"It’s the community," says Winooski High School Math Teacher Claire Lennon '23. "I never felt alone in any of my endeavors. Faculty care so much and are always there for us. I made lifelong friendships through CESS, the Honors College, club sports, and the campus tour guide program. I am so lucky to be part of the UVM family, and I know that won’t change after graduation.”

Story: Celebrating the CESS Class of 2023

“I am committed to paying it forward by empowering others in my community by uplifting one another," says Daniel Fairley G'16, who is among the first cohort of emerging changemakers chosen to participate in the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA program. 

"The idea of helping to create a violence-free world is really the thing that inspires me on a day-to-day basis," says social work alum Sarah Robinson G'12, who serves as the Deputy Director of Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Sarah received UVM's 2022 Young Alumni Award honoring her outstanding leadership and community impact. 

“I wanted a career in science where I can help build a better future,” says Honors and AP Chemistry Teacher Sam Joyner '23. "My goal is to make chemistry fun, exciting, and attainable for all my students.”

"Professors and mentor teachers made this experience the most fulfilling journey," says Ella McCarthy '22. "They all truly want to prepare us for life in the field and honor who we are as individuals." Ella was named the Early Childhood Education Student of the Year by the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children. 

"I want to live in a world where students see themselves in the curriculum and the books they're reading," says Monica Desrochers '11, the recovery coordinator for equity and inclusion in the Addison Northwest School District. Monica received a scholarship in pursuit of her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UVM.

Human Development and Family Science graduate Francesca Arnoldy '03 established UVM's End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate program, and she recently published a book on the topic. “It’s an incredible privilege to be welcomed into these most significant experiences, like birth, death, and grief," she says. "It wakes me up to living and helps me remember what’s truly important."

"Allowing students to embrace change, become frustrated, and struggle to articulate what they are going through is an awe-inspiring experience." See how 2019 Vermont Teacher of the Year Tom Payeur works to address educational inequities in his culturally diverse school.

"UVM changed my trajectory as a person because I got the opportunity to work with a lot of people who really cared about humanity," says Pahara Senior Vice President Shawna Wells '04.

Our graduates make an impact in their communities