Our generation has grown up in a society where going to college or receiving some form of higher education is expected more than it is revered. We are told that continuing our education beyond high school will direct us down the road to a successful future.

But what happens after graduation, when our undergraduate degrees are not enough to set us apart in the job pool and our loan payments begin knocking at the door?

This is a question currently haunting our nation, and as the first generation predicted to not out earn our parents, there are many of us seeking answers. A few of Castleton’s own have joined other college students across the country and taken the initiative to prevent future financial instability and have become brand partners with the drink company Vemma. Their focus is to promote the company’s healthy energy drink line called Verve!

“It’s a plan B; another stream of income,” said Castleton State College junior and Vemma Brand Partner, Andrew Cremins.

The company is centered entirely on word of mouth and social media marketing. College students around the country are creating Verve! networks via Facebook groups, Skype calls, and the hosting of  home or dorm room events with samples of the drink available.

The purpose of this networking is to promote Verve! and encourage others to take the plunge and become brand partners. The network expands like a pyramid, and as the pyramid grows so does each brand partners income. This pyramid dynamic creates a residual income that has students on our very campus making hundreds of dollars a week and others throughout the nation collecting thousands weekly.

“I consider this an investment,” said Cremins as he expressed his discontent with settling for a minimum wage job after graduation. “Is $8.50 really worth an hour of your time?”

Castleton students have actively been hosting events thus far this semester and show no signs of letting up.

“I have been in Vemma for about three months now and I am seeing tons of success,” said another Castleton Junior and Vemma Brand Partner, Nick Tubolino.

The Castleton network is rapidly expanding and is bringing success to many of its members.

“The best part about it is that you get to make easy money with all of your friends and be successful together as a team,” Tubolino said.

To date, the Castleton network has expanded into other various colleges, including Norwich University, Champlain College, and the University of New Hampshire. The entire Verve! movement,  or the Young People Revolution, has spread to over 100,00 college students. Yet, with the more than 56 million college students across the country, brand partners are still hungry for more.

“We’re on the ground floor of this trying to kick it off,” Cremins said.