Brian Vedder
Brian Vedder grew up in upstate New York, living in the same town for the first eighteen years of his life. He enrolled in the University of Vermont in 2010, and struggled to find his major until he stumbled upon the College of Education & Social Services. After discovering Secondary English Education, he traveled to South Africa for four weeks and taught underprivileged students while simultaneously conducting thesis research. An intense desire to succeed can be seen in all aspects of his life, and he hopes to combine that with existential goals to improve the lives of others around him.
Brian loves being outdoors and diving in a good book; he is always willing to try new things and enjoys pushing his limits. Various activities, adventures, struggles and accomplishments throughout his college experience have strengthened Brian’s self-understanding and professional aspirations. He plans on applying to international programs following his senior year at the University of Vermont, before moving on to a career in Secondary and Post-Secondary Education.
Think College Vermont has become one of the most meaningful, dynamic experiences in Brian’s life. He would be nothing without the support of the members of this specific program, his unbelievably family, and motivating friends.
Beginning of the Semester
Think College Vermont,
What a semester so far! New students, new classes, new mentors and new experiences have all made the month of September an exciting one. I have loved interacting, learning from, and spending time with all of these new friendly faces. Though we entered new territory in running Think College without a familiar Program Manager, all of the students have already made progress, and new mentors have settled right in to the swing of things.
Day by day, I learn as much about myself as I do about the new people we have in the program this semester. Sometimes I forget how outgoing, wise, funny and hard-working the students and mentors from Think College can be. Without the dedication from all of the pieces of this program, we would have little success. I admire all of you; keep up the great work!
Best,
Brian Vedder
New role as Lead Mentor
This semester has certainly started off with a bang! Accepting this new position has definitely increased my stress levels; however, it has also provided me with a whole new perspective and appreciation for the students, the mentors, the administrators and the program overall. It takes several different roles and responsibilities to make this group possible, and each one is required for student success.
Individual growth occurs across the board. While the emphasis is on student independence and learning, I have seen first hand how the mentors gather tools/experience and apply it appropriately, how the program manager has adapted and implemented new tactics to better fit the ThinkCollege process, and how I, myself, have progressed over the past few weeks. While none of us will ever be perfect, we have already shown what we can accomplish when we keep communication lines open, share moments of great success and great distress, and come together as a team.