Maine DOE Team member Dwight Littlefield is being highlighted this week in the Get to know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Dwight in the question and answer below.
What are your roles with DOE?
I am the State Director for Career and Technical Education (CTE).
What do you like best about your job?
It’s rewarding to know that we are providing students in CTE with skills that will help them for a lifetime. Many of the students will take those skills and go on to very successful careers where they will be contributing members of their communities. It’s nice to know that you are having an impact on the next generation.
How or why did you decide on this career?
It was a passing comment that my industrial arts teacher from high school, Bill Freudenberger, made to me at basketball camp the summer after I graduated from high school. I was off to UMFK to major in criminal justice with a goal of being a Maine State Trooper. He walked by me one day after running a drill together and he said, “Have you ever thought about being a teacher?” Of course, I immediately responded, “No, not interested.” However, as I went off to college and began to work with young people through coaching and volunteering, I really enjoyed the interactions I was having. It was always such a rewarding experience every time I spoke with students. I then began to think about all the incredible teachers that I had at Hartland Consolidated School, Hartland Jr. High and Nokomis Regional High and I realized that I, too, could have that same impact. Therefore, I transferred to UMPI and changed my major to Health Education. My journey in education started in 1990 and has taken me to some great places and it continues to do so today.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
Traveling and spending time with my family. My wife, Kristie, and I have had the privilege of following our daughters, Autumn and Addison, as they pursue their passions — Autumn to Boston College where she plays field hockey and Addison to Lawrence University Conservatory of Music where she is an aspiring opera singer.