Castleton Trio

When Sabrina Lacasse first arrived at Castleton, she didn’t know what to expect. She knew she wanted to be a nurse, but the first-generation college student was nervous about forms, deadlines, and other facts of college life. In addition, Sabrina was apprehensive about leaving home. She’d grown up on a small farm in tiny Elmore, Vermont, and she wasn’t sure how she’d handle being away from family.

Fortunately, another family awaited Sabrina at Castleton. Through Summer Transition Program (STP), a weeklong pre-college experience for new TRIO students, she made valuable connections. “STP helped me tremendously,” Sabrina recalls. “I learned where everything was before classes started, and I made friends.” STP also introduced Sabrina to the Academic Support Center’s full-time staff.

But settling in was just the beginning of Sabrina’s journey. Despite the warm STP welcome, Sabrina was often homesick. And although she worked hard, the nursing program proved daunting. Finally, like most college students, Sabrina wanted to earn good grades, have a social life, and get sufficient sleep. Balance seemed elusive.

Whenever obstacles arose, Sabrina met with Academic Support Center staff, a practice she continues today. “They say, ‘Take a deep breath; this is what you have to do,’” she chuckles. “And I feel better.”

Today, it’s hard to reconcile the relaxed, self-assured young woman with the shy girl who entered STP. Sabrina maintains a 3.30 GPA while juggling part-time jobs at the Campus Center and Academic Support Center. She plays club basketball and is an active member of the Rotaract Club.

Despite Sabrina’s success, she hasn’t forgotten her rocky start. As an STP and TRIO Texting Mentor, she nurtures and encourages new students, many of them first-generation students who are anxious about entering a new world. “She inspires new students with her positive attitude and by sharing her personal experiences,” says Kelley Beckwith, Director of Academic Services.

Sabrina loves seeing her mentees grow; some have even become leaders themselves. “Sometimes, they come up to me and say, ‘If it wasn’t for STP, I wouldn’t be here,’” she says. “Some still call me Mom.”

At Castleton, Sabrina’s compassion has taken her far, even out of the country. Last year, Sabrina and her fellow nursing students traveled to Honduras to provide care for people in underserved communities. It was Sabrina’s first trip outside the U.S. – and her first time flying. “I was way out of my comfort zone, but it was the best experience,” she says. “It reminded me of why I want to be a nurse.” This spring, Sabrina will travel to Florida to volunteer with the Rotaract Club.

Sabrina’s adventures have whetted her appetite for travel. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a traveling nurse. Eventually, she hopes to settle in her beloved Vermont, where she would like to work as an emergency room or birthing center nurse. Her Castleton family is confident she’ll succeed. “Her manner as a mentor indicates she’ll make a wonderful nurse,” says Becky Eno, Academic Counselor.

Sabrina hopes new students will find a home at Castleton and take advantage of all the university has to offer. “Ask for help if you need it,” she advises. “As a first-year , I was too shy to ask for what I needed – now I do it all the time. And get involved on campus. It can lead to all sorts of opportunities.”

-Dorothy A. Dahm

Growing up on the island of Guam, Weslee Thompson did not imagine attending college in Vermont. A talented athlete, he seemed destined for soccer stardom. When he was seventeen, an injury derailed his dreams. He still recalls the hurt he felt when his physical therapist told him he would never again play competitive soccer.

But one dream’s demise led to another. “Having a negative experience with a physical therapist made me want to pursue physical therapy,” Weslee says. “I knew what it was like to be in a vulnerable position. I wanted to come alongside people and work with them.” At the time, Weslee hoped to rehabilitate injured athletes.

Weslee’s new goals led him to Castleton University, where he pursued a double major in health science and psychology. Although the health science degree would give him the prerequisites for graduate school, he knew understanding human behavior would allow him to better support patients.

Like all first-year students, Weslee had to adapt to a new academic environment. Unlike most of his classmates, he had to pay his own way through college. He accepted a full-time position at McDonalds and quickly became a shift manager.

Juggling a full-time job and courses for two majors proved challenging even for a student as dedicated as Weslee. He invested in a planner. “I discovered a passion for color coordinating,” he chuckles. Always a competent writer, he met with Writing Clinic tutors and the Writing Specialist to make his papers even stronger.

Weslee’s formula worked. Now in his junior year, he still works full-time while maintaining a 4.00 GPA as a double major. Outside of class, he embraces other intellectual opportunities. This summer, he worked with psychology professor Greg Engel, conducting genetic research on ethanol tolerance in fruit flies.

And despite Weslee’s hectic schedule, he still finds time to help others. He is a writing tutor at Castleton’s Academic Support Center; he has also tutored students in anatomy and psychology. For the past two years, he has served a Student Orientation Staffer (SOS), helping new students acclimate to life at Castleton. Being a mentor has proven rewarding. “I’m most proud when people come up to me between classes and say I’ve helped them,” he says. “I’m more proud of that than anything I’ve accomplished myself.”

The desire to help others led Weslee to Castleton. Since then, his journey has taken another turn. This summer, an internship at Rutland’s Back on Track Physical Therapy affirmed his interest in the field. Through his internship, he discovered a passion for helping injured veterans. “I’d like to help those who’ve served get back to their lives,” he says quietly.

During his time at Castleton, Weslee has made an excellent impression on faculty and staff. “I feel immensely lucky to have known Wes as a student and an employee,” says Doe Dahm, Writing Specialist and adjunct professor of English. “It’s rare to find a student with his level of personal and intellectual maturity. When I first met him and he said he wanted to be a physical therapist, I thought, ‘Yes. I could envision him working with my elderly family members.’ He’s ready to enter the professional world.”

 In the meantime, Weslee is making the most of his time at Castleton. He hopes that new students will also enjoy their undergraduate years. “Time management is crucial, but it is possible to breathe,” he says. “Make sure you give yourself time to pursue your own passions.”

Castleton University is a long way from the Nepalese refugee camp where Chandra Luitel was born and raised. At ten, Chandra was cooking for her family and taking care of her younger siblings. College and career seemed remote. “I had a passion to become a nurse,” she says. “But I knew my dream of going into a professional field was impossible because of my family’s financial situation.”

When Chandra was thirteen, her parents decided to move to the United States. They were taking a chance: they knew very little about the country and could not speak English. However, with robbery, violence, and poverty in the camp, the move seemed worth the risk.

But the family’s struggles did not end when they arrived in Winooski, Vermont. The Luitels knew no one in their new city. Chandra and her younger sister had learned a little English at school in Nepal, so they did their best to help their parents navigate this new world. “We were scared for a few months,” recalls Chandra. “But then we met other people from Nepal who encouraged us to stay – not that we could go back.”

At school, more culture shock awaited Chandra and her siblings. There was the pressure to buy clothes and fit in with peers. “In Nepal, we had only one uniform,” says Chandra. School lunches were also an adjustment as Chandra was accustomed to cooking food at home. And although Chandra had lots of questions about her new language, environment, and schoolwork, she did not ask many. “I was hesitant to ask for help,” she says.

In her junior year of high school, Chandra was introduced to the University of Vermont’s Upward Bound program, a federally funded program for high school students of modest means whose parents do not have a bachelor’s degree. Through workshops and college tours, Chandra learned that she could realize her dream of attending college and becoming a nurse. She applied and was accepted to Castleton’s nursing program.

In August 2015, Chandra came to campus a week before the start of her first semester. With about thirty other new students, she participated in the Summer Transition Program, a week-long program to help TRIO students acclimate to college life (STP).

Like many other first-year students, Chandra struggled with homesickness. “In my culture, we don’t move from home until we get married,” she says. “It was pretty challenging for my parents as well.”

Through STP, Chandra found ample support. She made friends with other homesick students. “We talked about it and realized it’s pretty normal,” she remembers. Academic Support Center staff were also reassuring, particularly Kelley Beckwith, Director of Academic Services. “Kelley was good to me,” says Chandra. “She shared how she felt when she left home for college and later realized it was all for the best.”

STP helped Chandra find her way around campus – and help her peers. “I was able to help other new students from Nepal find the Academic Support Center and other places on campus,” she says. She now encourages high school friends to apply to Castleton and participate in STP.

As Chandra threw herself into challenging coursework, she continued visiting Academic Support Center. Academic Counselor Becky Eno helped her register for classes and gave her pep talks when she doubted her ability to succeed at Castleton. Faced with writing assignments, she took her papers to the Writing Clinic. “Every semester, I think, oh, I’m going to fail these nursing courses,” she says. “But then I come to the Writing Clinic for help with writing and research.”

Today, it’s hard to believe Chandra ever wondered whether she could make it at Castleton. This semester, her mid-term GPA was a 4.00. Recently, she was awarded the Vermont Educational Opportunity Programs scholarship for overcoming significant obstacles to pursue her education. “Chandra has matured, become disciplined, and begun to see the world as a nurse, one who is responsible for the well-being of others,” says her advisor, Assistant Professor of Nursing Margaret Young. After graduation, Chandra plans a career in pediatric or geriatric nursing.

But despite Chandra’s accomplishments, some things haven’t changed. She still puts her family first, returning home almost every weekend to help her mother. “I read the mail my mom cannot read and pay the bills,” she says. Since her mother is often tired from working double shifts, Chandra gives her a break by cooking for the family and taking her teenage brother to sporting events.

Chandra hopes other students will learn from her story, particularly those who are reluctant to attend college because they fear homesickness or debt.   “Push yourself,” she says. “We all have doubts, but life will be better. Ask for help. And don’t be afraid of the financial stuff – there is aid available, including lots of scholarships at Castleton.”

-Dorothy A. Dahm