Student

Braeden Parenteau

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Computer Networking & Cybersecurity Degree
Class	2023
Pronouns	He/They

Piece of advice to students?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors and classmates! They can be some of the best personal and professional connections you make.

What's your favorite book, movie or podcast?

Book: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Inspirational Quote?

“If I wait for someone else to validate my existence, it will mean that I’m shortchanging myself.” – Zanele Muholi

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Anthony Pascone

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Game Programming Degree
Class	2020
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	New York
Study Abroad	Montreal, Canada

Internships

Programmer for Champlain College Emerging Media Center in Burlington, VT

What is the best part about the Game Studio?

Champlain’s Game Studio does such an amazing job of giving students opportunities and connections within the game industry. Because game studios visit campus almost every month, I was able to secure a job at Infinity Ward three months before graduation.

Did you get the chance to study abroad?

I studied abroad in Montreal during the spring semester of my junior year. The experience was amazing and helped me become more independent. I also had the chance to participate in the Ubisoft Gamelab Competition as part of my Production II class. Our game ended up being nominated for four awards, and we all made a lot of connections within Ubisoft.

Have you had any memorable Core experiences?

I went on one of the Core travel courses. You can go to so many unique places, and the one I chose brought my class to Zanzibar in Tanzania for two whole weeks. I learned so much about Zanzibar’s art, culture, religions, and people. It was definitely my favorite Core experience.

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Allie Pashby-Rockwood

Class	2022
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Vermont

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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Minerva Paulino

Programs	Education Degree
Class	2024
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	New York

How has the Pathways Scholarship/CARE program supported your journey at Champlain?

Apart from the Pathways Scholarship being a huge monetary help for me to afford a great private college education, it has also provided me with a mentor who guided me through my first year. This mentor would help me with anything related to college, like getting a book advance or an angel fund to buy books, or setting me up with tutors from the Smart Space to help me with assignments.
[My mentor was] also someone that I could just talk to about issues not relating to school that could affect my performance, or just my mental health in general. I think of this mentor as my close friend, my guidance, and almost therapist all together. I can’t imagine having survived my first year without her support. This mentor connected me with some other amazing staff and faculty that I still keep in touch with today. I became close with staff from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion as well as many other resources on campus that I wouldn’t have gotten in contact with if it weren’t for my mentor pushing me to be involved in my community as much as I could.
At the end of the year, when I was applying for my leadership positions on campus, my mentor was able to write recommendation letters for me that gave a very accurate insight to who I was because she knew me so well. With her help, and that of other faculty I had connections with because of the CARE program, I was accepted in all three leadership positions that I applied for.
Although I don’t have my weekly meetings with my mentor anymore, she gave me the confidence to advocate for myself and know my way in and out of Champlain. If I ever need her again, I know that I can always count on her and she’ll be more than glad to help as well. I can’t express enough how the Pathways Scholarship and CARE program have helped me in college and I’m very grateful for it.

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Maggie Peach

Programs	Game Programming Degree
Class	2030
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers

Why do you want to be a tutor?

I find it really fun and engaging to help people grow.

Advice to Champlain Student?

The best place for you to be is somewhere you can be your true self.

Fun Fact

I took fencing lessons for 2 years.

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Aidan Pearl

Class	2025
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	New Hampshire

How did you apply to Champlain?

Regular Decision

Why I Chose Champlain

The housing was the most unique out of all the school I applied to!

Ideal Weekend in Burlington

Sitting by the water eating chocolate

Clubs & Student Involvement

• Lead Resident Advisor
• Student Government President

Favorite Champlain Memory

Axe throwing freshman year

One piece of advice for students going through the college search process

Meet the faculty for your program and pick the ones that match the best with you!

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Eliana Perez

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Game Programming Degree
Class	2021
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	New York
Study Abroad	Tokyo, Japan

Favorite Class

Core: Heroines & Heroes

What has been the most surprising thing about Champlain so far?

The most surprising thing about Champlain so far is how understanding the professors are. Because of our school’s size, I expected them to be less distant than they would be at a larger university, but the professors at Champlain really go above and beyond. They treat their students like people, and they’re forgiving when life gets messy. They will stick their necks out for students to succeed.

Have you had the chance to study abroad?

I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan. It was incredible. The college culture in Japan is so different from college culture in the United States. Even though I was nervous about speaking Japanese, being immersed in the language really helped me develop that skill.

How has Champlain prepared you for your industry?

The Game Production classes have shaped me into a good team member. Being on a ten-person team is much easier said than done, so my communication skills have really grown since coming to college.

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Duncan Persons

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Class	2019
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	New York
Study Abroad	Dublin, Ireland

Specialization

Media Production

Internship

Brand Specialist Intern at Champlain College in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Social Media & Student Communications Specialist at the University of Maine at Augusta

What do you like most about your Communication major?

I’m a Communication major, specializing in Media Production with a minor in Public Relations. Communication has been great because you can explore so many different classes—from PR to Video Storytelling to Graphic Design—and that has really helped me set a solid foundation of concrete, interdisciplinary ideas and strategies that aid me in the working world. I have a lot of interests: I love media production and graphic design, and I love event management. I have those skill sets, so when it’s needed at my job, I can say, “I can totally help you with that.”

How have the Champlain faculty helped to support you over the past four years?

All of my professors at Champlain have been so supportive. Nancy Kerr, my advisor, has been my rock. She is by far the best Faculty Advisor I could ever ask for. Not only does she really care about her students, but she also knows how to get the job done. She knows the curriculum inside and out. She knows who her students are, who her advisees are, what they like, and what they don’t like. Nancy and my other professors have been great resources.

How has the Core added to your major classes?

The Core curriculum has been really helpful because it helps me meet people outside of my major. It was awesome to meet people from a wide range of majors—from Psychology to Secondary Education to Digital Forensics, Law, and all of the Business majors.
Also, the fact that our Core curriculum is very discussion-based is really amazing. I learned so much, perspective-wise, on what it’s like to come from different parts of the country, what white privilege is, the ins and outs of LGBT awareness, and more. The Core curriculum does a really good job at tackling issues and bringing awareness to students.

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Danni Petrilak

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Creative Media Degree
Class	2022
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Pennsylvania

Specializations

Creative Writing, Game Media, and Moving Image

Favorite Class

Intermediate Creative Writing

What do you like about your major?

I like the flexibility of Creative Media. With a focus and two complementary sections, I really get a taste for every possible artistic class offered on campus. My creative writing classes have been my favorite, since creative writing is what I enjoy the most. Jim Ellefson is my favorite professor, and I would recommend taking Jim’s classes for anyone who likes creative writing. He helped so much with the process of editing and publications and even pushed me to submit my work and eventually get published my second year.

How has Core impacted your education?

Core has opened my eyes to a number of things about myself, the community, and the world. My favorite experience was when my second year scientific revelations class, focused on the X-Files, created a research project focused on paranormal activity around Vermont. My group got the opportunity to travel to Norwich University and interview the Paranormal Society. We listened to audio, video, and picture files from their investigations around the northeast.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I ski, play on the CCE Esports team for Rainbow 6, and am involved with Willard & Maple, Champlain’s student-run literary magazine.

View Samples of My Work 

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Zach Phillips

Programs	Game Design Degree
Class	2020
Home State	Pennsylvania
Study Abroad	Montreal (fall semester)

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Andersen Pinckney

Faculty Member	Game Art Degree  Game Design Degree  Game Production Management Degree  Game Programming Degree
School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Game Design Degree
Class	2020
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Game Development Game Production
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	Vermont
Study Abroad	Champlain College Montreal

Biography

Andersen is a Game Design graduate from Champlain College’s class of 2020. He has worked as an aerospace software engineer for Saber Astronautics, a project manager for the DoD, and in production for Rockstar Games. He has been an adjunct professor for Champlain College since Fall 2021.

Favorite Quote

“Shake and bake, baby!”

–Ricky Bobby

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Emily Platz

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Computer Networking & Cybersecurity Degree
Class	2020
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Pennsylvania
Study Abroad	Dublin, Ireland

Specialization

IT Systems & Infrastructure

Service Learning Trip

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Internship

Systems Engineering Intern at Palo Alto Networks in Santa Clara, CA

Post-Grad Job

Associate Systems Engineer at Palo Alto Networks in Santa Clara, CA

Can you talk about Womxn in Technology at Champlain?

I started attending the Womxn in Tech club in my first couple of weeks here at Champlain, and it was a really welcoming community. I wanted to grow that community, and I think we’ve done that. There’s a big gender gap in the tech field, and I want to improve that by reaching out to younger people and making the community more welcoming to women, people of color, and non-binary folks. We’ve increased attendance and are getting more women and young girls involved in Cybersecurity, which is really important to me.

You’re involved with Techdren, right?

I’m part of the technical team for Techdren, a nonprofit started by Champlain students a few years ago that is centered around empowering women and giving students access to technology around the world. I’ve been helping to repair laptops we’ve received through donations, and installing educational software that tailors to whatever community we’re giving them to. This past January, I went on a trip to Zanzibar to deliver the laptops to schools and teach the students and teachers how to use them. It was a great and humbling experience, getting to see first-hand how technology can impact their lives and hopefully their future career prospects.

What off-campus internships have you had?

For my first internship, I worked at a pharmaceutical company as a technical intern, which was a really great experience. At the end of my sophomore year, I already had two years of major-related classes under my belt, which is not the case for a lot of other schools. After that, I interned at a cybersecurity company in California doing work on their firewalls. That actually turned into a full time position, so I’ll be working there as an Associate Systems Engineer after graduation.

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Riley Plourde

Programs	Game Design Degree
Class	2026
Pronouns	He/Him/His

Why do you want to be a tutor?

Admittedly I was looking for a job, but I also wanted to connect with people and share my knowledge in a meaningful way.

Advice to Champlain Student?

Try your best to be passionate about whatever you do: it leads to your creations sparking good feelings in you and around you.

Fun fact

While I was working at a drive-in movie theater this past summer, a turkey flew right through one of the screens.

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Cecilia Pohlar

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Class	2021
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Indiana

Internships

Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity in Burlington, VT; Vermont Mutual Insurance Group in Berlin, VT; and Department of Defense in Charleston, SC

Favorite Class

Malware Analysis

Post-Grad Job

Department of Defense in a Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity

What do you like about your program?

The biggest thing I love about my program is the candid relationship we all have with each other. Professors don’t hold back in telling you when you haven’t done good work, but they also take every opportunity to congratulate and build you up when you do well. My classmates and I all cheer each other on so much when we get that job we wanted or get to speak at a big conference. I think that family aspect is something a lot of other schools miss out on.

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

The open-ended projects I’ve worked on in my Digital Forensics classes have been the most beneficial to me. Professors will often give us full investigations to perform, which have increased in difficulty throughout the years. They hand us an image of a system and tell us to figure out what’s there and write a report on it. They don’t hold your hand through it. This is what real life will look like for us as Digital Forensics Analysts, and I’m so thankful I’ve already had so much experience with it just at Champlain.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I will be moving to South Carolina to work with the Department of Defense in a Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity position. I actually received the offer for this position as part of the Department of Defense Cybersecurity scholarship program at the end of my sophomore year, so I’ve known my after-graduation plans for almost two years now.Champlain is one of a limited number of colleges and universities across the US which offer this scholarship to students in our field. I’m beyond thankful to have been chosen for this scholarship along with a few of my classmates, and am really looking forward to starting my career in federal service.

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Maggie Pono

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Game Design Degree
Class	2023
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers

Piece of advice to students?

You won’t always be able to give 100% to a piece of work but that doesn’t make it bad, it’s just the best you could do at the time and that’s okay.

What's your favorite book, movie or podcast?

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Inspirational Quote?

“If we were all trees there’d be no more wars, because we’d be trees.” – Child in Golden Sun

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