Student

Aaron Leonard

Specialization

Cyber Investigations

Internship

Cadet at the Vermont Army National Guard in South Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Lieutenant at the Newark Volunteer Fire Department in Newark, VT

How did you decide on your Computer & Digital Forensics major?

I chose Champlain because of the Digital Forensics major, which interested me more than anything else I’d seen at other schools. I’ve always been interested in computers, and since I want to go into law enforcement after college, Computer & Digital Forensics was the logical move to make. I like Champlain’s program because I get to take my major-specific classes early with the Upside-Down Curriculum. I wanted to go to one of the best schools in the country for my degree.

So how did the Upside-Down Curriculum impact your education?

My major-specific classes and professors give me hands-on experience with topics I’ll need when I enter the field. I’ve already done practical reports in my cybercrime, forensic science, and digital forensics classes. Instead of just hearing about methods and ideas, I’m actually applying them.

Can you tell us about your experience with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)?

The University of Vermont’s United States Army ROTC hosts students from other area schools, such as Champlain. The partnership allows us to participate in the program and experience a lot of interesting classes and hands-on training. It also provides great scholarship opportunities. I get to do a lot of things most other college students won’t ever do, and I have the opportunity to serve my country in the military when I graduate.

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Julia Leonard

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Karl Lewis

Specialization

Sonic Arts

Favorite Class

Senior Capstone/Production

What made you choose your major?

Video games have always been one of my most cherished passions. It was always my dream to be able to create fun and immersive game experiences that make lasting impressions on players throughout the world. The Game Design major at Champlain was the first step in achieving that dream, and after seeing people have fun playing my games, I can safely say that I’ve been living the dream with my major!

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The Upside-Down Curriculum put me right into the swing of actual game development and design from day one. From my first day at Champlain until the present, I’ve been learning about how to make game experiences on paper, prototype and iterate on them to receive feedback, and use that feedback to bring designs to life. Without ever having to wait to see if my major was right for me or not, I knew from day one that I was in the right program!

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

My experience at Champlain has effectively prepared me for a career in the game industry through classes that not only teach design theory and principles, but also require hands-on creation and implementation of ideas and concepts in solo settings and within multidisciplinary teams. The experience I’ve gained working on games with teammates from different disciplines and walks of life is the real deal, and is quite possibly the closest you can get to actually working in a real game development job!

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Anders Lindberg

Specialization

Animation

Favorite Class

Animation I

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The Upside-Down Curriculum has been so beneficial to me as a learner that I cannot imagine being in a program that doesn’t utilize it. The amount of genuine experience I have received in my field has put me in a position that allows me to develop critical skills every semester starting right away.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

My first semester at Champlain, I was given the opportunity to join one of the Champlain College Esports teams, and beyond that I have had a blast participating in student-run events such as Game Jams and movie showings. I enjoy these activities because they are run by students, for students. Therefore, everyone has the opportunity to influence these activities and make them exactly how they want them to be.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve found out about your experience at Champlain so far?

What surprised me about Champlain was myself. Oftentimes the first years come down with ‘imposter syndrome,’ and I can say that it hit me hard. I was afraid that I couldn’t live up to the expectations. What surprised me was how much potential I had within me, and how these classes could drag that potential out and allow me to do things I didn’t think were possible.

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Tori Long

Concentration

Activist Marketing

Favorite Class

Consumer Behavior/Activist Marketing

What is it about your major/area of study that appeals to you?

Marketing appealed to me because of the influence it can hold. I recall Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign changing a lot of my thinking as a child to seeing women who looked like me and my mom. As a marketer, I want to be able to do that for others, as well as create social and environmental change.

Have you had opportunities to apply what you’ve learned in your major to experiences outside the classroom?

I’ve had the chance to create social media posts for different clubs here on campus, such as Maple Street Media and Stiller Women in Business. I’ve also gained a better understanding of marketing outside the classroom and I’m fascinated by new campaigns I see on social media and in everyday life.

How prepared do you think you are for life after Champlain, both in your future career and day-to-day life?

I think Champlain has done a great job preparing me for my future. There are so many opportunities to learn real life skills, including interviews, salary negotiations, housing, and building and maintaining credit. Additionally, professors give you the tools to be a productive student and prepare you to work with groups of people from different backgrounds.

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Dylan Longley

Advice to Students?

Do anything you find mildly interesting. You only have a limited time here, so do as much as you might ever want to do.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Books: Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Olivia Lyons

Internship

News Intern at WCAX-TV in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Video Field Production

Post-Grad Job

Multimedia Journalist & Producer at WCAX-TV in Burlington, VT

What's the most memorable project you did in your major?

As a senior, everyone does a Capstone project. We did a 10-minute documentary about house concerts. We traveled all over to film, including to Canada and Connecticut. It was so much fun meeting new people and seeing artists perform. And then, we went through all the footage to pick the best shots and make this movie ours.

You had an internship with a local news station. What was that experience like?

When I first began interning at one of the local television stations, I worked hard to really prove that I was present and wanted to do the work, and it ended up paying off. Then, I was a fill-in reporter and an associate producer for the same local television station at which I interned. They called me up and asked, “Hey, can you fill in on this day? We have a reporter out.” And I’d go in and do what they do.

What’s it like to be a college student in Burlington?

I love Burlington. I’m from a place where there isn’t a whole lot going on. Here, there’s always an event happening, places to go, new spots to find. And being a college town, there are a lot of people your own age to meet and hang out with. I think the Waterfront is my favorite place to go in Burlington.

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Olli Machina

Specialization

Gameplay Programming

What do you like about your major?

The professors in the program are absolutely fantastic. I always feel that I can reach out to them and they’re happy to help. Each professor is an amazing mentor and it’s been incredible to make those connections and establish those relationships.

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

Team projects in the game studio and production are my favorites. It’s so valuable to work in a team and find out what the dynamic is and where you fit in. Then at the end of the project, you have a game that you helped to make- and that’s a really cool feeling. I still remember how I felt after I made my first game in production, it’s amazing!

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

Champlain is fantastic at giving students a look into what the professional industry is like. I’ve learned so much about the game development industry, but I’ve also gotten so much experience from places like Career Collaborative with writing resumes, cover letters, finding internships, etc. They’ve helped me feel comfortable with the process and it’s made me feel much more confident for after I graduate.

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Grace Magnant

Specialization

Environment Artist

Favorite Class

Bodies: Dance

Post-Grad Job

Junior Environment Artist at Raven

What made you choose your major?

I was at Champlain’s open house, and I remember going to the Game Art and Animation presentation. They were very honest about what was to come if I wanted to be a game artist. The professor explained that Game Art was one of the toughest majors on campus, and that there would be very little free time if you chose to go down this path. My dad told me later he was listening to this thinking “oh gosh, that’s a tough sell. Grace probably doesn’t want this.” But when he looked at me, I was inspired. I wanted a major that was challenging, something that pushed me to be better, and in some ways, something that would prove to myself that I could accomplish any task in front of me. I found that environment art combined the two things I love the most: mathematical problem-solving and art.

What was your favorite Core class experience?

I was able to create a drag show in my second year for a core class that questioned gender expression and how much confidence and self-worth ties into how one presents themself. I brought a bunch of friends together and had them take a series of surveys before, right after, and a few weeks after the drag show that asked about their mental state and self-worth during those times. It was incredible to see just how much self-worth and confidence can be tied to theway people present themselves and how opening the door to things like drag shows improved many people’s self-confidence and self-worth. As an experiment, it also brought to life how dressing certain ways can put you into a box you may not be comfortable with and how, even if you find you like the way you present yourself currently, gender expression and fashion experimentation allow you to find a place where you feel the most confident with yourself.

What are your plans after graduation?

I have recently accepted a Junior Environment Artist position at a company called Raven, and will be moving out there this summer. I am excited to further my career from this point forward, and I am very grateful for the opportunities and growth I have gained at Champlain College.

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Anthony Mahon

Primary Specialization*

Sonic Arts

Complementary Specializations*

Creative Writing and Moving Image

Internships

On-Air Talent at Hall Communications in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Account Manager at Scout Digital in Burlington, VT

What do you love about being a Creative Media major?

I love that I don’t have to be stuck doing one thing. In Creative Media, you declare a primary specialization—mine is Sonic Arts—and two complementary specializations; mine are Creative Writing and Moving Image. I switched from the Broadcast Media Production major, so the Moving Image specialization let me keep those credDivision of Information Technology & Sciences, and I was already doing a lot of writing for fun, so I also chose Creative Writing. Ever since I declared my Sonic Arts specialization, I have been doing music production and voice-overs, and I’ve been on the radio, which is crazy to think about. There’s really an endless realm of possibilities to explore.

Can you tell us about switching majors?

I realized that working with the video camera wasn’t for me, but I still loved editing, and I loved working with audio. So I talked to my Broadcast Faculty Advisor and the Creative Media Faculty Advisor, and based on their guidance, I decided to try Creative Media. It ended up being a perfect fit.

How was your study abroad experience?

I studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and it was my best semester at Champlain. If you had asked me a year beforehand, I did not want to study abroad at all. I was petrified to leave Connecticut for college, so leaving the country was a huge jump for me. But my cousin convinced me, so I went. I did an internship with a podcast called The Igniter Series, where we talked to entrepreneurs about turning an idea into a business. I also learned a lot about Irish literature, Irish art, and Irish writing, which helped me get a global perspective I wouldn’t have gotten, if I’d let my fears keep me from going abroad.

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Maggie Maloney

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Derek Mann

Specialization

Sonic Arts

Internship

Burton Snowboards

What made you choose your major?

I chose Broadcast Media Production because I just thought it would be really fun. I went to a technical high school and never actually planned to go to college, but I’m really glad I did because it has opened up so many opportunities for me. I’ve never been happier!

Tell us about your internship!

I was a Digital Marketing Intern at Burton. I pulled and edited video clips from the Burton Snowboards Instagram page and worked on transcribing videos and organizing sequences with clips of raw footage to be edited by someone else on the team. My classroom work helped me with this internship because I had the post-production skills in order to succeed.

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

I’m working on my Capstone documentary right now, and it’s definitely the most rewarding project because I get to solidify people’s stories and experiences with Dog Mountain, a Vermont non-profit, through my video. It just feels really good to know I’m helping people leave a legacy.

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Elizbeth Marando

Piece of advice to students?

Never be afraid to apply yourself or your interests when working on a writing assignment. That makes it feel less like an obligation and more like an opportunity, and you might just learn something new about yourself.

What's your favorite book, movie or podcast?

Movie: Loving Vincent

Inspirational Quote?

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” – Anne Frank

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Luke Marcheski

Specialization

Motion Graphics

What’s the best thing about living on campus?

I spent my first year at 396 Main Street. For Champlain, it is a long walk to campus. Compared to UVM and other colleges, the walk is nothing. The fact that Champlain’s campus is both condensed and spread about the community is very unique and allowed me to be closer to the city than I would have been at a centralized campus. I have lived in apartments in the latter three years, and the availability of apartments near Champlain is incredible. I have been ableto build my own experience in Burlington through living in these apartments, and thankfully, Champlain was never too far away.

What’s your favorite Core experience?

My favorite Core experience was the entirety of the Global Condition course taught by Lionel Beasley. Throughout the entire semester, Professor Beasley kept an amazing balance between relaxed and professional, treating us like colleagues and peers rather than students. When I first arrived at college, I was very happy that this classroom environment was captured in many classes, but Professor Beasley stood out above the rest.

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

I equate my experience at Champlain with how a Swiss Army knife is built. I have been taught so many different things, both related to my major and outside of it. Through the style which it was taught, I truly believe that I will graduate with an incredible wealth of knowledge that I can begin my career with.

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Drew Marcotte

Advice to Students?

Talk to your professors. They are usually understanding, and are happy to help out when needed.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Books: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Inspirational Quote?

“There are three kinds of people. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers

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