After growing up in coastal Portsmouth, N.H., senior Zoe Dumais was looking for a college that reminded her of home.

“I wanted to be in a similar environment, the cute New England town with a waterfront of some sort,” she said. “I definitely romanticized that a little bit.”

Like many seniors I have spoken with, Dumais felt like she was finally finding her footing at UVM when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“It was right when I finally felt like I was getting settled in,” Dumais said. “Then the school just said, ‘sike, you all are not coming back.’”

Dumais decided not to return to school for the fall 2020 semester. She was concerned about COVID-19 and was nervous about the concept of taking classes almost exclusively online. 

By the spring, however, Dumais decided to give it a try. She moved back onto campus and rejoined her first-year roommate.

Some of her fears came to fruition—Dumais was only enrolled in online classes and was stressed about contracting the virus. 

“I ended up spending a lot of time mourning my college experience,” she said.

Many of the clubs she had joined were not meeting, so Dumais shifted her focus to being productive.

“I decided that this was a time where I don’t have a lot of social obligations and I can get all my stuff done,” she said.

During the spring 2021 semester, Dumais worked at a nursing home, participated in an internship at Common Roots and took a 17-credit course load.

“I kind of burnt myself out doing all of that,” she said. “I decided I should be as busy as I can in a way that I felt was ethical and moral, but I didn’t really take enough time for myself.”

As vaccines and boosters became more readily available, Dumais was able to reassess her priorities. She learned that it is okay to not be perfect.

“It felt like everyone was doing the most, and I had to learn that I just can’t do that,” she said. “I need to prioritize my own needs and it is okay to not be busy all of the time.”

During her junior year, Dumais took the opportunity to re-engage with outlets she felt she had lost in the pandemic. She became more involved with Rally Cat’s Cupboard and the UVM Dance Force, an all-inclusive and non-competitive dance club. 

“I was finally choosing to do what I wanted,” she said. “I was able to pay more attention to my hobbies. This is actually fun, this is actually what I want to be doing when I am not in school.”

While college has presented many challenges to Dumais, she feels she has grown because of them. She compares herself now to her first-year self.

“I’m so much more self-sufficient in every way,” she said. “I struggled with anxiety and now it is pretty minimal. I can live happily without relying on anyone.”

Dumais is anticipating graduation with excitement. She plans to take a gap year before pursuing her masters degree to become a registered dietician. 

As she prepares for another life decision, Dumais is considering it with more confidence than she did just four years ago. 

“I feel a lot less limited than I did when I was choosing [a] college,” she said. “But now I am thinking, ‘I can handle it. I am an adult now.’”

Dumais looks to escape New England and hopefully go somewhere warm.

Conversations with a senior is a recurring piece. If you are a UVM senior and would like to be featured, email [email protected].