Many students come to Vermont Tech already having a clear idea about what they want to do after college. There are many others, however, like Grace de Geus, who describes her own direction as “vague” when starting her first year.
What was more important to Grace was the size of the school. She grew up in the small Vermont town of Calais, and so Randolph suited her just fine. “VTC was small enough that I knew everyone in my department and recognized most people on campus,” says Grace.
Grace also found that Vermont Tech’s small size made for a meaningful academic experience. She enjoyed the conversations she could have with professors and the hands-on approach to academics. “One of the most important skills I learned at VTC was how to write well technically and document your work,” Grace says. “Without detailed documentation, other people can’t replicate your results. This is the kind of skill that earns the respect of future employers!”
When it came time to look for a job, Grace had found the clarity she lacked at the onset of her college experience. Vermont Tech helped her get an internship at United Technologies in Vergennes, Vermont. It was big company but she was in a small department. The internship ultimately turned into a full-time position developing software to collect and analyze data from sensors in helicopters.
“They created a position for me when I graduated,” says Grace. “That’s how much they respect the VTC education.”
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