After earning a B.A. in broadcasting and a K-8 teaching degree, Heidi Nolan imagined a future as a radio announcer or elementary school teacher. Living in Alaska in the late 1980s, she found employment with the U.S. Army’s Basic Skills Education Program helping service members improve academic skills in reading and math—and so began the segue into the adult education teaching world. Returning, years later, to her native Maine roots, Heidi found great joy working with adults pursuing alternative ways to complete high school and transition to college. Fourteen years in this field solidified her belief in the power of adult education as a system and encouraged her to take a leap into the administration side of it. When not actively working and advocating for adult education, MCST Adult Education Director Heidi Nolan can be found pedaling her road bike or driving her convertible, enjoying the splendor of the Midcoast’s back roads.
Adult Education Program Assistant Shlomit Auciello refused to learn typing in high school to avoid ever being a clerical worker. Life had other plans and she has spent the last 50 years or so in a variety of positions that called on her to put words on the page. An avid reader of fiction, Shlomit writes “Letter from Away” for the Courier-Gazette and medium.com, and finds tranquility in cooking, singing, and Buddhist meditation. Her superpower is washing dishes.
Brianne Chirigotis is the evening Adult Education Site Assistant. She joined the Mid-Coast School of Technology in spring 2022. Brianne has first-hand experience as a student of the adult education system, earning her HiSET diploma from the state of Tennessee, after being homeschooled throughout her childhood. As an undergrad, at Chattanooga State Community College, she studied Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Brianne has a second job installing electronics displays at retail stores. Brianne is very technology focused and uses these skills to assist in the setup of equipment needed for lectures. She also uses her experience in customer service to communicate with teachers and students to meet their needs and address any issues that may arise to aid in a better classroom experience.