ORONO, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Nearly 2,500 students will receive a degree from U Maine this year. The University said this is one of its largest graduating classes.
Inside the sea of blue in the Alfond Sports Arena, these soon to be graduates, have spent countless hours in the classroom working on their degrees.
"I spent a lot of night especially this past final week in the library well past midnight, but I think it was worth it to be here today," New U Maine Graduate Kimble Rawcliffe said.
"Both my sister and I were on the track team and that was a lot of time and effort putting into there. But it was definitely worth it to get here and get up on that stage today," New U Maine Graduate Rylee Rawcliffe said.
Kimble received her degree in animal science, and Rylee got her degree in journalism.
They are sisters and their older sister Mackenzie, also graduated from U Maine too.
Mackenzie received two majors today, one in public administration and the other in global policy.
These sisters have worked hard to get to this point, but now they face another challenge, finding a job.
According to the Maine Department of Labor, in 2011 the unemployment rate in Maine for people 20-24 years-old is 16.2 percent. That number for people 25-34 is 8.5 percent. Those are numbers that the Rawcliffe sisters are aware of.
"I am nervous about that because being a journalism major which is one of the shrinking fields due to bloggers and things like that. But I definitely think I'll be able to make it. I'll do it," Rylee said.
"I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm going to D.C. I think a lot of people my age think that you can just apply online and that's good enough. And it's not. You really need to build relationships and it's very hard for me, but that's what I've been trying to do," Mackenzie said.
Kimble said she is not worried about finding work just yet because she is attending veterinary school.
"I have to go to four more years, so maybe delay that, maybe the job rate will improve," Kimble said.
But the sisters are not going to think about work today. They are going to enjoy the moment now that have graduated from U Maine.
NEWS CENTER