Nov. 8 was National First Generation Student Day, and at the Community College of Vermont, staff and students celebrated all of those who were the first in their families to earn a college degree. They were joined by Carolyn Weir, executive director of the McClure Foundation, which offers Vermont high schoolers an opportunity to earn a free associate's degree at CCV. The scholarship is available to all Vermont high school juniors and sophomores through the Free Degree Promise program. Students who are part of the program shared their experiences at Wednesday's celebration and shared how they plan to use their degrees. “It means so much that I was able to do it debt-free because I come from a lower-middle-class family," CCV student Chelsea Tatro said. "And this experience has meant so much that I’m able to get an education without having to worry about the costs, without having to worry about what my life would be like cause college is very expensive.”Students on the scholarship began taking CCV courses in their senior year of high school as part of Vermont's Early College program. The state pays for a student's first year, and the McClure Foundation covers the second — at which point students earn their associate's degree. "We have some students who have their associate's degree and are entering the workforce, starting their own businesses with their business degree. Or maybe getting a certificate or credential in the trades and pairing that with a business degree," Weir said.