Jared Benoit ’24

Welcoming Community

UNE has a great sense of community. We are all very friendly and genuinely care about each other. When people ask how you are doing, they are not just expecting ‘good’ as a response – they want to get to know you.

Everyone at UNE is extremely passionate about the work that we’re doing. I think it shows in all of the internships and local community work that we take part in. We want to see our campus [community] better the world we live in.

Hands-on Learning

UNE does a great job of connecting your classes to outside experiences. What I’m learning in my Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies classes applies to my experience in the community. In one of my classes for the assistive technology [specialization] track, we worked with older adults at a [local community] to see what they might be struggling with as part of a wellness assessment. Through this, we had the opportunity to teach them [how to use] Amazon Alexa’s and help them implement it into their everyday lives.

Something that really excites me about assistive technology is how life changing it can be. Watching someone who is unable to see or hear gain the ability to communicate using assistive technology is one of the most rewarding things. From communication devices to certain buttons in a home that open doors for wheelchair users, it's the small things like that can make a difference.

Beyond the Classroom

At UNE, there’s always something to do. You just have to put yourself out there and sign up for things. Even if something might sound silly, just go for an hour and you’ll be really surprised. UNE is what you make of it. If you go to all of the outside activities that UNE offers, you’re never going to be bored and will have a great time.