For many early childhood educators, years of experience in the classroom build valuable skills, knowledge, and expertise. Through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program at CCV, and supported by the Early Childhood Education Portfolio Scholarship, those experiences can also become college credit.
Funded by an anonymous donor, the scholarship covers the full tuition and fees for PLA portfolio courses, including Focused Portfolio Development (FPD) and Assessment of Prior Learning (APL). Designed for early childhood educators pursuing CCV’s associate degree in early childhood education, the scholarship gives students the financial boost they need to earn credit for what they know while saving both money and time.
Students use portfolio courses to document prior learning and demonstrate college-level competencies, earning a significant number of credits toward their degree in just one class. For CCV students Fartun Abdi and Hannah Cleveland, the Early Childhood Education Portfolio Scholarship helped remove a financial barrier to reaching their goals.
Turning Experience into Opportunity
“It was kind of scary,” said Fartun Abdi of starting classes at CCV. “I was nervous and excited at the same time, because I’d never been to college before.” She remembers thinking, “‘what if I don’t complete it? What if something happens?’ But once I started, I had a lot of support.”
Her instructors were flexible and accommodating. She joined TRIO, a federal program for first-generation college students. Her advisor and other staff connected her with resources and provided guidance.
That support is something Fartun is determined to pay forward. Inspired by a younger brother who is on the autism spectrum, she decided to pursue a career in early childhood education. “I come from a culture where, when a child is on the spectrum, they really don’t welcome them. They’re not included. They’re not accepted and supported. So when I came to America, I used to watch [my brother’s] teachers engage and support him and I thought that was just beautiful to watch.” She began to emulate those nurturing teachers in her home life, and used that early experience to fuel her pursuit of a career as an educator.
Her journey began with a job as a paraeducator in 2017, and she soon moved to a position at Burlington’s King Street Center. She juggled full-time work, parenting her five children, and CCV classes before graduating with a degree in early childhood education in June 2026.
One key piece of her education was the Focused Portfolio Development class, a PLA offering that provides the opportunity to demonstrate prior knowledge in one specific curricular area. Fartun earned 15 credits through the class. “It was challenging,” she recalls, “but it was doable.” The huge boost in credits—a quarter of her degree—was also a huge boost in morale. “I was like, ‘I can do it now. Fartun, you can actually graduate. You don’t have to stop. You can keep on going.’”
She was also buoyed by the Early Childhood Education Portfolio Scholarship. “It felt really great, because I was worried about financial aid and everything. It took something off my shoulders. It was a big relief.”
Fartun is now working as a lead preschool teacher at King Street Center, and is taking the next step in her educational journey: this fall, she’s enrolled at Vermont State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Her education “opens the door to different roles,” she said. Her CCV degree enabled her promotion to lead teacher, and a bachelor’s degree makes her eligible to become a director or open a home daycare. “If we just sit and don’t start anything, you might not get to the place you want to be…it’s okay to feel scared, but you should never stop your dreams.”
A New Path Forward
Growing up in an alternative, religious community where women were discouraged from pursuing higher education, Hannah Cleveland dreamed of attending college but didn’t believe that path was possible. After years spent raising and homeschooling five children, her life changed dramatically in 2020 when her son was diagnosed with leukemia. Determined to seek treatment for him, Hannah and her family left the community. “We packed a bag for each child and we went to the hospital for a treatment appointment and we never went back,” Hannah said.
She began work as a substitute teacher in the preschool classroom her youngest child attended and in her interactions with other teachers they recommended that she look into taking classes at CCV. “I had finished my high school books, but had no GED and had never been employed. I didn’t even know how to use a cell phone,” Hannah said.
Hannah started taking classes at CCV in 2023, pursuing a degree in early childhood education. She was working as a paraeducator at the Washington Village public preschool and was encouraged by a coworker and fellow CCV student to look into the PLA program. She took the Assessment of Prior Learning class, which provides the opportunity to demonstrate prior knowledge in a variety of academic subject areas. “The PLA program is extremely helpful for adults who are going back to school, who maybe didn’t get an opportunity to go to school right out of high school, or maybe want to go back to school for something else,” Hannah said. She earned 30 credits through the class – half of what she needed for her degree.
While earning extra credits through one class supported her effort to earn a degree, so did the financial aid she was awarded through the Early Childhood Education Portfolio Scholarship. “Receiving the scholarship was a positive experience for me. It felt like support from the College…it helped me believe in myself,” Hannah said. “Receiving financial aid support for college probably was the only way I was able to attend.”
Hannah graduated from CCV in 2025 and continues to work at the Washington Village preschool, where she has moved into a one-on-one role as a para specialist. “My favorite part of my job is just coming into work every morning and welcoming the kids. They just love coming to learn and start their educational experience,” she said.
This fall, she is continuing her education as a full-time student at Southern New Hampshire University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in adolescent development. Hannah has her sights set on becoming a child life specialist, inspired by her family’s experiences at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. To anyone considering taking the step of pursuing college, she advised: “you’re capable of so much more than you might think.”
Learn more about the Prior Learning Assessment program and Early Childhood Education Portfolio Scholarship at ccv.edu.
