Ten years ago, we launched the only National Science Honor Society chapter in Maine!
As we celebrate one decade, help us honor 12 of our outstanding alumni who are busy launching careers that span the globe! From the decks of research vessels to the front lines of vaccine development, here is how some of our standout SNHS graduates are putting their EHS education to work!
Alicia Havey - 2022
After graduating from EHS, Alicia took her talents to the University of Maine, where she earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Pulp and Paper Management! Outside of class, Alicia’s involvement in campus clubs gave her quite the experience – allowing her to travel across the United States for conferences and athletic competitions at no cost! Alicia’s hard work has already paid off and she has officially accepted a position as a Process Engineer at Sylvamo in Ticonderoga, NY! She fondly remembers her time in Chemistry class at EHS as a highlight of her high school career.
Edie Salzig - 2020
Now 6 years removed from EHS, Edie works as an Engineering Assistant II at the world-renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution! She works with autonomous underwater vehicles, like Spray gliders, that measure ocean properties to help scientists monitor climate change. A highlight of her career was a week-long science cruise on the R/V Roger Revelle, which gave her a deep appreciation for the work of sailors and field researchers! Edie, a former physics major at Bowdoin, is incredibly thankful for the "inspiring, encouraging, and hard-working" math and science teachers at EHS who set her on her path!
Connor Crawford - 2020
Connor is currently a second-year Master’s student in Bioinformatics at the Roux Institute in Portland! His fascination with the genetic code began in biology and chemistry classes with Mrs. Falabella and Mrs. Berry, right here at EHS! After earning a biochemistry degree from UMaine, where he conducted research on the stress responses of yeast cells, he now uses computer science and statistics to analyze large biological datasets. Connor highly recommends that students look into research opportunities early, as it is a great way to discover your specific passions within science!
Javon Williams - 2019
Javon is currently a third-year doctoral student at the University of North Texas, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Sport Psychology! His journey began at Colby College, where he researched the coordination abilities of individual versus team athletes. Now, his research focuses on mental health service-seeking behaviors among student-athletes. Javon credits his success to his classes with Mrs. Falabella and Mrs. Berry, and when asked if he had anything to share, Javon wanted to remind students that "You can accomplish so much more than you could ever imagine!"
Sydney Osterlin (Hagarman) - 2018
Since her time at EHS, Sydney has taken a unique and inspiring path! After earning a bachelor's in social work and spending time as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence in Bangor, she moved to Salt Lake City in 2024. She is currently a law student at the University of Utah SJQ College of Law! Sydney is passionate about her new field and is more than happy to chat with any current EHS students who are considering a career in law, and she still has some fond memories from Mrs. Falaballa’s Biology Class!
Christa Oullette - 2018
Christa’s passion for science, sparked by the neuron unit in Honors Biology and AP Calculus at EHS, led her to study psychology and neuroscience at Colby College! After gaining hands-on experience as a Research Assistant at the Nathan Kline Institute—where she even taught herself Python for data analysis!—she is now an Associate Research Coordinator at NYU Langone's Vaccine Research Center. Christa currently works on regulatory documentation for high-profile vaccine clinical trials in areas like RSV and E. Coli, collaborating with major sponsors like Pfizer and the National Institute of Health!
Chantal Oullette - 2018
Chantal followed her interests in Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies at UMaine after graduating from EHS! She is currently making a difference as an Ed Tech III and Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) at Spurwink, working in a school environment for children with Autism and other developmental or intellectual disabilities. Looking ahead, Chantal is considering returning to school to pursue a career in occupational therapy. She sends her best wishes to all the current students in the National Science Honor Society for a successful school year!
Dylan Taplin - 2018
Dylan’s path since EHS has been an adventurous one! Inspired by his AP Bio Class, he started with neurobiology research, but since has added social service work and studying meditation and yoga with monks in India to his list. Though he briefly stepped away from the lab—joking that research was "too boring"—he is currently in graduate school for Social Work and considering medical school in the future. Dylan has spent time teaching yoga and running meditation groups, and he says he deeply misses the dedicated faculty back at EHS.
Ashley Hudson - 2017
A graduate of Fitchburg State University with a dual major in Biology and Chemistry, Ashley is now a Senior Cell Therapy Manufacturing Associate in Massachusetts! During college, she conducted olfactory cell research on mice and spent her free time in rehearsals and peer tutoring. Ashley recently enjoyed a trip to Italy with fellow EHS alumni Jillian Dow and Connor Wentworth! Her message to students is simple – "It’s okay to not grow up into what you thought you would be in high school. Get new experiences and get out of your hometown!"
Keith Jordan - 2017
Keith turned his interest in Dual Enrollment Physics and Statistics into a career in power engineering! After graduating from Maine Maritime Academy and working in paper mills to earn his 3rd Class Stationary Steam Engineer’s license, he is now a Mechanical Commissioning Engineer for Black and Veatch. Keith’s career has taken him all the way out to Alberta, Canada, where he worked on massive power plants, and he is currently building a new natural gas power plant in Tennessee, where he specializes in installing and testing complex mechanical systems like gas turbines and generators!
Justin Brown - 2016
After earning his M.S. in Information Systems, Justin became the Laboratory Research Manager for the VEMI Lab at UMaine! There, he studies human-technology interactions like autonomous vehicles and augmented reality. A major career highlight was being invited to New York City to present his published research on a mobile app designed to help blind students learn complex scientific graphs. Now a published author of 10 research articles, Justin’s biggest advice to EHS students is to stay flexible! He says that while your academic plans will inevitably change, the relationships you build along the way are what will truly shape your path.
Rachel Bunker - 2016
Rachel took the skills she learned during her time at EHS and applied them to a degree in International Business and Logistics from Maine Maritime Academy! Today, she serves as a Vice President and Branch Manager, and still looks back on her time in Anatomy class as an Eagle. In her personal life, Rachel recently celebrated the exciting milestone of getting married! She lives by the advice of Richard Branson – “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes then learn how to do it later.”