Emily Aiken of Fairfax returns to school to help kids thrive—in and out of the classroom

“Going back to school for counseling was a big decision for us,” says Emily Aiken of Fairfax. “My husband owns a landscaping and excavation company, where he’s been successful without a college degree. And while he can buy a piece of equipment and make money on it immediately, it’s a lot less certain to spend time and money on a degree without a guarantee that you’ll make that money back.”

But for Emily, the calling to study mental health counseling was about much more than return on investment. It was about investing in a community she cares about.

She’s done that throughout her career in different ways—working in health care research, teaching in a preschool, serving on her local school board, and being a mom to a now-12-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. But her dream was always to become a counselor.

“I’ve been inspired by people who have struggled and overcome things, which helped propel me into making changes in my own life—and then to think about how I might help others,” says Emily. “I’m also very empathetic, and I feel things on a deeper level than most people. That makes me want to make a change in the world.”

A dream paused then revisited

Emily’s original plan was to go right to grad school after earning her bachelor’s in psychology, with a minor in anthropology, from St. Michael’s College. But when she found out she was pregnant with their son, that put the immediate emphasis on providing for a growing family. So Emily took a job with an allergy and asthma research clinic.

Seven years later, the research project ended, and Emily now had two children at home. She went to work with a friend who runs a preschool, which meant she could earn an income and care for her daughter at the same time. “It was a great experience. I got to spend time with my daughter and spend a lot of time outside,” she says.

After four years there, Emily decided it was time to revisit her dream.

She signed up for a counseling class—Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling—as part of a continuing education program. “I wanted to find out, ‘can I even do this?’ It had been so long since I was in school. But the course went better than I expected.”

With her fears put to rest, Emily decided to go for a degree. She’s now partway through the mental health counseling program at Vermont State University (VTSU), with an expected graduation date of December 2026. Her program is flexible and partially asynchronous; Emily is not part of a student cohort, but takes classes through the Johnson campus at her own pace. “That helps, because I try to keep summers light, with the kids out of school and that being my husband’s busy time.”

Flexibility with education and life

When Emily first enrolled, her admissions counselor told her about the Vermont Mental Health Forgivable Loan. The program, managed by VSAC and funded by the state of Vermont, forgives one year of student loan debt for every year the student works in Vermont’s mental health field post-graduation.

Emily says the loan helped solidify her decision to pursue a degree. It also influenced her choice of concentration, since her original area of interest—school counseling—was not eligible for the program. “I switched my major to mental health counseling so the loan would cover it, and that was for the best, because I can always add the school-specific training later. A more general concentration gives me more flexibility,” she realized.

Emily has benefited from the forgivable loan for two years. “It’s been amazing. The forgivable loan has allowed me to do the program at a pace that works for my family—as opposed to trying to get it all done fast so I can go make money to pay back the loans. It’s taken a lot of the stress off.”

With Emily no longer working full time, family finances are still a challenge, so she’s been cleaning houses and teaching Pilates classes alongside her courses. “But I’ve been able to build a flexible schedule with most of my commitments during the day, so I have evenings free with the kids.”

Fulfilling a calling

Unless she’s trying to write a paper, she says—during which time, her kids always need her. “As a mom, you’re going to deal with lots of interruptions,” she says with a laugh.

Even when the juggling act is difficult, Emily remains focused. “There’s such a need for more mental health support right now.” After her licensure, she’d like to work with middle and high school kids, probably based in a school.

For Emily, seeing her dreams come to fruition—and fulfilling her calling to help others who are struggling—is the best return on investment, and one that will pay dividends for years to come.