Hadley Kistler is committed to working with kids, now and in the future. A senior at St. Johnsbury Academy, she’s already employed per diem at a local childcare center in her free time. As she develops her college applications, she’s narrowed her sights to early childhood education and set a goal to get into a competitive academic program that’s also close to home.  Hadley describes herself as “a bit of a homebody.” She lives with her mom and stepdad in St. Johnsbury and she likes spending time at home and with her family. Those facts influenced the schools she is considering as well. All have great early childhood education programs and are a “doable” drive home for a weekend.  Staying on top of deadlines and applications with help from VSAC “I always knew I wanted to go to college,” Hadley said. “And my family is really supportive of that.” The hardest part of the process for Hadley is keeping on top of the various deadlines for each piece of the puzzle. That’s where her VSAC outreach counselor, Trish Turner, comes in. “Trish is keeping me on track,” Hadley added. “With her help, I’m able to focus on school at the same time I’m doing all my applications and financial aid paperwork.” Trish works in VSAC’s GEAR UP college and career readiness program. Together, Hadley and Trish have worked through the Vermont Grant application, the FAFSA federal financial aid form, and most of Hadley’s college applications. Hadley’s working on her essay this week. Trish, Hadley shared, “is always there to help.”  Hadley started working with VSAC a few years ago. At the time, she was a student at Oxbow High School in Bradford. Last year, her family moved to St. Johnsbury and she transferred to the Academy. She’s been working with Trish ever since.  “She’s helped me understand when deadlines are, when grants are open, what scholarships might be good for me. Sometimes I struggle with deadlines and she’s great about helping me with remembering them,” Hadley noted.  Hadley is setting her sights on the education that leads to her goal: being the best person and teacher she can be in her field  Hadley knows she wants to earn her bachelor’s degree. It’s not only a requirement for early childhood education, but an opportunity for her to be the best person and teacher she can be in the field. If finances, life, and time allow, she’d like to go further to her master’s degree or beyond. “If more education gets me to my goal, that’s what I’ll do,” she said.  Financial aid is a big part of the calculation. Hadley describes financial support as a “necessity” and is staying on top of the dates and deadlines with Trish’s help. “Trish will text me with reminders because all the scholarships and grants and things have different deadlines,” she added. “Some are first-come, first-served and so it’s important to get them done fast.”  Beyond her schoolwork, college applications, and part-time job, Hadley has been involved in theater in high school and was part of bringing Her Education Required, a student-led initiative to bring more women’s history into the high school curriculum, to the Academy. The movement was founded at a Vermont high school, and Hadley is proud of her role in starting it at the Academy.  That same commitment to making a difference in others’ lives shapes her plans for the future. Hadley describes early childhood education as having the potential to influence some of the most important years in a child’s life. She’s drawn to the role early childhood educators have, helping people build fundamental skills that they will use their entire life, and she likes the idea of helping kids learn them. “Kids can get overlooked and being a constant and positive presence means a lot to them,” she said. “My goal would be to be that constant and great adult presence.” She’s already getting a feel for what it’s like to work in a classroom at her per diem job. It solidified her passion for early childhood education and confirmed for her that she’s on the right path. Right now, Hadley said, “it feels great to be at the end of high school and ready to take the next step!”   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: Hadley Kistler is gearing up for a career as an early childhood educator. ...read more read less