Dariana Saavedra ’24 and Alyssa Barnes G’23 have never pledged a sorority on campus, but they say their UVM experience has nevertheless been changed for the better by Greek Life. Both are current recipients of funds from the “Greek Life Scholarships”—one designated for undergraduate and one for graduate students—established in 2019 by an anonymous UVM alumna.

The scholarships can support any student who has financial need and is pursuing a degree in education, not just those who join a fraternity or sorority. To date, four graduate and five undergraduate students have benefitted from the funds.

Sororities and fraternities at UVM have a long history of fostering leadership skills, encouraging philanthropy and community service, and building strong bonds among students. The Greek Life Scholarships in the College of Education and Social Services were established to demonstrate the positive impact that students and alumni who participate in Greek life can have on the University.

“These scholarships are a great example of the many wonderful effects that sororities and fraternities have on the University, and on the broader community,” said Jerome Budomo, associate director of Student Life. “Students in each of our organizations do community service and raise money for their local and national philanthropies, and they are among the most service-oriented groups on campus. It’s no surprise that, even years or decades after graduation, they would join together to support students who are taking on something as important as educating the next generation.”

Nearly 100 donors have made gifts to the Greek Life Scholarship funds since their inception. Most are alumni affiliated with a sorority or fraternity, like Chris Higgins ’84 and Susan Marchand Higgins ’85. Susan is a member of the UVM Foundation Board of Directors and maintains an active association with Tri Delta, serving as a collegiate chapter coordinator responsible for 13 chapters in the Upper Midwest. Her husband Chris was a member of Alpha Tau Omega.

“Chris and I support the Greek Life Scholarship Fund at UVM because our experiences in our respective organizations led us to develop lifelong friendships and leadership skills we still benefit from today,” she said. “We want to ensure current and future UVM students have the same opportunity.”

Alyssa Barnes, a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in Special Education program, says the scholarship has been a welcome safeguard for her as she juggles her studies and a full-time job with a school district in rural Vermont. A graduate of nearby St. Michael’s College, Barnes has spent more than two decades as a special educator in middle and secondary schools in Vermont, providing direct instruction and case management to children with disabilities. After earning her EdD, she has her sights set on district-level administrative leadership or even a new career as a professor of education.

But in order to get there, Barnes has had to make sacrifices along the way. In years past, to meet the demands of her course work, there were times when she had to reduce her professional work hours by half.

“I’m a full-time special educator, but I’m also a mom. I’ve got two young kids in elementary school, and I pick up some part-time work throughout both the winter and summer seasons. Needless to say, this scholarship really takes some of the pressure off of me.”

Dariana Saavedra ’24, a sophomore from New City, New York, chose UVM specifically for the Early Childhood Education program, but she says generous financial aid made it possible for her to attend—UVM offered her more scholarship support than any other university.

Saavedra says she has always known she wanted to work with small children. Even though the field can sometimes be demanding and less lucrative than other professions, she was inspired by her father’s experiences to remain guided by her passion. Her father enjoys his current career as a middle school art teacher, but for much of her childhood, she says he was making a long commute every day to a less-than-fulfilling job.

“He worked on Wall Street and hated it. He said, ‘I want to be an artist.’ So when the crash came in 2008, he took that opportunity to pursue his dream. He has told me since then that it doesn’t matter how much money you make; you should do what you are called to do.”

Saavedra has had that calling affirmed in her two practicum experiences, one with babies and toddlers at the YMCA of Greater Burlington and now with children at a local preschool. She will have more hands-on experiences in her junior year with children up to third grade before choosing an age group with which to compete her final semester of student teaching. It’s a big time commitment to be in the classroom, one that would be nearly impossible if she were balancing a full-time job with the rest of her courses. That’s why Saavedra says the Greek Life Scholarships are especially helpful to students majoring in education.

“I know that if I’m working with kids, I will be happy. Education majors like me come here because we love children, but we also realize what a big job we have ahead of us. Having the financial support of donors and knowing that my student debt won’t be as bad as it might have been elsewhere, that’s so encouraging and reassuring. It helped make this choice much easier, and we need more people to be able to see teaching as a viable option.”

Supporters of the Greek Life Scholarships have set a goal of raising an additional $25,000 to increase the number of students like Barnes and Saavedra who benefit each year. They hope their commitment to leadership, philanthropy, and service will live on through generations of educators and their own students.