Three Vermont students give thanks and give back

The Thanksgiving season reminds us about giving thanks and giving back. In that spirit, we wanted to re-introduce you to three students we’ve profiled, who, thanks to hard work, family support, and the VSAC counselors who guided them on their college and career paths, are on their way to giving back in big ways.

From all of us at VSAC, Happy Thanksgiving!  

Hannah Heinchon, Lowell / Supporting Homeless Youth

Higher education was key for Hannah Heinchon to help young people thrive. With VSAC’s help, she is pursuing her passion, making a difference, and setting an example for her two sons.

Hannah grew up on her grandparents’ dairy farm in Lowell. Everyone worked hard. No one in her family had graduated from college, but she knew from an early age that she wanted to continue her education beyond high school. Then, as an eighth grader at Lowell Graded School, Hannah found VSAC’s GEAR UP college and career readiness program and started working with Matt Mitchell, who still works as a VSAC outreach counselor in the same region. (In fact, he worked with Hannah’s older son, Isaac, who is now 15. “Vermont is a pretty special place like that,” Hannah says with a smile.)

“The GEAR UP program was an answer to prayers I hadn’t known to pray,” Hannah continues. “I applied to five colleges and universities, and I was accepted by all of them. Somehow this farm kid who knew nothing about college had the luxury of options.”

Hannah earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from VTSU-Johnson, taking a pause when Isaac was born and finishing her internship hours wearing her younger son, Collin, in a baby carrier. Then, 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, but as it always has been for me, education was the ticket to something bigger and better,” she says.

Hannah works at Elevate Youth Services, formerly known as the Washington County Youth Service Bureau, which supports young people struggling with homelessness and family challenges. She was initially hired to run the Transitional Living Program, which provides housing supports to homeless youth, and to implement the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program in Central Vermont. After bringing in multiple grants to create a brand-new emergency shelter program—and then, soon after, to double the number of beds for homeless youth—she is now a program administrator.

She is also looking forward to supporting her sons as they begin to think about their next steps after high school.

“They watched their mom put herself through school, and they know the hard work and dedication it takes—but also the reward that comes out of all of that effort,” says Hannah.

Jake Cunningham, Richford / Police Officer

Jake Cunningham grew up in Alaska, was a star baseball player, and finished college despite a curveball from Covid-19. Now, as part of Colchester’s police force, he hopes to connect with the community through positivity and respect.

“God and family are super-important to me. That’s how we were raised,” says Jake, who is the second oldest of his seven siblings. His dad, who Jake describes as “an adventurous guy who visited every state in America and wound up in Alaska,” decided to move the family to Richford, Vermont, in August 2010, to be closer to his extended family. Jake was 12 at the time, and while it was a big adjustment, he and his brothers and sisters ended up thriving.

A gifted athlete, Jake was recruited by several colleges for baseball, and he ultimately chose Keene State College. When it came to making plans beyond high school, Jake’s parents were always super-supportive. But since neither of them had been to college, Jake and his siblings worked with counselor Liam Danaher through VSAC’s GEAR UP program. “In all my years working as a counselor, I remember my time with Jacob fondly,” says Danaher. “He was a talented student who balanced complex social dynamics, top-level athletics, and high-achieving academics with grace and kindness toward his classmates, teachers, and staff. Jacob was always respectful and kind, something all his siblings shared in common.”

After contracting a tough case of Covid-19 in college, Jake took a pause in his classes and didn’t think he would finish. With the support and encouragement of one of the Keene State deans, he returned and earned his degree. After trying his hand at sales and municipal jobs, Jake took a ride-along in a police cruiser with his cousin, also a member of the Colchester police force, and was introduced to his future career.

Now, Jake is working his way through the Vermont Police Academy and working part-time with Colchester PD, where his engaging stories, sense of humor, and strong community spirit will most definitely give him a leg up in connecting with people. “My motto has always been to be nice to people and treat everyone with respect,” says Jake. “That goes a long way.”

Olivia Demag, Wolcott / Student in UNE Nursing Program

Olivia Demag loves to travel, so at first, she was “50/50” on returning to Vermont after college. But she also wanted to give back to her Lamoille County community. The Vermont Forgivable Loan Program for nursing students, administered by VSAC, let her have the best of both worlds.

Olivia, who was born and raised in Wolcott, yearned for new experiences beyond her familiar borders. So she chose an out-of-state college—both because it allowed her to spread her wings beyond her home state, and also for the opportunity to study abroad.

However, that option was more expensive than in-state programs and required a lot of work to earn scholarships to cover the cost. Katie Gesser, a VSAC outreach counselor who worked with Olivia during her time at Lamoille Valley Union High School, helped her find funding opportunities. “Olivia is an extremely hard-working student who never let any obstacles keep her from her goals,” says Gesser.

Olivia paid most of her tuition through scholarships, and to cover her remaining costs, she applied for the Vermont Forgivable Loan Program for nursing students, which erases one year of student loans for each year worked in Vermont after graduation. “I can't preach it enough to people,” she says.

The opportunity to study abroad was one of the reasons she chose to attend the University of New England, which is one of only a few nursing programs that allow its students to do international service-learning projects, says Olivia. During her time in Morocco, Olivia volunteered in the Tangier International Hospital, observed several laparoscopic and cardiac surgeries, and spent time in the ER. She also made the most of her four months abroad, traveling on the weekends to different cities in Morocco, as well as to Amsterdam, Paris, London, Athens, Egypt and Spain. And this spring, she plans to go on another service-learning trip, this time to Ghana.

“Prior to traveling, and prior to going to college, I felt like I was so isolated and so used to seeing the same kinds of people. When I went abroad, I encountered so many different cultures and different ways of living and thinking. It changed my perspective entirely on the world and on life,” she says.

While she will always love to travel, Olivia says she’s also looking forward to supporting her local community when she begins her nursing career. “I think it's important to give back to the area that served me for so many years,” she says. Adds Gesser: “Vermont will be lucky to have her return to join our healthcare field in the future.”