F A L L 2 0 1 1

the

Vermont Connection

2011-2012

Executive Board

Letter from the Editor

Executive Editor Kristin Lang, „12

Managing Editor Betsy Crouch, „12

Content Editors

mae stephenson, „12 Jilliene Johnson, „12

Alumni/ae Public Relations Chair

Beth Walsh, „12

Membership Chair Heather Lou, „12

Social and Professional

Development Chairs Mathew Shepard, „13

Ashley Gunn, „13

Staff Advisors Tricia Rascon, „06 Nick Negrete‟, „06

Faculty Advisor Deborah Hunter

Hello HESA Alums, Friends, and Family, It‟s hard to believe we are more than halfway through the fall

semester. The first snow flurries were in the air today, but hopefully we will hold off on winter until a little bit longer! It is my honor to

introduce myself and this year‟s Executive and Full Boards to you all. We are excited about this upcoming year and the production of

the 33rd edition of The Vermont Connection journal. We are incredibly

pleased with the level of scholarship and innovation in this 32nd anniversary edition‟s articles. Our journal theme this year is

“Liberating the Learner: Access and Privilege in Higher Education.” Each article encompasses this theme in a different way

through exposing issues of access and privilege that continue to permeate higher education.

Please consider participating in and supporting TVC and reconnecting with HESA. If we did not reach you during Phone-a-

thon and you would like to donate to TVC, there‟s still time! We always appreciate alumni/ae support during Production Week and

at the NASPA and ACPA conferences. HESA and The

Vermont Connection journal would not be possible without

your support and participation.

We look forward to this next year of TVC. I feel fortunate to be a part of this talented Executive and Full Board. We hope to connect with you soon!

Best,

Kristin Lang

Executive Editor TVC

Left to right: Beth Walsh,

Kristin Lang, Betsy Crouch, Mathew Shepard, Ashley Gunn,

mae stephenson, Jilliene Johnson,

Heather Lou.

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FALL 2011 THE VERMONT CONNECTION

Meet the 2012 & 2013 Cohorts

2012 Cohort

Beth Walsh (University of Vermont,

‟09), Jude Dizon (UC Berkeley, ‟09),

mae stephenson (Portland State

University, ‟09), Jilliene Johnson

(College of Wooster, ‟08), Kristine Din

(University of Connecticut, ‟09), Kristin

Lang (University of Iowa, ‟08), Kim

Stabile (Lawrence University, ‟08), Ray

Mattila (Ohio State University, ‟10),

Betsy Crouch (University of Virginia,

‟06), Jesenia Gervacio (Bryn Mawr

College, ‟07), Heather Lou (San Jose

State University, ‟09). Not Pictured:

Danielle L‟Esperance (University of

Vermont, ‟09), Nicole Palmer (St.

Peter‟s College, ‟10).

2013 Cohort Miracle Husband (UC Berkley, „11),

Christine Dolan (Lehigh University, „09),

Samantha Stocksdale (Gettysburg College,

„10), Laura Birdsall (Rochester Inst. Of

Technology, „10), Ashley Gunn (University

of Florida, „08), Julie Oberts (Eastern

Michigan University, „07), Dirk Rodricks

(University of Vermont, „10), Sara Blair (UC

Santa Barbara, „09), Devan Carrington

(Bridgewater State University, „11), Cornell

Woodson (Ithaca College, „09), Mathew

Shepard (University of Kansas, „11), Queena

Hoang (UC Santa Barbara, „11), Ana

Cristina Jaramillo Valencia (Seattle

University, „11), Benjamin Huelskamp

(University of the South, „10), Barbara

Perlman (Bucknell University, „09), Macki

Snyder (Iona College, „10).

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FALL 2011 THE VERMONT CONNECTION

2010 TVC Phone-A-Thon This year‟s The Vermont Connection Phone-A-Thon was great fun. Over the week of September 20th through

23rd HESA students gathered at the office of Student Life to call on HESA alumni/ae to chat about student

affairs and HESA happenings….and to ask for donations. Every year, we set new goals for the journal and try

to raise as many funds as possible to keep the journal completely run and funded by HESA. The Vermont

Connection is a unique aspect of the UVM HESA program that allows graduate students and Alumni/ae the

opportunity to publish their works. This year we set a goal of $12 to $13 thousand dollars. As you may know,

the money we raise each year is put toward printing the journal as well as hosting The Vermont Connection

Receptions at ACPA and NASPA conferences. We still haven't reached this year's TVC Phone-A-Thon

fundraising goal! In order to ensure that we can produce a high-quality journal next year, we'd appreciate

anything you may be able to donate to TVC. If you return your pledge card with a donation, please make sure

to specify that it should go to the "VTCONN" gift fund account.

We are guessing that some of you may not receive your pledge cards due to incorrect or missing addresses. If

you do not receive a pledge card or if you would prefer to donate online, you can do that at any time by visiting

https://alumni.uvm.edu/giving/support.asp. Under the "Gift Designation" field, please select the circle

marked "Other" and type "VTCONN" in the box to ensure your gift makes it to TVC. We hope that you will

be able to contribute to our fundraising efforts and help make the 33rd Edition of The Vermont Connection a

success.

The Vermont Connection 33rd Edition Journal Theme

Liberating the Learner: Access and

Privilege in Higher Education The 33rd Edition is well on its way to completion. Co-content Editors, Jilliene Johnson and mae stephenson, sent out a call for submissions via an amazing video (http://vimeo.com/31384258). If you haven‟t seen it, check it out now! Current HESA students spent a few hours in September

reviewing all of the great submissions. Forthcoming deadlines are:

Second Drafts Due Monday, November 7th 2,000-4,500 Words Second Draft Edits to Authors

Wednesday, November 16th

Third Drafts Due Monday, December 5th 3,000-5,000 Words Third Draft Edits to Authors

Friday, December 23rd

Final Drafts Due Friday, January 13th 3,000-5,000 Words Production Week January 24th- 27th

Premiere of 33rd Edition Friday, February 24th

All are welcome to help out during

production week! Let mae or Jilliene

know if you want to

join us!

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FALL 2011 THE VERMONT CONNECTION

Kenneth P. Saurmann

Award Winner

(d) show evidence of having fostered a sense of community and cooperation among peers, staff, and faculty; and (e)

show evidence of outstanding contribution to the University through internship and practical experience. The 2010-

2011 award winner is Jimmy Doan. Jimmy is currently working as Program Coordinator, Student Activities at

Bentley University. Congratulations Jimmy, from the entire HESA community!

Alumni/ae Spotlight As a TVC Executive Board, we wanted to provide the space for a HESA Alumnus who has recently returned to UVM in a professional capacity the opportunity to share her story. This newsletter‟s spotlight is on Kailee Brickner-McDonald. Kailee graduated from the HESA program in 2010. While in HESA, Kailee served her assistantship in Student Life with Leadership and Civic Engagement Programs. She served two practica in Career Services and one at St. Michael‟s College in the Center for Women and Gender. Following graduation from HESA, Kailee enjoyed a summer of fun-employment, then was a Vermont Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA at UVM

with the Community University Partnerships and Service-Learning Office (CUPS) and the Dewey House for Civic Engagement last year. She is now the Program Coordinator at UVM's Dewey House for Civic Engagement. As the Program Coordinator of a new Residential Learning Community, Kailee gets to work creatively with the leadership team to build meaningful experiences for students in the Dewey House for Civic Engagement. She works with 40 inspiring first- and second- year students to provide social and educational programming, advise service-learning projects and partnerships, teach academic seminars on civic engagement, and provide leadership development and general program support. When asked what to name her favorite HESA memory, Kailee said, “It's hard to choose! One favorite was the pumpkin carving and fall celebration in Keene, NH that a bunch of us enjoyed together. A near-graduation picnic at Oakledge is also up there!” Recently, Kailee attended the International Institute on Partnerships last spring at Portland State University. Most recently, she served on the Next Step Retreat's Leadership Team, which is helping her grow in new directions. Current HESA students are welcome to contact Kailee with questions about job transitions and choices, service-learning and leadership development, and social justice education. Kailee‟s

short- and long-term professional goals are to use and grow the skills that she most enjoys using: collaborating, teaching, building relationships, developing programs...and being open to challenges that come along the way. When asked for advice she would give to the class of 2012, Kailee said, “I'm not very distant from my own graduation experience. What helped: Knowing what I needed to be happy and prioritizing that in my job search, even if it wasn't glamorous. Be gentle on yourself in your upcoming transitions, build from your strengths, and connect with your communities and friends for support.” We are glad to see a HESA Alumnus return to UVM in such a great role! Congratulations Kailee!

The Kenneth P. Saurmann Award is presented to a selected

student, or students, who best display(s) the established award

criteria. Those recognized: (a) show a record of outstanding

achievement; (b) demonstrate ability to make outstanding future

professional contributions at both local and national levels; (c)

demonstrate future ability to make outstanding intellectual

contribution to the field in the areas of research and scholarship;

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FALL 2011 THE VERMONT CONNECTION

Jude Paul Matias Dizon, HESA ‘12

Where are you from? Union City, CA

What was your undergrad major and what

institution? Development Studies, UC Berkeley

Why did you choose UVM/HESA? I chose to come to

the UVM HESA program because of the warm weather

during recruitment, its commitment to social justice, and

because I sat in Deb’s rocking chair.

Where is your assistantship? Center for Health and

Wellbeing

Where is your practicum? Learning Co-operative

(previous ones: ALANA Student Center; Assistant Dean

for Retention and Assessment)

Who are your supervisors in each? Diana Gonzalez-

CHWB, Patience Whitworth-LC

What do you love about UVM/HESA? The Vermont

Connection--the journal and the people

What are your challenges? My challenges here center on

being a person of color in Vermont; being a

Californian in Vermont; and in trying to bring a

student organizer and Ethnic Studies lens to my work

and academics.

What is your focus in Student Affairs? multicultural

affairs; access for underrepresented students;

admissions; academic support; health promotion

What do you do in your free time? When it’s not winter, I

like being outside and going to the farmer’s market. I

also like eating.

What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice

author or book? Methodology of the Oppressed by

Chela Sandoval

What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social

Justice quote? “Today I believe in the possibility of

love; that is why I endeavor to trace its imperfections,

its perversions.” --Frant Fanon, Black Skin, White

Masks

What is your favorite non-HESA book? The Glass

Palace by Amitav Ghosh

What is your favorite movie? Inception

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? Working abroad or

in a PhD program

A question that you have for alum is…How did the

HESA program help you get to where you are right

now?

Macki Snyder, HESA ‘13

Where are you from? Niagara Falls, NY

What was your undergrad major and what institution?

Psychology, Iona College

Why did you choose UVM/HESA? Great faculty, well

known and prestigious program, beautiful state, could

feed the outdoor enthusiast in me, small and bustling city,

people are happy and outside in the winter!

Where is your assistantship? Residential Life ARD

Where is your practicum? ACCESS

Who are your supervisors in each? Vu Tran (ResLife)

Laurel Cameron (ACCESS)

What do you love about UVM/HESA? Community,

support, proximity to outdoor awesomeness

What are your challenges? Time management, work/life

balance, figuring out where to get involved on campus

What is your focus in Student Affairs? I don’t have one

yet. I’m using my practicums to try to narrow my

focus.

What do you do in your free time? Hike, Roller Derby,

Travel

What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice

author or book? Jessica Valenti

What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social

Justice quote? "How wonderful it is that nobody need

wait a single moment before starting to improve the

world" -- Anne Frank

What is your favorite non-HESA book? The Sisterhood of

the Traveling Pants Series

What is your favorite movie? Pulp Fiction

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? I just want to be

happy : ) I want to live where I’m happy, have a job that

makes me happy and have meaningful things/people in

my life.

A question that you have for alum is…What is one thing

you wish you’d known about the “real world” before

graduating from HESA?

Meet HESA…

Want to get in touch with any of the current HESA students or respond to their questions? Email beth.walsh@uvm.edu.

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FALL 2011 THE VERMONT CONNECTION

Heather C. Lou, HESA, ‘12

Where are you from? Torrance, CA

What was your undergrad major and what institution? San Jose

State University. B.S. Public Relations and Humanities

Minor

Where is your assistantship? First Year Experience

Where is your practicum? Res Life Student Staff Recruitment

Selection and Training, ALANA Student Center

Who are your supervisors in each? Dani Comey, Tomas

Sanchez, Maria Erb, Beverly Colton

What do you love about UVM/HESA? The Vermont

Connection, challenge and support, and the opportunity to

learn about myself in a new space

What are your challenges? Navigating institutional politics and

graduate school, being far from family and friends, and

affinity as a womyn of color in higher education

What is your focus in Student Affairs? Multicultural Affairs,

Advocacy work

What do you do in your free time? Work with ACPA’s

MutliRacial Network as Incoming Chair, explore New

England, and travel (when/if possible)

What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice author or

book? Borderlands by Gloria Anzaldua

What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice

quote? As long as I fight, I am moved by hope; and if I

fight with hope, then I can wait. – Paulo Friere

What is your favorite non-HESA book? All About Love- bell

hooks and Part Asian, 100% Hapa- Kip Fulbeck

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? Somewhere metropolitan,

working in a cultural center, applying to a doctoral program,

and building a family.

A question that you have for alum is… What is the best piece

of advice you have for the 2nd

years starting the job search?

Jesenia Gervacio, HESA ‘12

Where are you from? I was born in Passaic, NJ but was

raised in Lynn, MA.

What was your undergrad major and what institution? I

attended Bryn Mawr College and double-majored in

Psychology and Spanish.

Why did you choose UVM/HESA? I chose UVM

because it felt right even though I knew I’d be

freezing later.

Where is your assistantship? I work for the Department

of Residential Life as an Assistant Residence Director

for Living/Learning.

Where is your practicum? I am currently completing my

practicum with Student Financial Services.

Who are your supervisors in each? My assistantship

supervisor is Carrie Wicks and my practicum

supervisor is Marie Johnson.

What do you love about UVM/HESA? I love the

connections I have made at UVM.

What are your challenges? The challenges I have faced

are being Latina at a predominantly White

institution. I also miss my family. I get cold a lot and it

is cold for a large part of the year.

What is your focus in Student Affairs? I would like to

work with low-income students, first-generation

students, and students of color. I would consider a

variety of avenues to do this work such as academic

advising, working at a Multicultural Center, working

for a nonprofit organization, etc.

What do you do in your free time? I am low-key so

during my free time I like to spend time with friends. I

also like to go out to eat.

What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice

author or book? I love Paulo Freire and I am tied

between Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Pedagogy of

Freedom.

What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice quote? "If you have come here to help me,

then you are wasting your time…But if you have

come because your liberation is bound up with mine,

then let us work together." --Lila Watson

What is your favorite non-HESA book? I am not sure I

can pick a favorite book but one I read recently that I

really enjoyed was The Power of One.

What is your favorite movie? Again, I have a hard

time picking a favorite of anything but one movie I

really love is Love & Basketball.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? In five years I

hope to be happy.

A question that you have for alum is… How is

life after HESA?

Congratulations! On behalf of the entire HESA community, we‟d like

to congratulate the HESA Class of 2011 on their

recent graduation! The graduates include Xavier

DeFreitas, Sarah (Surgala) Wasilko, Alicia Ferrell,

Dustin Evatt, Vay Van, Amanda Flores, Cait

Bjellquist, Viraj Patel, Christine Nguyen, Nydia

Santana, Jennifer “JJ” Jang, Amarildo”Lilu”

Barbosa, Leah Charpentier, Jimmy Doan and Katie

Sadler. Missing from photo, Salomon “Salo”

Rodezno. Congratulations and best wishes!

Staying Connected The Executive Board will utilize our electronic resources in order to update our website and email listserv. To update your information, please copy and paste the link below in your web browser, fill out the form with your current information and click submit.

http://www.uvm.edu/~vtconn/?Page=updateform.html&SM=directory_menu.html

We have continued to incorporate social media into the ways in which we keep our connection active. We hope

you had a chance to view our video that accompanied this year‟s call for submissions. You can video it online at: http://vimeo.com/31384258. We recently created a Facebook group “TVC-The Vermont Connection,” which you should feel free to join as an alum or friend of HESA ~ and then invite all of your other HESA friends! We also continue to update our website (http://www.uvm.edu/~vtconn/) with information about upcoming events and the timeline for authors AND you can follow us on Twitter @uvmhesa. The 32nd edition of The Vermont Connection journal is available on the TVC website as well. To manage production costs, we

continue to print a set number of journals each year, but if you would like a journal mailed to you, or you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact us at tvc@uvm.edu. Please consider participating in and supporting TVC and reconnecting with HESA.