Emma Worthge

Caitlin Blanchette

Travel Course

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Internship

Fundraising & Programming Intern at the Peace & Justice Center in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Social Justice: Oppression and Empowerment

Post-Grad Job

Master’s degree candidate in Public Policy

What made you choose your major?

I chose Law because I was not sure what I wanted my career to be, but I saw Law as an option that would open many doors. I knew I wanted to make a difference, and I had—and still have—a lot of areas of interest, from women’s rights to criminal justice reform. An undergraduate degree in Law would prepare me for many different career options.

What was your best Core experience?

In my second year, I took two Core classes with a focus on West African religion and art. At the end of the semester, we got the opportunity to travel to Zanzibar, an archipelago outside of Tanzania. We were able to really appreciate the history we’d been learning about. The best outcome of that trip was the creation of Techdren, a Champlain student-led nonprofit that returns regularly to Zanzibar to distribute technology to local schools.

Are you involved with any extracurricular activities?

I started playing rugby with the Women’s Rugby team and knew little about the sport, but I quickly fell in love with it. I missed being on a team sport and instantly found a family in rugby. I became treasurer and helped to raise $2,000 for the men’s and women’s teams. Now I’m a team captain, and I look forward to playing rugby after college, too.

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Jayy Covert

Favorite Class

Abnormal Psychology

What made you choose your major?

I came into Champlain as a Psychology major, but in my second year I decided that I wanted to add a double major in Education. I started with a class in Elementary Education, but then realized that Secondary Education was a better fit for me. I grew up with depression and anxiety and tried to seek help, but found the mental health system lacking qualified therapists and support for queer and trans youth in particular. I wanted to dedicate my life to providing the support that I knew I needed, but never received, so no one else would have to suffer. But on the other hand, I’ve always felt drawn to the world of education. In high school, I helped out at our embedded preschool program, designing lessons for three and four-year-olds. I hold my elementary school teachers as the basis for the strong support I had growing up and the desire to always keep learning more. I couldn’t decide on just one major or one career path, so I chose to study both because I feel they’re deeply interconnected fields that often get separated into singular specialties.

What do you like about your program?

Both the Psychology and Education programs are held in the EHS Division, and we’re like a big family. We connect with different majors all the time in our classes; I have friends from basically every major in EHS. Being two of the smallest majors also means we have the chance to really work with our professors in their fields of expertise on projects that we feel inspired by. I also love that EHS students take Service Learning classes as part of our curriculum so that we can engage in meaningful work for the local community. Our motto sums us up the best: “We do good work.”

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

I took a Core class called Interdisciplinary Project Studio, which is a course where students can pitch their own project ideas on any topic they want to focus on throughout the semester. I worked on developing a unit plan to teach 9th grade students about the modern history of the Korean peninsula. This not only gave me the chance to add something to my portfolio when I go into the field looking for a job as a teacher, but also allowed me to explore my own heritage and culture more deeply in a project that is both relevant and meaningful.

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Kaya Mulligan

Favorite Class

Generalist Practice I

Are you part of any organizations on campus?

I am a Social Impact Scholar, which has been an incredible experience. We recently went on a Vermont Business trip to learn about local and sustainable businesses. I also had the opportunity to be a part of the Let Us Discuss event on campus and model inclusive communication on a variety of topics. Social Impact Scholars helps my voice be heard on campus and build meaningful connections with professionals in the Champlain and Burlington communities.

How has Champlain prepared you for life after graduation?

The Career Collaborative and Insight program have taught me so many valuable skills, like managing credit cards and how to negotiate my salary. Inside the classroom, the emphasis since day one has been on becoming a professional, and the professors see and you treat you as such.

How has the Core curriculum impacted your education?

The Core has made me aware of all the ways that disciplines work together. It is so unique to collaborate with Game Programming majors or Accounting majors on topics like globalization or gender. Having voices from all majors makes discussions unpredictable and unique.

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