Contributed photo/Nate BodenstabThe Houlton Rotary held its luncheon meeting on Dec. 5, and was treated to guest speaker Rotarian Tracy Rockwell who is the director of the Houlton Higher Education Center.
Rockwell was Rotarian Jane Torres’ guest. Rockwell graduated from the University of Southern Maine and received a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in human resource management from Troy University.
She is married to Chuck Rockwell who is retired from the United States Navy and he now works at the Department of Homeland Security. The couple has one daughter named Sidney. After Rockwell married, their first posting together was in Cutler, Maine and then on to two tours in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, followed by one in Tampa, Florida and then one in Norfolk, Virginia before returning to Maine. When they moved here Tracy worked with Otis Smith in Adult Education before taking over as the director of the Center.
Four major components of the Outreach Center are as follows. It houses a location for the University of Maine at Presque Isle making it part of the University of Maine system. UMPI is the head parent with Rockwell at the helm covering the counties of Southern Aroostook, Eastern Penobscot, Eastern Washington and Western New Brunswick. Associate and bachelor degrees and some master’s degrees are offered addressing a variety of skill sets and learning styles for those who learn by different approaches.
Classroom experiences can have an on-site teacher, video conferencing, online classes, and even pre-recorded classes allowing those with jobs to take the class when it works into their schedule.
It is possible to obtain a degree in one of the seven University Maine campuses through the center. NMCC has a presence offering an associate’s degree in business or liberal studies. There is representation from the TRIO Program which is a college access program that helps students build the necessary skills to assist them in their post-secondary education. Maine Military and Community Network have a representative that helps veterans receive the support they need in the community.
Adult and Community Education (ACE) headed by Joe Fagnant offers high school equivalency testing, Adult education, personal enrichment classes, and classes for senior citizens. There is a program that works closely with high school students by offering college classes to earn college credits while still in high school.
The school also works with area businesses to provide workers for the community. A good example is the nursing and dental hygienist training at the Houlton location. Many students find themselves sophomores if not juniors in college by their second semester.
HHEC is also a place to have special events such as the annual quilt show, agricultural classes from area agencies and the like. HHEC is located at 18 Military Street in Houlton and the phone number is 207-521-3100 and the website is learn.maine.edu.
