Aimee DeGroat, non-traditional UMF student and recent grad, started her college career in 1998 at Mid-State College. Her story, like so many Mainers, was a journey to earn a living wage while also looking for personal fulfillment. After trying several career paths, she started working for the University campus store in 2011 and had the opportunity to continue her education at UMF where an English Professor reignited her love of reading and writing. On May 11, 2019, she graduated from UMF, along with her sister, a traditional student, 21 years her junior, as reported by the Sun Journal. DeGroat now has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing along with two writing awards from Islandport magazine under her belt. DeGroat says as soon as she started pursuing what she loved, success followed, but that it takes the right education. “One thing I learned,” said DeGroat, “you may love to do it, but you have a lot to learn.” She will be pursuing her master’s degree in creative writing this summer at Stonecoast in southern Maine.