Maygin Lee Leighton – Expanding Horizons: Maygin’s Journey to International Service

Maygin Lee Leighton of Baileyville, Maine has never left New England, but that’s not stopping her from planning to join the Peace Corps after college. 

Currently, Maygin studies Biology and has minors in Climate Change Solutions and International and Global Studies at the UMF. Last year, Maygin became UMF’s Peace Corps Ambassador. She is also a member of the Peace Corps Prep Program and upon graduation will obtain a Peace Corps Certificate, making it easier for her to join the Peace Corps and fulfill her dream of making a positive difference in the world. 

Growing up in Maine, Maygin is accustomed to a small-town community and the familiar landscape of her home state. She loves to go hiking with her friends and has spent most of her life close to home. Leaving Baileyville to attend college in Farmington was a big leap for Maygin.

But college introduced her to something much bigger than just a new town. At UMF, she was exposed to a new community with opportunities that she had never experienced before.

Now as Maygin prepares for international service through the Peace Corps Prep Program, she is looking beyond Maine and the United States for her next adventure.

Her path to the Peace Corps began in part through Linda Beck, who previously served in Senegal and helped introduce Maygin to the Peace Corps Prep Program. The program is designed to prepare students for Peace Corps service through coursework, volunteer experience, and professional development. Students pursuing the certificate complete specific classes and volunteer requirements, including 60 hours of volunteer work. As part of Maygin’s involvement in the program, she is also helping to recruit other students to participate. 

While being a Peace Corps Ambassador at UMF improves Maygin’s chances of being accepted into the Peace Corps, it is not yet a certainty that she’ll get in. She cannot apply until January but hopes to enter the program soon after graduating from UMF in 2028. 

“The thought of leaving home for an extended period is exciting… and also a little intimidating,” Maygin said. 

Her first three months as a Peace Corps volunteer would involve training, followed by an assignment with an exact location and responsibilities that she does not yet know. She is particularly interested in environmental work and marine biology and hopes to be placed in Australia. Overall, she is particularly interested in opportunities that would allow her to work with animals or the water. While Maygin does not know what will be available when it’s time for her to apply, the uncertainty has not discouraged her.

Her interest in international service is connected to a broader desire to understand and connect with people outside of the world she grew up knowing. At UMF, she is involved in the Global Connections Club, where she hopes to help bring more cultures and international perspectives to campus. She is interested in finding ways to showcase cultures on campus, such as International Food Day in the dining hall. She also plans to visit classes to promote the club and use social media to reach more students. 

“Being aware of what is happening in other countries is important,” she said. “I want to give students as many opportunities as possible to learn about different parts of the world.” 

Her involvement on campus is nothing new for Maygin. She joined the Civil Rights Team in high school and participated in suicide-awareness efforts. However, she has evolved and grown more confidence since leaving home for college. 

“During my time at UMF, I have become more outspoken and willing to be involved,” she noted. 

In addition to the Peace Corps Prep program, she is also involved in Rotaract Club, JMG, and the Johnson Scholars Peer Mentoring program. This summer, she hopes to complete an internship, potentially at a national park or wildlife rehabilitation center. 

Some of these experiences overlap with the requirements of the Peace Corps Prep program, allowing her to work towards her goals while continuing to explore her interests. She has found support from people including Rachel Hovel, her JMG advisor Kelsey Bickford, and others in the UMF community.

While at UMF, her academic interests have also evolved. She began college as an Education major because she knew that she wanted to help people. She eventually moved towards Biology, while maintaining an interest in education and the environment. 

After her service in the Peace Corps, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Biology. Eventually, she can see herself becoming a professor and sharing what she has learned– including her experiences with the Peace Corps– with future students. 

For now, Maygin prepares for a future that she cannot fully predict. 

While Maygin’s friends and family support her decision to join the Peace Corps, they also have their anxieties. But those closest to her have also watched her become more confident and open during her time at UMF.

Maygin is aware that Peace Corps service will be demanding and is ready for the challenge. Volunteers receive a stipend for food, and the resources available to them will depend on where they are placed. She also knows that she will be busy, but that is something she anticipated when she applied.

What she does not know is where she will go.Maybe she will work in environmental conservation. Maybe she will find herself working in education or in another area she has not yet considered. Maygin is ready for the challenge and open to all of the possibilities.

At UMF, Maygin has discovered that helping people does not have to mean staying in one place. Sometimes, it can mean seeing how big the world is and finding a way to be a part of it.