Tina Higgins:
CLASS OF 1974
Edward Little High SchoolClass of 1974
Auburn, ME
University of Southern MaineClass of 2004
Portland, ME
University of Southern MaineClass of 1995
Portland, ME
Marcotte Home Boarding School for GirlsClass of 1974
Lewiston, ME
Tina's Story
Okayâ¦. :) so I grew up to be a clinical social worker, LCSW working with people helping them meet their needs. I work with veterans now who have been in a combat zone⦠or who have been sexually traumatized (how do you like those words for sanitizing such an evil thing?) in the military. I am a therapist. So.. from the reactions I usually get from classmates of old.. I understand this is no surprise. I do love my job.
What may be a surprise to many⦠I married in 1977 to a man (Peter) I met through school and settled down to be a lady of the home. I worked as a waitress until we had our first son in 1978 (so not long!) and was a stay at home mom from that time until my third child was in school. Nathan was born in 1980, Sean in 1985. I guess this is more the surprise to many :)!
I returned to school at USM for Social Work, got my BSW in 1995 and worked for years as a street outreach for people with major mental illness and homelessness. Please never walk by anyone without remembering they are a person! I then was accepted into advanced standing in graduate school at USM for social work⦠and passed.
I loved being home with my sons⦠i was bent on being home with them as I was not home as a child and wanted my children to have what I hadn't had. You know how that is! In so...Expand for more
me ways, those were the most difficult years of my life as I did not have any supports nearby (my husband was in the Navy) and then I did not work outside the home.
Today I am a practicing clinician working at the Lewiston Vet Center, living in Portland and loving life, usually. My boys are grown and starting families of their own. My granddaughter Mabel is the best!!!! Such life growing. :) I also have a dog Zoe⦠(no one thought I would ever get a dog either!) a labradoodle who is the best! She comes to work with me and just knows when a veteran can use a hug. She is amazing!
I guess people thought I would never settle down and that I would never stay home with my children if I even had children. I guess I surprised them. Probably I did not even know what I wanted back then except that I wanted to help people. So! I finally get to do that ! I am very lucky!
I always wanted to be a social worker when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a terrible idea. As it turns out, they were wrong.
I always wanted to be a social worker when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a terrible idea. As it turns out, they were wrong.
I always wanted to be a social worker when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a terrible idea. As it turns out, they were wrong.
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