Exonian Profiles
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Rachel Nevitt ’83 Brings People Together Through The Arts
From caring for children in a Sri Lankan orphanage to helping pregnant teens stay in school in Maine, Rachel Nevitt ’83 has made a career of working with people in need. She currently teaches art and dance for Very Special Arts Vermont (VSAVT). Located in Burlington, VSAVT is dedicated to bringing the arts to the disadvantaged and disabled. Rachel teaches art classes for children from homeless families; offers a class for physically and emotionally disabled adults called If You Can Breathe, You Can Dance; and this winter will teach dance to disadvantaged youth and senior citizens at a local intergenerational center. She is also heading up a dance, art, and video project for Outright Vermont, an organization for gay, lesbian, and transgendered youth. And on the weekends, she serves as a contra dance caller throughout New England. The common thread, Rachel says, is making art a community experience that empowers and transforms. She first became interested in social service as a student at Exeter, where she was a member of the Exeter Social Service Organization (ESSO) and volunteered to help developmentally disabled third graders create their own storybooks. In Burlington, the homeless children Rachel works with have exhibited their artwork at City Hall, won first prize for the float they built for the Kids’ Day parade, and created a line of holiday cards now sold nationally by the Body Shop. “To see these kids go from having no identity and being embarrassed by who they are to becoming stars in their community, with the mayor coming to their art shows, is amazing,” Rachel explains. “This program has totally changed their lives. It has also given me real optimism about how much of a difference it’s possible to make.” For more information about VSAVT programs and funding needs, check out their web page at: www.vsavt.org, or write: VSAVT, 192 College Street, second floor, Burlington, VT 05401. —Katherine Towler
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