Student

Elijah Rubin

School/Division	Robert P. Stiller School of Business
Class	2019
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	New Hampshire
Study Abroad	Dublin, Ireland

Internship

Intern at Redstone Property Management in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Relationship Banker at Mascoma Bank in Burlington, VT

What made you decide to attend Champlain?

I applied Early Decision to Champlain. It’s actually the only school I applied to—I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t gotten in! It has a good business program, and I really liked the small classes sizes. The tight-knit community, the classes Champlain offers, and the Burlington area all make for an overall great college experience.

What do you like most about the Upside-Down Curriculum?

I think for anyone like me who wasn’t sure what they really wanted to do, the Upside-Down Curriculum really helps because you can try things out. Before I decided on Finance, I took a variety of accounting and finance classes because they’re so similar. If I wanted to switch into Accounting or any other business major, I would have been equipped to do so.

How can students get involved on campus?

When I was in high school, I didn’t do a lot of extracurricular activities, so when I got to college I knew I wanted to get involved. I’ve been in CHAMP (Champlain Has Activities and Motivational Programming) since my first week here, and I became an Orientation Leader my senior year. I’ve also been a Resident Assistant, and I play intramural basketball every Tuesday. What I tell every first year is to just do everything, get out there, and try new things. Your college experience is what you make of it, so make the most of it.

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Jan Ruiz

Class	2026
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	Dallas, TX

What are you studying at Champlain?

I’m a Computer Science & Innovation major! 

How did the AHEAD program go for you in your first year?

“The AHEAD program went extremely well for me. I was able to explore not only Champlain, but Burlington too, and able to grasp the new environment I was being thrown into before school started.”

How has the AHEAD program supported your journey at Champlain?

“AHEAD has supported my journey at Champlain by giving me a sense of belonging. The program allowed me to meet other PoC, and create lifelong connections that I might have not made without AHEAD.”

What is the most rewarding part of the AHEAD program?

“The most rewarding part of AHEAD is being able to get comfortable in a new environment before anyone else. You get to do everything first, get into your room first, make friends first, and best of all, take your first step into another world.”

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Jan Ruiz

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Computer Science & Innovation Degree
Class	2026
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	Texas

How did the AHEAD program go for you in your first year?

The AHEAD program went extremely well for me. I was able to explore not only Champlain, but Burlington too, and able to grasp the new environment I was being thrown into before school started.

How has the AHEAD program supported your journey at Champlain?

AHEAD has supported my journey at Champlain by giving me a sense of belonging. The program allowed me to meet other PoC, and create lifelong connections that I might have not without AHEAD.

What is the most rewarding part of the AHEAD program?

The most rewarding part of AHEAD is being able to get comfortable in a new environment before anyone else. You get to do everything first, get into your room first, make friends first, and best of all, take your first step into another world.

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Amalia Russell

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Game Design Degree
Class	2025
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers

Piece of advice to students?

Don’t let stress over school get in the way of taking care of yourself. Take a break to stretch and rest your eyes when you need it.

What's your favorite book, movie or podcast?

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente

Inspirational Quote?

“I have found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf

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Russell

Programs	Game Design Degree  Game Art Degree
Class	2026
Pronouns	Any/All Pronouns

Why do you want to be a tutor?

When I was little I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. That’s not really my goal anymore, but I still really enjoy teaching, especially literature and writing analysis!

Advice to Champlain Student?

Do work in the labs when you can, being around other people in the same/similar major as you can help a lot!

Fun fact

I play the fiddle!

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Liza Ryan

Class	2020
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	New York

Majors

Social Work & Criminal Justice

Travel Course

Jordan

Internship

Burlington Police Department in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Differently Abled

What is the best part of the Social Work program?

Social Work is one of the smallest programs at Champlain, and I love it. The small classes are extremely beneficial because we can go through real-world experiences and ask any questions we have. We are also encouraged to go into the field early and often. My third year, I took a job in the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center doing crisis work, and I already felt prepared at that point.

You have a really unique internship. Can you tell us about that?

I’m interning at the Burlington Police Department for my whole senior year. I have mostly focused on creative narratives for our bi-weekly “substat” meetings where we discuss any incidents we’ve had with individuals involved with substance use or serious mental health challenges. The goal of these meetings is to identify those in our community who need help, and then do outreach to gauge their interest in treatment, but also to let them know we’re here, we care about them, and we want them to succeed. My internship has given me lots of opportunities to see how law enforcement and social work go hand in hand.

What is the best thing about living on campus?

I may be biased because I’m an RA, but the sense of community in the first year residence halls is the best. I’m still friends with people I lived with my first year, and again as an RA of that same hall when I was a junior. I hang out with my residents, and they come cheer me on at hockey games.

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Halima Said

Class	2023
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Vermont

Majors

Social Work

Internship

King Street Center in Burlington, VT

Favorite Classes

Family Violence and Oppression & Empowerment

What classes, projects, subjects, or experiences have been the most meaningful or impactful for you?

My Capstone project has been very meaningful especially because I’ve been doing such great work at the King Street Center. The project has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and because of that I’ve managed to create a girls group for the middle schoolers and it’s been very successful and impactful to the agency.

Tell us about your internship.

My internship was at the King Street Center. I wanted to go back to my roots, since the King Street community is somewhere that I’ve grown up. I used to be in the program when I was younger, up until high school. Since the agency didn’t have a girls group, I took it upon myself to create one. My goal was to create a safe space for girls of color to express themselves and talk about topics they may not feel comfortable talking about in other spaces, specifically when it comes to racial justice, social issues, and much more. The group has made an impact at the center, which was a goal of mine, and I’m glad I’ve created this group.
My classes prepared me for this in many ways. I’d say my facilitation skills have been something that I was working hard on in the classroom and after so much practice, I finally was able to do facilitation with no problem. I now feel like a natural leader because of the work I’ve done in the classroom and with my professors. I believe my experience will definitely give me a competitive advantage especially because in order to be a social worker, you truly have to learn how to work with people in the best way possible and that’s a skill that requires many steps. I’m seeing the results of my hard work coming together.

What advice would you give to a new or incoming Champlain student?

I would tell them to go out of their comfort zone and try new things. I used to be very shy and wouldn’t really go outside of my comfort zone. Champlain has made me become such a confident person that I’ve taken on important leadership roles like becoming president of the Phi Alpha Honor society as well as vice president for Black Student Union. Those are things my high school self couldn’t imagine me doing. The high school version of me would be so proud of my exponential growth and maturity.

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Kalila Sample

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Class	2020
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Vermont
Study Abroad	Florence, Italy

Specialization

Media Production

Internship

Music Intern for the Intervale Center & Communication and Development Intern at the Lund Family Center

What is the Upside-Down Curriculum and how has it helped you?

The Upside-Down Curriculum is the idea that you don’t have to wait to get real world experience, and that when you come into Champlain you’re not just going to be taking a bunch of generalized classes or credit. You’re going to start getting that real world experience right as you come into Champlain. I actually was undeclared Communication for a while. But then when I chose my specialization in my sophomore year, I still felt like I had good classes and credDivision of Information Technology & Sciences under my belt, and I was able to get different internships through my program that taught me a lot about what it’s actually like to be in the real world. I think Champlain does it in such a way that it’s not scary, and you feel very supported. Your professors are really looking out for you to make sure that you’re getting effective internship experiences that apply to your program and what you’re interested in.

Can you tell us about your internships?

I’ve had two internships here at Champlain College. They were actually both working with nonprofit organizations. I had one summer internship, which was with the Intervale Center. I was the ‘Music Intern’ for their Summervale event. So I would help the booking agent, Joe Adler, coordinate all the bands and the musical acts for that summer event that happened weekly. I would create social media content for that event and write blog posts about the artists that were performing. Not only was I involved in the whole setup and event management kind of part of putting on that weekly event, but I was also creating content and utilizing those skills that I’ve learned from my classes to advertise the event and get people to come out.The second internship I’ve had was with Lund Family Center. I was a Communication and Development Intern. My main focus was on creating messaging material that would successfully broadcast the message of what Lund does, and create sort of a larger sense of community awareness around what they were doing and the services they were offering. I would do press releases and research about donors. I created a tour video of one of their facilities. It was like a really kind of holistic experience, and I got to practice a lot of those different skills as well.

What kinds of skills have you gained from your program?

I think the first skill, which I’m coming to realize is going to be really important moving forward, is digital marketing. And within digital marketing, inbound marketing. I think there’s a big drive to move to connecting to a consumer on like a genuine, personal level before you ask them for something. I think that’s an interesting way to think about it. I’m starting to realize that being able to analyze all of that marketing data about consumer traffic and what consumers are actually looking for is something that I’ve appreciated learning more about. I got an inbound marketing certification through my program. Being able to feel comfortable with inbound marketing is a really good addition to what I can bring to the professional world.

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Faye Sanders

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Game Art Degree
Class	2027
Pronouns	Any/All Pronouns

Why do you want to be a tutor?

As a tutor, I hope to gain experience working collaboratively with other people and to be part of a welcoming community for new students

Advice to Champlain Student?

Treat every experience as an opportunity to learn something new.

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Liv Santamauro

Programs	Game Art Degree  Animation Degree
Class	2026
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers

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Emma Santos

Class	2020
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Vermont
Study Abroad	Edinburgh, Scotland and Petra, Jordan

Internship

Intern at Champlain College Prisoner Rights Law Initiative in Burlington, VT

What made you choose Champlain's Law major?

I knew that I wanted to study law and that I was passionate about it, but law as an undergraduate bachelor’s degree does not exist in collegiate institutions as a mainstream degree. Champlain’s Law major is the only one of Division of Information Technology & Sciences kind that I am aware of. We assume in the United States that you’ll wait until law school to study the law, but I didn’t want to wait, and Champlain provided me with that opportunity.

What has your internship experience been like?

I intern at the Champlain College Prisoner Rights Law Initiative, one of the few of Division of Information Technology & Sciences kind at the undergraduate level. One of my professors is the sole legal educator within the prisons of the state of Vermont. Together, we visit prisons across Vermont and teach classes on different legal subjects, including sentencing, probation, and parole. We also attend law library sessions at the different facilities to help inmates conduct legal research. Being able to teach and interact with this population in a positive way has been a dream opportunity.

Did you study abroad?

Twice. During my sophomore year, I took Heroes and Heroines: The Arabian Nights, and as part of the class we traveled to Jordan over spring break. This was my first time on a plane and going to another country. I had the most incredible time visiting ancient Roman ruins, riding camels in the desert, and swimming in the Dead Sea.
Then the summer after my sophomore year, I studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, for two months, during which time I took two classes. I had a wonderful time, filled with exploration and educational experiences that I will always cherish.

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Joe Schabler

Programs	Computer Science & Innovation Degree
Class	2028
Pronouns	He/Him/His

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Kira Schafer

Class	2026
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Vermont

How did you apply to Champlain?

Early Decision

Why I Chose Champlain

Champlain is close to home and Burlington is a beautiful city. Champlain also has smaller class sizes which I learn better in.

Clubs & Student Involvement

Stiller Women in Business

Ideal Weekend in Burlington

If I’m feeling energetic, shopping and to dinner somewhere on Church Street, getting ice cream and watching the sunset over Lake Champlain. Otherwise just relaxing with my friends outside before it snows!

Favorite Champlain Memory

In my first accounting class I didn’t know anybody so I usually sat alone. One day a girl brought in her service dog and I sat next to her and her friends to talk about her dog. They’re still my friends and have really helped me get adjusted to Champlain.

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

Choose a college based on what is right for you. It doesn’t matter what other people are doing, focus on what is best for you and your future!

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Tristan Schonfeldt-Aultman

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

Why do you want to be a tutor?

I found that I would already often help out fellow students with schoolwork, so I thought it would be great to become an actual tutor. I believe it also helps me refine my skills as well, so it’s really a win-win.

Advice to Champlain Student?

It’s a good practice to seek advice from others sometimes, whether that be for assignments, resume help, or just general advice. Since one of the benefits of college is getting to study with others (as well as having access to student services that help with these exact things), why not broaden your perspective and build you knowledge with the help of your student peers and faculty if you are stuck or curious about something? It’s usually pretty helpful!

Fun Fact

Besides locking myself in my little programming dungeon for long periods of time, I also really like going outside and doing things like mountain biking. I once did an 82 mile ride up one of the tallest mountains in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mount Diablo) which was as fun as it was tiring.

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Jessica Schultz

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Class	2019
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	New Hampshire

Specialization*

Media Writing

Internship

Copywriting Intern at Dealer.com in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Copywriter at Dealer.com in Burlington, VT

You're involved in a publication on campus, right?

Yeah!Chivomengro was started in 2012 as a Core project, and it publishes the work of students. We get a lot of rants, essays, music reviews, video game reviews, sports journals, basically anything that students can’t find a niche for. We are that niche. It’s grown a lot since it was created, and it went from being a blog to being a focused publication with an editorial calendar and a review in Seven Days, which is really cool.

What internships have you had?

I interned with Dealer.com in Burlington as a copywriting intern the summer before my senior year. I wrote about cars and edited other people’s writing, and I got to audit a lot of websites. Because of that internship, I got an email in the spring of my senior year saying, “Hey, Jess. In May, you graduate. In May, we hire. We want to have you back on our team.” They even kept my ID from when I had interned.

What other organizations are you involved with on campus?

I’m in the improv comedy troupe called Los Dormant Volcanoes. We hold auditions every year and practice 15–20 hours per week. We focus on the basics of comedy and how to make stuff up, not just about being funny and owning the stage on your own. It’s a collaborative team effort; you have to be really close with the people in the troupe. We’ve gotten to perform at the Vermont Comedy Club a few times with other college improv troupes, which is really fun.

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