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When Norah Harwood learned during her senior year at White River Valley High School that she had received a full scholarship from a university in a neighboring state, she was excited and grateful—but she didn’t immediately commit. “Other people told me I’d be stupid not to go there. It was the best financial choice. But when I visited the campus, it didn’t feel right,” she recalls.

Norah has never been one to opt for an easier path if she sees a better growth opportunity. In high school, she completed almost 10 more credits than she needed to graduate, seeing high school classes as a way to explore possible career paths. Over the last four summers, she’s worked 45 hours a week at the Bethel town pool, rising from the bottom of the ladder at age 15 to head lifeguard.

Wanting a different experience

In terms of college choices, that one school’s urban, New England location didn’t match Norah’s dreams of westward exploration. “I’ve always wanted to be out west. I love Vermont, but I want to go farther. None of my family has ever left the New England area, and I want something different.”

While neither of her parents went to college, Norah always felt that, for her, college was a given. “I’ve always been highly motivated to do well in school and be independent. The people around me are like that too, and we all lift each other up.”

Norah’s closest friends, who are a year older and went through the college process the year before, gave her a lot of tips, from how many schools to apply to, to balancing reach and target schools, to how scholarships work. “I credit a lot of my knowledge to my best friends, Anna Stratton and Anita Miller,” says Norah. “We’ve stayed in touch about how their freshman year went.”

Norah also received guidance through 51������’s Talent Search program, which offers guidance, support, and financial assistance for college-bound students who are first-generation or from modest-income families. As part of Talent Search, Norah worked with 51������ outreach counselor Beth Clay for three years during high school.

I’ve always been actively involved in Talent Search. I knew even in middle school that it would be a great asset. They’re so willing to help. I’m so grateful for 51������ and for Beth. They’ve helped me so much, this year more than ever, and especially with the financial aspects.

Scholarships and grants covering education costs

In January, when Beth presented Norah’s Talent Search group with 51������’s senior year checklist, Norah remembers feeling overwhelmed.

I was really stressed, and Beth calmed me down. She also helped me script out conversations with financial aid offices. And in March, she came and met with my parents, who knew nothing about how college loans work. It was super helpful for all of us to have that information.

Beth recalls that evening at Norah’s mom’s home in South Royalton. “I met with Norah and her parents to review the cost breakdown for college, before we knew anything about scholarship awards. Norah had everything meticulously organized, had already taken notes on questions and concerns, and was prepared to discuss everything in depth.”

In the end, loans were a moot point; thanks to a combination of grants and scholarships, Norah has her college expenses covered without having to borrow. “I’m so grateful. I received so much more than I predicted, and I’m so over the moon about that,” Norah says.

Beth admires Norah’s maturity, drive, and self-advocacy. “Norah is a focused and committed young adult. She has worked so hard to make sure that her expenses for college are completely covered through scholarships and grants,” she says, adding that she received her first scholarship when she was a junior.

Avoiding the safe choice

Following her calling to explore life out west, Norah planned a college tour in Colorado last summer with her dad and her boyfriend, and she loved the area. She still applied to several New England schools as well, and she compared schools located in New England with Western Colorado State University in Gunnison, a school she’d learned about via Instagram posts from an older soccer teammate. “I saw these pictures she was posting of this beautiful campus,” Norah recalls, and her visit confirmed what she’d seen on social media. “There are great New England schools, but I felt they were the safe choice. So I chose Western.”

Both of her parents were very supportive—once they overcame their worries about their oldest daughter moving so far away. Norah concedes she felt a bit intimidated as well. “I’ll be moving across the country. I know I’ll miss my parents and my younger sister, but I’m also pretty independent. This was the best choice I could have made for myself.”

In terms of possible career choices, Norah learned through her high school courses that she was drawn to the sciences; her favorite classes were human anatomy, biology, and chemistry. She also loves sports, having competed all four years with her school’s soccer team and the track and field program. After observing her mom’s work as a medical assistant, Norah realized that she, too, enjoys helping others, and she’s considering becoming a physical therapist. Her personal experience of the benefits of physical therapy, which helped her ease back into high-impact sports after a head injury from a snowmobile accident two years ago, also pointed her in that direction.

Building a future together

Then again, having managed social media content for her high school athletic department, she’s also interested in digital marketing. “I used to do the posts for game days and so on, and I really enjoyed that. Maybe I could combine those interests in some way, doing sports marketing or health and wellness marketing.”

Norah plans to major in exercise science. And the school she chose will literally get her to the top of that field; Western Colorado State has the highest-elevation exercise facility in the world.

While Norah is grateful for all the support, she also knows she can take pride in the effort that got her there. “I’ve had lots of friends say to me, ‘you’re so lucky to be able to go to Colorado,’ but it was also hard work to be able to do this for myself. I’m really excited.”