These graduates made a lasting mark on both their campus and local communities. Through volunteer work, community service, and campus initiatives, they have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to making a difference. Their aspirations are as diverse as their accomplishments — whether pursuing an advanced degree or entering the workforce, each graduate is prepared to make meaningful contributions in their chosen field.

Lab Values

“Medical laboratory science is a lesser-known field, with a wide range of critical applications in patient care, diagnostics, and research — making it both unique and impactful,” says Lauren Bialek of the reason she chose her future career. “It aligned with my interest in understanding the real-life applications and complexities of medicine.”

Bialek's courses deepened her appreciation of the ways various body systems function and respond to illness. However, it was cancer biology that truly captured her interest. Bialek got involved in research in the Scheiber Lab and eventually took on the undergraduate lead role in a study of cancer metastasis. She had the opportunity to present her research at conferences of the American Society for Cell Biology and American Association for Cancer Research. After graduation, Bialek is considering a future as a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist. 

“I would love to engage in clinical research, contributing to the advancement of anesthesia science and improving patient care,” she says.

In it for the Long Run

Abigail Costello ran the Boston Marathon and took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in the same week, so it’s no surprise the Exercise Science graduate has big plans. The avid runner keeps a brisk pace. For the past two years, she’s worked in the Orthopedic Department at the Larner College of Medicine studying the meniscus after ACL injury and presented the findings at the Orthopaedic Research Society's annual meeting in February. She’s volunteered at the UVM Medical Center designing exercise programs for children with congenital heart disease and led fitness initiatives as a volunteer with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Unified Fitness program.

“I chose exercise science because I knew I wanted to pursue medicine, and I loved the concept of taking control over your own health with exercise,” says Costello. “Exercise can change many aspects of our lives and give us a lot of autonomy. I've loved this aspect of medicine because so much of modern medicine involves giving someone a pill to treat symptoms, but there are many things we can control ourselves to take power over our health.”

This fall, Costello was nominated by UVM’s Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science for the American Kinesiology Association Undergraduate Award for Research, Leadership, and Service and received an honorable mention. After graduation, she’ll take a gap year, working, traveling, and training for another marathon while waiting to hear back from medical schools. She has the finish line in sight: “I'm ready to apply everything I've learned,” she says. “I want to be the person in the operating room, diagnosing and fixing injuries."

Overall Trajectory

“I feel like Vermont is unique in that the majority of people share the same values and are eager to stand up for what is right,” says Grace DeLisle, a graduate in Public Health Sciences with minors in Public Policy and Nutrition Sciences. “It’s a very special community with the best heart.”

As an athlete on the UVM women’s cross country and track teams, DeLisle is well-versed in balancing the mental and physical demands required for success - and knows what it means to have heart. Her passion for social justice has pushed her to delve into critical public health issues, including the U.S. healthcare system, the intersection of race, gender identity, and health, and housing access. This dedication led to an internship through the Patrick Leahy Honors College, where she studied Vermont’s housing shortage alongside the former mayor of Burlington.

“I chose Public Health because I wanted to pursue a career where I could help the most people possible,” explains DeLisle. “I want to work in health policy and be a part of that upstream method of making a difference in people’s lives.” 

After graduation, she intends to obtain a Master’s in Public Health and a Juris Doctor degree.

New Beginnings

Amanda Fagnant knows exactly where she’ll be following graduation: working as a registered nurse in the Mother-Baby Unit at the UVM Medical Center. This familiar setting, enriched by her clinical experience in labor and delivery and certification training as a birth doula, offers the ideal opportunity for her to work toward her future goal of becoming a nurse midwife.

“I chose nursing because I wanted to help people directly and have a job where every day is different,” says Fagnant. Welcoming new lives into the world is just where she hoped to start her nursing career. The skills she’s developed as an undergraduate at UVM — from adapting to a new lifestyle and finding balance to building relationships and managing expectations — will add a depth of compassion to her role.

With some years of experience gained, Fagnant hopes to take another step as a travel nurse. “I’d love to travel to the western US,” she says. “I’d love to see what it looks like out that way.”

Oncology Nurse in the Making

Brigitte Gagnon’s interests in medicine, patient care, and teamwork led her to study nursing. An internship at Yale New Haven Smilow Cancer Hospital set the course for her career. 

“It was an experience that inspired me to become an oncology nurse,” she says. Gaining new perspectives has been a recurring theme throughout her undergraduate career, from interning to tutoring to studying abroad.

“I feel like it gave me a great new perspective on the world,” Gagnon says of the opportunity to study planetary health and mindfulness in Puerto Rico. About her part-time work tutoring, especially students in other majors, she adds, “I get to learn from them too!”

Gagnon values the community at UVM and the opportunities it provides to meet new people and grow. “I like that campus is a tight network and you get to know a lot of people,” she says. “I’ve gained a lot of clinical experience as well as strong teamwork and communication skills because of networking.”

Gagnon plans to start working soon after graduation and is considering a future as a nurse practitioner. She also plans to maintain her Japanese language skills. “I’d love to take nursing international and combine my work passion with my love for travel,” she says.

Supporting Meaningful Communication

“I enjoy applying what I know about the human body to understand what aspects of speech, language, or swallowing are being impacted — and how to best support individual clients or patients in a way that is meaningful to them,” says Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate Gavin Fowler. 

Initially a Linguistics major, Fowler switched to CSD to apply his knowledge of language and culture in the clinical setting. As an undergraduate assistant in Dr. Sara Benham’s Language Learning Lab, Fowler analyzed infant vocal complexity in relation to vocabulary development at different ages and gained clinical experience as an undergraduate intern at the Eleanor M. Luse Center for Communication. For his capstone project, he worked to identify evidence-based practices to decrease loneliness among the older male population in a mixed-income residential facility.

Fowler plans to pursue a career as a medical speech-language pathologist, supporting patients with swallowing, voice, and upper airway disorders in the hospital setting.

Public Health Advocate

Entering UVM as a Biological science major, Ella Kenney realized that in addition to anatomy and physiology, her favorite courses were in health communications and global health. “These classes gave me diverse perspectives in understanding the health of an individual and community,” she recalls.

Her passion for public health led her to the Public Health Sciences major, and next, to research. Kenney took part in a project on firearm injury prevention with the VT Area Health Education Center and led research on social isolation and loneliness for a nonprofit based in Rutland County, Vermont. She volunteered with a nonprofit organization focused on reducing social isolation and loneliness in the pediatric ward at the UVM Medical Center, and baked birthday cakes for the Vermont Dismas House. Kenney also advocated for her peers as the president of Kaleidoscope, a club supporting inclusive excellence for students in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. 

“I hope to become an advocate and influential leader in public health,” says Kenney. “Whether this be at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in medicine, abroad, or at a local nonprofit, I want to make an impact in other people’s lives.”

Following graduation, Kenney will attend the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Service Learning

Inspired by the care and compassion nurses provide, Natalie Barbour chose the field as a way to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

“I have always been passionate about maternal and child health,” says Barbour, who researched barriers to prenatal care in the U.S. for her senior capstone project.

Barbour’s aptitude for advocacy is evident. As a representative on the Undergraduate Baccalaureate Education Board, she served as a liaison between students and faculty. She mentored first-year students through the CNHS LINKS program and connected students with community nurses and organized service activities as co-president of the Student Nurses’ Association. Her leadership roles have inspired younger students and fostered connections within the nursing community.

“During my time at UVM, my perseverance, leadership, and adaptability have developed," says Barbour. "And I have learned that serving others is an important part of my life.”

After graduation, Barbour will work on the Mother-Baby Unit at the UVM Medical Center and plans to pursue a higher degree to become a nurse midwife or women’s health nurse practitioner.

Where Tech Meets Compassion

“Radiation therapists play a crucial role in a patient’s cancer journey—often seeing and supporting them through multiple treatments—and I knew I wanted to be a part of that experience,” says Taite Magoon, a graduate in Medical Radiation Sciences. “It is a profession where technical expertise meets resilience.”

Magoon spent his final semester living in Boston, working full-time in a clinical practicum at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, he gained firsthand experience with the support of skilled professional radiation therapists, some of whom are UVM alumni. His compassion and dedication to providing the highest quality patient care earned him the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences’ Clinical Achievement in Radiation Therapy Award.

“I was able to make connections with other radiation therapists, radiation oncologists, dosimetrists, and many patients at both UVM Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital,” Magoon adds. “Through these connections, I met a diverse set of professionals who can guide me in the right direction throughout my career.”

Magoon has accepted a position as a radiation therapist in Burlington, Massachusetts.