Senator Collins Congratulates Husson Graduate Who Overcame Homelessness

Click HERE for a high-resolution photo of Senator Collins and Adais Viruet-Torres at the 2019 Husson Commencement

Click HERE for a high-resolution photo of Senator Collins and Adais Viruet-Torres in 2008

Click HERE to watch Adais Viruet-Torres' interview with WABI

Bangor, ME—U.S. Senator Susan Collins congratulated Adais Viruet-Torres on earning a nursing degree with honors from Husson University.  Ms. Viruet-Torres, who previously experienced homelessness and graduated from Loring Job Corps Center in Limestone, Maine, plans to serve as a critical care unit nurse.  Senator Collins first met Ms. Viruet-Torres in 2008 in Washington, D.C., while she was enrolled in Job Corps.

“I am so proud of Adais for overcoming adversity to achieve her dream of providing compassionate, skilled nursing care,” said Senator Collins.  “I first met Adais when she was a Job Corps student in Limestone, and it is incredible to see how her perseverance in pursuing an education has transformed her life and will allow her to give back to others.  Adais is truly an inspiration, and I wish her all the best.  A bright future lies ahead for her and her three sons.”

Ms. Viruet-Torres is a mother of three boys who is passionate about continuing into medicine and specializing in critical care.  She was admitted to the University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University, but she was unable to attend due to homelessness.  She later learned about Job Corps and enrolled.

Senator Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Education Committee, has long been a supporter of Job Corps, which provides youth from disadvantaged backgrounds with hands-on career technical training in high-growth industries.  Maine’s two Job Corps Centers—Loring Job Corps Center and Penobscot Job Corps Center—rank among the very best in the nation.