Rooted in Canaan, Ready for College: Liah’s Journey

Liah absolutely loves her hometown of Canaan, Vermont. “There are so many opportunities here,” she said. “I wish everyone knew that and how good things are here. There’s so much support as you’re figuring out your next step.”

Her ultimate goal is to return to the area after college to live and work. She’s most interested in business, potentially banking, and already has experience working as an assistant office manager at Jackson’s Lodge and Log Cabins, a locally owned business on Lake Wallace in Canaan. She loved the operations work and customer service. And Liah was able to put to use the skills she’s built in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Key Club, two of the clubs she’s involved in at Canaan School.

But first, Liah needs her degree.

A SMC book award is making it possible

Liah will be attending Saint Michael’s College (SMC) in the fall. She’s been set on the school for a few years now. Jesse Cote, the VSAC outreach counselor who works with Liah in VSAC’s GEAR UP college and career readiness program, advised her to apply to multiple schools just in case. After Liah applied early decision to SMC and found out she was accepted in December, she knew her path was set. “I had faith it would happen,” Liah stated.

Liah was a finalist for the SMC Book Award for Community Engagement last year. She was nominated by her school counselor and received a scholarship that pays tuition to SMC for one year. She knew from that moment on that she’d be attending after she graduated from high school. “It’s incredibly meaningful,” she added. “I’ve been committed to attending Saint Mike’s since then, and I’m just so excited to see it happening.”

She’ll be studying accounting and business, and thanks to additional college credits, she’ll enter SMC as a sophomore. Those credits, plus the year of tuition she’s receiving from the Book Award, are making a big difference for Liah—especially as she’s not the only one in her family planning to attend college next year.

All four kids in college simultaneously

Liah’s eldest sister is currently enrolled in a dental assistant program. Her older sister was just accepted into a nursing program and will be starting college in the fall. And Liah’s twin will be attending school to become an early childhood educator. All four siblings will be attending college at the same time.

It’s a lot for any family, especially as their mom recently finished college herself. She’d been working toward her nursing degree since the twins were born, taking online classes one at a time. She recently achieved her RN licensure and is working at an assisted living facility in Newport.

Liah’s parents are not together, and their dad works at the Ethan Allen factory in Beecher Falls, where he’s worked since his teens. His partner also has a daughter who is in her junior year at University of New Hampshire. Liah says that both her mom and dad are incredibly supportive of Liah and her sisters.

Help from VSAC to close the gap

“I’ve been working with VSAC’s GEAR UP program since my freshman year of high school,” Liah said. “I’ve done a ton of research with Jesse to figure out how to pay for school. It’s my goal and I’m going to make it happen.”

Jesse helped Liah look for local scholarships, as well as ones specifically for business or accounting. They did the FAFSA federal financial aid forms together and are continuing to look for and apply for aid. Liah has about $5,000 left to cover after her current financial aid package and her Book Award. “I know we’ll figure it out together, and when we do it will be a huge relief,” she stated.

Confidence in her future

Liah is self-assured, confident, and outgoing. She’s set a goal and is determined to achieve it. And she has a track record of follow through and success. She’s headed to the national finals for FBLA with her school group, following their first-place finish at the state leadership conference last year. Canaan’s team also placed first in the Future Farmers of America state competition, earning a spot at the national convention last year.

She’s very involved at school and in her hometown. It’s part of what makes her want to come back after she graduates from SMC. “I love the people around me, and the community here.” She wants to give back too. She’s always been interested in teaching and, in the future, would love to share her passion for education.

For now, Liah’s sights are set on graduation and getting started at Saint Michael’s College. As much as she can’t wait to return to Canaan after she gets her degree, she’s excited to experience SMC and all it has to offer.