A Caribbean island is a spring break destination for most college students. But that’s where Joie Paciulli spent all four years of her studies with the University of Southern Maine.
Paciulli will graduate on May 10 with a degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She made the trip to Portland to be a part of the ceremony at the Cross Insurance Arena. It will be the first time that she’s ever been in the same room with her classmates.
Paciulli grew up in Portsmouth, N.H. But after high school, she wasn’t sure what kind of future she wanted for herself. Her father lived on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The yacht club where he worked needed a counselor to give sailing lessons to kids. Paciulli took the job and made St. Thomas her new home.
A strong work ethic earned Paciulli rapid promotions. While she loved interacting with kids and being on the water, she had long-term career ambitions of working in the healthcare field. She worried she had missed her chance by not applying to college on the traditional timetable. Family members in Maine convinced her to apply for remote studies with USM.
The first year of college wasn’t easy. Paciulli had experience with remote learning as a high school student during the COVID pandemic. Back then, she had lots of leeway to complete assignments over the span of a full semester. The deadlines were stricter in college. Her first set of grades were a reality check that forced her to change her approach to school.
“I’d go through the syllabus, and I’d compile everything in a way that was super easy,” said Paciulli. “I planned out the semester as soon as the syllabus was posted by the day. Like, ‘This day I’m going to read this many pages of this (book).’ It was all worked out. That was super helpful.”
Not only did the organizational overhaul improve her grades, it allowed Paciulli to explore new academic areas. She supplemented her major with a double minor in Psychology and Leadership Studies.
The next hurdle in her curriculum was a healthcare internship. Opportunities are limited on an island that measures just four miles wide and 13 miles long. Her predicament reached the right ears. The owner of a local physical therapy practice was also the mother of a child who Paciulli had taught to sail. Paciulli leapt at the offer.
The practice exposed Paciulli to a range of wellness practices, including acupuncture, massage, maderotherapy, and reiki. She fit in so well that the internship led to a job offer. As she finished her degree program, she was balancing a full course load with a full-time job as the yacht club and a part time job at the PT practice. And she still found time to surf every morning.
“I feel very fortunate,” said Paciulli. “It’s all opportunity, knowledge, experience. I’m building a résumé over here.”
Paciulli’s plans for her growing skillset have evolved over time. She set out to be a therapist and run a nonprofit group home for kids. Her drive to help comes from her own experience at dealing with mental health issues. But she now sees other options to reach her goals.
Paciulli is strongly considering another round of college to get a master’s degree in business administration as the ticket into leadership at a hospital or wellness center. And after that, she might even pursue a PhD. That’s a big change for somebody who not so long ago wasn’t sure that she was cut out for college.
“I know that whatever I do, I want it to feed my soul,” said Paciulli. “I want to know that what I’m doing is contributing to society in a positive way. I want to feel good about what I do. And I want to help people with what I do.”