It has been 6 years since Michelle disappeared while she was a student at the University of Vermont. This particular Oct. 7th finds some happy events to share. Michelle's department, the Environmental Studies Program, is celebrating its 40th anniversary on this Parents' Weekend. The director, Stephanie Kaza, oversaw Michelle's class, Yogic Environmental Philosophy, taught by Erin McKeon and Keri Johnson. Stephanie was awarded the Kidder outstanding faculty award last year. Is it any wonder that Michelle loved all her classes! Michelle's This I Believe essay was written for Cecilia Dank's class. It subsequently became nationally famous.

The most joyous news, however, is that the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont has become endowed and finalized. Two awards were made for the fall, and you can read about them here. Now Michelle's spirit will live on in the work of others like herself with similar dreams and passions. Good luck Whitney and Alma! We look forward to hearing about your senior projects.

Also over this weekend our thoughts will be with Hannah Sylvester, Julia Martin and Kate Gladstein as they hike on trails in the Green Mountains that they hiked on with Michelle during Trek 2006. What a fitting way to remember Michelle. In early October the mountains are ablaze in magnificent color.