Three-year-old Claire has always had a hard time keeping up with her big sister’s bike from the seat of her wheelchair. So two USM programs went to work. Engineering students handled the build. Occupational therapy students made sure it fit her life. Keep reading for how one custom car came together, and what it means for one Maine family.
Occupational therapy assistants work directly with people facing physical, cognitive or environmental challenges — but what does that actually look like day to day? John Krasnavage, an OTA and faculty member in USM’s one-of-a-kind OTA-B program, shares what drew him to the field, what the work really involves, and what prospective students should know. Find out why he calls it “the job of life.”
If you live in New England — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont — there’s a program that could save you thousands of dollars a year at the University of Southern Maine, even as an out-of-state student.
It’s called the NEBHE Tuition Break Program, and it’s one of the most underutilized benefits available to New England students considering a public university outside their home state. Here’s what you need to know.
Zoe Barnes is preparing to graduate from the University of Southern Maine in August 2026 with a nursing degree and a national title in shot put. Now in her fifth and final year, the New Gloucester native is reflecting on her athletic and academic career. Like many students, she navigated uncertainty before ultimately finding her path in the classroom and in competition.
We caught up with Zoe to find out how it all came together — and what it took to finish strong.
The first time Christina Hart walked into Masterton Hall in 2002, she was a nursing student unsure if she belonged. Keep reading to see how, 23 years later, she’s back as a USM professor guiding the next generation.