Carla Soto
Financial Analyst,
Cabot Creamery Co-operative
Why did you choose to come to Vermont?
Well in a sense, Vermont chose me. I met
my husband, learning to dance Tango
in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My first visit
was in the month of December and I was
introduction to a real Vermont winter. But
the warm people and natural beauty of this
state helped me decide that I could make
Vermont my new home.
What keeps you here?
Finding rewarding career opportunities
in Vermont certainly was a major concern.
Having a master’s in finance and having
worked for six years at a major multinational
company in my home country,
Peru. I was thrilled to find a position with
Cabot Creamery Co-operative. I’m putting
my skills to use in a new field at a company
that embodies all that is good about
Vermont - great people, products and
community. There are also many great
schools and universities in Vermont for my
family. In addition, Vermonters
deliberately cultivate a feeling of
togetherness with their community
through concerts, fairs and festivals, and
even their micro-breweries!
Steve Charest
Owner, Instructor & Guide
Petra Cliffs Climbing Center
& Mountaineering
What brought you to Vermont?
I first visited Vermont when I was ten years
old, for skiing of course, and continued
traveling to ski events throughout Vermont
almost every weekend. I chose to attend
Johnson State College because they had
a newly developed Outdoor Education
BA. For the first time in as long as I could
remember I could ski just for fun. I learned
to snowboard, telemark and ice climb,
which all led me down the path of ski
mountaineering.
What keeps you here?
As a requirement for the Outdoor
Education Degree I needed to complete
an internship. I chose to do mine at the
newly developed Climbing Gym and
Mountaineering School, called Petra Cliffs
Climbing Center in Burlington. My
internship had me assisting in almost every
aspect of the business, from creating staff
manuals, writing risk management plans,
guiding rock and ice programs, and
instructing in the climbing gym.
My wife, Andrea, who I met while working
at Petra Cliffs, and I had the great
opportunity to purchase the business
in 2012. Andrea and I could have easily
moved west, chasing bigger mountains,
but none of the places I visited in all my
travels have the community we love so
much. The outdoor community is what
ultimately shaped my path to stay in
Vermont. After almost 20 years I can’t
imagine a better place to play, work and
live.
We now have the opportunity to raise
our daughter McKinley in this amazing
community, and in her first 6 months she
has visited climbing venues throughout
the state, skied strapped to me at Bolton
Valley and summited Camel’s Hump. I
can’t wait to see what this state has in store
for her, Petra Cliffs and the entire
community that has always made
Vermont feel like home.
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