How Champlain College Students are Spending the Summer of 2012

From travel adventures to internships, Champlain students are making the best of it.

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Lindsey DeBerry '14 is excited about her summer internship at V Magazine in New York City. She studies Graphic Design at Champlain College.

BURLINGTON, VT (07/02/2012)(readMedia)-- When final exams wrap up the last week of April, and graduates move on after senior week and commencement in early May, Champlain students find themselves with excess time for summer employment and recreation in comparison to students from other higher-education institutions.

Many Champlain students hesitate to admit that they spend their summer vacations back in their hometowns. Grant Nickle '14 said it best, "I'm living at home and doing nothing. It's pretty interesting stuff, I know." They settle into the routine of sleeping until noon and eating mom's home-cooked meals until she starts nagging and they wished to move back to Burlington when leases begun on June 1. Some are lucky enough to travel, whether on a school trip or with friends and family. The remainder decide to experience a Burlington summer and fill their time with classes, a job or two, and affordable summer activities. Below are the stories of how various Champlain College students are spending the summer of 2012:

George Taylor Bentz, International Business '13

After a stressful, yet entrepreneurially successful year at school I get a shot at another summer, another trip, and another blog. I left May 3 to spend two weeks in each of the following areas of Argentina: Buenos Aires, Bariloche, and Mendoza, followed by a week somewhere in Chile before flying out of Santiago.

I am originally from Hood River, Oregon and have traveled to Guatemala and Sikkim, India in the past. I have done international service work and also indulged in new global perspectives. This summer I am just looking to relax, speak Spanish, and drink espresso in cafés while catching up on books gone unread. Follow my uncensored travels at http://taylorbelowequator.blogspot.com/

Benjamin Mace, Computer Information Technology, Information Systems '14

This summer, I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Israel and learn about the country and its history. I honestly had no idea what to expect – American media had me preparing to enter a war zone.

As I traveled through Israel and heard from different people, I discovered that they have an immense amount of pride and support for their country. Listening to a news report, you would get the impression that everything is broken. And while I'm not saying that everything is good and well, I have learned that taking any comments at face value without explanation is a big mistake. I also learned to recognize the complexity of the world in general and have come to appreciate the validity and power of other cultural narratives.

The best part of the entire trip was the night we spent in the desert. We went out for a walk without any lights or making any sounds, and were instructed to split up and spread out so that we were not near anyone else. I found my spot near the foot of a hill, and lay down in the dirt. The stars were amazing. But even more importantly, I could hear myself think for once.

You never realize how much you need a break until you finally take one. The next time you're stressed, whether because of finals, work, or just life, leave your electronics at home and go out for a walk. You might even learn something interesting about yourself.

Before heading home to New York City, I was able to extend my return date and travel to Europe to meet with two other friends in London. We toured London, took a boat to Amsterdam, flew to Berlin, and traveled to France before returning to Israel to fly home. Although planning was stressful, it was a liberating experience traveling with my friends and I'd never been to London, Amsterdam or Berlin before. It was interesting to gain some global perspective and see how other countries work.

Casey Greene, Broadcasting '13

After an amazing academic year in Burlington, I decided to stay at Champlain for the summer and maintain my two on-campus jobs year-round. Being away from my home in New York for so long has been a struggle, but I am staying extremely busy working as one of two Summer Resident Assistants at Champlain's off-campus apartments at Quarry Hill as well as in the LEAD (Life Experience & Action Dimension) office on campus.

In addition to my two jobs I am living my dream. Ever since I was three years old, my two life goals were to meet Kevin Costner and to be a radio personality. I have already checked meeting Mr. Costner of my list (TWICE!), and this summer I will be getting ready to make my radio debut for my senior internship in the fall. Champlain College has given me the tools to make my life-long dreams come true, and for that I am extremely thankful. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for me. Perhaps a third meeting with Kevin Costner? Sounds good to me!

Lindsey DeBerry, Graphic Design and Digital Media, specialization in Professional Writing '14

As I'm going in to my junior year, I decided that I wanted to get some more real world experience in the field that I want to pursue. I'm very interested in editorial design and magazines and would ideally like to work in the fashion, art, or music industry (or somewhere that combines all three)! I job shadowed at a more corporate graphic design agency last summer, but this summer I wanted to see what it's like behind the scenes of a magazine (in a more creative environment).

I'm interning at V Magazine (www.vmagazine.com) in New York City this summer. V is primarily a fashion magazine, also involving categories such as art, music, architecture, and film. I'm taking an internship class at the Fashion Institute of Technology that meets weekly and interning the other days of the week. It's been a great experience getting to see and help with the process of putting together a magazine. Meeting and working with the team on each issue is something I will take away great knowledge from. On the side, I am also doing an internship for an online blog called College Fashionista (www.collegefashionista.com), where I photograph and blog about an intern's style weekly.

It's been my dream to move to New York for a long time, but when my dream became a reality it was a lot more overwhelming than I'd expected. Growing up in the suburbs outside of Albany and going to college in one of the safest cities in the US hasn't exactly prepared me well for the big city life. I'm starting to adjust, keeping in mind these things at all times: NEVER let go of your purse and, more importantly, NEVER take your wallet out in public (my first day I made this mistake by taking it out to give a homeless person change...I'm lucky this didn't end badly), always know how to get where you're going before leaving your room... or you'll probably end up walking in circles (or squares for that matter- go city blocks), walking alone at night in New York is worlds apart from doing so in Burlington, the list goes on... But living in New York is an amazing experience (as long as you're alert)! I live in Chelsea right in the middle of the Fashion District, and am close to Union Square, Times Square, the Art Gallery District, and just a subway ride away from V, which is a block off of Canal Street, which intersects the major shopping area of SOHO- Broadway (goodbye to my savings account).

At the end of this summer, I'll have quite a life experience to check off of my bucket list! I'll have learned something greater than what I can be taught in a classroom. And, while I love New York, I'm excited to return to the close-knit community at Champlain.

Brian Culmo, Graphic Design '15

I guess you can call me an adventurer. I can't sit still. I'm either working for my company, BorderLine Designs, or I'm running somewhere. I got first place in Tough Mudder Vermont on May 6, ran the Vermont City Marathon in 3h:34m on May 27, and three days later started to hike the Long Trail from Williamstown, MA to North Troy, VT (273 miles) in 16 days with my friend Matt. Hiking the Long Trail was the most exhausting thing I have ever done.

I returned home to Hebron, CT on June 15 to start working for Play-Well TEKnologies where I travel around southern New England working at LEGO camps, as I have for the past few years. I also plan to hang out with my new puppy, Marley, and continue working on BorderLine Design projects in my basement to prepare for some local art exhibitions. Like me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/#!/BLDmakesthings) and keep an eye out for my product inventory at Champlain in the fall.

Nicole Egan, Graphic Design/Digital Media & Marketing '14

Finding a graphic design internship for this summer in Connecticut was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was even more difficult finding one that was paid! On my list was Northeast Utilities – an energy company that consists of over 9,000 employees providing services in CT, NH, and MA. Little did I know their Communications Department would actually e-mail me back over a month later asking me to come in for an interview.

The original job description said I would be doing standard office tasks, creating PowerPoint presentations and e-mail flyers, etc. However, I was actually given the chance to put the skills learned in my major to use. They were genuinely interested in my graphics background working at Champlain's Emergent Media Center. Now in the Communications Department, I have completely molded this internship position to showcase my personal strengths. I am working on a variety of projects here including their website re-design, newsletters, infographics, various logos, and publication designs. It's great being able to meet new people, network and learn what life is like in the corporate world. This would not have been possible without previous experience I gained at Champlain.

Check out my work at: http://www.nicoleegan.com/

Talia Bosley, Early and Elementary Education '14

The perfect way to end my second year at Champlain College was to go on a service trip to Entebbe, Uganda. Through The Center for Service & Civic Engagement and Teach For Tomorrow, I was able to work at the Malayaka House for three weeks. The Malayaka House is an orphanage that cares for 36 children. I lived with six other Champlain students and our group leaders at the orphanage.

The 36 wonderful children brightened my days. It was an amazing experience to work with fellow classmates, the "Aunties" who work at the orphanage, and the children. My time at the Malayaka House was filled with laughter and love. All Champlain students should apply to go on the trip next year!

For the rest of my summer, I will be exploring a new country. On June 23rd I left for New Zealand for a semester abroad. I will be attending Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand with four other Champlain students. I am very excited to spend the next five and a half months there.

About Champlain College: Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, Vt. Champlain's distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain offers traditional undergraduate and online undergraduate courses, along with online certificate and degree programs and eight master's degree programs. Champlain offers study abroad programs at its campuses in Montreal, Quebec and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review's "The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition." Champlain was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School" by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges and is ranked in the top tier of 2012 Regional Colleges in the North. For more information, visit www.champlain.edu.