Bennington tenth-grader Emily Maikoo made an astute observation this fall as an ensemble cast member of the Mount Anthony Union High School Drama Club’s production of Chicago. “While I didn’t have a starring role, I really liked how the director made everyone feel like we were a key part of the…
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Blog Archive: About VSAC
The VSAC team wants to say a special “thank you” to all of the students who have participated in our VSAC Student Spotlight profile series over the last year. We truly appreciate your taking the time -- and having the courage -- to share your stories with the world. And in the spirit of Thanksgiving…
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On a bright Tuesday morning in early October, more than 400 middle school students descended on the Northern Vermont University (NVU) Lyndon campus for VSAC’s Kingdom Career Connect. Outside in the parking lot, one group tested out the levers in a plow truck, while others tried their hand at…
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You’ll usually find Brent Chitambar underneath a well-worn Carhartt cap. The soft-spoken 14-year-old has spent a lot of his childhood on his grandfather’s dairy farm in Newport Center, and farming has always been the only thing Brent has ever wanted to do when he grows up. In these respects, Brent…
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Devon Kimball has been hard at work this winter and spring, flipping a house in Rutland with his cousin. He recently took a break from painting and hanging siding to talk about his experience with VSAC, which he says has been instrumental not just for him, but for his entire family. Devon, who…
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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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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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Essex Principal Ashley Gray, right, with her wife, Rebecca and their son, Rio. Ashley Gray has never shied away from a challenge. When VSAC first profiled her in late 2019, she was a young principal at Peacham Elementary School in her native Northeast Kingdom. Though she grew up just 30 miles away…
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During September, National College Savings Month, families are reminded to look ahead to their children’s education as they settle into their current back-to-school routines. But with so much going on as school resumes, we understand it’s hard to look beyond immediate schedules and to-dos. To make…
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