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Alumni Profile
Iva Jane Towery
St. Joseph Business School, Class of 1949
Iva Jane Towery attended St. Joseph Business School when it was located on North Street in downtown Bennington, where Brooks Pharmacy is now located. The College offered business classes, including Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typing, and Spanish. Iva attended these classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. before leaving for her part-time job with a furniture manufacturer in East Arlington.
"Tuition was very low, and I lived at home and commuted with other students. I never missed a day until I had appendicitis, two weeks before graduation. College meant a lot to me, and I didn't want to miss classes. When I asked my doctor (Dr. James P. O'Neil, now deceased) for permission to resume attendance, he asked me if I valued my life or my shorthand!
Sisters Mary Michael and Mary Christine were the teachers. They were both wonderful people. Class sizes were small, and the Bookkeeping and Shorthand courses were held in the same classroom. There was a separate classroom for Spanish and one for Typing, with Dictaphones."
After graduation, Iva worked for a local law office. She then enlisted in the Navy and spent 18 months in San Diego, CA, as a storekeeper. It was there she met her future husband, and together they returned to Vermont to raise a family. Iva has two children, a son and a daughter.
Today, Iva is into her eighth year as a volunteer and honorary member of
the Board of Directors for Ride and Shine Special Equestrians in Shaftsbury, Vermont. She spends two days each week grooming horses and assisting in horsemanship lessons for special needs children and adults. A third day is spent transporting children to and from the stable. Iva contributes to the Ride and Shine program in various other ways, including organizing horse-related arts and crafts projects, sewing reusable helmet liners, knitting hats and mittens for students, and fundraising for special projects.
Iva's voice is emotional as she explains how she gets as much from this work as she gives. "I can really see the results of my work. I see how the children grow and improve each week. The little ones call me 'Granny,' and I consider them to be my grandchildren as well. Last year I was named Volunteer of the Year."
With two hip replacements behind her, Iva gets plenty of exercise helping with the horses. She enjoys the work and its benefits so much that she even spends much of her free time baking cookies for graduates!
Iva encourages more people to find out about Ride and Shine Equestrians by calling
802-440-9090 or writing the stable at:
Ride and Shine Special Equestrians
PO Box 216, Arlington, VT 05250
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