TESTIMONIALS

College Connections

What Students say:

• “When I grow up, I’m going to have a job and I’m still working on what that job will be, but I’m looking at probably Economics or Journalism at UVM.”
• “When I was in middle school, I pretty much knew what I wanted to do…web pages and stuff, only the problem was I was too young to get started, so College Connections helped me jump over and make me work in that field.”
• “I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do…I took physics and absolutely loved it and from there I took pre-calc at CCV and then calc at UVM…yes it is absolutely amazing, it completely changed my career goals.”

Learn to Earn

What Teachers say…

• “We’re beginning to bridge the gap between school and work by showing students how the skills they are learning can be used in the real world.”
• “I’ve never seen the students respond to anybody from the community this much.”
• “Presentations were very well thought out and organized.”

My Students and I…

• “Gained a new appreciation for the skills needed in the workplace.”
• “Learned the importance of an education and how it relates to careers.”
• “Discovered the wide variety of jobs available right here in our community.”

What Employer Presenters say…

• “I gained a renewed energy toward the work I do and the potential work I can do.”
• “I wanted to show that It’s important for youth to get a head start in their educations. They should decide what they might want to do instead of waiting until they’re 18 and then wondering, ‘What do I do now?’ “
• “I wanted to show kids that tech jobs are great. You have cool toys and you can always get a job.”

Mentoring

• “‘D’ thrives on her mentor’s attention. She has been great for “D’s” self-esteem. Her mentor’s involvement has been very important at a time when ‘D’ need stability in her life.” – Guidance Counselor
• “She made me feel good. When I spend time with her she makes me feel happy. I wish could spend time with her every day!” – Mentee, Age 10
• “I have truly enjoyed the experience-it feels great to have a connection to a child than can help her grow into a healthy young woman…and a caring adult. It has been very personally rewarding!” – Mentor

Ready, Set, Work!

What Students say:

• “It helped me when I got a job during the year…It helped me work with people.”
• “It taught me better organizational skills that helped me this year at school.”
• “At first, I was just thinking that when I grow up, I was going to become a cartoon artist or something. I’m now looking through a wider variety of stuff.”

Professional Development

What Educators say:

• “I really appreciated time for planning and writing curriculum.”
• “I loved the self-directed approach to advanced learning.”
• “We got so much done that will help us in the upcoming year.”

Youth Employment Services

What Students say:

• “My current job is one that I went out and got on my own. However, it was not anything that I could have done without the skills that I learned during my transition plan.”
• “I’m able to live independently because I’ve got a good job. I want to be able to support myself…to be able to save up money to buy things that I really need in life.”
• “The thing that every student has to understand is that it is your life. You have a right to speak up and say, ‘this is the direction I’d like my life to go in.’”