Growing up as one of few—if not the only—students of color in her Shelburne, Vermont, school, Shania Bunbury '19 is well-versed in the realities of racial discrimination today. Having persisted through a traumatic, racially-charged experience herself in middle school, she is passionate about being an advocate for the marginalized. She had her choice of top law schools, but they all paled in comparison to Harvard. Bunbury will soon take a pivotal step on her long-planned journey to combat marginalization issues as a lawyer. “These are the really big goals, but ones that I think are so important because the people that need the legal system most don’t have the resources for it. It’s really important to me that I use this degree to be the person that I would have wanted when I was going through the education system,” she says.

Courtney Brady '20, a native of Blakeslee, Penn., came to UVM to study environmental engineering. After taking a principles of macroeconomics class from Professor Jane Knodell, she quickly decided to change her major to economics. “She was a very dynamic professor, and I really loved the course material,” she recalls. “It was a large lecture-style class but she knew all the students by name, so it felt like a really intimate seminar.” Brady also had a background in speaking French—her grandmother is from Sherbrooke, Quebec. “One of my goals was to be able to speak fluently with her in French, but she passed away the year I went off to college. But I kept at it because I feel it’s part of my family legacy.” A business administration minor, Brady served as vice-president of the UVM Economics Club and a leader of the UVM Fed Challenge team, a group that competes each year in fiscal policy competition in Boston.

She worked as a peer mentor in economics in The Peer Mentor Program, an initiative designed to help first-year students transition to college life in the Honors College. Peer mentors share their own experience, listen, give advice, and ultimately serve as the resource students need during their first semester.

Brady also has an outdoorsy side—she skied in Vermont as a youngster and enjoys yoga, hiking, biking and snowboarding. UVM’s reputation as a school with strong environmental ethos was another factor in drawing her to UVM and she’s decided to pursue an M.S. in commerce with a track in finance at the University of Virginia.

She’s passionate about socially responsible investing (SRI) which encourages supporting companies that demonstrate sustainable “green” business practices.

“It’s where we need to head as a country,” she said. “SRI principles help us find a balance between making a profit while putting people and the planet first.”

The long-term dream? To combine her skills in language and finance.

“I’d love to work in Quebec or France—I think the combination of a language and my economics background will provide a more opportunities than I would have had if I had concentrated on one major.”

Will LaCroix '20 immersed himself in economic theory and athletics at UVM. In addition to his studies, the Burlington native was a standout on the UVM cross-country and track teams. As his academic career unfolded, he found himself observing the classroom styles of his favorite professors including Professor of Economics Marc Law and Lecturer Jennifer Prue “I love economics but I’m not as interested in finance or banking as I am with teaching,” said LaCroix. As a student at Rice High School, he volunteered at the King Street Center in Burlington, a non-profit organization serving local children and families. At UVM, LaCroix volunteered with the College for Every Student Program, mentoring a local elementary school student. After finishing requirements for his B.A. in economics, he returned to UVM in 2019 to pick up an additional degree in secondary education. “I’ve been struck by how little students are exposed to economics in school,” LaCroix observed. “I think giving students more background in economics is great preparation for the future, and helps them in other subjects.”