUDENT COMMUNITY HOST
