Page 29 - The BellTower - Spring 2016

S PO T L I G H T O N A L U M N I
Alumna Shines on and off the Pageant Stage
For 25-year-old Brooke Harris, a three- time Miss Maine USA pageant finalist and December graduate of UMFK nursing program, aiming high is a way of life.
Harris most recently competed in the Miss Maine USA 2016 pageant in Portland during the weekend of November 28-29, where she narrowly missed the opportunity to represent the Pine Tree State in the Miss USA competition, placing first runner-up.
She took the second runner-up spot in the pageant last year, and earned a place in the top ten at the Miss Maine USA 2014 competition.
Harris said pageants were off of her agenda, but decided to give the Miss Maine USA competition a try after a local supporter offered encouragement. “I was approached by a local photographer and asked why I had never participated. And so I thought, ‘why not,’” she said. “Pageants may be given a bad rep, but they instill confidence and empower each delegate to be their best selves.”
Her “best self” is readily apparent through her efforts as a student and athlete. “At UMFK, I spent my time par- ticipating in both soccer and basketball, earning an Academic All-American honor in 2014, the same year we won the National Championship under Coach Lucas Levesque. I was also the Student Nursing Organization’s student activities coordinator last year and made the dean’s list multiple semesters, as well as earning a cumulative GPA of 3.5,” she said. Harris expects to receive magna cum laude honors in May of 2016 at the UMFK Commencement ceremony.
As a student athlete in high school at Lee Academy in Lee, her hometown, Harris won seven state championships in athlet- ics. The school inducted her into the Lee Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Brooke Harris’ publicity photo for the Miss Maine USA organization
She was also the recipient of Mercy Hospital’s Robert J. Masterson Scholarship Award in January of 2016.
Harris recently completed her nursing preceptorship at Mercy Birthplace Hospital in Portland, and hopes to establish a career providing nursing services in labor and delivery. She said the call to nursing came at an early age, and she eventually plans
to attend graduate school to become a certified nurse- midwife.
She credits her success
to strong family ties with her father Randy, her mother Patricia, and younger brother AJ. “(My parents) are both hardworking educators for the state of Maine school system. I am extremely lucky, loved, and supported by my entire fam- ily,” she said. “My family holds strong Maine traditions that I am especially proud of.”
Harris also volunteers with the non-profit organiza- tion Silent Sidekicks, which provides animal-assisted ther- apy, activities and educational programs at health care facili- ties, hospitals, schools and libraries.
In her free time, Harris said she enjoys being out- doors, working out at the gym, and shopping. “I also have a strong love for makeup artistry and I am in the process of launching a lifestyle/beauty blog as soon as I finish con- structing the website.”
Harris said she will always cherish the time she spent in the St. John Valley as a student at UMFK, and appreciates the
educational opportunities the university offered her. “I’m very grateful to UMFK, and will be eternally grateful to the staff and Fort Kent community for their part in my journey.”
Brook passed her NCLEX and is now a registered nurse.
HOMECOMING WEEKEND
SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2016
Check the Alumni and Friends Homecoming website, for schedule and updates or contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 1-888-879-8635.
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