By Jazz Gonzalez
My name is Jazz Gonzalez, and I am one of the first students and the first RA here at Greenway. I am also a sophomore in college and an engineering major. I go to school at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, and took the opportunity to come up to Vermont to study sustainable engineering at Greenway. When I arrived in Vermont in late August, I was greeted with beautiful scenery ranging from a variety of huge green mountains to clear blue skies. Driving into the town of Montpelier, I could tell they were still in recovery from the major flooding back in July. Fortunately, being with Greenway, I knew I would be one of the many people lending a helping hand to the community here. Driving up to College Street that Saturday, I was amazed to see the local community had a weekly farmers market right across from the College itself. Entering the College, I was immediately greeted with warm smiles from the administration and settled into my new home for the next 3.5 months.
On the weekends as the RA, I try to make sure we always have an event to look forward to. One of the first weekend events planned was a trip to Ben and Jerry’s. We went during the afternoon to get a sweet treat and to check out the amazing view of the greenery from the factory itself. On the drive up we had an amazing time bonding and listening to music, it definitely broke the ice allowing us to get to know each other outside of learning.
Thunder Road was next on our list of events, which we were all very eager to attend. As engineers we really enjoy vehicles, so to see engines being pushed to their limits in a race was super exciting. Will and Sam, students at Greenway, accompanied me to this event and the look on their faces when in the second race of the night the race cars had spun out and crashed was powerful. It was amazing to hear them talk all about it afterward, and to see their interest and excitement about this event. The next day we went to the flood relief concert held in Montpelier to help support the community. This is where we spent the rest of our day listening to the music, and getting to know the community.
Next up on our list of events is the Tunbridge Fair, seeing as the community here in Vermont recommends it strongly. We also want to have some fun seeing how many rides we can get on without getting sick!
This all being said, I would highly recommend Greenway to anyone looking for a home away from home where you can learn, but also have fun. When you are a part of a small community like this, everyone treats you as an individual and provides you with the utmost respect. I feel like my education and well-being is valued here, and I am left with little worry about if I am going to succeed because I know I will.
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