Jackson gets plenty of pets during his photo shoot (he is also the brother to Queen). Because Jackson is a puppy he has already been adopted. There is always a large turnover for puppies at NCAL as many families are looking to raise a dog from the very beginning. Research has found that adopters prefer to train their dog to behave in a way that would better suit their lifestyle. For example someone who would be driving a lot with the dog mat want the dog to be accustomed to being in the car.

Santa Fe has recently been adopted (she convinced them with her puppy eyes). Most dogs like Santa Fe are a mixed breed which means that the staff can’t directly identify their breed. Other dogs like puppies are easier to determine for a breed because breeders usually send them with information. Some dog breeds like Pit bulls take longer to adopt because of the stereotypes surrounding them. Dogs that are more skittish will have a harder time bonding with a new human, so that also contributes to their shelter stays lasting longer before adoption. 

Scott Fox in one of his college classrooms  Photo by: Scott Fox

By Olivia Saras

Early College brings all sorts of new and exciting/surprising experiences, like saving your professor from being swept off down a river. 

Scott Fox has been attending early college since September of this school year. He is a seventeen-year-old Morrisville, Vermont resident who is always entertaining his fellow Peoples Academy students with games of solitaire and odd fashion choices of cowboy boots and leather jacket. When asked to describe his personality Scott states that it’s, “Very dependent upon my mood, like when I'm unhappy I'm more selfish but when I'm happy I’m more kind and outgoing.” This also reflects how Scott explains that a fun fact about him is how he likes to use different outfits every day to reflect his personality. 

He is now in his senior year of high school but he is following a different path than most other seniors: he is attending early college. Scott is one of five people attending early college. This seemingly few is actually 9% of the graduating class of 2025 that only numbers 56 students. Vermont Business magazine found that,  “A record 377 high school seniors from every county in Vermont enrolled in Early College Programs at VSCS institutions, Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Vermont State University (VTSU), in Fall 2024.” (Vermont Business Magazine)

 Scott is currently taking classes at Norwich University focusing on the field of engineering. He attends these classes during the normal school week and functions through a similar schedule that Peoples Academy follows.  

Like the majority of high school seniors attending the early college program, Scott is attending Norwich in hopes that it will help further his educational career. Scott says that he is attending because, “I would like to get an early start in college and I would like to prove to other colleges that I can effectively accomplish college level work in an effort to aid me getting accepted to other colleges.”

At early college Scott is taking engineering courses as he would like to pursue a career in the engineering field. Studies on Early College in High School (ECHS) found that, “students who participate in ECHS are significantly more likely to graduate from high school. Additionally, 88% of ECHS graduates enroll in college for the fall term after graduation. Advanced preparation for college.” (Lydianlydian-admin) This statistic is supported by Scott wanting to do early college so that it will help him when applying to colleges. 

Scott finds that there are advantages and disadvantages to attending early college though. He finds that there is the advantage of, “[being] more free, you have to get things done and you have a sense of responsibility that isn’t as strong as having to be responsible for seven class periods] a day.” A disadvantage he found though was that, “Being a first year student I feel that I don’t know many people and I have to restart at the bottom and connect with people to build a sense of community.” Another disadvantage is also a unique feature of early college while students are attending classes through their high school at a  college, they will still need to apply to attend college past their senior year of high school.

Although finding some disadvantages Scott still believes that, “I have learned more than I would have in a high school because there are so many more subjects that I can explore.”  He also shared how he has had some memorable moments in early college like, “When the professor tried to float down the river to Montpelier. During a flood when we had to measure the flow rate of the river we were standing in the middle of the river and the professor lost his footing and he started floating and I had to pull him back to shore, which was funny because he had said not to go into your waist because you may lose your footing and flow down the river.” Although high school might not bring such exhilarating experiences, early college offers students an opportunity to expand on their learning in specific fields and is becoming increasingly popular for these aspects. 

REFERENCES:

Lydian-admin. “Educational Benefits of Early College Programs in High School - Lydian Academy.” Lydian Academy, 2 Dec. 2021, lydianacademy.com/educational-benefits-of-early-college-programs-in-high-school/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20students,the%20fall%20term%20after%20graduation.&text=Advanced%20preparation%20for%20college. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

Vermont Business Magazine. “Vermont State Colleges Reports Record Uptake in Early College Program | Vermont Business Magazine.” Vermontbiz.com, 10 Feb. 2025, vermontbiz.com/news/2025/february/10/vermont-state-colleges-reports-record-uptake-early-college-program#:~:text=A%20record%20377%20high%20school,VTSU)%2C%20in%20Fall%202024. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.