Theme: Failing Forward

The theme of our event this year is ‘Failing Forward.’ Failure is frightening; we do everything to avoid it. To us, ‘Failing Forward’ is about taking a moment to dwell on the parts of stories we might like to forget, but often the parts that have the most we can learn from. The moments in life that made us dig deep, that hurt the most, but truly tested our character and grit. Sometimes failure actually leads us to a new path we never would have discovered, or even became the success we did not expect.

Dana Auditorium
356 College Street
Middlebury, Vermont, 05753
United States

Afra Fairooz

Afra is a freshman, International Economics and Politics major, and aspiring Film minor from Bangladesh. Three defining features of Afra's personality are butterflies, sweets, and graveyards. She believes that the butterfly is symbolic of her spirit, has a tattoo of it, and has gone ever so slightly overboard with the butterfly themed decor in her room. Afra doesn't get people who prefer dark chocolate to milk or white chocolate (Dark chocolate is not sweet!). On a sunny day or a clear night, you may spot an Afra taking a stroll in the graveyard. Fun fact: Her favorite book is "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman and her most read poem is "A Graveyard" by Marianne Moore. Afra's NGO, "Put a Period", is working in Bangladesh to address issues of period poverty and menstrual stigma.

Amanda Martins

Amanda Martins is a first year, first-generation student. She is planning on majoring in architecture and minoring in Japanese.

Brian Conde-Martinez

Brian Conde-Martinez is a current first-year student from Mount Vernon, Washington. As a first-generation student of color, the road to higher education was one of adversity. Failure never seemed like an option. Yet as life dictates, there must be ups and downs. Failure is a mandatory process we all go through at some point, but how do we take a fail and flip it into a success story? It isn't easy, that's for sure. Brian explores the effects of failure on our mental health and the psychological effects that arise when things don't go as planned to discover how we can flip the switch and use failure to empower our growth and become the best versions of ourselves.

Jennifer Stratman

Jennifer Stratman started her culinary career by starting over. Originally using her BBA to manage a small production office in New York City, September 11 instigated a number of changes over that next year including moving back home and enrolling in culinary school. Since then she’s been the executive chef for the exclusive orthopedic surgeon’s of the Dallas Cowboys, taught at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, and opened a food truck business that ran 2 successful locations including a mobile catering company that worked for clients like Robert Rodriguez on his set for Dusk til Dawn the tv show. Now Jennifer runs the concessions and food truck program in the Retail Food department here at Middlebury.

Matthew Kimble

Matthew Kimble is a Professor of Psychology at Middlebury College where he teaches courses in Introductory Psychology, Psychological Disorders, Psychological Trauma, Resilience, and Happiness. He received his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College in 1991 and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Boston University in 1996. He completed his postdoctoral training in psychological trauma at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Healthcare Network. His primary research interests focus on how trauma and PTSD effects attentional processes and expectancies in trauma survivors. Professor Kimble is a licensed clinical psychologist, an author or coauthor on over 30 peer reviewed articles, and has received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Veterans Administration, and the Vermont Genetics Network to support his work.