PORTLAND — Nearly 1,000 of University of Southern Maine’s Class of 2011 graduates marched this morning during the 131st commencement ceremonies.
As family and friends packed the Cumberland County Civic Center, the graduates lined up in the halls and behind the stage waiting to file into the center. Loud applause from both the graduates and those in the stands welcomed University President Selma Botman as she declared the beginning of the ceremonies.
Additional Photos
Swordfishing boat captain Linda Greenlaw, who has written four books of her own about commercial fishing, addressed the graduates after she received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.
Greenlaw, who received her bachelor’s degree from Colby College, said when she “took her degree offshore,” her mother gave her the worst advice.
“She told me I was wasting my education,” Greenlaw said. “Your education can never be wasted. It’s impossible. … It’s the greatest thing you can ever achieve and it cannot be taken away.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.