Student Experiences

I came into Champlain as a Psychology major, but in my second year I decided that I wanted to add a double major in Education. I started with a class in Elementary Education, but then realized that Secondary Education was a better fit for me. I grew up with depression and anxiety and tried to seek help, but found the mental health system lacking qualified therapists and support for queer and trans youth in particular. I wanted to dedicate my life to providing the support that I knew I needed, but never received, so no one else would have to suffer. But on the other hand, I've always felt drawn to the world of education. In high school, I helped out at our embedded preschool program, designing lessons for three and four-year-olds. I hold my elementary school teachers as the basis for the strong support I had growing up and the desire to always keep learning more. I couldn't decide on just one major or one career path, so I chose to study both because I feel they're deeply interconnected fields that often get separated into singular specialties.

Both the Psychology and Education programs are held in the EHS Division, and we're like a big family. We connect with different majors all the time in our classes; I have friends from basically every major in EHS. Being two of the smallest majors also means we have the chance to really work with our professors in their fields of expertise on projects that we feel inspired by. I also love that EHS students take Service Learning classes as part of our curriculum so that we can engage in meaningful work for the local community. Our motto sums us up the best: "We do good work."

I took a Core class called Interdisciplinary Project Studio, which is a course where students can pitch their own project ideas on any topic they want to focus on throughout the semester. I  worked on developing a unit plan to teach 9th grade students about the modern history of the Korean peninsula. This not only gave me the chance to add something to my portfolio when I go into the field looking for a job as a teacher, but also allowed me to explore my own heritage and culture more deeply in a project that is both relevant and meaningful.

I am a Social Impact Scholar, which has been an incredible experience. We recently went on a Vermont Business trip to learn about local and sustainable businesses. I also had the opportunity to be a part of the Let Us Discuss event on campus and model inclusive communication on a variety of topics. Social Impact Scholars helps my voice be heard on campus and build meaningful connections with professionals in the Champlain and Burlington communities.

The Career Collaborative and Insight program have taught me so many valuable skills, like managing credit cards and how to negotiate my salary. Inside the classroom, the emphasis since day one has been on becoming a professional, and the professors see and you treat you as such.

The Core has made me aware of all the ways that disciplines work together. It is so unique to collaborate with Game Programming majors or Accounting majors on topics like globalization or gender. Having voices from all majors makes discussions unpredictable and unique.

The most surprising thing I have found at Champlain is how easy it is to start a new club. When I was a first-year, I began an a capella group called The Burlingtones. After gauging student interest, filling out the required forms, and getting a faculty advisor, I was able to continue my passion for a capella and singing very quickly. You can create a club for anything, really.

At Capgemini, I was a member of the Learning and Development Team in the Human Resources department. I designed and hosted English Corners, where I presented PowerPoint presentations about various topics that could benefit coworkers. I helped colleagues enrich their English proficiency through these workshops, as well as through small group sessions with executives. I had the opportunity to display and enhance my creativity, communication skills, and leaderships skills through these initiatives. 

At the Migrant Access Programme, I was an assistant to the various teachers at the non-profit school. I assisted teachers with academic classes and helped students acclimate to Irish culture. I worked with refugees and asylum seekers from Africa, Latin America, and Europe to help them adjust to changes and challenges after immigrating to Ireland. I was able to work with students from unique cultural backgrounds and enhanced my leadership and interpersonal communication skills through group conversations and presentations. At the Salvation Army, I was an intern who mainly worked with teenagers during teen nights. I supervised and engaged teenagers in education and community enrichment programs like talking about bias and diversity. I got the opportunity to work with individuals I might be interested in working with in my future professional career, and was a positive role model to the teens.   

I perform at The Grind every Tuesday. I either choose to sing, beatbox, or read a piece of literature in an open mic setting. I enjoy how the atmosphere is very welcoming and nonjudgmental. Anyone can perform whatever they wish to perform.. It is great to be able to sing and to listen to the talent of others. 

I love it. I love that it's a very small, tight-knit group of people. We have our group chats, and we're always looking out for each other. If one of us isn't in class, we're on it, making sure they're OK. It's because we're Social Workers; we're built to do that.

Oh, 100%. What stuck out to me when I took my first tour at Champlain was that it doesn't believe in standardized testing. As someone with two learning disabilities, I don't learn very well through text and reading. And, it was incredible that during the second semester of my first year, I was able to start volunteering at the YMCA, and now I have a job there. At a traditional school, with a traditional curriculum, I wouldn't be doing that until my junior year.

I was in a class called Bodies: Radical Awakening with Faith Yacubian. I just love Faith. She makes sure that everyone gets what they need. The class was based off that, about radically understanding your body. She told us in class, "If your body is telling you that you need to get up and that you need to do something, you need to listen to it." It was really interesting to learn how to listen to what your body needs.