ORONO, Maine -- Meg Caron of Bangor, Maine is the 2025 valedictorian. She is pursuing dual degrees in French and microbiology with a second science major in molecular and cellular biology. Alongside research, volunteer work, campus clubs and cooking competitions, she has been a member of the Field Hockey and Women's Cross Country teams. Caron emphasizes the value of time, striving to spend every minute in the pursuit of happiness. 

Caron participated in science fairs as a middle school student and conducted research projects every year through the Bangor High School STEM Academy. Her intellectual curiosity and desire to contribute to society continued at the University of Maine, where she pursued research as a Maine Top Scholar. In her first year, she received a Center for Undergraduate Research summer fellowship for her project investigating how fungal peptides affect the virulence of C. albicans and presented it with the fluency and confidence of an upper-class student.

As a rising senior, Caron was a summer research fellow at the University of Michigan's Moenter Lab, then returned during her senior year where she now works as a laboratory assistant. She is studying how stress induces suppression of the reproductive axis. In high school, stress in Caron's life led her to developing an eating disorder that, as a result, suppressed her menstrual cycle. Over four years, limited treatment options for the condition encouraged her to pursue her own research. Not only did it fuel her passion for women's health, but it also taught her that perfection doesn't equal happiness. After graduation, she plans to write a book about her experiences and publish it in 2026 after hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Caron's pursuit of science and language education has enabled her to touch others' lives in a meaningful way. She studied abroad in Nimes, France to research co-infections with the support of a Pioneer Award from Phi Kappa Phi, of which she is now the undergraduate student representative on the national board of directors. Her research in Nimes, and later in Montreal through the Killam Fellowships Program, doubled as a linguistic and cultural immersion. Inspired by her family's French Canadian heritage, becoming bilingual was a way for Caron to expand the scope of people with whom she can form relationships. It's the French word "éphémère" that she's realized life to be, thus she has devoted her time to impact others through research, communication and the contagion of joy.

In addition to hiking the Appalachian Trail and finalizing her book, Caron plans to apply to MD-Ph.D. programs after she graduates and specialize in women's reproductive health as a physician and clinical researcher.