As my final semester draws to a close, I can now reflect and say confidently that being a part of the CCV community, I have learned to see myself as part of a larger world. Going forward, I can apply the many life lessons that I’ve learned here at CCV to my personal character, my future education, and my future career.
Building Resilience
Virginia Litchfield started college when she was 18. Before long, “life just kind of got in the way.” She tried again six years ago. Again, life got in the way—and she didn’t have the tools she needed to reach out and ask for support.
Connecting Communities
“I didn’t work well with school, but I was smart. I would skip school and go read books,” says Richard Witting. He dropped out of high school at 17, tried a few classes at CCV, and then moved to the West Coast for more than a decade. In Portland and San Francisco, he returned to familiar work: food.
People Need Us
Livija Mujkanovic immigrated to the U.S. from Bosnia at 19. She arrived in Vermont with her family, speaking no English. During her first year here, she worked two jobs—one as a housekeeper and one at Burger King. At home in Bosnia, she had been a student in law school.
Teaching a Community to Cook
CCV student Calito Amboise is from Haiti, and he brings with him a remarkable optimism. “Today I help you, tomorrow you help me,” he says. “We can make community. We have to work together. You don’t need a big revolution. Small by small can make the difference.”
Full Circle: Two CCV Grads on Making Records, Making Community, and Making a Life
CCV grads Justin and Randi-Lynn Crowther own and operate Burlington Record Plant, where pressing vinyl records has become a means of creating community.