FORT KENT, Maine — The University of Maine at Fort Kent Alumni Association honored three individuals who have made an impact on the campus and in their community at the annual Alumni and Friends Banquet in Nowland Hall on Sept. 20.
The association honored Darrell Ouellette as the 2014 UMFK Outstanding Alumnus based upon his many years of dedicated police service to the people of Maine and surrounding communities, as well as his profession of teaching.
Ouellette, originally from St. Francis, graduated from UMFK in 1975 and 1977 after earning two bachelor’s degrees. While at UMFK, he played for the local hockey teams and lettered on the UMFK cross country team. After graduation, Ouellette worked as a courier in the Maine House of Representatives, before joining the Maine State Police in 1977.
He was assigned to patrol the Van Buren/Caribou area until his promotion to detective in 1984. During this period he accepted a four-month assignment in southern Maine as an undercover drug agent. He served as supervisor in the drug unit in 1990 until his promotion to detective sergeant in the criminal investigation division in Augusta later that year. In 1993, he received a promotion to lieutenant of the Northern Criminal Investigation Division, supervising detectives in major crime investigations in Maine’s five northern counties. In 2002, he took on the responsibility as the State Police Troop Commander for Aroostook County.
Ouellette taught criminal justice classes at UMFK in 1985 and continues to teach as an associate professor in criminal justice. He served the people of the state of Maine for over 33 years as a rural trooper, detective, and troop commander. He retired from the Maine State Police in 2010 to spend more time with family. Ouellette’s desire to serve the people of Maine included many appointments as an advocate for children. He has three grown children, two grandchildren, and resides in New Sweden with his wife, Lisa.
This year’s Outstanding Young Alumnus is Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, who came to UMFK in 1995. As a student he was active in the Student Senate, an outstanding goalie for the Bengals soccer team for four years, and assisted in the university’s recruitment efforts. In 1999, he graduated from UMFK with a bachelor of science degree in business management. In 2001, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maine in Orono and returned to UMFK to work as director in the Admission’s Office. He was the men’s head soccer coach and a part-time faculty member at UMFK. Dr. Khoury has guided colleges and universities throughout his career.
Aimee Danielle Holabird is the 2014 Outstanding Future Alumna. She enrolled in the UMFK secondary education program in 2011 and will be a candidate for graduation in 2015. As a student, Holabird has made the dean’s list, been active as a math tutor and worked as a professor’s assistant in the math department. She was a member of Student Teachers Educational Professional Society, and she was awarded the Hubert J. Thibodeau Award in 2012. In her community, Holabird tutors students in math from Valley Rivers Middle School and Fort Kent Community High School. She also substitutes for Wisdom Middle/High School in St. Agatha, as well as being a mother and wife. Holabird and her family reside in Fort Kent.
