Su Shannon has lived in the welcoming community of Pittsford for 16 years with her husband and their son. Her husband grew up nearby in Proctor, and the couple loved the area enough to stay. Over time, Su built a successful pottery business from her home studio, creating handmade dinnerware that she sells online and at art shows across New England.
One-on-one contact with her customers feeds Su’s soul, and the creativity that goes into ceramics comes very naturally to her. “Meeting people, talking with them, sharing something I’ve made with my hands is just wonderful,” she says.
Recently, after more than a decade in ceramics, Sue began to feel a pull in a different direction. “It became clear that I might want to do something new,” Su shares. “I sat with that feeling for a while, and explored a lot of different options as to where I could go and what I could do next.”
A fascination with how things work
In addition to creative work, Su has always been interested in people and the human body. Years ago, she worked as a massage therapist and the experience of working hands-on with people stayed with her. “I’ve always loved working with people,” she says. “And I’ve always been fascinated by how the body works and how it is put together.”
That curiosity was rekindled each time she or a family member found themselves needing X-ray imaging. “I was fascinated by the technology,” she says. “I wanted to understand how it worked, and I was amazed by the impact diagnostic imaging could have. Radiology became more and more interesting.”
Still, after spending years running her own business, she wasn’t quite sure how to get started. “The question was how to even go into healthcare, especially at this point in my life,” she noted. “I was just asking myself over and over ‘where do I start?’”
Support from VSAC helped Su find her path
As Su researched how she might pursue radiology, she discovered that she was out-of-sequence with the annual admissions cycle for the radiology program at Vermont State University (VTSU), where she was looking to study. The team there suggested she start by taking a few classes at Community College of Vermont (CCV) to get some prerequisites and general education requirements under her belt.
So Su did. She signed up for three classes at CCV, which led her to connect with VSAC for the financial aid support and counseling she needed as an adult student. She was assigned to Martha McCaughin, a counselor with VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center who specializes in supporting adult learners like Su.
“Martha helped me understand what it would be like to go back to school as an adult,” Su says. “She answered every question and helped make the financial path clear. We set up my FAFSA account together, and she even recommended me for scholarships.”
Martha also offered Su some much-needed encouragement. “She inspired me to keep going and to keep pursuing each step,” Su says. “It’s hard to go back as an adult! Martha was so easy to talk to and made me feel very comfortable. We had Zoom calls, phone calls, and exchanged so many emails. She has so much experience helping adult learners that she really was a wealth of information.”
Pursuing her degree, one step at a time
After her CCV classes were finished, Su was able to apply to VTSU’s radiologic sciences program. She’s now in her first year of the program and takes classes on VTSU’s Williston campus.
“It’s exciting,” she shares. “It was intimidating at first, but it’s challenging me in a good way. I work extra hard and extra long.”
Su’s Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent in clinical practice, where she works alongside experienced technologists. “They’re hugely helpful and show us how to integrate what we’re learning in class into real-life situations,” she notes. With her draw to human connection, it’s no surprise that’s her favorite part of the program so far.
The classes and coursework itself have challenged her in a multitude of ways. “I’m doing physics and math I’ve never done before,” she laughs. “I’m in study groups, I work closely with professors, and it’s actually all coming together nicely. Plus, I’m building my confidence as I go.”
Juggling family life and school
At 52, Su balances her studies with family life and a much smaller pottery practice. “I’m doing a small amount of pottery work, but my focus right now is on school and raising our son,” she notes.
As Su makes her way through studying, clinicals, and class, she hopes her efforts serve as a model for their son to eventually pursue his own trained technical career in Vermont. In her rare but treasured down time, Su skis and mountain bikes with her family.
Deeply practical, with a desire to make meaningful contributions
Su describes herself as deeply practical by nature. Her decision to study radiology was guided by both genuine interest in the field and a realistic attitude toward college after 50. “At one point, I thought about mental health counseling, but I don’t have 10 years to spend in school. I wanted something I could train for and be working in within a few years.”
Before applying to VTSU, she took advantage of several job-shadow opportunities in a few hospital departments, including ultrasound and mammography, and found the work both inspiring and something she could picture herself doing. “The people I met were so dedicated. It gave me a clear picture of what I was aiming for,” she shares.
There are two hospitals within easy commuting distance of her home in Pittsford, and Su sees strong job opportunities for herself at either one after graduation. “I want to stay in Vermont and work locally,” she says. “There are many modalities within radiology you can train in, like CT or mammography, and the chance to cross-train later on is exciting.”
“Education after 50 is possible!”
It’s been two years since Su started down her new path. As she looks back to those early days, when pursuing radiology was an idea, then to the courses she took at CCV, and finally to her experience now in VTSU’s program, Su is clear about one thing: “Adult education is very possible and achievable.” She has a lot of gratitude for how everything has come together for her, and credits VSAC with helping her see how to make it happen. “I’ve felt so supported in this journey,” she says. “Without that help, I think I’d still be wondering where to begin.”
And for Su, her pursuit of her degree isn’t just about changing careers. It’s about finding a new way to contribute to her community while continuing to learn and grow. “I was ready to try something new,” she says. “And I’ve found that thanks to the help I’ve gotten along the way.”
The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency. We advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they have the tools they need to achieve their education and training goals. We create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to education are closed to them. Growing families save for education with VT529, Vermont’s official 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or job training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and are also available to work with adults. Our grant, scholarship, and workforce development programs create opportunity, help students re-skill or learn new skills, and grow the economy. VSAC’s loan, loan refinance, and loan forgiveness programs provide competitive education financing to students and families. Find us at www.vsac.org or visit Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
