PORTLAND — After graduating from Lewiston High School in 2002, Amanda Pleau tried art school for a year. She tried life in Vermont. She moved to Maine’s largest city, Portland, then later, while there, put her mind to finishing her degree.

Pleau graduates Saturday from the University of Southern Maine with a bachelor’s in media studies and a full-time job with Tom’s of Maine.

She scrapped her original plans to skip commencement. After a professor encouraged Pleau to submit a speech, she was selected from a pool of dozens as the college’s student commencement speaker.

She plans to share, “How I felt like I really, in some ways, grew up at USM the last few years,” Pleau said, ending on a “think positive” note.

Pleau is the first person in her family to earn a four-year degree. Her parents are Tina Pleau of Lewiston and Arthur Pleau Jr. of Auburn.

Pleau, 28, said she’s been too busy to get struck by nerves at the thought of addressing the Cumberland County Civic Center crowd. That might hit the night before.

She started at Tom’s of Maine, as a citizen advocacy representative, working with customers and the marketing department on Monday.

“I’m excited and relieved that I don’t have to take my resume and start going door to door,” she said.

After attending Montserrat College of Art and Central Maine Community College several years ago, she studied at USM full-time for the last three years. She’s been a volunteer at Dress for Success and a student newspaper columnist. She’s also a board member of the Community Television Network.

With her new commute to Sanford, she’s getting used to driving again after a seven year break.

“You can turn the radio up as loud as you want — you can’t do that standing at the bus stop,” Pleau said. “Honestly, my life is going to be 100 percent completely different a month from now.”

She’s fitting a move in soon, too.

The graduation ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and runs until noon. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe is giving the commencement address.

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