State Representative, D – Orono
Age: 27
Home: Orono

Favorite Music: Broadway show tunes or anything I can sing along with

Favorite Place in Maine: Orono

If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
Gather with my family and true friends, tell funny stories, eat great food, and sing around the piano. That would be a perfect day.

I want everyone to know…
... that my favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the pug, specifically my pug, Bartlet.

Where are you from and where did you go to school?
I was born in Louisville, Kentucky and I moved to the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois and lived there until I was nine. From nine to 18 I lived in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. When my parents moved to Maine, I moved to Maine. Though I spent the first summer in Kennebunk, I moved Orono to start school at the University of Maine in fall 1998 and have essentially been in Orono ever since, except for one year when I earned my master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Higher Education.

Why did you choose to stay in Maine after finishing college?
When you move around growing up, you have the unique opportunity to choose your home state when you’re ready to settle down. I have chosen Maine, but sometimes I feel like Maine chose me! The opportunities I have found here, especially in Orono at the University of Maine, combined with the amazing people I’ve met here, made choosing Maine an easy choice. Plus, I married someone from Maine who plans to never leave.

Outside of work, what are your favorite things to do in Maine?
I love to explore Maine – North, South, East, West, and everything in between. I am always trying to get to know a new part of Maine, so I jump at any opportunity for a new Maine experience. Some of my favorite adventures have included… cheering on the UMaine Black Bears, rafting on the Kennebec River, smelting in Cherryfield, visiting Isle a Haut and Squirrel Island, climbing to the top of the State House dome, attending the Potato Blossom Festival and marching in the parade, summer theater in Standish, eating out in Bar Harbor, sailing off of Kennebunkport, shopping in Freeport and Kittery, dancing at the Folk Festival in Bangor, eating moose burgers in Rangeley, and – best of all – climbing to the top of Mt. Katahdin! I am looking forward to many more Maine adventures in the future, because I know my Maine education is only just getting started.

What issue do you enjoy working on the most in Augusta?
I love higher education policy. I truly believe that higher education is the silver lining for Maine. It can and will drive work force development, create and expand industry, increase our state’s diversity and quality human capital, raise income levels, and lead economic growth through research, development, and innovation. But in order to fully realize the capacity and potential of higher education in Maine we have to take a comprehensive approach to our access and success policies, affordability levels, resource allocation, and the interface of higher education with the public and private sector. These issues are what keep me motivated in Augusta every day.

What does it take as a young person in Maine to succeed in politics?
To succeed as a young person in Maine politics you have got to have a great attitude, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn. The opportunities and challenges go hand-in-hand as a young person in politics, so you have to be a sponge to soak in all that you can, while at the same time immediately putting what you learn to work so you can actually accomplish something. You have to be willing to ask questions, and seek out a network of people who will support you as you grow as a leader and policy maker. Every day is a learning experience in politics, but you have to be open to learning.