A classmate in Ben Vidal’s Charlottesville, Va., high school came back from a multi-college tour raving about his visit to UVM. Vidal’s friend ended up attending college elsewhere but his positive review set Vidal on a path that led to Burlington.

“UVM wasn’t on my radar at the time, but after visiting campus I was really impressed,” he recalls. “It seemed like an academically rigorous place that also had a really friendly atmosphere.”

It turned out to the right formula for Ben who took on a challenging double major in economics and political science. He also fell in with a group friends who were into outdoor recreation, so a bonus was learning to ski during his sophomore year.

Vidal arrived ready to concentrate his academic focus on political science and he found many real-world opportunities to learn about the inner workings of local government—he served as a research assistant for the Burlington City Council, completed an internship at the Burlington City Assessor’s Office, and worked as campaign manager for Adam Roof, Burlington’s Ward 8 City Councilor.

But he was also fascinated by his economics courses, beginning with an introduction to economics course he took during his first UVM semester. He saw the connections between the two disciplines and decided early on to pursue a double major.

He especially enjoyed the give and take in classes with professors Jane Knodell and Art Woolf in his economics classes. (The photo at left pictures Vidal with Knodell).

“They were both lively presenters and obviously passionate about their work. Jane would bring in guests to her money and banking courses–some of them UVM alums. They brought to life the things we were learning in class.“

Woolf was a master at linking economic theory with current events. “He’d always be able to link things happening in the world with the course material.”

Vidal sought out both professors during office hours, and each became important mentors in his four-year UVM career. It was Woolf who pointed him to an opportunity at an economic consulting firm in DC where Vidal began work shortly after graduation in 2016.

He works for Bates White Economic Consulting in Washington DC, a firm that specializes in providing advanced economic, financial, and econometric analysis to law firms and government agencies.

“I would say this is one of those jobs that you actually can graduate with a degree in undergraduate economic theory and step into the working world and use everything you learned immediately,” he said.

Vidal eventually is looking to go back to school and earn an MBA. He knows if he ever needs advice or a recommendation, he has at least two UVM advocates in his corner.

“I’m still in touch with Art and Jane,” he says. “Even a few years after graduation, they are real mentors.”