Thomas dedicated an enormous amount of time and effort for his ELO class this year. He set a goal in September to learn about how to earn a Maine Guide license. From there, Thomas interviewed multiple Maine Guides across the state, took a three day class at Attic Lodge Outdoor Learning Center in Lebanon, and spent hours studying everything from tree species to GPS navigation. He passed his licensing on June 2, which also happened to be the day of his high school graduation! Thomas will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

I decided to do an ELO to make connections in the law field before going to college for law next year. During first semester, I was partnered with a local civil law firm, where I went twice a week for an hour. I got to participate in simple drafting of documents, acting as a witness for estate planning, and I got to interview several clerks, judges, and lawyers. During this second part of the year, I am doing day trips to the Cumberland County District Attorney's office where I'm job shadowing different prosecutors. I am also exploring other avenues of law by doing ride alongs; I wasn't expecting to like police work, but that is what ELO's are for! It's an experimental opportunity for students to determine what they like and don't like. Mrs. Sanborn has been a huge part in helping me find these opportunities and is always willing to find experiences you may not think of!

My ELO journey has been sort of complicated, but Mrs. Sanborn has been the best at getting me where I want to be. I started off knowing I wanted to be a dog trainer and breeder. I sat in on a few classes up in Conway, NH. I came back to Mrs. Sanborn after going three times and told her that this wasn’t for me. I know I want to do something with animals, but I am not sure that dog training is for me. I then did a job shadow at the Sacopee Valley Veterinary Clinic with a vet tech and it was so fun. They were all so nice to me. Now I am applying for a volunteer position at Animal Rescue League of Greater Portland. I am so excited to have this opportunity in my life. Not just the job shadowing and knowing what I want and don't want to do, but the fact that I have learned so many different skills. I know how to reach out to people that I don't know. None of this could be possible without Mrs. Sanborn!

I started ELO at the beginning of the third quarter. I go to a local dentist office once a week. My first interest in this class was because I was unsure of what I wanted to do after college. I knew that you would get to be able to go out and experience the jobs in person. That was very important to me to get a better understanding of a career in person and not just from research. I am very excited to take this class next year and further my research. Mrs. Sanborn is also very supportive and involved with each student.