Ryan Cooney, a student at Vermont Technical College, was announced as the Vermont State Colleges System’s Student Trustee for the 2020-2021 year, starting and ending June 1. This announcement was first made public on the Vermont Tech Facebook page on May 21. Cooney was chosen out of four other applicants for the position by the Vermont State Colleges Student Association on the evening of May 19.
Originally from Lebanon, New Hampshire, Cooney has been a resident of Springfield, Vermont since he was six years old. When he was in high school, he dreamed of being President of the United States and decided to go to George Mason University in Virginia to study politics. After feeling like the career track wasn’t right for him, Cooney took a gap year, and then applied to Vermont Technical College (VTC) in Williston, Vermont. In an interview with The Critic, Cooney said that he “took a chance” on his passion for flying with this application. Cooney now proudly studies Professional Pilot Technologies at VTC and expects to graduate as part of the Class of 2022. On-campus, Cooney is a Resident Assistant and part of the Student Council.
Cooney enjoys traveling–especially flying–reading whenever he has free time, and exploring Burlington, Vermont with his friends. When asked what his favorite place in Burlington was, Cooney thoughtfully admitted that Spot on the Dock was a good hangout.
When talking about the Student Trustee position, Cooney said he feels honored and humbled. “It says a lot when a group of peers you’ve never met vote for you,” he told The Critic. His biggest goal as Student Trustee is to ensure the Vermont State Colleges System remains as intact as possible, and then, Cooney wants to work with the Board of Trustees and the institutions to strengthen enrollment and retention numbers.
“I’m gonna do my best to ensure the best education for the students,” Cooney said. However, he also notes that there are going to be happy and sad reactions to every decision that the Board of Trustees makes, just as there is in “every decision you ever make.”
Cooney wants to also encourage active participation among the students of the VSCS, saying that it is the only way for students to be heard. Now is “not the time to be quiet,” Cooney said, calling for every voice from every student.
As Student Trustee, Cooney is expected to travel or make arrangements electronically to learn more about each campus in the Vermont State Colleges System. When asked about this specifically, Cooney admits to looking forward to visiting when he has the chance (depending on how regulation surrounding COVID-19 progresses). “It’s been forever since I’ve been to Lyndon,” Cooney admitted.
Feature Photo provided by Ryan Cooney and Vermont Technical College || Student Trustee Ryan Cooney poses with a plane.