Wanting an adventure and a change of scenery, third-year student Madeline Gill drove up to Orono two years ago and has loved the University of Maine ever since. Gill is a nursing student from Moorestown, New Jersey, and is currently taking her UMaine classes while living in the local Orono area.
One way Gill has managed to stay connected to friends and family during the pandemic has been by using Facetime as much as she can. She also enjoys watching movies with friends via Netflix Watch Party, a free Google Chrome Extension that allows Netflix viewers to chat and synchronize their screens. Gill also loves to spend time with her friends and stay connected by going on coffee dates and doing other activities. She loves going to Aroma Joes, running, shopping and binge watching “The Golden Girls.” She also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and picking sunflowers.
Gill is currently a member of Phi Mu Fraternity, a sorority on campus, and is an active member of the UMaine nursing community. Her major includes learning about the biological and physical aspect of nursing while also getting to work hands on with patients and taking lab classes.
“My favorite class so far in college has been Nursing 102: Foundations of Nursing Practice I,” Gill said. “It was my first hands-on nursing class, and it was the thing that kept me inspired while having to take all my pre-requisites for my major.”
Gill serves as the current director of harm and risk prevention on the executive board of her sorority and enjoys trying new things with her sisters and attending chapter events. She spends much of her time studying, working and being on campus.
“Try anything and everything when you get to college and during your time here at UMaine,” Gill said. “The worst case scenario is that a certain organization isn’t for you. College is a time to reinvent yourself, so don’t be afraid to discover new passions.”
The COVID-19 virus has caused many students to have to make adjustments and adapt to certain guidelines and lifestyle changes. As a nursing student, Gill has worked to help educate as many people as possible and keep them informed with updated information during her time at school. Friends and family have turned to Gill with their health and medical questions during the pandemic and throughout this time of uncertainty.
“Being in a health-related major has made me look much smarter,” Gill said. “I love being able to answer so many questions that my friends and family have because I have been studying all of this so much!”
Gill wants to continue pursuing a nursing degree at UMaine so she can graduate in 2022. She hopes to eventually become a nurse midwife who delivers infants and provides prenatal, postpartum and newborn infant care, while also continuing routine care.
“This is a hard time for everyone. All I can say is, roll with the punches and do the best you can,” Gill said.
