This story was originally published by the Rutland Herald on November 7, 2025.
The Vermont State Colleges System gathered the voices of leaders across Vermont to demonstrate how education can be transformed into passion and purpose.
In partnership with The Hub CoWorks, Community College of Vermont, Vermont State University and the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region, the VSCS held its inaugural Making a Difference, Making a Living conference on Thursday.
The day-long, hybrid conference was based at The Hub, and invited community members to listen to how state leaders and VTSU alumni from all campuses have used their educational experiences to find meaningful careers and opportunities in Vermont.
“It’s a joy to see so many faces gathered here … all united with one shared belief that education doesn’t just prepare us for work, but it empowers us to make a difference. This conference is a celebration of what’s possible when education meets purpose. It’s about exploring the space where learning becomes opportunity and where the work we do every day connects back to who we are and what we value,” said VTSU Director of Career Development Innovation Jessica Duncan.
Made possible through the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, the event hosted nine speakers, seven of whom earned their education through Vermont State University or its composite schools prior to transformation.
Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak provided the day’s welcome address, highlighting that among all Vermont’s social and economic benefits, its strongest advantage is its sense of community.
“Everybody deserves dignity,” he said. “That is the high standard that all of us as community leaders, those of us in public service, should hold ourselves to. … Education is an important part of building a community where everybody matters, has the skills (and) has the opportunity.”
Pieciak spoke about how education was critically important to his own family, noting how his father’s choice to obtain a degree allowed him to break through to the middle class and provide a better life for his children.
He also said he is optimistic about the future of Vermont, adding that there will be a myriad of leadership opportunities for young people through the next five to 10 years due to the state’s aging population.
The day’s keynote speaker was Kevin Chu, executive director of the Vermont Futures Project.
The Vermont Futures Project aims to use data to support the evolution of Vermont’s economy and help Vermonters believe in a vision for a more affordable and abundant future, according to Chu.
“Education holds the transformative power to make the most of potential. It shapes not just who we are and what we do, but what we make possible for ourselves, our families and our communities. Your future — our future — is what we make of it,” Chu said.