Dayna Goodell completed her associate degree at an out-of-state school, moved far away from home and took two years off. During that time, she had an interest in continuing college, but felt intimidated at the idea of returning. But the desire to pursue her education — and career path, brought Dayna back to her roots. However, the process was not easy, and she struggled to find the right college, “other colleges seemed like I would maybe fit in, but none of them had the exact major I wanted.”
Dayna was determined to find the right school. She originally majored in electrical engineering, but had recently found a new passion, “I was previously in electrical engineering and liked the design part of it, but during my time away from school, my parents were renovating their home and kept asking me for ideas. The experience drew me to the idea of designing buildings instead of circuit boards, which I like much more.”
Dayna and her mother toured Vermont Tech, and that’s when she found what she was looking for, “Looking into the school, it had the major I wanted, the small college experience I wanted, and was the first school to offer me a scholarship for being a transfer student.” But Dayna wondered if she’d be able to get back into the “swing” of college, after being away. Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem, “Vermont Tech is completely different from my previous out-of-state school, it was easier to get back into the swing of things because I’ve had good professors, and the learning is very interactive.”
Dayna graduated in 2021 with her Bachelor’s in Architectural Engineering Technology. Starting her career as an Electrical Engineer, she has now accepted a new opportunity as an Architectural Designer at Discovery Dream Homes and noted that she is very happy in her new position!
Dayna’s advice to students? Know where to go when you need support. “Kathleen Mason has been a huge help to me during my time at Vermont Tech. She’s helped me with every problem I’ve brought to her, and provided the right guidance to support me. Anytime I saw a friend in need, I sent them her way, because she is the best at understanding students.” Find more resources available at Vermont Tech’s Center for Academic Success.