While details remain limited, the establishment of an Eliot Cutler-led graduate business and law center in the University of Maine System is extremely encouraging.

I should know – I am deeply conflicted on where to attend business school.

I am in my early 30s and nine years into a solid career here in Boston.

It is time to layer on more education. It is also time to think about transitioning back to my home state.

I am fortunate to have access to some of the best MBA programs in the world in this city. However, at the same time, the pull to live in and contribute to Maine continues to grow stronger. As a result, thus far, the choice has come down to quality or proximity.

Last week, I was sitting with two friends, both of whom graduated from the University of Maine School of Law and practice in Portland.

I was saying that I wished the University of Southern Maine MBA program were the business equivalent of the UMaine School of Law, with students forgoing degrees from more prestigious universities to start their path in Maine.

However, I had heard more cases of the opposite: Maine residents choosing to attend out-of-state MBA programs to further their careers in Maine. This circuitous route is both a revenue loss and brain drain to the University of Maine System and the state. At a time when Maine must figure out how to retain and nurture its best talent, it must also look to provide bridges back for those who want to return.

An enhanced graduate center would act as a cornerstone for both efforts.

It would keep good minds in the state and draw business professionals back to Maine at times when they are hitting the stride of their careers. It would also make my decision much easier.

Collins Dunn

Boston

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