Back to School: Four Vermonters talk about finding opportunities in education

During this back-to-school season, we went back to some recent Student Spotlight articles for inspiration about the value of education. For these exceptional Vermont students, education means.

Investing in yourself for life

Hannah Heinchon of Lowell is a dedicated single mom. Among many other jobs, she leads a support program for young people experiencing homelessness. While her life has focused heavily on helping others, education has been the investment she’s made in herself.  

Hannah had to put a pause on college when her first son was born just six months before her graduation from VSTU-Lyndon. As soon as her son started preschool, she completed her degree through a flexible online program at VTSU-Johnson. A few years later, as Hannah was preparing for a divorce, she realized that she wanted to take the next step in her career, and she applied for graduate school. “Education was always the ticket to something bigger and better,” she says.  

Determined to earn her master’s in social work, Hannah worked full time and went to school full time, while being a single parent of two young boys. “It was years of hard work and sacrifice, and nothing made me prouder than receiving that graduate degree,” says Hannah.

With her two sons now in high school, it’s made Hannah smile to see them work with the same VSAC counselor—Matt Mitchell—who supported her as a high school senior. “I now have the honor of watching my older son as he begins to think about where he wants to go to college. He has watched his mom put herself through school and knows the hard work and dedication it takes, but also the reward that comes out of all of that effort.”

Seizing the moment even when you don’t see it coming

A standout athlete who grew up in Alaska and moved to Richford, Vermont, at the start of high school, Jake Cunningham excelled at martial arts and baseball. After injury sidelined him from competitive sports and a severe bout of COVID forced him to drop out of Keene State College before finishing, Jake thought opportunity had passed him by. But the respectful, hardworking student had always made an impression on his teachers and coaches, and, at the urging of a Keene State dean, he reapplied for admission and graduated in December 2022. “Getting that diploma was a huge weight off my shoulders,” Jake recalls.  

Jake’s dad had always advised him to “find something you’re good at and go with it.” With his diploma in hand, he began that search. After working a public works job for a short time and trying out a stint in sales, he thought about applying as a border patrol agent. Before he had the chance, though, his cousin, a Colchester police officer, asked Jake if he wanted to do a ride-along. “I took him up on it, and I absolutely loved it,” says Jake. “Interacting with people, patrolling different places, and being able to make a positive impact on the community—I loved it all.” Jake completes his training at the Vermont Police Academy later this year, and he’s already a part-time member of the Colchester Police Department.  

Now that Jake’s in a position to offer advice, he encourages students to “try something new. You might really enjoy it, and who knows? It might be the gateway to your future.”

Turning a passion into a profession… while making the most of adversity

Aspiring musician Matt Webster’s definition of education includes the time he spent teaching himself to read music, play the piano, and learn guitar. For these skills, YouTube was his classroom. “My family could never afford lessons, so I’m completely self-taught,” says Matt, who is the oldest of five siblings, step-siblings and half-siblings in a blended family.  

At the same time, Matt’s formal education at Blue Mountain Union High School was an opportunity to develop strong leadership skills. He served as Editor-in-Chief for BMU’s student-run broadcasting program, and he also stepped in, with the help of a few other classmates, to produce the annual spring concert when the music teacher fell ill. “We took it upon ourselves to put it together. We wanted it to be a celebration for the seniors.”  

Matt says he wasn’t sure until the start of his senior year that he wanted to go on to college. But once he saw the potential for a college education to give him a leg up in his future career, he pursued applications and scholarships with as much passion as he showed for music. He hopes to become the first in his family to earn a college degree, and with it, the training and the confidence to one day start his own music production company. The Groton native started classes a couple of weeks ago as a freshman at Husson University, with plans to major in audio engineering.  

An opportunity for self-growt while connecting to past, present and future

Mersadies Shantie was inspired at a young age by her mom, who worked as a home health aide and had a big heart. “I used to go with her to visit her patients, and I loved seeing how she would take care of people.” Her mom passed away unexpectedly when Mersadies was just 12, and the trauma of losing a beloved parent at such a young age left her feeling unsure of herself.  

“In high school, I felt drawn to health care too, but there was a part of me that was scared to try it,” Mersadies recalls. After a guidance counselor at Enosburg High School encouraged her to sign up for the medical program at her nearby technical center, she loved it.  

She became a consistent 4.0 student and was awarded the Green and Gold Scholarship at the University of Vermont, which covers full tuition for all four years. Mersadies was stunned, unable to believe that she’d earned such a prestigious award—and unsure whether she had the confidence to pursue it. But at the same time, she says, “The opportunity wasn’t one I could pass up.”  

With support from mentors and good friends made through a freshman orientation program for first-generation college students, Mersadies is now thriving in UVM’s nursing program. College, she says, has already proven to be an incredible growth experience.

In high school, I was focused on academics, and I wasn’t one to join groups or go out. In college I’ve expanded my horizons a bit, and I feel more comfortable attending events, meeting new people and reaching out to connect with resources I feel could help me.

Mersadies is excited for her future health care career, which she thinks will focus on the eldercare field. It’s a way she’s been able to connect with, and honor, her mom’s memory.    

“My mom was always a big jokester, and that’s something I take with me into each patient’s room,” says Mersadies, who is currently working part-time as an LNA while going to school. “I don’t know what they’re going through, but I want to try to lighten up their day. I want to be that person that’s there for patients, because everyone deserves that.”