Student

Riley Seith

Internship

Fuse Marketing, Winooski, VT

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

The Marketing and Event Management courses I took in my first years helped me feel confident in my career aspirations, which has made me eager to learn and appreciative of the opportunities I have. My early experiences in internships and major-specific courses, as well as other experiential learning opportunities, give me a huge head start in my industry and will help me be successful after graduation.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? What do you do/why do you enjoy them?

The extracurricular that I am most involved in is Stiller Women in Business. I am the Vice President of the club, and I love coming up with creative and engaging ways to empower women on our campus. Stiller Women in Business is open to all students, even non-business majors and those who don’t identify as female. Everyone will end up in the professional world after graduation, so it is important to prepare everyone for that world, and especially to bring awareness to how women are represented professionally. Stiller Women in Business has changed a lot recently, and each semester is designed with the mission to be inclusive and benefit students by featuring events such as our speaker series, professional seminars that count as InSight milestones, our Semi-Annual Networking Event and more!

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve found/didn’t expect about Champlain (or your experience here) so far?

I didn’t expect to have the opportunities I have had and to be as professionally ahead of the curve as I am. I feel confident in my ability to get competitive internships and think outside of the box. I would never have expected to start an entrepreneurial venture and present it to Senior Vice Presidents at Samsung in my first year at college, but connecting students with outstanding opportunities is a part of the Champlain experience.

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Haley Seymour

Specialization

Journalism

Internship

Publishing Hub Project through the Emergent Media Center

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? What do you do/why do you enjoy them?

I am currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Crossover, the online student newspaper at Champlain. It can be a lot of work at times, but it is very rewarding. I have a strong passion for journalism, as well as providing the truth and information to people who need it. I also love writing for The Crossover and enjoy discussing what’s going on at Champlain with my other staff members.

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

I really enjoyed working on The Well through my Magazine Publishing class. We actually published an online magazine, and it felt so good to see it come together at the end of the semester.I loved participating in The Well because Magazine Publishing was set up more like a newsroom rather than a class. Of course, we still had assignments and everything, but we all worked together to achieve one final goal: the magazine. I was delegated as a writer for the team, and I got to work with the editing team frequently to make sure my pieces were the best they could be. There were three teams: editing, writing, and design/marketing. We all had different tasks, and we knew how to use the other teams to complete those tasks. I feel like I genuinely know how teams work when publishing a magazine after taking that class.

How did your classroom work prepare you for your internship experience?

I was involved with the Publishing Hub Project through the Emergent Media Center during the spring 2021 semester. Our goal was to inform and get more people across campus involved with student-run publications like The Crossover, Chivomengro, and Willard and Maple. We spent time gathering information about who is currently involved with the publications, who knows nothing about them, and who wants to be involved but doesn’t know-how. From there, we devised a strategy to get publications more widely known around campus.Tanya Lee Stone asked me to take part in this project because of the work I had done so far in college, including my position at the Editor-in-Chief of The Crossover. My classroom work also allowed me to better understand different types of writing, as well as understanding deadlines and necessities for my work, allowing me to be a better intern.

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Robin Shafto

Internship

MakerLab Technician at the Emergent Media Center in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Software Engineer at LORD Corporation in Burlington, VT

What first drew you to Champlain College?

I loved that Champlain had a maker space that students from every major and year could use. You could even use it for personal projects! I loved the idea of a school that would offer that, and a student body that would make use of it. I wanted to go to a school with those kinds of students.

Now that you've been in the Computer Science & Innovation program for a few years, what is your favorite part of it?

I love how passionate all of my peers are! Everyone has so many personal side projects, so even when we finish our homework, we’re still coding. The program is definitely challenging, but I never feel like I’m doing busy work.

Did you have any experience working at any of Champlain's Centers of Experience?

I work at the Emergent Media Center®, and my job often overlaps with my classes in really exciting ways. I build physical components and write code for games and other interactive experiences. I have learned a lot about working on a team, and I’m much better now at figuring out new platforms and languages without classroom instruction.

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Molli Shuker

Advice to Students?

Taking care of yourself is your first priority, everything else will follow.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Book: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Inspirational Quote?

“A sword wields no strength unless the hands that holds it has courage.” – Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

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Rebecca Shute

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Michael Silverio

Advice to Students?

Block out time for work each week and start working on assignments as soon as they are assigned, no matter how far the due date.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Movie: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Inspirational Quote?

“A delayed product is eventually good, but a rushed one is forever bad.” – Shigeru Miyamoto

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Jaskaran Singh

Favorite Class

Advanced Cinematography

Internship

Production & Camera Intern at Class Four Co. in Burlington, VT

Tell us about your internship!

I am a Production and Camera Intern at Class Four Co. I help with most of the production-related work during gigs and in-house shooting. I had opportunities to learn new equipment, meet new people from the industry, and learn industry practices such as speaking with clients, getting paid by the gig, and other industry fluency.

What do you like about your program?

My major is intimate enough that my professors and classmates know who I am, and can help me be who I want to be. That is probably the best part about Filmmaking at Champlain College.

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

Champlain has turned me into a very hungry person. Champlain offers lots of opportunity, and it gives me so many chances to navigate lots of possibilities for my future.

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Jessica Skavicus

Favorite Class

Introduction to Typography

So far, what classes, projects, subjects, or experiences have been most meaningful or impactful? What action or change have they inspired?

The classes that have been the most impactful were Digital Image and Art History. In Digital Image, not only have we learned how to properly take a picture and edit it, but also what message we want to communicate through the photo. For instance, we had to take photos of people for a project, and we needed to convey an emotion. In order to do that, we needed to think about camera angle, how we would edit it, and the relationship between the environment and the person. While in Art History, we learned about different works of art and how they have influenced culture and public opinion regarding certain people or events.

What have you gained from Core? Has it changed your perspective?

I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from other students and their stories have changed my perspective about how our society should change. These stories helped me understand events, stories, and feelings that I would not have experienced. My favorite Core class is IDP: Fake Meat. I learned so much about how the U.S. is consuming meat at an alarming rate and how fake meat is a solution.

What does success mean to you?

Success for me is creating a strong portfolio and resume, and getting employed in a design firm that I can integrate into, but remain individualistic.

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Erika Skorstad

Specialization

Creative Writing & Literature

Internship

Study Breaks Magazine, San Antonio, TX (remote) and GenZ Publishing (remote)

What do you like about your program?

I’ve had many incredible experiences in the Professional Writing program. The wide variety of writing classes I’ve taken have allowed me to hone in on what I’d like to do in the future; Publishing in the 21st Century has provided me insight into the many different paths and jobs in publishing. For my Capstone project, I’m curating a food-themed literary magazine. I feel that I can do this because I have that extra understanding of the publishing process and Division of Information Technology & Sciences roles. Through my interactive narrative classes, I’ve created an interactive mystery experience that takes place across multiple media platforms. Not only have these projects provided me with valuable experience, but they also make excellent portfolio pieces.

What’s your favorite Core experience?

For my music class in Dublin, we sang traditional Irish songs and played instruments-my favorite was the tin whistle. We even attended performances in pubs. For the final, my boyfriend and I sang a duet of “Falling Slowly” from the Irish movie Once.

Have you worked on-campus in either a part-time or work-study position? What relevant life skills have you learned?

I work as a staff writer for the CCM News Hub and Weathervane. In this position, I’ve had the chance to interview people and practice active listening and sniffing out a story. With the articles I write for Weathervane, I’ve learned to adhere to tight deadlines. I’ve sharpened my communication skills; in addition to communicating with professors and students I interview, I work closely with the managing editor and editor in chief of Weathervane on revisions and ideas about the direction of the magazine. Now, I’m more comfortable collaborating with others, regardless of hierarchies.

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Jon Smith

Piece of advice to students?

Do your work early in the morning if possible.

What's your favorite book or movie?

Movie: Good Will Hunting Book: Game of Thrones Series

Inspirational Quote?

“Work hard in silence let success be your noise.” -Frank Ocean

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Olivia Sommerer

Concentration

Communication, Innovation, and Social Justice

Internship

Rapid Asia in Bangkok, Thailand

Talk a bit about your classes. What projects, subjects, or experiences have had an impact on you? How does that apply to your field?

So far I have taken some phenomenal classes. A few special ones come to mind that I think are worth mentioning:Management/Organizational Behavior taught by Professor Scott Baker made such a lasting impact on my life. It was a class on how to lead people, understand people, and work to successfully create a work environment that helps everyone thrive. Professor Baker taught the class in such an organic way, and the material is so applicable to my job as a supervisor. I use his leadership advice each day and learn how to work with people and make everyone feel appreciated.
New Ventures/Entrepreneurship with Professor Kylie King is so epic. I come to class with a business idea that I’ve had for years, and with the help of Kylie, watch it come to life. In this class, I worked on my wellness company, called Five Wellness, and have a podcast on Spotify. The class gives students the freedom to learn how to explore their business ideas, know what steps are important to take to make it happen, and pitch to real investors to get feedback. If not for this class, I don’t think I could have made plans for my company or have a podcast that I am so proud to produce.

Describe your professors at Champlain. How do your relationships with faculty differ or align with what you expected before you started at Champlain?

I absolutely love most of my professors at Champlain. After joining the Degree Design Lab major, I built a family with my professors and faculty members. Now I have a number of professors that know me very well, help me when needed, and join me for a cup of coffee.

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

Yes! I was just landed a two-month internship in Bangkok, Thailand, this summer supported by a Freeman Foundation Grant. I will be interning at Rapid Asia, which specializes in sustainable change in Asia. They do work with the United Nations, too. The people I will be working for complimented my degree and were interested in me being an interdisciplinary student. It feels like a fantastic fit.

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Nick Spanos

Internships

Leahy Center, Technical Intern of Online Safety & Cybersecurity

Favorite Class

Operating System Forensics

Why Champlain for studying Digital Forensics?

With the Leahy Center and Champlain being federally recognized for their excellence in digital forensics, it became very clear that Champlain was the school for me. Other colleges don’t boast the same hire rate straight out of college. If you told me in high school that I would be accepted for a job with the federal government by my sophomore year, I wouldn’t have believed you. But in 2020, I signed a two-year contract with the Department of Defense for doing cybersecurity.

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

My public speaking class helped me not only become a better speaker, but also a better presenter. I never knew how to properly end a presentation besides with “So yeah, thank you.” I didn’t have good openings either. The class has helped strengthen my stage presence and my writing ability, which has carried over into my presentations for other classes.

Describe your internship experience.

I was a Technical Intern of Online Safety & Cybersecurity at the Leahy Center. This involved researching cyber threats targeting local businesses around Vermont, and creating materials for these businesses with information about different attacks and how to defend against them.I landed this internship my first semester of my first year, so I was building skills in the classroom as I went through the internship. The classes helped with the internship and vice-versa, as my internship introduced me to new concepts that we covered deeper in class.

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Nyjah Strange

Internship

Ecommerce Intern at Asia Socks Inc. in Shanghai, China

Post-Grad Job

Financial Analyst at Burton Snowboards in Burlington, VT

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum impacted your education?

The Upside-Down Curriculum is not only empowering, but it also prepares you for the real world from the start. You know in your first year if your major is really what you want to pursue in life. I have friends at other schools who are just now getting in their accounting and financial management classes. I’m able to say that I did that my first year.

What do you think of the Core curriculum?

I think that the Core is very important. At first, you come into the Core with a high school mind-set, and you just want to get it over and done with. But sophomore year, we’re able to choose our own Core classes. I took Ethics & the Environment, and we focused specifically on water. That was the best class I think I’ve had at Champlain. Not only did it open my mind to environmental ethics, but I pursued a new lifestyle where I’m now GMO-free—everything is organic.

Are you involved with any student organizations on campus?

I am a part of CHAMP (Champlain Has Activities and Motivational Programming). We put on events for students on campus, like Spring Meltdown and our Snowball Dance, which is amazing. One year, Snowball’s theme was “Enchanted Forest,” and it was honestly the best event I’ve ever been to. I met a ton of people. I thought no one would know who I was. I don’t know how I did it, all I did was dance in a circle, but I pulled random people in and danced with them. People still come up to me and say, “Hey, I remember you. You danced with me!”

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Adam Streeter

Internship

Lost Cosmonauts

Favorite Class

Arab Spring

Post-Grad Job

Valve Software

What made you choose Champlain?

I knew I wanted a smaller school, and I also knew I wanted something game-related. Reading up on Champlain’s robust game majors was very exciting! I was especially interested in going to Champlain after hearing about the production sequence and actually getting to make real games. What sealed the deal was the location. Having grown up in Connecticut, I knew I wanted to stay in New England. Sure it’s cold, but in the fall it’s less cold! And look at those trees!

Have you worked on-campus either in a work-study or part-time position?

I worked for five semesters at the Emergent Media Center, which gave me a lot of importantexperience working with actual clients on real projects, and taught me more about the production cycle hands-on! I’ve also been a Resident Assistant on campus for two years, which really helped me come out of my shell socially, built up my confidence as a leader, and introduced me to a lot of responsibility!

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I participate in the Champlayers drama club. It’s a small group of people who I consider good friends, and they’re incredibly supportive and talented. I love being able to get on stage and make people laugh and have a good time. I also attend Climb Champlain, which is a great way to get physical and hang around with a bunch of really passionate climbing folks.

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Cory Sweitzer

Graduation Year

’15

Organization

Burton Snowboards

Position Title

Senior Video Editor

How are you using your Communication degree at your job?

My experience at Champlain in the classroom and through required internships made me very versatile.
My primary job role is video editing and post-production, but working on a small team at Burton we all do a little bit of everything. On shoots, I can be a second shooter, run audio, help light sets, and then afterward log, edit, color, and version out all video assets. During the process, you’re working with project managers to ensure deadlines are met and almost become your own project manager. Your value depends on your ability to collaborate with others and contribute to any situation or willingness to dive in and try.
Working in the classroom at Champlain and getting real-world experience through internships helped build my confidence. I can be thrown into any situation and succeed.

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