2008 Woodie Awards
UM student announced Truman scholar
Former self-proclaimed "slacker" values academics
Erika Bubar
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: News
In high school Erin McKenzie described herself as 'artsy' after slacking off in her academics.
"I've overcome a lot of obstacles that I had put in my own path, I was my own worst enemy," McKenzie said.
Despite McKenzie's academic struggles in high school, she has been honored as a 2008 Truman Scholar, which is awarded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. She is only the second student from the University of Maine to earn this achievement.
Not knowing where to turn to after high school, McKenzie entered the U.S. Air Force for financial reasons and because of her family's history with the military. She served ten years with the U.S. Air Force, where she developed her skills as an accountant.
"I probably would have been voted least likely to go into the military," McKenzie said.
With her experience in the Air Force she was able to visit different cultures and sites, and stay in Korea for two years. McKenzie said during her time with the Air Force she was able to focus more on what she wanted to do with her life.
McKenzie is not only a full-time student at the university, but also a single mom, of a child with autism and serves in the Air National Guard. For this reason, she chose to write her scholarship essay about Autism. McKenzie only had 500 words to state her resolution and make a concise case on the issue.
McKenzie said knowing there are other single parents going to school helps her.
"I would not be able to pass if I did not have them," McKenzie said of her mother and step-father, whom she lives with in Hampden.
Most nights McKenzie stays up until 2 a.m., to finish her school work. She starts studying at 9 p.m., after her son is asleep in his bed. She gets roughly 5 hours of sleep after studying, and then her day starts off at 6:30 a.m. McKenzie said she functions on lots of coffee in order to get through her long days of class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. almost everyday. She said when the weekend comes, she is happy to sleep in if she gets the chance.
"I've overcome a lot of obstacles that I had put in my own path, I was my own worst enemy," McKenzie said.
Despite McKenzie's academic struggles in high school, she has been honored as a 2008 Truman Scholar, which is awarded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. She is only the second student from the University of Maine to earn this achievement.
Not knowing where to turn to after high school, McKenzie entered the U.S. Air Force for financial reasons and because of her family's history with the military. She served ten years with the U.S. Air Force, where she developed her skills as an accountant.
"I probably would have been voted least likely to go into the military," McKenzie said.
With her experience in the Air Force she was able to visit different cultures and sites, and stay in Korea for two years. McKenzie said during her time with the Air Force she was able to focus more on what she wanted to do with her life.
McKenzie is not only a full-time student at the university, but also a single mom, of a child with autism and serves in the Air National Guard. For this reason, she chose to write her scholarship essay about Autism. McKenzie only had 500 words to state her resolution and make a concise case on the issue.
McKenzie said knowing there are other single parents going to school helps her.
"I would not be able to pass if I did not have them," McKenzie said of her mother and step-father, whom she lives with in Hampden.
Most nights McKenzie stays up until 2 a.m., to finish her school work. She starts studying at 9 p.m., after her son is asleep in his bed. She gets roughly 5 hours of sleep after studying, and then her day starts off at 6:30 a.m. McKenzie said she functions on lots of coffee in order to get through her long days of class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. almost everyday. She said when the weekend comes, she is happy to sleep in if she gets the chance.
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