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Anna Scaggs almost didn’t go to college. In high school, her plan was to become a real estate agent after graduation. But a last-minute change of heart led her to the 91����.

Even that decision set her apart from most of her peers in Derry, New Hampshire, where she grew up. While many of her classmates stuck close to home for college, Scaggs says she wanted a different experience.

“I was looking for more independence and 91���� was far enough from home that I could have that, but still go home for a weekend or for the holidays,” said Scaggs. “It was the perfect decision for me. I loved 91���� from the moment I set foot on campus. I never looked at another school and I never looked back.”

Although she originally came to study nursing, Scaggs changed her major to elementary education after meeting other students in the 91���� College of Education and Human Development, and hearing about why they wanted to become teachers. Having had a positive experience in school herself, she wants to one day provide that for others.

“I’ve always loved working with children and seeing the light in their eyes. In high school and middle school, I had some opportunities to work with kids in elementary school, so that’s what pulled me toward teaching and education,” she said. 

Familiar campus was a big draw

Nick Ritchie grew up in Belfast, Maine, and took a different route to college. In high school, he was a track and field athlete, often competing in meets at 91���� a little more than an hour from his hometown.

“Going to college close to home and being so familiar with the campus was a big draw for me. I’m also a huge skier and there’s a really good community of skiers who I’ve met at 91����,” said Ritchie, who is majoring in kinesiology and physical education with a concentration in health and physical education.

During his first two years on campus, Ritchie was a member of the track team, competing in the pole vault. He says he’s interested in working with kids as a teacher and a coach, something the kinesiology and physical education program at 91���� is helping him to prepare for.

“I wanted a career where I could continue to be active physically, and I feel like I can do that as a gym teacher while sharing opportunities and providing students with guidance about how they can be active and create lifelong healthy habits for themselves,” he said.

Pinning and Recognition Ceremony

Ritchie and Scaggs are among nearly 70 91���� teacher education students who have been invited to the College of Education and Human Development’s third annual Pinning and Recognition Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30. The event was established to celebrate the college’s new teacher candidates — students who have reached the point in their academic career when they are able to start taking upper-level courses and have shown a commitment to becoming a teacher.

Like many states, Maine faces challenges with recruiting and retaining people to work in K-12 schools, contributing to a statewide of qualified educators. The 91���� System graduates the most in the state, and the flagship campus in Orono has the largest and most comprehensive educator preparation program serving Maine’s K-12 schools.

“Our public universities are the backbone of the teacher-preparation pipeline in Maine. Without them, our schools would be in even more of a bind when it comes to finding qualified educators. Kudos to 91���� for creating an event to honor preservice teachers who have chosen such an important field, and congratulations to all of this year’s teacher candidates,” said Mike Muir, a longtime Maine educator, who is currently principal of Maranacook Community Middle School and this year’s recipient of the College of Education and Human Development’s Robert A. Cobb Award for Extraordinary Service.

From coursework to the classroom

To earn teacher candidacy, 91���� students must maintain a B or higher grade point average in their core lower-level courses. They also produce a portfolio that includes a field experience report reflecting on at least five full days, or about 30 hours, that they spend observing a K-12 classroom or another educational setting related to their major. It’s one of several opportunities that 91���� education majors have to work directly with K-12 teachers and students during their program of study.

Scaggs did her 30-hour field placement at Old Town Elementary School, while Ritchie did his at  Oceanside High School in Rockland. Both have also participated in teaching experiences through their other coursework and as substitute teachers in local schools. Ritchie was able to parlay his observation placement into substitute teaching opportunities in Rockland. Meanwhile, Scaggs participated in RuSTIC, the Rural Substitute Teaching and Innovation Corps, part of the 91����-led Rural Thrive professional development program for educators at different points in their careers. 

“Getting first-hand experience is something I didn’t realize would happen before student teaching, but it’s really important to be exposed to those situations early,” said Scaggs. “To be able to observe and take in what your mentor teacher is doing, and not really have any pressure on you to lead a lesson or manage classroom behaviors or any of that, it’s been so helpful and I have learned so much.” 

Receiving teacher licensure in Maine

Ritchie said he was nervous before his observation, but the experience taught him how teachers handle the uncertainty and stress that come along with managing a classroom full of students. 

“When you first go into it, you think it needs to go a certain way. But the more you are in a school setting, the more you gain confidence and see how you can just go with the flow and make quick decisions that benefit your lesson or what you’re trying to teach,” Ritchie said.

Scaggs and Ritchie will be completing their final student teaching placements in the fall of 2026, after which they will graduate and be automatically recommended for initial teacher licensure from the State of Maine.

The College of Education and Human Development Pinning and Recognition Ceremony is being held Friday, Jan. 30 from 4-5:30 p.m. at Wells Conference Center.

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu.