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Blog Archive: A Foster Youth
Allyson Ratz, 17, has always been interested in how things are put together. Whether it’s the individual strokes of one of her award-winning pencil drawings, how the lines of a classic rock song can tell a story of social change, or how the release of chemicals inside the brain can influence a…
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Brayden Bixby, a senior at Mill River Union High School, wants to be a firefighter. Like many young boys, he grew up playing with fire trucks in the driveway and wearing a fireman costume as everyday clothing. But his passion burned deeper and longer than most, something that was no doubt stoked by…
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If Shixin Huang’s parents had decided to remain in Guangdong, China, where she was born, she would have taken a standardized test in the sixth grade that would have determined whether she would have the chance to go to college, could go to technical school, or would go straight into the workforce.…
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When Uganda-born Geofrey Ssebugwawo decided to seek asylum in the United States, all he wanted was safety. “I grew up knowing that America respects and protects human rights,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to come here.” While his journey to America, and to Vermont, was a long and arduous one — and…
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The future looks bright for 22-year-old Samantha Hadvab: She’s ready to graduate from the University of Vermont this spring with a degree in medical radiation sciences, and she already has a job offer waiting for her at the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute in Brewer, Maine, where she’s finishing up…
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Raneen Salha is fascinated by the human brain: how it works, how it can sometimes betray us, and how we can begin to heal. She saw this betrayal on a clinical level when her grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s, a defining period in her life that inspired her interest in the medical field. “It was…
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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the VSAC team wants to say a special “thank you” to all the students who have participated in our VSAC Student Spotlight profile series over the last two years. We truly appreciate your taking the time -- and having the courage -- to share your stories with the world…
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During the holiday season, VSAC encourages families to look ahead and plan for their kids' future possibilities with a gift of education savings. Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 savings plan provides an easy way for families to give (and receive!) a gift that will last far beyond the holiday season…
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First-generation college students — or students whose parents did not go to college — are much less likely to pursue and to complete postsecondary degrees than are their classmates whose parents did go to college. According to data gathered by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), first…
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From a young age, Johanna Krushat had an inkling that she wanted to work with kids, but she wasn’t sure about the “how” or the “where.” Her Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC) counselor helped her narrow that down, and Johanna decided she wanted to be an elementary-school counselor. After…
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