Sterling Terrain V02 - Flipbook - Page 45
Sterling College | 43
I know I am truly appreciative of it. Can
you tell me how Sterling’s approach to financial aid has changed over the years?
At one point, if a student could afford
tuition, they did not receive any form of
financial aid. If a student showed some
financial need, the College capped it at a
62% discount rate – they never went any
higher, regardless of whether it meant
losing a student or not. We just didn’t
have the funding.
But now, Sterling looks at the overall admission application and the FAFSA, but
also we consider each individual family’s
circumstances. The FAFSA doesn’t tell
the whole story. The average discount
rate at Sterling now is 73%.
that, the Grand Canyon. I will definitely
miss the the people. Plus, I like what I do.
You have this amazing ability to remember almost every student you’ve served,
how do you do that?
It’s probably because they did or said
something that had an impact on me
– something that you just can’t forget.
Although I’m finding that as the years go
by, it’s a little harder to put the name to
the face.
Look at this life. You have all of these
wonderful memories. Of course it is not
without its challenges, but you are here
and the students and everybody here
love and appreciate all that you do for
the community. Thank you so much.
You chose to spend your lifetime of work
here at Sterling. Why?
I started here because it was local, and
my mother worked here – I worked with
my mother in the kitchen for many years.
I’m one of these people that likes to be left
in one place – I never wanted to branch
out. But what kept me here is Sterling’s
size. The fact that you can meet a student in the hallway and know their name.
This community is so friendly, people like
to sit and have a conversation, and you
don’t get that everywhere. Sterling really wants you to make sure that you take
care of yourself and that you have the
time to do that. That’s special.
What is your favorite Sterling memory?
Graduation 1999. Just after presenting the Associate degrees and before
presenting the Bachelor degrees, Ned
Houston stood up and started talking
about ME and then presented me with
an honorary Associates of Arts degree. I
was humbled and honored. I proudly display my diploma on my hutch.
I know you haven’t announced any plans
to retire, but what do you think you will
do, and what will you miss most?
I’ve always wanted to see the places in
my backyard – there are so many places in Vermont that I haven’t seen. After
Nakasi Fortune ‘20,
Director of Continuing Education
Nakasi is deeply passionate about
connecting people to nature. This
passion led her to complete her
Sterling degree in Environmental
Education. Over the years, Nakasi
has worked actively to empower
young people in Guyana, her home
country, to develop solutions to the
country’s environmental issues.
Additionally, she has worked with
development organizations to
encourage youth involvement in
agriculture and has traveled across
African and Caribbean countries reporting on international agricultural
conferences. Nakasi is an avid volunteer and prides herself on making
meaningful contributions. In this
regard, she is committed to working
alongside underserved (black and
brown) communities across the
world for their advancement. Nakasi
is the host for Sterling’s podcast
Emergency to Emergence.
Belle Nagy, Barb Stuart, & Mavis Nunn
Photo: Will Freihofer
Thank You Barb!
If you would like to make a donation in
Barb’s honor that will position Sterling to
be even more generous with its institutional
scholarships for students, donate now.