Profile: Lorie Donahue

A Mentor and Friend to Many

by Desiree Leader | Staff Writer

Lorie Donahue, a retiring English Professor at Mount Wachusett Community College, has been teaching at MWCC since 1989. Although she got her master’s degree from Boston College, her educational journey actually began right here at the Mount.

One colleague, Professor Michelle Valois has worked alongside Donahue for 22 years. Valois mentioned that with her history of the school as both a student and a professor, Donahue “holds an abundance of institutional knowledge” that goes beyond her subject matter. “She has a lot to share with her students,” she said.

Donahue said, “I loved being part of the community college…you just sort of know how important the college is to the local area.” She loves that at the Mount, everyone just wants you to succeed. It is that supportive atmosphere that made her want to return here to teach at the college level.

Ironically, when Donahue started her college career, she planned on taking biology courses, but because they were filled, she enrolled in an Irish poetry class and fell in love with literature. It is that love for literature that she brings to her students. One of her passions is teaching children’s literature, a course she developed at the Mount. According to Professor Kara Roche, “She was known as the guru of children’s literature.” The class is part of the curriculum for the early childhood education program, and Donahue stated that “Working with future teachers is very exciting” and she added that she loved teaching with picture books, where you “have to learn to read the art.”

Since the onset of her career at the Mount, Donahue has seen many changes, notably more collaboration and camaraderie, as well as interconnection between departments. She believes that much of this grew out of a team-teaching model which allowed the departments to work together to create the best experience for their students.

Donahue is a professor who manages to get the best from her students. According to Professor Roche, “Lorie’s preparations of our…students is unmatched. She is a dedicated professor.” She added, “I instantly know when I have one of Donahue’s students in my ENG 102 class. They are so prepared.”

This sentiment is echoed by a former student of Donahue’s, Princess Yeboah, who admitted that while Donahue’s classes can be challenging, she felt that she was being prepared for the real world, to work hard to achieve her goals. She also said that she learned so much from Donahue. According to Professor Valois, “The students who have her are so fortunate,” and she can tell which ones truly appreciate her because they are “the best students.”

Students aren’t the only ones who have learned from Professor Donahue. Kara Roche explained that she has “learned so much from her about integrity, grace, and work ethic…I will carry those lessons for a lifetime, in and outside of the classroom.”

Donahue reflected on her retirement, explaining that the work/life balance can be hard, and that there are so many things that she would like to do, such as taking classes, spending time with her nieces and nephews, hiking with her husband, maybe doing some volunteer work. As she stated, “If not now, when?”

Donahue hopes that her students will leave her classroom with a ‘wider perception of the opportunities available to them.” One of her favorite things about teaching is being able to spend time with incredibly talented and wonderful students, some of which continue on to schools like Smith and M.I.T. “I got to hang out with them through their journey,” she enthused. She will mostly miss the students that teach her new things.

She acknowledged that one of the greatest blessings is her colleagues, emphasizing her appreciation of “all of these great people that I got to work with, who keep you going and you draw strength from.” Donahue will be missed by students and professors alike. According to Michelle Valois, “she’s just a deeply, deeply caring person, and we’ll miss her greatly.” Kara Roche extolled, ”I’m proud to call Lorie my friend, and I know, everyone else in the department feels the same. She’s earned her retirement, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her!”