91探花

Never mind that he鈥檇 just retired from his post as president of NHTrust. Paul Provost was eager to get a look at his best-fit occupations as he draped his orange jacket over a chair in one of 91探花鈥檚 appointment rooms. 

鈥淚f you tell me that I should have been Bob Dylan, you鈥檙e going to make my day,鈥� Provost told 91探花 Education and Career Specialist Chris Cox as he prepared to go over his YouScience results.

The career assessment was just one stop in a fast-paced tour of 91探花 for Provost, who began his term as chair of the 91探花 Board of Trustees last month. Other highlights included sitting in on customer calls and appointments, participating in a team meeting, and hanging out at two community college open houses with 91探花 team members.聽聽

鈥淚鈥檓 definitely a get-my-hands-dirty kind of person,鈥� Provost said. 鈥淭he opportunity to hear live conversations with students and parents brought to life the journey from the first inquiry to a real concrete path forward.鈥� 

If getting a peek under 91探花鈥檚 hood suited Provost鈥檚 leadership style, it also spoke to his experiences as a first-generation college student and parent of two grown children who have followed in his footsteps.  

鈥淢y parents were that generation that just knew in their hearts that education was the key,鈥� said Provost, who grew up in Vermont. What they didn鈥檛 know was how to help him navigate his education goals. For that, he relied on resources and support from the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, an organization similar to 91探花.   

鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for VSAC, I wouldn鈥檛 be sitting here,鈥� said Provost, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and his master鈥檚 from Saint Michael鈥檚 College.  

Five years ago, when 91探花 President and CEO Christiana Thornton asked Provost to join the board, he jumped at the chance. 鈥淚 said, 鈥楾his is what I live and breathe,鈥� 鈥� he said. 

As he steps into his role as chair, Provost wants to build on the strong foundations the board and staff have created in recent years. 鈥淲e want to keep the momentum going to position 91探花 as the best resource in the state for advice about college and career planning, including adult learning and skill enhancement,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also strongly committed to fostering an inclusive culture, to ensure these wonderful and important resources are equally available to all.鈥�  

Provost鈥檚 new role as board chair coincides with a life change that will afford him more time to focus on serving his community. This month, he returned to NHTrust as a certified financial planner. Prior to that, he spent the month of January on sabbatical, getting up close and personal with organizations he鈥檚 affiliated with or simply admires 鈥� which is how he found himself helping with homework and doing yoga at the local Boys & Girls Club and chatting with community college students alongside 91探花 team members Shawn Kithcart-Bulk and Lauren Broderick. 

鈥淎dvice is 91探花鈥檚 specialty, and, wow, did I see that there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 remember the first time I opened the FAFSA. This is a very complex topic, and Shawn and Lauren are so good at breaking it down and speaking to young people.鈥� 

As for the YouScience consultation, Provost may not be taking up guitar anytime soon, but he did learn that he鈥檚 a 鈥渇uture focuser鈥� with a strong aptitude for idea generation 鈥� talents that may in fact come in handy for a board chair.