Student

Maggie DeCapua

Primary Specialization*

Creative Writing

Complementary Specializations*

Game Design and Visual Art

Post-Grad Job

Director of Development at Rad Magpie in Burlington, VT

What's the best part of being a Creative Media major?

I was able to pick three different specializations: Creative Writing, Game Design, and Visual Art. In addition to that, I also have a minor in Public Relations. My interests are all over the board, which has been complemented by the curriculum here at Champlain. I’m able to study everything I’m interested in, and I get to bring it all together in my coursework.
The Creative Media major is really unique in that you get to pick the specializations that you are really passionate about. It’s definitely not the sort of program where you’re restricted to just one thing.

How has Champlain prepared you for the professional world?

Within the Creative Media major, there are a lot of specific classes where you work on your portfolio and professional development. That has been one of the most beneficial facets of the Creative Media major for me. It helped me to collect my art and my work into a presentable, professional portfolio. Creative Media classes helped me to clearly understand how my work can be applicable to a career.

What is your favorite thing about living in Burlington, Vermont?

I think the arts community in Burlington is truly unparalleled. I come from a place where there isn’t a whole lot of artist engagement in the community, so coming to Burlington, where there are art galleries I can visit, is amazing. There are also events like the South End Art Hop, which provides opportunities to network with local artists. It’s really empowering for me, knowing that there’s so much out there, even within my own community.
I also love to visit the different coffee shops in Burlington. I know that’s a weird favorite thing because there are coffee shops everywhere, but here in Burlington they have their own vibe. It’s great to go and study in a coffee shop, and there are so many options.

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Connor Decker

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Adam DeCosta

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Aaron Degrave

Specialization

Cybersecurity

Internships

Leahy Center Burlington, VT; FireEye/Mandiant Reston, VA; Champlain College, Remote

Favorite Class

Sysadmin & Net Services I

How did you first hear about Champlain?

After researching multiple different schools, I found Champlain College. I loved how accredited their programs were, specifically for Computer & Digital Forensics, as it was recognized by the NSA as an Establishment of Excellence in Digital Forensics. Once I saw how vetted the programs were, I immediately set up a visit to the campus.

What do you like about your program?

One of my favorite aspects of Champlain is that what you learn in class, whether Cybersecurity or Digital Forensics, can be translated into your own self-development projects and the work that you do at the Leahy Center. The classes really prepare you with hands-on experience like what you will be encountering in a real-life work environment.

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The upside-down curriculum is one of the best traDivision of Information Technology & Sciences that Champlain has to offer. A lot of colleges will stick you in basic general education courses for your first year or two. Champlain is not about that. At Champlain from day one, I was involved in work that I felt was relevant.

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Mikaylan Diallo

Post-Grad Job

Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Air Force

Tell us about your major!

I really like the hands-on learning for my major. Every semester in almost every Psychology class, we did something for the improvement of our community through research. In Cognitive Psychology, I created an advertisement to increase participants that go to an organization’s programs and got to pitch my ideas to that organization on campus. In my Social Psychology course, I got to go out in the community and apply what we learned in class about our society, and then come back to class to share what we learn in our professional experiences. In all of my research methods courses, I created my own research project to be implemented and presented at the end of the class. I always felt like my work was really meaningful.

How has Core changed your perspective?

My self-portrait changed my perspective of myself and how I see myself in the world. I wrote an essay called: Their Voice, Their Face, Their Story. This essay was associated with a painting I created that looked like me, but my face was made out of different skin colors to represent how I was the face of the many that I advocated for. I also painted the Earth as earrings so that I could represent carrying the world’s burdens on my shoulders. Before Core, I used my activism more individually and passively. After Core and completing my self-portrait, I realized the importance of not just being an advocate but joining with other passionate individuals to make a greater change. Therefore, I participated in more group protests and sit-ins.

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

I am one of the founders and the captains of the Soul Food Step Team. I helped create the team because I was interested in creating a safe space for Black individuals while also allowing the freedom for artistic expression. Plus, I enjoy using my energy for dancing and hyping up my teammates. I also work with Black Student Union and Shades of Me with events on campus and collaborate with Clemmons Family Farm through dance workshops and education.

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Olivia DiPrizio

Favorite Class

3D Modeling

What has been your favorite Core class so far? Why?

My favorite Core class has been Bodythought with Erik Shonstrom. We learned all about how we experience the world on a subconscious level. It was eye-opening and very fun! In every class, we did something new and exciting—like going swimming in Lake Champlain, learning to waltz, or playing Twister.

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

The projects in my Game Studio classes are always very rewarding because I get to bring a game’s visual direction to life.Helping develop a game from a concept to a finished prototype is a great experience, especially when it’s helping me develop skills I’ll need for my future job.

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

I’m part of Social Impact Scholars, a group dedicated to discussing social and political topics on campus, in Burlington, and in the world. I enjoy being able to facilitate discussions with other students and the exposure to new perspectives and opinions in an environment that’s dedicated to understanding.

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Stephanie Doan

Internship

Consulting Intern to the Champlain Department of Residential Life in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Counseling Skills

How did you choose your major?

I chose Psychology because I’m passionate about helping people, especially children. I love to think philosophically and then take my thoughts and find ways to apply them. I’ve loved the Psychology program at Champlain! I enjoy the combination of hearing field stories from my professors with hands-on experience, even in the classroom. I like discussing case studies and reading different content that we not only discuss in class, but also criticize, as if we are part of the professional Psychology community.

What types of projects have you worked on in the Psychology program?

My most rewarding project was a research assignment for my Research Methods & Analysis II course. It was a very difficult and time-consuming project, but I was able to choose my own topic, write a proposal, work with actual research to develop my skills in research psychology, perform testing on almost 200 participants, and then present it to other members of the Psychology community here at Champlain. I wouldn’t want to do it again, but it’s an experience I would never trade.

Are you involved with any organizations on campus?

I work as a Resident Assistant on campus with sophomores, and I mentor first-year students through the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI). My learning experiences in the classroom have helped me become more introspective and develop skills that help me reflect on who I am and understand what I need. Those skills have helped me to help others understand what they need, which allows me to connect students to the resources they need to lead them to success and health.

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Blake Donovan

Favorite Class

Screenwriting II and III

What do you like about your program?

There are different types of major classes. One type is called a “production” class. In a production class, you are expected to make a film or documentary that will be finished by the end of the semester. Whether you direct a film or just work on someone else’s, you are able to focus on the practical aspects of filmmaking for the majority of the semester. This also allows you great freedom to dive into projects that interest you and your creativity.

Have you had a chance to study abroad?

I studied in Auckland, New Zealand during the spring semester of my junior year. I was the only one out of my immediate friends who was traveling there, and that allowed me the freedom to make new friends in a new place. I was fortunate enough to have great roommates who came from all over the world, and I got to see a country that is very geographically different than the one I live in.The Filmmaking program also tends to offer an abroad trip for a small group of students every winter break. The trip that I went on was to Saudi Arabia, where I produced a narrative short film with Saudi filmmakers. We spent two weeks in Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea.

How has Core changed your perspective?

As a filmmaker and writer, every experience and every bit of knowledge that you learn can be pushed back into your work, and that’s because our job is to replicate the world around us. The broader your perspective and the more open you are to learning, the more complex and moving your art can be.

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Dillon Drummond

What drew you to your major?

In middle school, I wanted to be a game designer and started looking up information about what a designer does. When I was in high school, I was lucky enough that my area had a technical school with all sorts of specialized classes. Some of those classes were in programming and we even had two classes specifically about making games. After my first programming class, I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

So far, what classes, projects, subjects, or experiences have been most meaningful or impactful?

I think that the Game Studio classes have been the most impactful. I enjoy all of the programming classes and their topics, (in fact, they are my favorite classes), but it is important to know how to work as a team. Games aren’t typically made by a single person these days. Even most indie games are at least made by a small team. Game Studio classes have allowed me to build upon my teamwork skills and create products that are more than the sum of my own work.

Describe the Champlain community. Did it meet/differ from your expectations?

Wherever you go, no matter who you are, you are almost guaranteed to find a group of people that will accept you. I did not expect to make so many friends while I was here, but now, nearly everywhere I go, I can find someone I know.

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Alex Dustin

Double Minor

Computer Science and Mathematics

Internship

Assistant Data Analyst at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, MA

Favorite Class

Advanced Data Analytics

What is the best thing about studying Data Science at Champlain?

I love the major. It’s relatively small, so I know everyone in all of my classes. I have all the same professors for most of my classes, and it’s nice to have a consistent classroom environment. With the Upside-Down Curriculum, I was engaged in my major from the start of my first semester.

Have you worked on any particularly rewarding projects?

One project I worked on in my Advanced Data Analytics class analyzed how names are pronounced. With that information, we generated a list of believable and pronounceable names. I found this particularly rewarding because I was able to use my knowledge from the class to make a practical application using our data.

Can you tell us about your internship?

I was an Assistant Data Analyst for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in their Office of Performance Management & Innovation. My classes prepared me for this experience because the problems I tackled at my internship were similar to ones I’d already faced in the classroom. This internship will give me a competitive advantage when I graduate, because now I have experience dealing with real-world problems in a professional working environment.

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Riley Earle

Specialization

Editing & Publishing

What made you choose your major?

I came into Champlain as a Filmmaking major with a strong love for writing, trying to decide which medium I preferred for my storytelling passion. I’ll never give back my year in film before I switched to Professional Writing, as the perspective I gained is invaluable and continues to benefit my writing.

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

If it weren’t for the Upside-Down Curriculum, I may not be in a major that suDivision of Information Technology & Sciences me so well. It gave me the valuable opportunity to explore more than one of my interests, which led to confidence in my choice of degree. Countless students enter college without a developed sense of what they want to do for the rest of their lives-and understandably so usually just 17 or 18 years old. The Upside-Down Curriculum acknowledges this uncertainty and allows students like me to use it to their advantage.

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

I absolutely have to say that anyone living in Burlington needs to take advantage of the extraordinary little city and all it has to offer. Go to North Beach. Hang out by the lake. Eat creemees. Go to the comedy club and Flynn theatre. Pick up Mr. Mike’s pizza. Take advantage of the skate park. Adventure down the bike path. Go skiing, hiking, and swimming in Bolton and beyond. This is such a beautiful and exciting place to live, and most people in New England don’t realize the extent of Burlington and Vermont. Live it and love it!

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Kevin Eaton

Specialization

Mobile Application Development

Summer Cultural Program

Montreal, Canada

Internship

Programming Intern at The Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity in Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Data Structures and Algorithms

How has the Core Curriculum changed your perspective?

The Core Curriculum opened my eyes to how intricately the world is connected. A small change in one community can have a big impact on another. It has made me more self-aware of how my actions can impact the people around me and the world as a whole.

Have you worked on any particularly rewarding projects?

Every programming project I’ve had since the beginning of my college experience has been rewarding. From the simple projects in Introduction to Programming to my Capstone, they have all been the perfect learning experiences and helped me steadily progress towards my career.

Can you tell us about your internship with The Leahy Center?

I was a programming intern, so I worked with a small team on a web-based project called Digital Signage, which was going to be used as a CMS billboard system. This gave me the opportunity to work on a software development team as well as gain valuable knowledge of web-based projects. This internship led to an opportunity to work at The Leahy Center every semester since, and to grow as a software engineer by working on projects in a professional environment.

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Chloe Elliot

Graduation Year

’16

Organization

Burton Snowboards

Position Title

Experience and Partnership Specialist

How are you using your Communication degree at your job?

In my current role at Burton as the Experience and Partnership Specialist in the Americas, I often utilize my communications and public relations learnings from Champlain to plan national events, coordinate with media, ensure proper brand positioning, create valuable industry partnerships and establish internal and external communication strategies. Like many in this day and age, and in this particular industry (outdoor recreation), my role is ever-evolving but thanks to my time at Champlain learning within the Division of Communication & Creative Media department I’ve been continually prepared for all of the twists and turns along my career path.

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Emily Emery

Concentration

Social Studies

Internship

Leahy Center for Digital Investigation, Burlington VT

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

The Upside-Down curriculum allowed me to find what I am passionate about. I started in Cybersecurity and Computer Networking and was able to take classes in that major which showed me that it was not the path I would like to go down. The teachers and classes were amazing, but it wasn’t something that I felt passionate about. Since everyone takes major-specific classes, I was able to talk to friends and my advisor to determine what might be a better path. When I switched majors, I was better able to specify exactly what I was interested in because I got to take classes in that major right away.

What’s the best thing about living on campus?

My favorite part about living on campus are the communities you make. Most of the best friends I’ve made at Champlain came from my first year in Pearl Hall. A couple of friends have been added through the years, but my experience in my first-year hall will always be some of the best times that I have had at college.

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

Keep an open mind! You may think you know exactly what you want to do in the future, and then you’ll come to Champlain and see all of the different opportunities that interest you. Take people up on those opportunities. Who knows, you might find something that you are exceptionally passionate about!

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Leanne Estridge

Graduation Year

’11

Organization

RealDeli All Natural Meats

Position Title

Head of Community Outreach & Non-Meat Projects

How are you using your Communication degree at your job?

Champlain College pushed me out of my comfort zone. The real-world projects, completed alongsiderealcompanies, were invaluableto my career preparation and success. Having genuine,innovative, and smart people invested in my growth gave me the confidence to pursuewhat makes me happy.
Champlain is unique in that it connects Division of Information Technology & Sciences students with brilliant people from day one to well beyond graduation; astronger support system in higher education doesn’t exist. The network I grew at Champlain will be with me for a lifetime and I am most grateful for that.
Public relations transformed dramatically over thepast ten years. That shift forced me to take my traditional PR skills online—and beyond Twitter. I have managed internal communications and external marketing at two digital marketing firms; I’ve directed account managers to lead strategic marketing plans for non-profit schools, and am now leading communications and outreach for an all-natural food line. And I’ve hired Champlain grads at all three locations!

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