Class of 2018
UNE’s undergraduate Class of 2018 has come together during their senior year in a radical way to make a difference for future nursing students at UNE.
In May of 2017, one of their classmates, nursing student Nathan Desjardins, lost his life during a water rescue while working with the Fryeburg police department. Contributions to UNE in his memory allowed an endowed scholarship for nursing students to be created in his memory.
As the senior class planned ways to celebrate their commencement, it became important to them to find a meaningful way to celebrate Nate as well. The class pulled together and decided to create UNE’s first senior gift effort — a fundraising campaign in support of the Nathan M. Desjardins Memorial Scholarship Fund. By commencement, over 85 students made a gift to the Desjardins Scholarship totaling $1,400.
“We all knew him very well. I talked with him every day on the bus and in class. I think that what we are doing as a class to honor Nate is great,” said Jessica Fraser ’18. “Nate’s legacy will continue to be felt at the university,” added Alex Burno ’18.