The “Last Lecture” is a yearly event sponsored by UMF’s Alpha Lambda Delta, now in its fifth year. Alpha Lambda Delta is a nationally recognized honor society for students who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in their first year at UMF. The UMF chapter focuses on community service and academic excellence through a variety of events.
“The Last Lecture” gives a retiring UMF professor one last opportunity to address the UMF community. The speaker can reflect on what she/he has learned while at UMF, and/or it gives the opportunity to teach one final life lesson to studentsrvice and academic excellence through a variety of events..
This year’s speaker was Elementary Education Professor, Cathy Wimett, who is retiring this year after 19 years of dedicated service to The University of Maine at Farmington. During her presentation, Dr. Wimett discussed her time as an educator in relation to her own experiences teaching fourth grade, middle school, and college (and UMF in particular), and working in a psychiatric hospital for adolescents and a state institution for people with special needs.
Dr. Wimett shared three stories, one about a student, one about an administrator, and one about the UMF community, weaving together a message about the importance of keeping our students, teachers and communities safe so that we can establish a collaborative, effective learning community. She wrapped up her presentation with “worries and wishes” for the UMF community, in which she gave insight into her priorities a
s an educator of educators.
In addition to being known for her expertise in helping her students to learn and teach literacy and language, Dr. Wimett is also known around campus for how much she cares about each and every one of her students (and peers)–and shows this by hand-knitting a hat for every one of her students.
Thank you, Dr. Wimett, for making such a positive and meaningful impact on our learning community–you have helped each of us to grow as educators and have strengthened our commitment to helping every child to be successful. You are an inspiration and will be greatly missed
