Think College Vermont

Think College Vermont proudly celebrated the Class of 2026 during our graduation ceremony on May 2 at the Alumni House (Silver Pavilion). It was a joyful and meaningful afternoon as we honored five incredible students whose time at Think College VT reflects perseverance, personal growth, and remarkable achievement. 

We were especially honored to welcome Jesse Suter, Director of CDCI, and Katharine Shepherd, Dean of the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), whose inspiring remarks underscored the power and impact of inclusive higher education. On behalf of Think College Vermont, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Dean Shepherd and Jesse Suter for their continued leadership and support of this exceptional program at UVM. 

A huge shout‑out to Dr. Bryan Dague for his unwavering dedication to the Think College Vermont Program! Thank you for showing our students that they can work, live, and truly thrive as independent members of our community. Your commitment to designing personalized transition pathways has empowered our graduates with the confidence and skills they need to shape their own futures. We are deeply grateful for the program you’ve built—one that recognizes, nurtures, and celebrates the potential in every single student. 

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Stirling for her outstanding support and dedication. Through her thoughtful social media communications and the creation of our quarterly newsletter, she keeps our community informed and connected to everything happening on campus with our students and mentors. Thank you, Stirling, for all the hard work and creativity you bring, especially in planning our fun and memorable Think College parties that our students truly enjoy!  

🌟 Celebrating Our Graduates 

Congratulations to this year’s graduates: 
Ian Carpenter, Joseph Thompson, Katie Comerford–Joyce, Lindsay Arthurs, and Thad Dutil. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished and wish you continued success as you move into the next chapter of your lives. Being part of your journey at Think College Vermont has truly been an honor. 

🤝 With Gratitude to Our Mentors 

Our program would not be possible without the dedication of our mentors. A special thank you go to this year’s Lead Peer Mentors—Charlotte Bigwood, Mattie Fernandez, Chloe Krebs, and Sophie Navin—for their outstanding leadership and commitment to supporting our students. 

We also want to recognize all of our peer mentors for the care, encouragement, and energy they bring to Think College VT every day. We proudly congratulate our nine incredible mentors: Mallory Betts, Kaia Bjork, Charlotte Bigwood, Alex Kassel, Isabella DeNault, Ellie Hunt, Adele Martin, Grace Sevigny, and Hazel Fay. Your dedication and support makes a lasting difference in our community. 

We truly couldn’t have done it without all of you. You are the best—and we are deeply grateful for your role in ensuring our students’ success. 

💙 To our graduates and mentors alike: we wish you the very best in your future endeavors and hope you’ll stay in touch. Once again, congratulations to the Class of 2026 

The UVM Center on Disability & Community Inclusion — Think College Vermont team braved the icy waters at the Special Olympics Vermont Penguin Plunge, coming together for an unforgettable experience in support of an incredible cause. With courage, laughter, and plenty of team spirit, participants took the plunge to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Vermont, helping to create inclusive opportunities for athletes across the state. The event was a powerful reminder of what can happen when community members unite around shared values of inclusion, advocacy, and support. From cheering each other on to celebrating after emerging from the cold, the day reflected the heart of Think College Vermont’s commitment to building welcoming communities where everyone belongs.

This year’s Valentine’s Day gathering was filled with warmth, laughter, and plenty of festive fun! The cozy Williams Room at the Davis Center set the perfect scene as everyone came together to enjoy delicious treats, get creative with hands-on crafts, and simply relax in great company.

From colorful decorations to conversations that sparked big smiles, the whole afternoon felt like a heartfelt celebration of friendship and community. Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special!

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!