“I want a career, not just a job”

Tommy Rosser knows he doesn’t want to be confined to a desk every single day. He’s lived overseas, traveled the world, and has always worked in fast-paced jobs that have taken him out into the community. He currently works as a ramp agent at Burlington Airport, where he turns planes over between flights, performing mechanical inspections and onloading and offloading baggage, fuel, and supplies. He’s previously worked as a delivery driver for UPS, GrubHub, and DoorDash, and he knows he likes to keep moving. “It’s exciting and fast-paced. I really enjoy that type of work.”

As time went by, Tommy felt committed to earning a college degree to help him reach the next level. “I want a career, not just a bunch of jobs,” he says. And having settled on a field that holds a lot of interest for him—criminal justice—he decided now was the perfect opportunity to go back to school.

Tommy was born in New York to an American mom and an Australian dad. His parents split up when he was young, and he alternated time between the US and Australia when he was growing up.

He completed high school in Australia, then traveled around the world, spending time in the Australian Outback, Europe, England, and Canada. He also lived in several US states and served in the Air Force, then moved to Vermont several years ago and settled in South Burlington.

Because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a career and college is an investment, pursuing higher education right out of high school wasn’t a good fit. While he took classes at UVM several years back, in between working and traveling, Tommy says he wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time to complete a degree. But now, he says, it’s time to finish.

Tommy enrolled at the Community College of Vermont last year and was partway through a behavioral science degree when he decided he’d rather major in criminal justice. He’d been interested in that field for a while, he says, and realized it would be a good fit for the active, field-based work that interests him.

While attending CCV, Tommy walked a block up the street to the VSAC building in Winooski, where he met with outreach counselor Harka Khadka to learn about his options. Harka works in VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center , which advises adult students looking to continue their education through college or career training. Tommy says he liked what he heard.

“Harka was very easygoing and easy to talk to. He explained everything clearly, and he told me about the different scholarships available and what he could help with.”

Harka was equally impressed by Tommy’s dedication. “He’s prepared to go back to school after several gap years, and he’s committed to balancing his studies with work and family,” he says.

He ended up nominating Tommy for a Vermont Endowment Scholarship, which is open to Vermont students who attend a Vermont school and demonstrate a commitment to earning a degree, despite financial need or other barriers, such as first-generation status or work and family obligations.

Tommy’s career goal is to work in law enforcement, perhaps something relating to the field of cybercrime. That interest was part of what drew him to Norwich University, which is known for its strong cybersecurity program.

He’s currently a sophomore in their online program, set to complete his Bachelor of Science in criminal justice in early 2027.

As far as the challenges of being an adult student, Tommy says, “I feel like I never have enough time to study. But somehow, I manage to fit everything in.” With online classes, he can watch his lectures on demand, but he still has to turn in assignments on Wednesdays and Sundays, fitting homework around a full-time work schedule.

However, he’s enjoying being back in school. His favorite class so far was US Constitutional History, where he felt like he was making up for lost time. “I learned about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, the Bill of Rights—all the things I missed learning about when I was in Australia, going back and forth during my school years.”

He’s also optimistic about his future and grateful for VSAC’s financial assistance, without which he doubts he’d be able to pursue a degree. The Endowment Scholarship, which covered part of his Norwich tuition, was a huge help. “I would have been in dire straits without it,” he says. “Living expenses keep increasing, and wages haven’t gone up.”

His advice to other adults who want to pursue additional education is to persevere and take advantage of available resources. “Reach out to the community colleges and organizations like VSAC. They’ll steer you in the right direction. They’ve been a huge help to me.”

This story is produced by Vermont Student Assistance Corp., created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency, to advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they achieve their education goals. Our vision is to create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those — of any age — who believe that the doors to higher education are closed to them. We begin by helping families save for education with Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or career training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and again as adults. Our grant and scholarship programs attract national recognition, and our loan programs and loan forgiveness programs are saving Vermont families thousands of dollars in interest. Visit vsac.org to learn more.

Read the story on VTDigger here: “I want a career, not just a job” .