VERMONT VOICES : LAURA WALKER
creative thinkers , we need that kind of self-directed learning , and we need our graduates to have a sense of confidence and a sense of purpose that will change the world .
Sherman : You became the President of Bennington College during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic . Do you think that your experience with 9 / 11 when you were working at WNYC specifically prepared you for taking the reigns at Bennington at the start of the pandemic ?
share resources , problem solve , and compare notes about how we were all dealing with it . That was similar to 9 / 11 , where the public radio community was very much together and thinking about how we could be better together . The college community was terrific . The students also did an amazing job of coming together as a community and supporting each other . In that sense , it was a great introduction . Seeing how the faculty turned on a dime to be able to do online classes was extraordinary .
that enveloped a creative spirit . I could see Donna Tartt , I could see Helen Frankenthaler painting her paintings . I could see Michael Pollan walking around and Peter Drucker and Erich Fromm , and I could see what Bennington could be and how special it was . If you go into our dining hall , people are with each other and talking to each other . They ’ re present . They want to be together . They ’ re forming deep friendships . That ’ s what Vermont is about . It ’ s a culture of human interaction and beauty .
Walker : Yes , because I had led an organization through several crises that were not of our own making . One of the most wonderful things about coming to Vermont at that time , despite its difficulty , was the community of college presidents here . I was really struck with how the college presidents worked together so well . During the pandemic , we came together as a group to share information ,
Sherman : Tell us about your life here in Vermont . Earlier in the interview , you mentioned your ties to Londonderry . How does it feel to be here full-time ?
Walker : I love Vermont . It ’ s just so magical . When I came to Bennington ( to be interviewed ), my husband and I drove up the hill and just fell in love . It was the most amazing experience . It was a feeling
To listen to the extended interview with LAURA WALKER go to VTVOICES at OldMillRoadRecording . com
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