Maura Thompson (right) with Emma Page, DREAM Senior Youth Service Manager for the greater Rutland County region. Mentoring has made a huge difference in Maura Thompson’s life. Now a senior at Proctor Junior/Senior High School, she brought the Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring (DREAM) program to the school, and has served as a mentor within the program for several years. She’s also involved with the Vermont chapter of Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), which helps build passionate youth leaders. DREAM supports students through the transition from middle school to high school. As part of her mentorship, Maura enjoys chatting with the sixth grader she’s working with. Sometimes they do crafts together, or they talk about things like teamwork. Some days, they just chat about life, and what’s happening in school. Last year, they did a roller-skating activity at the end of the school year that cemented their relationship. “We’re really close,” Maura said.  She also enjoys her relationship as the mentee to her eldest brother Tristan, who is in his late 30s. They talk a lot, and he’s supportive of her goals and ideas. Maura wants to carry the power of their connection through her own mentoring and hopes to continue volunteering for DREAM when she goes to college next year.  A future in medicine Maura is planning to attend SUNY Plattsburgh to study biology, and to continue to medical school to become an anesthesiologist. Math has always been one of her strongest subjects, and a great showing in her college-level calculus class last semester reassured her that she has the chops for a pre-med track. She’d like to return to the Proctor area after school. She calls her interest in medicine a “carry over from younger me,” adding that the medical profession has impacted her family a lot, especially as her mom had multiple surgeries when Maura was young. The care of her mom’s medical team and the impact of modern medicine on her mom’s life and her family’s life stuck with Maura.  Maura attended an open house at SUNY Plattsburgh last spring and was drawn to the many research opportunities in the science program. None of her siblings, all of whom are in their 30s, went to college, so this has been a new experience for her and her family. She’s also a first-generation student; neither of her parents have a four-year degree. Maura says that they are very supportive of her and are interested in her goals.  Guidance from GEAR UP helped to get her on her way  Since the 9th grade, Maura’s been involved with VSAC’s GEAR UP college and career readiness program. In the first few years, Maura recalls that she was mostly excited for the field trips: to the Vermont National Guard base in Colchester, another to SUNY Adirondack. As she got older, her experience with GEAR UP became more focused. Through regular meetings at the school library, her VSAC outreach counselor, Nate Hickey, guided her through the steps she would need to take to get to college.  “There were so many steps to take,” Maura shared. “But I can’t imagine a better experience. Nate is so thorough and helped me understand what I needed to do and what my options were each step of the way.” Nate also encouraged Maura to take three college courses at Community College of Vermont to prepare for her rigorous college plans. Deciding on SUNY Plattsburgh Maura ultimately applied to eight schools. SUNY Plattsburgh got back to her first. “It was cathartic,” she laughed. “They decided on me, I decided on them.” While SUNY Plattsburgh was her top choice, the financial aid package she was offered was a major deciding factor as well.  “I thought it was going to be so much more expensive,” she said. “I feel so lucky. My gap is manageable and Nate has put me at ease. I’m applying for even more scholarships right now: the ones from VSAC’s Scholarships Forgivable Loans booklet, a few in the Rutland area, and anything with a biology focus. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they will help me fill my gap.”  Maura is excited about her future. Conversations with her brother Tristan about her plans are helping her feel prepared for the next chapter, as Maura’s interest in mentorship comes full circle. As she gets closer to high school graduation, she’s looking forward to being in a new environment yet close to home, grounded in her ambitions as well as her strong family support system. The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency. We advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they have the tools they need to achieve their education and training goals. We create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to education are closed to them. Growing families save for education with VT529, Vermont’s official 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or job training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and are also available to work with adults. Our grant, scholarship, and workforce development programs create opportunity, help students re-skill or learn new skills, and grow the economy. VSAC’s loan, loan refinance, and loan forgiveness programs provide competitive education financing to students and families. Find us at www.vsac.org or visit Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Read the story on VTDigger here: Mentoring made a huge difference for Maura. ...read more read less