“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.”