Karen H. Nash, MSW, Department Chairperson for Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), can describe alumni of the New Visions: Human Services & Special Education program in just three words: excited, prepared and committed. Caitlin Fansler, a 2002 New Visions and Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School graduate and current student in Nash’s program at HVCC, can sum up her New Visions experience in one word: fantastic.

Since the fall of 2001, New Visions: Human Services & Special Education has enabled college-bound high school seniors to explore careers in special education and the helping professions, such as social work, psychology and counseling. Like the other New Visions programs offered through the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School (Business & Finance, Law & Government, Health Careers, and Public Communications), the program challenges students with honors-level study in career and academic areas. Human Services & Special Education students also earn seven transferable credits through HVCC; students in the Public Communications and Law & Government programs also may earn college credit. All New Visions programs are located off campus, in a career-related agency or business.

Happy Scherer teaches New Visions: Human Services & Special Education at St. Catherine’s Center for Children in Albany, a day treatment program for emotionally disturbed children. Fansler, she says, found her niche in human services. "Not unlike many high school juniors, Caitlin was wavering on career and college possibilities," Scherer related. "When she heard about our new program in Human Services & Special Education, it struck a chord. During New Visions at St. Catherine’s, I remember her walking down the hall with a child from the class where she was interning, and saying, ‘I can’t believe this is going to school. This is fantastic!’"

"I was considering majoring in history or culinary arts," said Fansler, "but my friend’s mom works for Child Protective Services and she is so satisfied with what she does. She was my inspiration. Waking up in the morning to work at a job where I’m helping others would be a great way to spend the rest of my life."

Fansler was accepted at a number of four-year colleges but selected HVCC for the quality of its program of study and proximity to her part-time job at the Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School before- and after-school program. Fansler’s New Visions experiences were a good fit with HVCC’s approach of having freshmen delve immediately into their subject area. "For us," said Nash, "New Visions is ideal. Students come to us knowing about human services and the need and opportunities for educated professionals. They are committed. They also know the importance of writing well in a field where you write case studies, keep records and make presentations about clients."

Fansler concurs. "I was very nervous on my first day of college, but I looked at the syllabus and said to myself, ‘I can do that.’ I was very well prepared, she said. "I also joined the HVCC Human Services Club right away and became active in helping the community and networking with students and professionals, which we did in New Visions."

Scherer worked with a number of educational and human services professionals to develop the Human Services & Special Education program, an effort to which Nash attributes much of the success of the program and its first class of graduates. "Happy is a creative teacher who set up excellent rotations and internships for students," said Nash. "It seems like she knows everybody."

Fansler concurs. "Ms. Scherer really cared about the students and what we wanted to do," she said. "I still consider St. Catherine’s, where I also worked last summer, like a second home. I learned things in New Visions, like patience and behavior management strategies, that I now use all of the time. And interning in a lot of different agencies opened my eyes to whole new populations."

Fansler’s fellow New Visions alumni are following college and career paths as diverse as the populations with whom they will one day work. Many of them landed summer and part-time positions at agencies where they interned, such as the Center for the Disabled, Wildwood Programs and the Schenectady ARC, and they now attend colleges including Boston University Buffalo State College and University, New York University and the University of Vermont.

As for Caitlin Fansler, human services remains the career of choice. After completing her studies at HVCC, the New Visions alumnus plans to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the State University at Albany. She won’t leave academia behind, however. Fansler’s ultimate goal is to work with children in a school-based setting. Based on her enthusiasm and experiences thus far, she should have much to share.

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