Graduation is a threshold. On one side, four years of coursework, late nights, co-ops, and friendships that will last a lifetime. On the other, a career that, if our alumni are any indication, will take you places you never expected.
At UMPPF, we have been proud to support engineering students at the University of Maine for more than 75 years. Scholarships, co-op connections, industry exposure, mentorship — all of it is aimed at one goal: giving students the foundation to build careers that are meaningful, challenging, and genuinely their own. What our alumni have shown us, over and over again, is that those careers tend to exceed even the boldest expectations.
We asked alumni to tell us what might surprise a high school student about their job. The answers spanned decades and disciplines, and they painted a picture worth sharing with every student crossing the stage this May.
The world opens up.
- “I have been to all of the continents except Antarctica. This exceeded my expectations.” — Mechanical Engineering, Class of 1974
- “Traveling the world overseeing manufacturing of complex space systems.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 1979
- “I used my chemical engineering degree to make a difference in healthcare.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 1994
Engineering takes you further than the mill, further than Maine, further than you might imagine at 22. The skills you have built here — problem solving, systems thinking, the ability to stay calm when things get complicated — are exactly what the world needs, in more industries and more corners of the globe than you might expect.
The work keeps evolving.
- “Despite managing an airport and freight rail facility, my professional work is still connected to the pulp and paper industry. The reach of this sector is very diverse.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 2002
- “I get to do the things I love every day, no two days are the same, and I got to move into a new role every 1–2 years.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 1999
One of the quiet gifts of an engineering education is adaptability. The alumni we heard from didn’t just land a job; they built careers that kept shifting and growing alongside them. That flexibility is something a UMaine engineering degree prepares you for, whether you realize it yet or not.
And it starts faster than you think.
- “I was surprised how quickly I was leading projects.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 1988
- “After 42 years, I am still learning.” — Chemical Engineering, Class of 1984
The beginning comes sooner than expected, and so does the depth. Graduates from this program have consistently told us that they were trusted early, challenged often, and never stopped finding new problems worth solving.
To the Class of 2026: this is what is waiting for you. Not a straight line, not a single destination — but a career full of variety, growth, and work that matters. We are so proud of everything you have accomplished, and even prouder to have played a small part in getting you here.
The next chapter is yours. Go write it.
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