Rediscovering Her Hometown

Colleen Landon

Colleen Landon doesn’t shy away from a busy schedule (as long as it’s an active and rewarding one). Her working hours are split between Rutland Beer Works and the Rutland Recreation and Parks Department, and she’s even managed to squeeze in a master’s degree from nearby Castleton University.

For fun? She teaches tap, jazz, and line dancing classes at her aunt’s dance studio, Studio 15. Some of Rutland’s most popular community events at The Paramount, like “Dancing with the Rutland Stars,” have benefitted from her love of dance and choreography...

Colleen was born and raised in Rutland, and, like many young adults eager to experience new places, returning to her hometown after college wasn’t always the plan. But four years at the University of Vermont changed her perspective. “I did so much growing up that I realized I didn’t actually need a big city with a different concert or Broadway show to go to every night,” she explains. “Going to a local restaurant or a community show directly supports your neighbors here.”

That shift in priority gave her the opportunity to rediscover her hometown as an adult. Moving back to

Rutland, Colleen says, gave her a safe and nourishing place to figure out what she’s meant to do.

“I don’t picture myself leaving anytime soon,” she says, after revealing she’s just bought her first home, an experience that would have felt near impossible to achieve living in a city. “There are a lot of hidden things that people don’t know about here that my generation should take advantage of. It’s a great place to start out in and, hopefully, stick around.”