Growing up in Gouldsboro, Maggie Perry attended Sumner High School and pursued higher education at Husson University, graduating with a BA in 2021. Originally, she had set her sights on occupational therapy; but it soon became clear to her that nursing offered a broader range of experiences and the freedom to work almost anywhere. This insight, coupled with her natural desire to care for people, led her to the career that she loves.

Currently, Maggie works at Mount Desert Hospital in Bar Harbor on a medical/surgical floor. Being at a patient’s bedside is the part of her job that she loves most. Well beyond overseeing medication, it’s the personal contact that makes her day. Talking with patients, making their hospital stays less lonely, especially during the pandemic when visitors are limited, is essential in creating what she calls, “a healing environment”.

When asked about how Covid-19 has affected her work, she replied that, as a recent hire, the impact of the virus is her normal. Staffing shortages and extra duties, while challenging, are all part of her daily routine. “I have nothing to compare it to”, she says. “Being new is an advantage!”

Working in a small hospital is another advantage she appreciates. From administration to support staff, everyone knows her name. Being from a small town, this warm environment suits her well. But, she is not content quite yet. Her goals include more schooling and eventually, a masters degree. She is weighing the many opportunities that nursing offers, including obstetrics, women’s health, teaching, or becoming a nurse practitioner.

Maggie is grateful for the financial aid that the Elaine Hill Scholarship provided and stresses that its availability to her when she most needed it was crucial. She applied when she was entering her senior year at Husson. It was the financial boost near the end of her studies that was most appreciated.

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