Planning for college or training next year? Apply for the Vermont Grant and explore VSAC’s free scholarship booklet to help you cover costs.
Blog Archive: Exploring Career Options
Fexhrije Ilazi had two years left of college when she was forced to end her pursuit of a degree. She was living in Kosovo and the war there left both her homeland and her dreams in smoldering ruins. Fexhrije eventually moved to the United States as a refugee with two little children. She didn’t…
Read More >
Meghan Lewia helps keep people healthy now, but she does so from behind the scenes. She is a friendly voice and guiding hand in making sure patients, many with chronic conditions, are getting the tests and regular care they need. Meghan’s plan is to get out of the office and into some scrubs. She’s…
Read More >
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Brown just graduated from Craftsbury Academy last week. Lizzie joined the GEAR UP program later on in high school but has taken advantage of the program as a resource to help her finalize the details of her college plans and learn how to pay for college. She persisted through the…
Read More >
Dennis Van Nostrand has two dreams: To be a cross-country tractor-trailer truck driver and to be an actor. On the first one he’s close to his destination. Dennis currently has a class B commercial driver’s license and works for Thomas Dairy in Rutland. He loves his job, but he’s been spending his…
Read More >
Debbie McBride and her son both graduated from college on the same day. She skipped her ceremony to attend his, a small sacrifice but one of many she made to pursue her degree. That graduation meant she met her goal of earning the diploma by the time she turned 50. It also represents a new career…
Read More >
Jeremy MacKenzie’s higher education journey is the stuff movies are made of. It starts when Jeremy is incarcerated and ends, at least for now, with a George Lucas scholarship to get his graduate degree in film studies. And, without the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, this tale may never have…
Read More >
I am a senior at Lake Region Union High School, where I serve as our local Future Business Leader of America co-president and state treasurer for Vermont FBLA. As local co-president, I am responsible for chapter membership, as well as helping run our weekly meetings alongside our other co-president…
Read More >
The degree Diane Willson is now pursuing wasn’t available when she first looked at colleges as a senior in high school. She counts the options she had back then on one hand. “The choices in my generation were: to be a nurse, a teacher, a secretary, or go to college to find your guy, who will then…
Read More >
Ghana Rimal’s story is one of patience, perseverance and preparation. After a decade of living in a refugee camp in Nepal, Ghana Rimal was studying for the interviews required to immigrate to the United States or six other countries. When he was asked where he wanted to go, he said Vermont, USA. He…
Read More >
During her 20-year career as a secondary school secretary in South Royalton, Amy Lewis pursued many professional training opportunities. But she never thought of herself as a potential college student, despite encouragement from her boss and mentor. Severe dyslexia made high school a struggle, Amy…
Read More >