This article was commissioned and paid for by
“Ever since I was a sixth grader, I’ve wanted to be a brain surgeon. I like understanding how things work, and I’m a perfectionist.” MAKENZIE DETCH
Student Makenzie Detch (left) and Dr. Cynthia Belliveau, dean of UVM Continuing and Distance Education
40 programs 500+ classes Want to find a degree or certificate program that’s right for you? E X P LO R E A L L YO U R O P T I O N S AT L E A R N .U V M . E D U.
CUTTING COLLEGE COSTS EARLY Some students take classes through Continuing and Distance Education before receiving an undergraduate degree. That’s what Makenzie Detch of Williston did. She’s a self-professed nerd and overachiever who says she’s always excited to go to class and loves reading her notes “for fun.” “Ever since I was a sixth grader, I’ve wanted to be a brain surgeon,” she said. “I like understanding how things work, and I’m a perfectionist.” Detch graduated in June from Champlain Valley Union High School, but she took her first college class more than a year ago. At the end of her junior year at CVU, Detch participated in Continuing and Distance Education’s UVM Summer Academy, a four-week residential and online program. It offers high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore new areas of study and earn transferable college credits. Its offerings this summer included Adventures in Neuroscience, Drones for Environmental Mapping, Health and Medicine, and Journalism With Words and Photographs. Last summer, Detch lived on campus, made new friends from across the country, and earned three credits in the course Biomedical Science & Human Disease. The experience also helped her
decide to enroll at UVM full time after graduation, despite an earlier concern that it “was too close to home.” During her senior year at CVU, Detch took five advanced-placement courses while also working at Hannaford Supermarket & Pharmacy in Williston to save up for college. Because of those AP classes, she was able to take UVM’s Intro to Biology 2 this summer, an upper-level, three-week class and lab that covers a new topic every day. Thanks to the Summer Academy and Vermont Dual Enrollment, a state-sponsored program that allows eligible high school students to take two free college courses, Detch figured she shaved off about a year’s worth of required credits. She hopes to graduate from college in three years instead of four — important when you’re splitting the tuition bill with your parents, she said.
‘YOU CANNOT BE STAGNANT’ Dr. Cynthia Belliveau, dean of UVM Continuing and Distance Education, says that seeking additional certification beyond a bachelor’s degree is increasingly common. “In this day and age, you cannot be stagnant when it comes to your education,” she said. “In order to advance, you’ll have
to continually increase your repertoire of new knowledge.” Continuing and Distance Education can help. Its team studies national markets and trends to find unmet needs, and then designs courses — such as the Business of Craft Beer and the Cannabis Science and Medicine Professional Certificate — that capitalize on the expertise of the university’s faculty. The number of certificate courses offered through Continuing and Distance Education is increasing quickly: It’s “the area of fastest growth for us,” Belliveau said. “There are many people who need to update their skills to stay current in their jobs, and there are many people who want to learn new ones to change jobs.” It’s stories like Detch’s, Merrick’s and Kesler’s that keep dean Belliveau energized about the potential of higher education. “There is a spirit of ‘If you can dream it, you can also learn to do it’ that comes through in so many of the stories of people who have been part of our programs,” she said. She invites anyone interested in learning more to reach out to Continuing and Distance Education’s enrollment counselors. “A big part of our team is dedicated to matching students with the program that’s right for their needs,” she said. “Through collaborations with UVM’s various colleges and schools, we offer courses and programs to help you explore your options.” ■
P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — PA I D F O R B Y U V M C O N T I N U I N G A N D D I S T A N C E E D U C A T I O N