Alumni Spotlight

Melissa Paione

Paione attended the seminar in 2010 as a representative from Edward Little High School. She graduated from Bates College in 2016 after studying Psychology and Women and Gender Studies. She went on to earn two master's degrees: Ed.M. in Human Development from Boston University and M.S. in Sport Management from UMass Amherst. 

Paione is now the Aquatics Director at the YWCA Central Maine. Prior to starting at the YWCA she worked as a college swim coach.

She took the time to answer some questions about her Maine Youth Leadership experience and how it has impacted her life. Keep reading to learn more about this outstanding alum.

How do you show the MYL pillar of volunteerism in your daily life? 

Always thinking in terms of what I can do to help. There is always something. I am practicing that proactive thinking because I want to be more aware of where I am positioned and how I can make the best difference with my new role and resources. 

How do you show the MYL pillar of character in your daily life? 

Always being willing to listen and learn new things. Being open-minded 

How do you show the MYL pillar of leadership in your daily life? 

Being a great teammate to my family, friends and staff. Leading by example. 

How would you say MYL impacted your trajectory in life? (the decisions you made, the things you did, etc.) 

MYL opened my eyes to what it means to have your own back in order to support others and reach your goals. The positive mindset shift that occurred at MYL was pivotal and shaped me to be the person I am today.

Did any MYL relationship help you along your way? (JC, SF, AC, fellow alum, etc.) and if so, how? 

I was so shy and so worried about what other people thought of me at first but the people I was surrounded by at MYL helped me realize I shouldn’t worry so much. My MYL friends although we are not in touch anymore, we share the same fond memories and I am forever grateful to have spent time with them because they gave me the courage to be more confident in myself. 

What is the legacy you want to leave behind? 

This one is tough to answer. I want to leave behind space for people to discover their own growth mindset: There are so many people in your life that are going to tell you no— no you can’t, you’re not good enough, it's never going to happen for you— but, I want everyone who gets those types of answers to question them and push back on the words vs believing in them. How does a person know what another human is truly capable of? Who made that person the ultimate judge of your potential?  I want people to know that only one person has the correct answer about what you're capable of: you.

What is your fondest memory from your MYL experience? 

The entire experience. Looking back, the transformation from being the quiet, nervous wallflower girl sitting in the passenger seat with her dad driving -to- the person who talked the entire car ride home and repeating the O-u-t-s-t-a-n-d-i-n-g chant. 

What might someone be surprised to learn about you?

In college I won a hot dog eating contest my first year and haven’t had a hotdog since. 

What gives you hope?

Innovative thinking .

What gets you particularly fired up?

Little victories, improvements and creative ideas.

How does your MYL experience impact your everyday work and/or life?

MYL gave me a new perspective to consider: I am in control of my thoughts. I can shift my negative thoughts into positive ones. Looking at things from a different angle helps refocus on the voices that matter. And the voice I needed to start listening to was my own. MYL pushed me to start believing in myself. 

Any fun hobbies?

Music. Car rides with music. Finding new breakfast spots with music. Working out with music. Eat burgers (no hotdogs, ever again) with music. Anything with music.

If you are a Maine Youth Leadership alum and you’d like to share your story, please email Maria NeCastro at mariatnecastro@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading!

[Published online: 7/25/2021]