Think College Vermont

Happy New Year and welcome back! We’re thrilled to kick off the Spring semester at Think College Vermont starting January 12, 2026.

Let’s make this semester unforgettable: full of learning, growth, and fun. Together, we’ll work hard, support each other, and celebrate every success along the way. Here’s an amazing start!

Mann Hall was transformed into a festive celebration as Think College Vermont hosted its 11th annual Halloween party! Students, mentors, and guests gathered for an afternoon filled with laughter, games, delicious food, and the joy of making new friends. Despite a change in weather after ten years of perfect conditions, the spirit of celebration remained as strong as ever.  

The event was more than just costumes and candy—it was a chance for everyone to connect, socialize, and build lasting friendships in a welcoming and inclusive environment. From pumpkin-themed games to tasty treats, the party was a hit with attendees of all ages.  

We were thrilled to welcome members from the UVM Chapter of Best Buddies and the Occupational Therapy program, whose energy and enthusiasm greatly contributed to the festive atmosphere. Their participation highlighted the strong community partnerships that support Think College VT.  

Jesse Suter, Director of the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI), joined the celebration and connected with students and alumni, reinforcing the importance of leadership and inclusion in our community.  

In a delicious twist, Bryan Dague of Think College Vermont and Stirling Peebles held a friendly chili cook-off, ending in a flavorful tie that delighted everyone. It was a perfect example of the camaraderie and joy that defines Think College VT’s Halloween tradition. 

Thanks to everyone who came out and made this Halloween party a spooktacular success! We’re already looking forward to next year’s celebration. 

A new semester has begun at UVM! We kicked things off with Student Orientation on a beautiful sunny day. Think College Vermont (TCVT) Director Bryan Dague warmly welcomed new and returning students. He presented an overview of the program. Bryan introduced new mentors. TCVT Dissemination Assistant Stirling Peebles led a fun and informative campus tour for our incoming students. 

Some students and mentors enjoyed a picnic lunch. A nearby resource fair had tables with various information. 

We’re excited to welcome new and returning students and mentors. Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to a great semester ahead!

Think College Vermont held our Graduation in the Sugar Maple Ballroom in the Dudley H Davis Center on Saturday, May 10. We celebrated these two amazing students who had the opportunity to attend Think College VT.

We were honored to have Jesse Suter, the Director of (CDCI), and Katharine Shepherd, the Dean of the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), speak at the ceremony. On behalf of Think College, we want to thank Dean Shepherd and Jesse Suter for supporting this amazing program at UVM.

Congratulations to this year’s graduating class: Amanda Bradford-Feldman and Samuel Lee. We wish you all the best as you enter the next chapter of your lives. Being part of your journey here at Think College Vermont has been a pleasure. 

We extend  our special thanks to Lead Peer Mentors Isabella Kruskopf and Samantha Molod for their outstanding work and leadership. 

We would also like to recognize all of our peer mentors for their contributions to our program and for their dedication to supporting our wonderful students at Think College. We congratulate six amazing mentors: Miranda Schuman, Nadyah Khan, Isabella Kruskopf, Kendra Murphy, Samantha Molod, and Lucy Kraus-Cuddy. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and encourage you to stay in touch!

This semester, we had two remarkable mentors serving as Lead Mentors. Let’s celebrate their contributions: thank you, Isabella Kruskopf and Samantha Molod, for your exceptional leadership with Think College at UVM. We would also like to express our gratitude to Mattie Fernandez and Charlotte Bigwood. 

We truly couldn’t have done it without you. You are the best! Once again, we appreciate your efforts in ensuring our students’ success in the program.

We’re excited to team up with Best Buddies at UVM! Our Valentine’s Day celebration was a blast! We enjoyed delicious food and fun crafts in the cozy Williams Room at the Davis Center. It was a great chance for everyone to hang out, share laughs, and have a good time together!

Hi, my name is Lindsay and I’m a Think College student and I was the captain of the Think College intramural basketball team. I wanted us to have a basketball team because I am a Special Olympics athlete and play basketball and I wanted a way to be able to play basketball at UVM. Our team did not win any games but we had a lot of fun. I think we’re the first team comprised mostly of people with disabilities to ever exist in an intramural sport at UVM. Each week we played a different team. We had two 20 minute halves. 

Some things we worked on were getting better at passing the ball and standing under the net when the other team was shooting to try to retrieve the ball if they missed. We had a great time and I believe every member of the team scored at least one basket. Jack, who is the Think College mentor was very helpful by being on the court a lot. Before each game, we would talk about our strategy and what we wanted to work on. There can only be five players on the court and no more than three of the same gender  at a time so we would sub people in and out. One game we were only three points away from winning, and that was probably a highlight for me! I appreciated the campus rec would turn down the music when we requested it because I have sound sensitivity as part of my autism. 

The teams definitely did not go easy on us.  Overall, it was a very fun experience and I cannot wait for the next season! I hope Think College and campus rec can continue to partner and I really appreciated that Tom made sign-up easier for us by reserving spots and signing us up. These kinds of accommodations make sports accessible more for UVM students.

A new semester at UVM begins as students attended the Student orientation.  Stirling guided a fun campus tour for the new incoming students. We also want to welcome our new and returning mentors! Let’s welcome our new and returning students!

Think College Vermont held our Graduation in the Sugar Maple Ballroom in the Dudley H Davis Center, on Saturday, May 11. We celebrated these three amazing students who had the opportunity to attend Think College VT.

We were honored to have Jesse Suter the Director of (CDCI) and Katharine Shepherd the Dean of the College of Education and Social Services (CESS) speak at the ceremony. On behalf of Think College, we want to thank Dean Shepherd and Jesse Suter for supporting this amazing program at UVM.

Congratulations to this year’s graduating class: Caroline McNamara, Emma Tschaikowsky, and Eva Edwards-Stoll. We wish you all the best as you enter the next chapter of your lives. Being part of your journey here at Think College Vermont has been a pleasure. 

Heartfelt congratulations to these amazing students on earning their degrees and certificates with Think College at UVM! Emma, Eva, and Caroline have achieved so much; we are all so proud! And thanks so much to graduating peer mentor Willa Vish for all your excellent work and leadership as a Lead Peer Mentor. 

We want to recognize all of our peer mentors. Thank you for everything you have done for our program and thank you for supporting all of our wonderful students at Think College. We want to congratulate these nine amazing mentors. Peyton Applegate, Nayantara Dutta, Alison Fox, Maggie Haley, Katharyn Hassan, Nadia Huber, Nika Sibley, and Kat Subramanian. Good luck in your future and stay in touch. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.  

This semester we had two amazing mentors serving as Lead Mentors. Let’s thank Willa Vish and Charlotte Bigwood for their leadership as lead mentors. Thank you for everything you have done to ensure the success of our students in the program.  Congratulations to Willa Vish on graduating from UVM! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.  

Hi, my name is Thad Dutil. It has been a good first year at Think College. It was a rough start as I use Facilitated Communication. My classmates were not always kind, but my professor was wonderful and really supportive. The mentors I have been able to work with have been really great! 

It has been my dream since middle school to work with children with disabilities like me. So far, the classes I have taken have been around Special Education and Early Childhood Education with Professor Lori Myer. This summer and next fall I plan to add courses around both Special Education and Communication Disorders. 

Thanks to help from Professor Sarah Curran and Professor Lori Myer my path is clear, and I know what I want to do. It has been great being at UVM. It is my dream to be here, and I hope to continue my educational journey! Thanks to Professor Myer, Bryan Dague, and my mentors; Alison, Jordan, Maddie, Samantha, and Charlotte. Think College is a wonderful program. Go Cats Go!