CCV’s student body is made up of diverse individuals with varying goals and aspirations. As we look ahead to CCV’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony, this year’s celebration features two student speakers ready to share their unique experiences: Thomas Huster (CCV-Bennington) and Samantha Green (CCV-Rutland).
Thomas and Samantha were nominated and chosen for their inspiring educational journeys, each representing a path among many that can lead to a college education. While differing passions and goals brought them to CCV, Thomas and Samantha can both speak on an ‘untraditional’ path to earning a degree. They bring life experiences to their studies, both finding that college helped them step out of their comfort zone, gaining a new confidence and perspective on the world.
Meet this year’s student speakers.
After only a short conversation getting to know Thomas Huster, one thing is clear: he won’t turn down the opportunity to try something new. In the past decade he’s earned a top secret security clearance with the government, traveled to over 40 countries, packed up his life and moved to a new state, and prioritized his education to earn a degree at the age of 57.
Thomas was born in Maryland but grew up in Richmond, Virginia. Growing up, excelling in education was never a priority in his family. “It took me five years to graduate,” Thomas said. Because of this, pursuing college took the back burner. “I couldn’t have done it right after high school…I just wasn’t ready back then to go,” he admitted.
Instead, Thomas jumped into the workforce. He moved to Washington, D.C. where his interest and skill in information technology helped him start a career as a government contractor. Initially he worked in support and help desk roles, but was then presented with the opportunity to travel the world training US embassy personnel in using specialized computer applications. In the course of five years Thomas traveled to approximately 40 countries. “That was probably my most favorite job, it was always an adventure,” he said.
In 2017 he embarked on a new adventure, leaving his government job and moving to Vermont. Thomas started working at Regeneron, where he continues to work as a senior automation systems administrator. But, after 25 years of working in IT, Thomas decided he was ready for something different. Through financial support from his employer and encouragement from friends, he started taking classes at CCV to work toward an associate degree in liberal studies. “I feel I’m good with people…I know I want to go into management and that’s part of my development plan here at work,” he said. “Going back to school helps with that plan.”
Despite his willingness to try new things, starting school at the age of 50 didn’t come without its trepidations. “Age was a big thing. I’m really self-conscious and my age played a big part in that…not fitting in and stuff like that,” Thomas said. He added, “I was afraid going back to school after all these years that I wouldn’t care like I didn’t care back then.” But, with the support of his friends and wanting to prove to himself that he could succeed, he was pushed to excel at CCV with a current GPA of 3.98. “It really boosted my confidence and self-esteem,” he said.
For Thomas, earning a degree meant more than just moving forward in his career, but also “gaining more knowledge, because I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been at CCV. Probably a lot of people think that when you get to a certain age there’s not a whole lot to learn. But I feel that it’s really benefited me with the things I’ve learned since I started taking courses at CCV.” This includes interpersonal communication skills with coworkers, writing technical documents, and also “becoming less shy and just having more self confidence. Plus, being in class with younger people, it made me see them with a different perspective,” he said.
Thomas was also able to bring his life experiences into the classroom. “I saw the world in a different view that a lot of people don’t have. It makes you more caring, more empathetic, and you’re not as quick to put down others when you see and have been around all types of people of different races and nationalities,” he said. “I think that made me a better human being and I think it helped me in all of my courses, especially to see other perspectives.”
While Thomas’s educational experience may be deemed as ‘untraditional’, it was the best path for him, and can be for others as well. He’s now receiving an associate degree that will help him move on to his next adventure in management. He shared some advice to those thinking about starting later in life: “It’s never too late to start your education. Don’t be intimidated by your age.”
Samantha Greene describes herself as a quirky, comical, dedicated, and passionate person – all of which was apparent in the few minutes of a conversation had on a recent afternoon. Samantha’s passions have been shaped by her life experiences. While some are rooted in tragedy, they serve as a powerful fuel that drives her to thrive and focus on the future. Samantha’s ultimate goal is to help others and create a kinder world, especially for her four-year-old son.
Samantha’s interest in helping others first brought her to CCV fifteen years ago when she started pursuing a certificate in substance abuse counseling. But, pressures from her environment and relationship caused her to step away from school. She continued her life, getting married, working, and welcoming a son, when her late husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. “It became a whole tragedy…it led to me doing a lot of internal work,” she said. “I really started diving into how trauma can impact the development of a kid’s brain because my son was only three months old, so I knew that would last with him, I just didn’t know what that looked like.”
After constant reading and podcasts to learn more about traumatic responses with young kids, Samantha decided to turn this interest into a formal education and re-enrolled at CCV to pursue an associate degree in behavioral science. “I’ve always been intrigued with psychological science,” she said. “The more I learned on my own the more I realized other people weren’t aware and there’s a real need for people to be talking about trauma-informed care.”
Choosing CCV as a working, (previously) solo mom was an easy choice for Samantha. “I like that CCV is local. I’m also an online student, so the convenience that CCV offered in the flexibility with online courses is what I needed. I also really enjoyed that I had the Rutland center I could walk into if I needed something,” she said. “It has been chaotic, but it’s been so rewarding and beautiful…life is hard but we get to choose our hard. I try to live by that.” She added, “I’ve had opportunities through CCV that I wouldn’t have had, which has helped my confidence and just ensured that I’m on the right path.” At CCV, she completed two internships, one at WonderFeet Kids’ Museum and another at the Allen Street Campus, offering two views to development and working with kids. She has also been a part of the CCV TRIO program and has been a peer mentor.
Samantha’s path to education may also be deemed ‘untraditional’, but it’s what worked best for her to succeed. “This has worked for me because my life experience has really solidified what I want to do. Being a mom in my thirties and having a young child, it does have a sense of maturity and being able to see things differently and having the confidence,” she said. “I don’t think I would have even taken things as seriously when I was young. There’s a lot more riding on it. I know what I want.”
Samantha recently accepted a position as a paraeducator and plans to continue her education at Vermont State University this fall, pursuing a degree in psychological science. Her goals are to earn a master’s degree in sociology and work in the research and data collection field. Earning her associate degree is something she’s proud of. “I’m accomplishing something a lot of people said I’d never be able to do, something I wrote off for myself,” she said. “With the tragedy that happened in my life I realized it was time to live for myself and choose my hard and to do something completely different and completely unknown. I haven’t regretted a single day of it.”
Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m.
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont
Learn more: ccv.edu/graduation
More than 500 students will receive their associate degree in an annual celebration that draws thousands of Vermonters from across the state. Governor Scott will greet and congratulate graduates, and Sara Byers, co-owner & president of Leonardo’s Pizza, will deliver the keynote address.
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