Danielle Hebert, Marketing Coordinator, NorState Federal Credit Union

My Past. My Work.
I graduated college in 2004 from the University of Maine at Fort Kent with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. With most all of my family living in the St. John Valley, I knew I wanted to stay local both for school & work. I began working for the Madawaska School Department as a Secretary at the Elementary School in January of 2005 and stayed in that position until March of 2016. At that time I accepted a position at NorState Federal Credit Union as a Teller/Marketing Assistant. Half of my week was spent working as a Member Service Advisor (Teller) where I did deposits, withdrawals, and anything else members needed help with on the front line. The other half of my week was spent assisting the Marketing Director with anything involving the promotion of NorState & their products and services. In June of 2017, I was promoted to full time Marketing Coordinator (which is my current position).

My Typical Day.
There are no two days that are the same in Marketing. Sometimes I start my day with a plan and can get through everything on my to-do list – sometimes the plan goes out the window and other things need to get done first. But that’s the exciting part! Days can be filled with developing ad campaigns, social media promotion, participating in job fairs, visiting our schools for financial education workshops and so much more. Whatever the tasks of the day may be, our number one goal is to showcase NorState is the most positive light possible.

What I like best about my work. What I like less.
The best aspect of my work at NFCU has been working with an excellent team. We work together to bring the best to our members, whether it’s through the products and services we offer or giving back to our communities through random acts of kindness. Being a part of that team has been a wonderful highlight. The thing I like least about my job, and I think this can be said for any work environment, is that, at times, one person’s negativity can affect the positivity of those around them. If and when that happens though, I try to turn the negative actions or words into something positive. Don’t ever let someone’s negativity ruin your excitement & positivity in your work.

The qualities and values you need to be successful and happy in this work.
The qualities & values that you need to be successful & happy in this work and whatever work you choose are the same. You need to be respectful of others, a team player, a good listener, be honest, ask for help when you need it, and do your best. If you have & exhibit those qualities, success & happiness will follow.

The skills, knowledge & experience you should develop today to be successful in this work.
I didn’t have any Marketing experience before taking this position. Though I do have a creative side, I came in with no set “marketing skills”. What I did come in with was an open mind and a willingness to learn. I think those are two skills that have helped me succeed is in this position. Whatever career you choose, if you have an open mind to new things and a willingness to continue to always be learning, you will be successful as well.

The academic education you should pursue to prepare for success in this work.
Having a bachelor’s degree in Business has given me some skills needed to succeed in this work. Had I known I would be in this position, I think I would have still earned my Business degree but I would have had a focus in Marketing. Though in any position, learning about your work should be continuous. That is why I have been taking online Marketing classes to expand my knowledge in this field so I can continue to do well in my everyday work.

The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to pursue this career or any career.
1. Be a Team Player
2. Attitude is the one thing you can control – so might as well have a positive one! ☺
3. In life & work, educate yourself & show effort – continue to strive for the “e”!

Jonathan Roy
Senior Care Administration/Ownership and Hotel Owner

My Past. My Work
I graduated from Northeastern University in 2009 and worked at John Hancock Insurance Co. in Boston for a few years before moving back to the St. John Valley in 2000. Since then, I have been involved in the Administration and Ownership of senior health care facilities and have opened up a hotel/restaurant. I currently assist with the day to day management of Ridgewood Estates (Madawaska), Crosswinds Residential Care (Fort Kent), St. Josephs Memory Care (Frenchville) and the Inn of Acadia (Madawaska). I enjoy entrepreneurship and the challenge of creating and operating successful operations.

My Typical Day
I am pretty involved in all aspects of our businesses so it's guaranteed that no two days are ever the same. I typically start my day by spending about an hour in my office reviewing emails, paperwork, etc. I try to meet with residents, guests, staff everyday as well so I can get feel for how things are going. I try and visit at least two locations each day and review items that need attention. One commonality is that everyday I try and improve on something….always putting an emphasis on customer service.

What I Like Best and Least About My Work
Our businesses are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so it is critical that we have employees who can be trusted and who do their jobs well. Our employees are our biggest asset and it is an amazing feeling when you know you have a great team. The best part of my job is being part of a quality team and achieving quality customer service. It is very satisfying for me to see that we succeed in what we set out to do day in day out. Content residents/guests, engaged and satisfied employees, and profitability are our three core goals. The part I like least is the paperwork and dealing with the occasional unreliable/ineffective employee.

Qualities and Values Needed to be Successful and Happy in This Work
Need to be patient…need to listen….need to lead by example….need to problem solve….need to know how to communicate.

Skills and Knowledge and Experience you Should Develop
It is important to give 110% at whatever you do. As long as you are doing your best, good things should happen. It is also important to communicate effectively. Being a leader is a lot harder when you are not a good communicator. Respect, tolerance, and patience are important. Go out and find work that involves customer service and you will acquire lots of useful skills that will lead to success in the healthcare/hospitality field. Learn how to budget your finances.

The Academic Education you Should Pursue
Learning management basics and accounting principles are important. You also need to learn how to communicate on paper and in person. Ultimately, you will want to master the art of conflict resolution and develop a customer service growth mindset.

The Best Advice I Can Give
Be patient and set goals for yourself. Find something you love to do and do it well. Whatever it is you set out to do, take pride in what you do and how you do it. Don't be scared to take chances and don't settle for mediocrity. There is a solution to most every problem so if something is not working, find ways to make it work.

My past work history includes 20 years in Quality Control and Inventory for a Forest Products/Paper Company, 10 years as a Section Manager and Training Supervisor for two financial institutions, and 6 years in my current position as Director of Planning and Economic Development/CEO/Building Inspector for the Town of Fort Kent. I also returned to College at the age of 50 to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.

My typical day begins at 7 a.m. responding to any emails or phone messages. From there I am prepared for everything including last minute meetings, grant proposals, code enforcement issues, inspections, building permits, special projects, reimbursement requests, etc.

The best part of my work is assisting existing and new businesses to expand and develop to become successful and an integral part of the community. The most challenging part of my job is the politics that goes with any public service position.

The qualities and values you need to be successful and happy in this work are to be ethical at all times, respectful of others and yourself, be a self-motivator and a motivator to your peers, and most importantly – do not take your job home with you.

The skills and knowledge and experience you should develop today to be successful in this work are excellent time management skills, be a self-motivator, be selfless in doing at all times what is best for the Town and Community.

The academic education you should pursue to prepare for success in this work includes the courses involved in obtaining a Business Degree. Most importantly grant writing, small business development, marketing, and Human Resources. To assist businesses, you need to be able to develop one.

The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to pursue this career or any career for that matter is to develop a superior work ethic. Be ready to give 110% in whatever you do and you will be rewarded in any career you choose.

My past. My work: I graduated from the University of Maine at Fort Kent in 2000 and began working at the Madawaska Elementary School as a first grade teacher. I also worked as a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teacher at the school. While teaching, I earned my Masters in Educational Leadership from St. Joseph’s College and began working as an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Madawaska Middle/High School. I later became the Principal at Madawaska Elementary School. Three years ago, I was hired as the Superintendent of Schools at Maine School Administrative District No. 27 and was most recently nominated as the Executive Director of Valley Unified Regional Service Center, serving MSAD27, MSAD33, and the Madawaska School Department.

My typical day: Each day is different, and never typical. I can go into work with a personal agenda of work tasks that I want to complete, but the day can change in an instant depending on the needs of the schools, district and region. I enjoy spending time in schools, observing classrooms and interacting with learners; however, a great deal of my work responsibilities require me to be at various meetings; some that are held right in the MSAD27 schools, but others are at the regional or state-level.

What I like best about my work. What I like less: Because I will always consider myself an educator, I still enjoy the impact I can make on improving education for our region. Instead of having a classroom of 20 or 25 learners, I now have a classroom of hundreds of learners, some young and others not so young. I like taking risks to better learning experiences for all, and I am not afraid to fail in those risks. I think that is the mindset needed for us to improve. Learning should be messy, and I like the mess! I do not like the politics involved with school improvement and bettering education for learners. A great deal of my time is spent on “red tape”, which is not the most exciting part of my job.

The qualities and values you need to be successful and happy with this work: The qualities needed to be successful in this job are just like any other job, which is what we preach every day in our regional schools. In order to be successful trusted in what you do requires respect, responsibility, honesty, and engaged/invested learning. As long as you stick to those core values, you can’t go wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has failures. It’s what you do with those mistakes and failures that will set you apart from others. Embrace the struggles in order to improve!

The skills and experience you should develop today to be successful in this work: In order to be successful in education and school leadership requires individuals to have a growth mindset, an open heart, and a love for learning. That’s it! The rest is easy. If you are willing to learn new things, if you have a heart to do what’s right, and if you embrace learning opportunities, you cannot go wrong.


The academic education you should pursue to prepare for success in this work: I believe a successful school leader should have experience in various roles in the schools. Therefore, I would highly suggest going to college to be an educator first, where you can learn the struggles and successes that our teachers and learning facilitators experience every day. This will require a four-year degree in elementary or secondary education. I would then suggest pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree in educational leadership, and serving as a school leader, prior to exploring district leadership. My time as an assistant principal and school principal were essential to building the foundation to become a Superintendent, and I rely on that foundation every day.

The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to pursue this career or any career for that matter:

1. Always enjoy what you do. There will be good days and there will be bad days, but if you ever wake up in the morning hating your career or profession, it’s time to start looking for something new.
   2 Always remember you are part of a team. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO of a corporation, the person who schedules appointments, or the individual who cleans at night. Everyone is a valuable member of a team and should always be treated that way.
   3 Never forget where you come from. Where and how you were raised are part of the equation for your success. It’s perfectly fine to leave the area you grew up in and never come back. It’s also perfectly fine to never leave at all. In either case, embrace the place that helped you become who you are.
   

Elementary School Counselor

Education Level: Master's, CAS

Best advice I can give…. LISTEN

When someone says to you…”You are good at….. did you ever think of doing….” Listen to them! Take note of what they noticed in you that you are doing well and make it work for you! When you do something well, you usually like what you are doing… and when you like what you are doing and you can make that your career….it isn’t work…it’s fun!

My past. My work. I worked in Healthcare for over 20 years now enjoying new opportunities in Education as the Director of St. John Valley Technology Center (SJVTC)

My typical day. My typical day consists of managing the Technology Center and making students feel valued through their work and learning. I am always seeking to expand the offerings of our Technology Center to provide our learners with greater choice.

What I like best about my work. What I like less. What I like best about my work is seeing the skill set growth of all students as they progress through the curriculum. What I like least is having to tell a student there is no available space for his/her participation within the program.

The qualities and values you need to be successful and happy in this work. The qualities and values needed to be successful and happy in this work is to have a joy for learning and expanding ones horizons. You need to have a strong-work ethic, be responsible and be dependable and lastly trustworthy.

The skills and knowledge and experience you should develop today to be successful in this work. Skills, knowledge and experience needed to developed to be successful in this work are to be extroverted, be inquisitive, be ready to learn and accept others where they are at because everyone learns differently and at different paces. Celebrate the small successes as they are what drives initiative.

The academic education you should pursue to prepare for success in this work. As a post-secondary student learner, I would recommend an individual to strive for a Masters in Education from the start as it is a necessary requirement for progression. Never stop learning as it is the mother of all intentions.

The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to pursue this career or any career for that matter. The best advice is do what you LOVE! Live every day as it's your only moment to provide the world your contribution to benefit mankind. Be open to change and open minded to listen and take in other people's ideas. As a TEAM.... Together we achieve more!

Greetings! I am a life long educator and a life long learner. I began my career as a teacher and have enjoyed working with more than 2000 students over the last 30 years. My favorite subject was always science. I liked anything related to science in any field, biology, chemistry, zoology, etc. and desired to get students to also enjoy science, so I became a science teacher. Although my job has become administrative in the last few years, my work still involves keeping students as a priority in all decisions. The best thing about being a teacher is working with students and seeing the "light bulb moments". Teaching is giving of yourself to others. Teachers play a vital role in building the next generation and encouraging them to be lifelong learners.

To become a teacher, a student must attend college and major in a subject area to teach at the higher grade levels, or major in education to teach at the elementary level. If someone wants to be a specialist, they may go on to graduate school and earn advanced degrees. Teachers must also take classes and other professional development throughout their entire career in order to be licensed and remain current with developments in education.

Teaching is a great field; you are always learning. You have to like working with children and you must be ready to work long days during the school year, but you get to enjoy vacations when school is not in session. The best part about teaching is that it makes you feel like you make a difference in someone's life.

A college counselor, educator, and director of a nonprofit.
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