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Once you meet Charlie Denney ’83, his name quickly becomes synonymous with cycling.
 
He shares stories of “century” (100-mile) rides, of alpine passes as part of the Tour de France, and long regional rides with his teenaged sons. He talks about his involvement with �պ�����’s cycling-focused student club, his work on supporting cycling infrastructure on campus and far beyond. And then there were the great pictures of the Washington, D.C. bike tour as part of �պ����� GO, the program that brings incoming first-year students together to learn and to connect.
 
Through cycling, Charlie connected with former �պ����� Foundation staffer George Rutherford, and that connection led to a conversation.
 
“George told me about an internship program to support �պ����� Rubenstein School students,” he remembered. When he learned the details, he wanted to get involved. “It appealed to me to give students a paid opportunity. I remember how hard it can be for students to make ends meet. I remember my friends and I going to happy hour at local bars to get free food for dinner. I know that the financial support really makes a difference.”
 

Looking Back, Giving Back

 
“I don’t know what I expected as an undergrad, but �պ����� definitely exceeded it,” Charlie told us in a recent conversation. “I got to take lots of classes in a major that appealed to me – I knew I wanted to work outside in the long run.”
 
He reflects that he chose well, “Pursuing recreation management (now called Parks, Recreation and Tourism) got me on the track for the career I have now.” He paused and laughed. “Also, sometimes these experiences cause a pivot, and you realize it’s something you don’t want to do. Your school years are a great time to learn that instead of when you’re mid-career.”
 
That recreation management degree from �պ�����’s Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources launched him towards that goal (as did his graduate work at the University of Virginia). Today he has his own small company, Potomac and Chesapeake Cycling, providing bike touring and bike event support services.
 
When he went on to graduate school at UVA, his program required an internship. Like many who engage in these experiences, he noted that “learning directly from professionals was eye-opening. And of course, actually working in the field you’re going to work in really helps you see the directions you might want to go.”
 
These years later, when he became aware of the opportunity to make a difference providing internships at �պ�����, he knew that providing financial support in the form of paid experiences for students was important, and that he and his wife, Mary, were committed to meaningful learning too.
 

Meaningful for Student Interns, Donors, the College, and Vermont

 
Meghan Young is experiential and community-based learning coordinator for the Rubenstein School. She shared: “The Denney Fund focuses on educational components of internship. We know the donors’ wishes, so when we match students to these placements and funding, we think critically about positions that challenge them to promote their field of study. To have donors like the Denneys, with this high level of support for internship, is really special. To other alums and donors, we want to say that our door is open for conversation and building relationship. This work is really meaningful, which we repeatedly learn through data, through stories, and witnessing students’ transformation.”
 
Work on environmental issues can feel “big and heavy,” Meghan admits. But “there’s hope in the students who are coming through. Helping students learn to navigate systems and have an impact as they enter the workforce" helps to shine a light on possibilities.
 

Connection, Impact, Inspiration

 
For Charlie and his family, the Internship Fund is not only helping today's students, but is also providing connection and meaning.
 
"To find this way to connect, here a little bit later in life, is really nice,” he said. “To reconnect with [Interim Dean] Allan Strong, who lived on the same floor in Chittenden Hall as I had, getting reconnected with the school, has all been nice."
 
Being able to help with cycling on �պ����� campus was another welcome way to plug in. "I had the opportunity in my job to help work on the active transportation plan for �պ�����, and I hadn't been to Burlington in a few years. This was a great way to get connected again."
 
Through that, he also supports the �պ����� Bikes Program, which he calls, "one of the stronger programs around the country. It's become a passion later in my life. I'm excited about being able to get people a bike if they get to school without one, and if they do it at school, they're likely to stay with it."
 
He notes, "When you tell someone that you went to �պ�����, people know that you make a kind of commitment to doing good things for the environment."
 
And, in the case of the Denney family, it's a commitment to helping others do those good things too.