Office and People Directory

Cynthia Alers-Rodriguez

Internships

Student Teacher at Champlain Elementary School, Kid Logic Learning Center, Ascension Childcare Inc, Jericho Elementary School

Favorite Class

Infant/Toddler Seminar & Practicum

Can you tell us about one of your internships?

In Champlain Elementary School in Burlington, I was a student-teacher! I was in the classroom twice a week helping the teacher, practicing teaching lessons, and running activities for students who were in kindergarten. Champlain Elementary School was actually my first ever placement. I was able to practice assessing students in reading and math. I learned about behavior management. I even got to be the substitute in the classroom and got paid for doing so. Lastly, I got to build great relationships with students and my amazing mentor teacher, Katie Paige!

How did your classroom work prepare you for your internship experiences?

I believe that Champlain really prepared me for not only my internship but my entire career. With each assignment and project, I was able to build on skills that are important to have in a classroom. I feel like Champlain College’s Education program is the best anywhere! I am extremely satisfied with how much hands-on learning I have done, how much incredible work I have done and will do in the future, the mentor-teachers that I had the pleasure of working with and learning from, and lastly the feeling of being highly qualified to work in a classroom.

What is your favorite class you’ve taken at Champlain?

Overall, I have loved all my classes in Core and my Ed major! If I had to pick one, I think it would be the Infant & Toddler class I took in 2019 with Kathy Apgar. I was actually expecting when I attended the course, which was pretty ironic. What made it special was being able to play with infants. I love children, and that is why I chose to go into the field of education, but I also love babies! It was also very special because during exam week, my classmates and professors decided to give me a baby shower! It is something I definitely hold deep in my heart and will never, ever forget!

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Andrew Connell

Focus

Secondary (High School)

Specialization

Social Studies

Internship

Student Teacher at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, VT

What do you like best about your major?

The best part of my program is the people I get to work with. The professors in the major are some of the most amazing people I have met. A benefit of having small class sizes is that we really get to know each other. Plus, the professors are all extremely knowledgeable in their fields. Every professor I’ve had has some major accomplishments under their belts. Many of my professors have had books or scholarly articles published.

Have you gotten any experience in the classroom?

The fall semester of my first year I got to help out in a classroom, which is rare for education majors at other schools. I have also interned at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, VT. Twice a week, another student and I went into a classroom for one period, helped out with the lesson, and worked one-on-one with students. It was a great opportunity to actually work in a school. We got useful, hands-on practice and learned more about working with students. Since my first year, I have been taking notes, observing professionals, and learning about what I can incorporate into my own classroom.

How has Champlain prepared you for the professional world?

After graduation, I would like to get a job teaching in a high school. Then I plan to begin looking into graduate schools and getting my master’s degree.

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Jayy Covert

Favorite Class

Abnormal Psychology

What made you choose your major?

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.

What do you like about your program?

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.”

What projects have you worked on in classes that you’ve found particularly rewarding?

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.

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Emily Emery

Concentration

Social Studies

Internship

Leahy Center for Digital Investigation, Burlington VT

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The Upside-Down curriculum allowed me to find what I am passionate about. I started in Cybersecurity and Computer Networking and was able to take classes in that major which showed me that it was not the path I would like to go down. The teachers and classes were amazing, but it wasn’t something that I felt passionate about. Since everyone takes major-specific classes, I was able to talk to friends and my advisor to determine what might be a better path. When I switched majors, I was better able to specify exactly what I was interested in because I got to take classes in that major right away.

What’s the best thing about living on campus?

My favorite part about living on campus are the communities you make. Most of the best friends I’ve made at Champlain came from my first year in Pearl Hall. A couple of friends have been added through the years, but my experience in my first-year hall will always be some of the best times that I have had at college.

What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain for college?

Keep an open mind! You may think you know exactly what you want to do in the future, and then you’ll come to Champlain and see all of the different opportunities that interest you. Take people up on those opportunities. Who knows, you might find something that you are exceptionally passionate about!

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Dy’mon Guthrie

Internship

Student Teacher at Rick Marcotte Central School in South Burlington, VT

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Dymon Guthrie

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Billy Hughes

Piece of advice to students?

Find core professors you like and enroll in all of their courses.

What's your favorite book, movie or podcast?

Movie: Lupin III: the Castle of Cagliostro

Inspirational Quote?

“In a rich man’s house the only place to spit is his face” – Diogenes

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Allie Pashby-Rockwood

Internship

After School Program at Rick Marcotte Elementary School, Preschool Field Placement at Trinity Children’s Center, Primary Field Placement at Orchard Elementary, and HOPEWORKS Internship

What projects have you worked on in classes that you’ve found particularly rewarding/useful?

I have been able to complete a child profile where I was able to observe a real life student in my placement over a semester. I was able to see his developmental and academic progress throughout the year and it taught me a lot about what to expect for when I am in the field.

In what ways do you think your internship experience will give you a competitive advantage when it comes to getting a job in your field after graduation?

I interned at several places while attending Champlain, including an After School Program at Rick Marcotte Elementary School, a Preschool Field Placement at Trinity Children’s Center, a Primary Field Placement at Orchard Elementary, and at HOPEWORKS. I have been able to work with a diverse group of students in the local community which has given me opportunities to learn a wide range of skills when it comes to teaching. I also have been able to network in my community as a —- to help me have a job after I graduate.

What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain for college?

My advice for students thinking about coming to Champlain College is to be open to new experiences. Champlain College has so much to offer and there is something for everyone. My advice is to have a second of bravery and put yourself out there; meet new people, join clubs, get involved with events on campus. That one second of bravery just might change your life, as it did mine.

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Asiah Quattlebaum

How did the CARE program help you in your first year?

The CARE program has been something I loved being a part of during my first semester at Champlain. This program has helped me identify my strengths and has helped me make connections with so many faculty members and staff on campus. I am super grateful to be a part of this!
This program has helped me navigate my first year of college and has helped me get through it. Monica and Miranda are genuinely incredible and are always willing to help you in any capacity.

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Angela Richard

pronouns

She/Her/Hers

Internship

Student Communications Liaison, Office of the President at Champlain College (Burlington, VT); Intern at Kid Logic Learning (South Burlington, VT); Intern at Allen Brook School (Williston, VT)

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The Upside-Down Curriculum has been extremely beneficial to my learning. I love hands-on experiences, and I started working in my field on day three of being at Champlain College. Not only were hands-on, major-specific experiences available to me as a first-year student, but they also encouraged and pushed for me and my peers to take advantage of and pursue. This attitude towards real-world experience has shifted my own perspective on what higher education specifically should look like, and I’m so grateful to Champlain for opening my eyes to this possibility.

In what ways do you think your internship experience will give you a competitive advantage when it comes to getting a job in your field after graduation?

My internship in the President’s Office [as Student Communications Liaison] is the first of Division of Information Technology & Sciences kind. I came to the administration with my idea, pitched it, researched it, and made sure it was actualized. Working with the administration in this way has given me an in-depth understanding of the complexities of working in higher education, a knowledge base I had not previously accessed. This experience will aid me in future advocacy and communications work, which I will employ everywhere I go.

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

Champlain has made me a better person. Not just a learner or professional, but a person. The qualities I’ve developed inside and outside of the classroom while attending Champlain apply to all aspects of my life and have truly shaped my being. I feel ready to tackle new challenges and immerse myself even more in my field of education.

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