The following remarks were recently shared by provost Jay White at the 89th Commencement of Southern Vermont College in Bennington, VT.
"For the second year in a row, we are pleased to award certificates of higher education to graduates of our College Steps program, which started here at SVC in 2013. The students receiving certificates today had to meet a number of criteria set by the regional College Steps organization within a two-year time frame.
These criteria include completing specific academic, vocational independent living and campus life requirements, including four semesters of coursework (which may be transferred to further their college studies), and completion of an internship. These students have participated in many campus activities including the Sarnoff Speech Contest, Choral Ensemble, Vermont Reads events, Mountaineer Events Board, The Looking Glass, Anime Club, Homecoming, fundraisers to benefit our local food pantries, bake sales to benefit local child care centers … and more.
I would like to echo the sentiment from the students who mentor the College Steps students and say that this is a wonderful experience for both parties: as one student mentor said, “Not only do I feel I am helping the College Steps students grow, they are helping me grow.”"