Samantha, a Franklin County transportation driver, has transformed her life through education while continuing to serve clients who depend on her for rides to medical appointments and essential errands.
After graduating high school, Samantha launched Little Taxi LLC in Franklin County before joining Special Services Transportation Agency (SSTA), according to a recent profile. She transports residents who cannot drive themselves to doctors’ offices, grocery stores, and pharmacies throughout the region.
Several years ago, Samantha faced significant personal challenges including relationship difficulties, parenting struggles, and declining mental health. She left a troubled relationship but experienced housing instability, staying with her mother while working to regain stability, according to the profile.
Despite these hardships, Samantha found purpose in her driving work. She spends considerable time listening to clients discuss their lives, families, hopes, and concerns. “It got me thinking that maybe I should go back to school,” she said. “Being able to do this one thing for others—driving them to their appointments and things—is really meaningful to me. But the days can be really long and stressful, and as much as I enjoy it, I started thinking maybe I could do a little more.”
Samantha connected with Vermont’s Reach Up program, where case manager Jamie linked her to Karen McGovern, an outreach counselor at VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center. McGovern helps adults access college and training programs and began working with Samantha to achieve her educational goals.
With McGovern’s assistance, Samantha applied to community College of Vermont. “I was just so excited when I got my acceptance letter. Karen connected me with scholarship applications; the next thing I knew I was taking classes online through CCV,” she said.
Over three years, Samantha completed one or two classes per semester while maintaining her driving job. She earned Dean’s List recognition every semester and received an invitation to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, according to the profile.
Her success at CCV motivated Samantha to continue her education. McGovern encouraged her to apply to Champlain College’s Single Parents Program, which supports solo mothers and fathers pursuing higher education. “I knew I wanted my bachelor’s and my master’s, and I knew I’d need support to get them,” Samantha said.
As a single parent with two young children, Samantha previously struggled financially while balancing work and childcare responsibilities provided by her mother. “Karen and Jamie and I, we were a team. We were going to figure out how to make all of it work,” she noted.
The transition to in-person classes at Champlain initially proved challenging. Samantha got lost on her first day and felt intimidated by the campus environment. “I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “But I knew I’d have to dive in and really figure out how to manage everything if I was going to be successful. I finally got used to it and am really proud that I’ve maintained a high GPA my whole time here.”
Currently, Samantha takes five to six classes each semester while continuing her SSTA driving work and completing an internship at the Vermont Psychology Association. She serves as co-president of Champlain College’s DREAM Club, a student-led community engagement initiative supporting local youth through meal preparation, mentoring, and activities.
Additionally, Samantha coordinates mentors for the regional DREAM program, a nonprofit focused on closing opportunity gaps through mentoring, academic support, outdoor adventures, and enrichment programs. “We’re working with kids who don’t have great opportunities, and we have the ability to create those for them. Helping them and doing activities with them means a lot to me,” she said.