It's been a long road to get here, starting with the first college visit last February, but the college decision has been made. After much thought, prayer, and angst, she's decided to go to the University of Maine at Farmington. The accepted students day went really well, she felt more comfortable there, and there was plenty of snow for her. She had also gotten a letter from Plymouth that outlined the adventure education major and realized that it really wasn't what she wanted. She was very disappointed because she really liked the Plymouth campus and the town but the program was not what she was looking for and even if it was it would preclude her from doing some things she really wanted to continue in college, like working and snowboarding. At Farmington, she'll have the opportunity to do both of those things and more because she'll have the time.
She's already been talking with the ski/snowboard team coach. She didn't meet him when we were up there but did talk to a couple of guys on the ski team, who told her that they'd work on converting her to skis. Not much of a chance of that happening! She's worked really hard to get where she is and she isn't about to give that up. Since we got back, she's gotten a bit more information from the ski team coach and he also put her in contact with another snowboarder who wants to build up the snowboard part of the team. The good news is that she's helped do that before and can do it again. They compete in USASA as well as USCSA (the collegiate ski and snowboard association). She's excited about the prospects there.
She'll be majoring in outdoor recreation business administration, a good fit for an outdoors kid. ORBA majors are required to do an internship so she'll have the opportunity to make some good connections for jobs after graduation. The location of the school is pretty great for doing outdoor stuff, a small ski area is 5 minutes away, Sunday River and Sugarloaf are both about an hour away, there's hiking, lakes and rivers, places to bike, all sorts of outdoor activities around. Plus she'll be in Maine. An exciting new adventure awaits her this fall. Now to get her through the last few months of her senior year.
