Members of the U N E football team wear black clothing and pose for a photo at the Black Lives Matter march on the Biddeford campus
Jaymeson Maheux sits with a backpack on smiling at the camera with the Saco River behind

Jaymeson Maheux '23

Applied Exercise Science

Exceptional Teaching and Learning

The professors [at UNE] are really cool. They are willing to help you with anything. They’re easy to talk to. I like how calm the classroom environment is. The professors make it possible for it to be a two-way street — it’s not just that they are there to lecture you; they’re also there to listen. They will teach something by the books, or something you ask about specifically, or do hands-on examples. All of it is beneficial.

All of my classes tie together — gross anatomy, A&P, athletic prevention, and injury. Maybe I’m learning about a muscle in gross anatomy, but then in athletic prevention and injury, I’m learning about how this muscle can be hurt, what to do if it is hurt, how to make it better, and how long that will take. In A&P, we talk about what makes muscles work. We go into the in-depth details of blood circulation. It all ties together, which helps me learn better because I learn the whole picture.

What I really like is that I'm able to take the concepts that I learn and apply them to myself as an athlete and help myself. In athletic prevention and injury, I learn how to prevent myself from being injured and help myself stay healthy. It also helps me help other people, like even on my own team. I can apply what I am learning to my everyday life because I am still an athlete, but I am learning at the same time. I think that’s a very cool thing.

Welcoming Community

The football community really helped me feel comfortable. Being here for summer football camp, I spent every day with my teammates, and we really built a family. It allowed me to adjust into school easier because I started off my first year having friends.

My team helped me feel like I fit in. Adversity is nothing new to me, and I like challenges, but having coaches who are really cool and teammates who I relate to really made a big impact for me. Our coaches listen to us and will help us with anything.

One of my teammates led a march on campus in honor of George Floyd and all the people who were killed from police brutality. It was something very special because our coach took us seriously and helped us put it together. Our original plan was to sit out our practice, but our coach encouraged us to bring the whole UNE community together and make this big, positive impact. It brought us together as a team and as a broader community. It was really good to see not just athletes show up. I didn’t expect that many people to come.
 

Why UNE

UNE provides a great education. There are some very cool people here, and it’s easy to talk to professors and coaches. You feel like you don’t have to figure out an entire new place and system on your own because you have people looking out for you and advising you on what’s best for you. You don’t feel like you’re here by yourself.