Student

Rachael Vecchio

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Olivia Vittitow

Specialization

Editing & Publishing

Internship

Intern at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Copywriter at Dealer.com in Burlington, VT

What makes the Professional Writing program unique?

The Professional Writing program is so wonderful because it feels like a little bubble of inclusivity. Our artistic license and wingspan is constantly supported by every one of the faculty members, and they never fail to make you aware of that. I love that we are treated both as artists and technicians in our writing.

What was a memorable class project you completed?

One of the classes with the most rewarding projects was the Publishing in the 21st Century course. I actually got to publish an anthology of Champlain student poetry. We did almost everything ourselves, from choosing the poems and photographs for inclusion to designing and sending off the files to the printer to coordinating where we would sell the publication. This was such a real-world experience that translated directly to my major and what I wanted to pursue in my career, which is incredible.

Can you talk about your experience with the InSight program?

I actually worked with the Career Collaborative as a Financial Peer Coach. This position included holding office hours, when we gave students one-on-one appointments to review their credit reports, held workshops on personal finance, and helped students navigate their InSight milestones. I gained a ton of relevant life skills, like getting well trained in many aspects of personal finance, especially understanding credit.

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Erin Warner

Internships

Community Management and Marketing intern at Parkpnp in Dublin // Website Editor inter at Krust Baker in Dublin // New Accounts inter at Omni Marketing in Shanghai, China.

DId you enjoy studying abroad?

Yes. I really enjoyed my study abroad semester. I had the ability to travel as well as live in the professional field doing app development work. I worked in a very small company with six employees that included me, as well as another graphic design student, and an Division of Information Technology & Sciences student as interns.It was a very collaborative environment. I enjoyed a lot of the projects that I worked on. I did a 10,000 word ebook copyright project where I talked about employee mobility optimization, and I did a lot of design work in adding a community management side to this app that helps you park. It’s called Parkpnp and it’s like a Airbnb for parking spaces.

Did you learn anything new in the professional world abroad versus here?

I would say that in Ireland when you’re within your internship, you start off with work that is to learn the culture. I did a lot of customer service work to understand both the platform, as well as the pain points of the users within the app, and from there I was able to scale into larger projects. In Ireland, it’s very much about proving your worth and then being able to climb the ladder with more independent projects.

What is the SMART space and what was your role there?

I love the SMART Space. It’s a center for Champlain students to receive academic help, depending on what classes they’re taking. I’ve utilized it for financial management courses.The SMART Space is my favorite feature of Champlain College. I would not have survived a lot of the math side and financial sides of my major if it wasn’t for the SMART Space. My first and second year, I was in the labs doing statistics work and financial management work with these tutors, who were students and peers. It made it so much easier to gain a grasp of my homework and my class assignments, and because of that, I’ve built that relationship with the SMART Space as well as gotten really good grades from the help I received. I was able to become a statistics tutor and help out students like the ones before me. It’s actually amazing, because during the alumni networking even, I got to meet one of my old financial management tutors, and it was a great experience to see how they’ve grown and for them to see how I’ve grown from my first year to my senior year.

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Aidan Wasserman

Internship

Prison Law Initiative with Professor Stephen Miller

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

I got to work with Professor Stephen Miller on his Champlain Prison Law Initiative, where students go into Vermont prisons and teach legal education courses to incarcerated individuals. I helped teach an evidence course and a more general intro to law course, both of which helped me grow my own knowledge base by preparing to teach, as well as gave me a perspective into prisons in Vermont. Meeting incarcerated individuals helped me humanize and conceptualize the overarching realization that people in prison are the same as any of us. They may have made one mistake, and while it might have been a really bad mistake, they still deserve support, empathy, friendship, and love.

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

I’ve worked on campus for the Admissions Office as a Student Ambassador since my second year. Through that job, I’ve become better at speaking on behalf of the causes I represent. I’ve become more aware of how marketing works and how the inner workings of colleges can function. I’ve also met numerous people that have become my friends for life, and I can’t imagine who I’d be without their influence.I also worked for the Student Government Association for three of my four years at Champlain. I served as a First-Year Representative and a Representative for the Division of Education and Human Studies. Both of these positions helped me grow in terms of how I interact with other representatives and do what I think is best for the students I represent.

How have you benefited from the Upside-Down Curriculum?

The Upside-Down Curriculum is around 60 percent of what drew me to Champlain. I truly don’t understand how other schools can possibly justify not allowing you to know if the major you choose is a mistake or not until it’s nearly too late to change. I personally was very lucky to choose correctly, but I’ve had friends switch majors once or twice to find things that they have a genuine passion for and can pursue careers in.

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James Wicks

Graduation Year

14

Organization

Walter Morris Company

Title

Territory Sales Representative

How are you using your Communication degree at your job?

The curriculum at Champlain College equips students with the tools needed to communicate and resonate in today’s expansive world of communication. The lessons I have taken from Dr. Kerr and the curriculumshe built have allowed me to thrive in sales.
When Covid hit, I had the tools I needed to change gears and use alternate channelsof communication to provide my customers with the support theyneeded. By understanding all of my channels of communicationand how to utilize them most effectively, I was well-preparedfor an unprecedentedtime.

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Sam Wilhoit

Specialization

Journalism and Screenwriting

Internship

Glitter Magazine Irvine, CA

What have you learned through the InSight program? How will it help you in the future?

The Insight program has helped me consider the cost of living in different areas. Realistically, it may take me a few years after college before I am able to afford moving to a big city like Boston or New York to pursue writing and editing. However, there are many remote jobs available that will help me gain experience while saving up money for rent and transportation.

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

I didn’t expect how much my experience in classes would inform my perspective on life and my identity. I also did not know that my classes were going to be a safe space for me to share my intimate secrets through poetry and to cry in front of others. I was bullied throughout school for crying in public, so it is really nice to feel comfortable and safe expressing my feelings at Champlain.

What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain for college?

Befriend your academic advisor and talk to them about any stressors you have. It is okay to drop classes, change classes, and change majors. I have done all of these things.If you are passionate about a subject and enjoy hanging out with a crowd of gamers, skateboarders, skiers, and artsy people then you’ll love it here. If you want a college experience with Greek Life and sports, this is not your college. This is a school that embraces individuality, not conformity.

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Tyler Wood

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Emma Worthge

Primary Concentration

Creative Writing

Internship

Social Media & Event Management Intern at Vermont Womenpreneurs

Favorite Class

Aesthetic Expressions: Jordan

Have you had any internships during your time at Champlain?

I was the Social Media and Event Management Intern for Vermont Womenpreneurs in Burlington, Vermont. I assisted with creating social media posts and campaigns. Ialso scheduled events for the company, culminating in a storytelling showcase at the end of November. My friends at other schools haven’t even thought about applying to internships yet, so already having completed one definitely puts me at an advantage. I notice that when I am applying for jobs, interviewers are really impressed with how much work I have done this far in my school career. I already have the experience that’s necessary to work in the field, which is miles above other people.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I’m a member of Los Dormant Volcanoes, Champlain’s improv comedy troupe. Improv comedy is a big part of my life and something that I love. I was super excited when I heard we had a team at Champlain. I auditioned during my first year, and have loved the family that we’ve built along the way. We practice by playing games and perform every few months for the Champlain community.My favorite part is hearing people laugh at the jokes I make on stage. It makes me feel like I’m a part of something really special.

What is your favorite class you’ve taken at Champlain?

My favorite class at Champlain was Aesthetic Expressions: Jordan. We learned about Jordanian culture, art, music and architecture throughout the whole semester, and then travelled to Jordan over Thanksgiving Break. We visited all the places we learned about, swam in the Dead Sea, rode camels through the Wadi Rum Desert, stayed at a Bedouin camp, and ate the best food in the world.

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Kathryn Young

Internship

Data Science Intern at Social Sentinel Inc. in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Analyst at Social Sentinel Inc. in Burlington, VT

How is the Law degree at Champlain unique?

The curriculum at Champlain is very similar to what you see on a law school website. I was able to go into my internship in Philadelphia the summer after my sophomore year, where I worked in this big-city law firm in business litigation, bankruptcy law, and civil litigation, and I knew what I was being asked to do. After the courses at Champlain, law school becomes sort of “Law School 2.0” by the time you get there.

Can you tell us about the Signature Courses in the Division of Education & Human Studies (EHS) Division?

Last year in the EHS Signature Course, I took a Social Justice Intensive class. Like most classes at Champlain, it was discussion-based. You’re not reading a book, so there’s no opportunity to miss the reading and stay back and be quiet. You really get engaged. You talk about social justice, current events, racial equality, and problems and topics that are really relevant to what’s happening in our country today, right now. It inspires students and you find that spark. You find that passion.

The EHS motto is "We Do Good Work." Can you elaborate on that?

I think that “We Do Good Work” especially ties in with the EHS Signature Courses because they want you to develop as a person. Champlain isn’t about building robots. Nothing about Champlain is generic. The college wants you to develop critical thinking skills. Maybe you’ve come from a high school that didn’t challenge you. Champlain will fix that really quickly.

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Mitchell Zasa

Internship

Marketing & Data Analytics Intern at Baopals in Shanghai, China

Favorite Class

Montreal Food Writing Class

Post-Grad Internship

Production Coordinator Intern at Sony Games in Santa Monica, CA

What is the best thing about Game Production Management?

I love the multidisciplinary aspect of my major. As a producer, it’s beneficial to know a little bit about each game discipline to know how they fit together to make the whole game. Since day one in the Game Studio, all the game majors were making games together. The process felt so natural. We’ve all been playing games since we were little, but we weren’t sure how to make them yet. That’s where the faculty stepped in and closed the gap to help us.

What kind of projects have you worked on in your major?

I’ve made half a dozen games here at Champlain, and working on our game in Montreal was really gratifying. We made it in 10 weeks and people in the industry loved it. As developers, we felt a huge sense of pride in our final product. We worked so hard on this project, and people were asking when we would put it online so they could buy it.

What has surprised you most about your time at Champlain?

I’m a first-generation college student, and I never thought that I would be in the position I am in today. When I was a kid, my mom always said I would go to college, and I never doubted it. I thought college would be all about hard work and good grades—which it is, don’t get me wrong—but I never expected all the memories I’ve made over the years. I made my best friends here, the ones that are going to last forever.

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Amy Zebrowski

Favorite Class

Heroines & Heroes: Harry Potter

What is the best part about your program?

The team-based projects in production classes have you working on creating games right away, which is great. The professors are knowledgeable and willing to help you learn, while also giving you valuable critiques to guide you in the right direction. The Game Studio feels like a family-we all help each other be the best we can be.

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

Getting to work on games in production classes and major-specific classes right away has been the most useful thing I’ve gotten to do at Champlain. Growing my skills as a game developer has been so rewarding and has gotten me excited about my career after Champlain.

What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain?

I highly recommend Champlain to anyone in high school who feels like they don’t fit in. You’ll find your place here, and having people in your corner will make a difference in your experience here.

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Olivia Zemany

Graduation Year

17

Organization

Avid Marketing Group | Social Media Maven

Title

Associate Account Executive

How are you using your Communication degree at your job?

My degreein Public Relations from Champlain has prepared me in more ways than I had thought for my roles after graduation. I currently work as an Account Executive & Social Media Manager at a marketing agency for alcohol brands, where I leverage skills from classes and of course, lessons from Academic Program Director Nancy Kerr almost every day.
As someone in marketing, I’ve had to wear many hats and advise on graphic design, video and sometimes even web design, all of which I had classes for that prepared me for these situations. I always keep Nancy in the back of my head whenever I present as well, which has lead to great feedback from clients and co-workers as well who say I am well-spoken and confident.
All in all—I feel very prepared in the workforce due to my degree from Champlain.

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Raymond Zheng

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