Feature Friday: Michael Furtado ’23

The Honors College’s Feature Friday series highlights an Honors student every Friday and shares a little bit about their experiences in Honors and at the University of Maine. Our feature this week is on Michael Furtado.

Michael is a second-year mechanical engineering major from Coventry, Rhode Island.

Michael appreciates the opportunities for self-growth and reflection in Honors courses. He said, “In learning about the human experience through the Civilizations Sequence, I almost feel like I’m learning more about myself than anything else.”

Similarly, Michael noted Lao Tzu’s Tao te Ching as his favorite Honors Civilizations text. “The things I learned from that book have affected me in a profoundly positive way. It changed my whole outlook on life,” said Michael.

Michael’s favorite thing about UMaine is its environment. “I love the sense of community, especially in these hard times. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t be handling the pandemic nearly as well as I am if I wasn’t at UMaine.”

As for what he likes to do outside of academics, Michael described his adaptations and interests in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although the pandemic has put a damper on some of my plans for the semester, I feel as though it’s challenged me to be more creative in the ways I keep myself busy. I’ve been meditating, spending time in nature hiking trails, and occasionally going for long, late-night drives to clear my mind. I think it’s more important now than ever to maintain good mental health, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on whenever I can.”