Chellie Pingree
COA provided a good generalist education; one of the great things was that I was learning a little bit about a lot of different things… and politics is the same way.
When you’re an elected official, you have to vote on a variety of topics. It could be foreign affairs, it could be cryptocurrency. It could be something about science, or biology, or healthcare systems; and in a way, you just have to be experienced at learning things and educating yourself. The way that education was structured at COA gave me an opportunity to learn how to seek out knowledge. Student governance opportunities provided me the fundamentals for starting out in local politics; I’m so lucky to have gone to school there.
At COA, you have so much right at your fingertips. It’s unique. It’s not for everybody, but it’s an authentic community. You will find yourself surrounded by students who are really passionate about their education.