Greetings 2018ers!

Aren’t you glad that year is over? It seemed like it lasted a lifetime to us.

But, now that the books are closed on 2018, it means that you all are really on to the rest of your lives.

So today, on the 100th anniversary of Boston’s Great Molasses Flood (check it out, it’s a wild ride), we’re here to share some ways that you can make the most out of this coming year and stay in touch with UVM and your classmates.

There are a ton of ways that you can stay in touch, but the easiest one is following your UVM favorites on social media. The UVM Alumni Association is on facebook, and instagram – but don’t stop there.

Follow your favorite professors and academic departments– it might surprise you, but academic twitter is a hopping place! And it’s an easy way to keep in touch with a world that might feel far away from your day to day. Bonus, sometimes you learn cool stuff when you’re wasting time on your phone!

You can also get a jump start on career connections and mentoring opportunities by joining UVM Connect.

This is a network that the UVM Alumni Association has created just for UVM connected alumni and professionals, where they can post job openings, connect with potential employers, and find mentors in their field and location.

It’s worth checking out – there might be a UVM alum down the street from you with your dream job – and they might be willing to meet for coffee and tell you how they got there!

Anyways, those are just a few ideas for how you all can keep in touch as the years keep coming (And they don’t stop coming).

We’re excited for everything on the horizon, for us and for you. Hope your January is off to a fantastic start.

Cheers,

The Afterword Team

Hi Gang,

It’s been a while since we’ve popped into your life through Afterword! We’ve missed you, but we just wanted to let you know you made it to 6 months post-graduation!

You’ve probably been busy these last 6 months.

So, when we realized that it was December, and the days are feeling pretty dark lately, we decided we should do something to cheer you all up!

While we can’t celebrate with all of you, we can do the next best thing – give you a bottle opener!

It’s an official UVM Alumni magnetic bottle opener to keep on your fridge and crack open your favorite artisan seltzer, local root beer, or Vermont craft beer whenever the mood strikes.

All you have to do is sign up for one, and we’ll pop it in the mail to you.

The Afterword Crew
Kathryn Meader ’15, Dana Elleman ’16, and Ryan Chartier ’10

This week on the Afterword blog, we checked in with some of your fellow classmates about starting grad school and navigating their way in a new community!

Where are you attending grad school?

I am a nursing student at Simmons University at the College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences.

What are you studying?

I am in a two-year accelerated bachelor’s in nursing program.

What has been the best part so far?

The best part thus far was my first evening of labs. Us nursing students worked on critical hands on skills for nursing care and practice. We learned and rehearsed taking vitals, moving patients, and performing a sterile procedure. This experience reminded me of my passion to help others and my excitement to pursue a career where everyday is a chance to learn.

What has been the hardest part so far?

The most challenging obstacle for me is getting used to such extensive lists of medical terminology and abbreviations. There is SO SO MUCH to study and memorize!

What are you excited about going forward?

I am energized and ready-to-go each day I step onto campus and realize once again that I am lucky enough to attend one of the best nursing schools in the nation. I am motivated to dive deeper into nursing practice and continuously expand my knowledge of medical intervention. There is an infinite amount of knowledge to acquire, but also, an infinite number of possibilities for a future in nursing. I eagerly await the day I can step onto a hospital floor and begin to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

Where are you attending grad school?

I am a grad student at Ohio University.

What are you studying?

I’m studying Food and Nutrition Science.

What has been the best part so far?

Meeting lots of new people who share the same passions!

What has been the hardest part so far?

Navigating my way through another campus and a different city.

What are you excited about going forward?

I’m most excited about meeting new people and learning how to be an advocate for the different populations that I will be serving.

Where are you attending grad school?

I am a grad student at Columbia University.

What are you studying?

I’m pursuing a master of arts in economics and education.

What has been the best part so far?

The memory of my life at UVM.

What has been the hardest part so far?

The hardest part so far has been my school assignments, they are very complex and there is a lot of reading!

What are you excited about going forward?

I’m looking forward to graduating from Columbia.

Hi Gang.

We’re back with one of our favorite segments- Dining Halls, Dominos, and Dives- Where we get to the tour all the best places to eat in Burlington, and catch up with your classmates!

This week, we met up with Monica Petras at Pho Hong for some delicious vietnamese food, and chatted about her upcoming plans to spend a year in Japan!

So, without further ago- here’s all the good stuff.

So, just a quick disclaimer- We all really love Pho Hong, and get VERY EXCITED when our food arrived. This meant we absolutely forgot to get those beautiful pristine glamour shots of our food that you guys are used to. But, we did remember before the food was completely gone! Here’s what we got:

Monica went with the classic Pho Tai- complete with beef and veggies.

Dana got Bun Ga Nuong – Grilled chicken over vermicelli noodles

And, here’s where Kathryn’s Rau Cai Xao Voi Com – Stir fry with veggies and shrimp – SHOULD be, but she has very little patience.

What are you up to your first year out of UVM?

At the moment, I’m waiting for my exciting new job in Japan to start.

I was offered a position to teach English to children for the 2019 school year in a conversational school last April. Until February I’m just biding my time, earning money with a part time job at Michaels and trying to sell furniture/downsize. And while I’m working at Michaels, I decided I might as well pick up a new hobby or two (or five). Basically I feel like Rapunzel singing “When Will My Life Begin”, just without the awesome hair.

What are you looking forward to next year?

This ones a double-edged sword for me here, while I’m very excited to start my life in Japan, I’m also terrified. I’m moving there by myself, so there will definitely be a lot of challenges in adapting to life overseas in a country where I can’t speak the language fluently—and I thought moving to university was scary. But I’m willing to take them on and I can’t wait to start teaching.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge?

Aside from the obvious language barrier, I think the time difference will be tough. I can’t call up my friends whenever I want anymore. 😞 So keeping in touch will be difficult.

What are you most proud of since graduating UVM?

I guess it feels silly but my greatest accomplishments thus far have been in my new hobbies. I’ve picked up felting, coloring books, and baking. I’ve made felt animals, bread and a showstopping cake for my friends birthday (though the cake had a few technical issues).

What do you miss the most about UVM?

I miss the structure that my days used to have with classes, papers/projects, and club activities. I miss the professors. Most of all I miss feeling like I belong on campus.

Walking through the Davis Center after our lunch was quite the surreal experience.

Any life lessons?

You don’t truly know how much stuff you’ve amassed until you try to pack every thing you own into a box or suitcase.

Do you have a favorite place to eat in Burly? Are you still in town? Let us take you out!

Two weeks ago, we asked you guys to share your move in day memories, as we were welcoming the class of 2022 on to campus. Now, classes are in full swing, and we’re back to share some of these memorable freshman year experiences.

1. When I first moved into my room on Trinity Campus freshman year, I was really nervous to meet my new roommates.

I had been chatting with them on Facebook for a few days but none of us had met in person. I walked into the room and saw a girl standing there unpacking some items. Of course, this must be Jenne! She had long curly blonde hair exactly like her profile picture. I awkwardly and excitedly introduced myself. She turns around and smiles back. She then informs me that her name is Mikayla and she was actually Jenne’s younger sister! I turned as red as a tomato and ran back out of the room. Fast forward 4 years later and we are all great friends who laugh about the first awkward encounter.

2. I moved into the shoeboxes after my roommate had already moved in for trek.

When I first met her she was very out of it and didn’t say much.. During our first floor dinner at Cook – she set off the fire alarm and I noticed she was too intoxicated to realize she caused it. She dropped out of school two days later.

3. The way I met my suite mate on move-in day was by walking in on her going to the bathroom in our shared bathroom… quite the first impression.

4. I had way harder of a time adjusting first semester of college than I ever thought I would.

After a couple nights my father and sister drove back home, but my mom stayed longer than planned with me. I was afraid to stay in my dorm which was a forced triple in Millis 3, so I slept in the hotel with her. I ended up moving out of the triple after five weeks.

5. I’m from Buffalo and my roommate was from Boston, so as you can imagine her parent’s thick Boston accents were a bit challenging for my parents to understand.

My mom and her dad spent literally five minutes going back and forth trying to figure out whether or not the other was saying “bear” or “beer”. My mom would point to my roommate’s Bruins poster yelling, “don’t poke the WHAT?” and her dad would go “the bear!” while making claws like a bear until we were all laughing!

Well, those are fun.

I love a good story about a good Boston accent- makes me feel like i’m home <3

See you guys next week!

-Kathryn