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Photo by Heather O’Brien ’17
Photo by Heather O’Brien ’17

Written by Stephanie Krasco ‘15

Maria Niitepold left Keene State after her sophomore year in search of a big city experience. A French, Spanish, and secondary education triple-major, Niitepold headed north to Toronto to continue her language studies. A year later, she returned to the College, ready to delve into a new field and much more appreciate of the small-city atmosphere of Keene.

Niitepold is far from your typical student. The 24-year-old is originally from Estonia, and moved to the United States when she was just three. At eight, she became fluent in English, and also began learning Spanish at Wells Memorial School in Harrisville, the small town near Keene where she grew up. As a girl, she studied Japanese, German, and Latin, and became fluent in Spanish and French.

Following the loss of her stepfather and after graduating from high school, Niitepold enlisted in the Marines after scoring a 96 out of 99 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test. Due to an injury, she left the Marines after serving almost six months and returned to New Hampshire.

Back in her home state, Niitepold worked various jobs before applying to Keene State. She spent two years at the College before heading off for a new adventure in Toronto, where she lived with her great-uncle and enrolled at the University of Toronto.

“I wanted to travel and learn as many languages as possible,” she says. Niitepold went on to study Estonian, Arabic, Russian, and German at the university. During her time in Canada, she met Carliegh, her now fiancée, and the two bonded over a passion for fitness. That made her rethink her major.

After a year up north, Niitepold says, “I decided University of Toronto wasn’t where I wanted to finish my education.” She longed for the comforts of New Hampshire, the charms of Keene, and the accessible, friendly campus at Keene State.

She’d decided to drop her formal language studies—though she hopes to continue to use those skills in the future—and aim for a career revolving around exercise and physical activity.

Fortunately, Keene State offered exactly the classes she needed for an exercise science major.

She and her fiancée moved back to New Hampshire, where Niitepold is again enrolled at Keene State, lives off campus, works three jobs, and hopes to one day become a personal trainer.

“I’m the type of person where if I’m doing something, I want to do it right, I want to do it thoroughly, and I want to know what I’m talking about,” she says.

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