Adult College Degree

In a recent class for the early childhood education major at GSC's Rochester NH college campus, we were talking about family strengths. One of those strengths revolved around encouragement and setting a good example. If parents are not only telling children that they care about how they do in school, but are also demonstrating the importance of school by taking a course they might need for work, or starting a new degree in an area that you have always been interested in is the prime way to set the example and encourage your children to value education. Consider taking courses in early childhood for your Early Childhood Certification, or maybe courses in project management, towards a Masters Degree in Project Management, or special education teacher certification. Try showing how much you value education, by getting involved yourself in either online adult education classes or face-to-face courses. Your children will learn from your example.

I woke up this morning with just the cutest little picture I could ever imagine on my cell phone. It was from my daughter-in-law and it was my grandson smile.  There he was, sitting at a desk and learning how to write his name. Of course it is something we all had to learn when we were growing up; it is a milestone in every ones life.  But for my son and his wife to see Owen try to make an O, it was amazing. They were thrilled and excited to see him learn and grow.
He sits and glares at the pencil or crayon with wonder. I wonder what is going on in his little head as everyone stands around him cheering him on.  I can embrace that "cheering on thing." I had many, many friends cheering me on as I went to Granite State College to pursue my adult education diploma.  I would cart my books to work in my backpack only to study on breaks and at lunch. They all thought I was so brave to be going back to school at 50 years old. All I could think about was my goal: to get that degree.  My grandson maybe is thinking about making that big O as he sits there at his wee desk.

Learning is so good for your brain, so good for your soul and such a good example to your family.  As you all know, I have four. Not all of mine have their degrees yet but I am hoping they will continue their education someday as well.  I am hoping, that knowing Mom did it, they can do it too. 

If you are at that point where you really want to do it, really want to get that adult college degree, just pick yourself up off the couch and do it.  I am a firm believer that one can do anything they want to as long as they want to do it bad enough.  I am living proof and very proud and happy I did.

I can't wait to see Owen make his big O all by himself.

Hi Everyone!
I graduated from Granite State College in June of 2010 with a BS in Applied Studies with an option in management. This degree has opened the door for me to attend graduate school. I began my MFA Interior Design with a focus in sustainability in fall of 2010 and will graduate this May 2012. My planis  to teach full-time college level Interior Design. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate Granite State College.
I was never motivated in High School and as an adult, I wasn't too sure I could do it, but Granite State Ccollege helped me every step of the way and my confidence grew. Now, who knows? A PhD?

Name: Shelby/Hicks
Graduated: 2010 Concord
Location:
Email:
Degree:

As I woke up yesterday, I found myself thinking about how our world is today, as I know it. It is a different world, ten years after the 9/11 attack.  We think differently about our safety. We are not as free moving as we used to be and we get searched and scanned at the airports. To go over the Ambassador bridge, you need a passport and you can not ride your bike over the bridge any longer.   That is crazy as I used to ride over the bridge at least once a month to visit my grandmother who lived in Windsor.

Yes, our world has changed. I watched the TV yesterday and saw all the memorials that were going on in NY, PA and at the Pentagon. Many tears were flowing again after ten years and we all recalled the images in our own heads; where we were when those planes hit the World Trade Center.  After awhile I had to turn it off and do something fun.  I had to get back in the saddle, so to say, and live.   So I went out on my bike and road for awhile and thought about how thankful I was for everything in my life. 

Being a Granite State College graduate, with my adult college degree in hand, was one of my happy thoughts on my ride. 

Arts/Eats and Beats is going on in Royal Oak, Michigan.  It is a party with an outdoor venue, featuring artists and musicians from all over the US.  Local restaurants opened their doors with a wide variety of foods to enjoy along the streets.  There were carnival rides for the little ones and beer for the adults.  All in all, it is a good place to go this weekend.  We walked the streets and then went to the stages to hear the music.  A young band that is up-and-coming was there. Maybe you have heard of the Dale Earnhardt Jr.Jr....I learned how they started out and got permission to use the real Dale Earnhardt's name for their band.  They are pretty good and had a wide selection of music.

As I learned about their band, I learned also about this great event that happens every year in in the Detroit metro area.  It was fun. 

It is the holiday weekend, lets all be safe. If you are in school at Granite State College, enjoy the break and relax.  If you are thinking about starting back to get your adult education degree, then it is the weekend to enjoy and not worry about homework, because that will come.  Have a great weekend and be safe!!!!!!

My 23 year old daughter started her adult college program this week.  She not only asked me to attend her orientation day at White Mountains Community College in the North Country but asked me to accompany her shopping for her back-to-school supplies.  I was able to help Brittany choose her courses and class schedule because she trusted my knowledge and advice in this new challenging era of her adult life.


Brittany chose a community college because she could not find full-time work in the north country so she decided to attend school full-time instead.  She only expects to be living in Berlin for the next two years so she knows once she receives her Associates degree from WMCC she can easily transfer all of her credits to Granite State College to earn her B.S. degree as GSC has pre-approved transfer degree programs with all NH Community Colleges.

Receiving my adult college degree has earned me respect from many people.  The respect it has earned me from my own daughter is really the only one that matters.

Good Morning fans and friends,

I just woke up and saw that Westland is going to be selling Rain Barrels with some of the proceeds going to the cancer foundation.  My mum died of cancer so whenever I can give, help promote research, I am in for it.  But, it is not just for the cancer research fund, it is for the rain barrel.  I have always wanted one to water my flowers, garden and save the water that comes from the sky and recycle it.  I think it is a good thing for our earth as well as a good example of conservation. My grandparents had two of them at their cottage in Canada and I can remember at a young age, putting a dipper in and getting out a bucket full of water.  The Cottage didn't have running water, so we used it to wash our hair, water the garden and yes, even flush the toilet.  I know I won't use mine for all those reasons but I do think it is a good way to reuse our water that comes from the sky. 

I have to research it and see where the best down spout to put it under. But, that is no different than researching a subject for school.  Learning again is what I am talking about, learning about something new, exciting, is all part of life.  I just found out that Granite State College is offering a Masters of Science Degree in Project Management.  I am so excited and want to get signed up as soon as I learn my new job better. I want to be proficient in this new position before I put other information in my brain.  Taking these classes is a great education and career advancement opportunity. I am so excited about this new class, I have told other colleagues about the program and who knows, maybe a few of us will go to Granite State College and take these accelerated adult studies classes. 

OK, I am off to get my rain barrel.  I hope you all have a great weekend!!

I had such a nice Sunday afternoon.  I was invited to an old friend's house for a farewell party for both her young adults; they are leaving the state. One is moving to Seattle, Washington and other to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  She had never had them so far from her before and unlike me, with mine all over the US, she is going to be so sad.  It is always an adjustment to see them go and do their own things but it is part of growing up and living. Her son is going back to school at the university of Alabama.  Her daughter is going back to Seattle to live and work.  Both of them have turned out to be such nice young adults that have already gotten their Bachelor's and Masters degrees....something any parent would be proud of.  I watched these kids grow up and have known them for years; they are like my own.  

I just encouraged them to be happy, keep learning, keep going to school and dream.  I may sound funny to say, Dream, but some dreams are small and some are big. My dream was to get a college education and I got that from Granite State College. My next dream is to get my Masters Degree and I will be heading right back to Granite State College for that. Why? Because it works for me. Online adult education classes give me the ability to get my education and still work my full time job. 

The Concord Monitor recently ran a story entitled "Changing the way we Educate" that profiled Granite State College and the unique ways in which we serve undergraduate and graduate students. The focus of the article was largely on how Granite State College balances business and academics, and how we are addressing a 48% cut in state appropriations (the largest cut ever made to the USNH appropriations). While the cut certainly impacts us, Granite State College has been very innovative this past year, launching a new BS in Health Care Management and developing our first masters degree (an MS in Project Management). We also streamlined our admissions processes, eliminated some fees, and adopted a "student-centered" approach that led to schedule improvements and the creation of student success teams.

Granite State College's innovations are leading to record enrollment levels for the college in spite of budgetary cuts. It is our ability to be responsive to student and employer needs that is becoming the college's hallmark. GSC has long been a leader in online education and today every degree the College offers is available entirely online, including our new MS in Project Management. For GSC, having our degrees available online is not enough, we have gone beyond that by building a top instructional design team that includes a media-rich specialist and adding greater support for online students through services such as online tutoring. We also provide our faculty with more tools than just the learning management system, one of the latest tools available to faculty allows them to create animated simulations.

Even with this expansion of online offerings and support, GSC has also continued to invest in technology and innovation at our state-wide campus centers. Our recent campus centers in Rochester, Manchester, and Littleton all offer an array of classroom technology, including wireless connectivity. More importantly, our innovations around curriculum are making higher education more accessible to adults and working professionals. We are launching fast-track programs this year that offer an accelerated and streamlined path to completing a bachelor degree.

State appropriations are certainly key to our ability to offer the best higher education value possible, but equally important is our ability to innovate. While appropriations may be down, innovation at GSC has never been higher.

I have always believed it important to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk, when it came to teaching my children.  I have tried to accomplish this throughout the past 23 years of motherhood.  It is not always what we did do but often, what we did not do, that our children pay attention to.

My daughter was very proud of me when I graduated with my adult college degree last year.  It got her thinking of going back to school herself but although she talked about it she never took any action towards this stated goal.  The very same week my promotion at work was announced, my 23-year-old-daughter enrolled as a full-time student at a local New Hampshire State College.

As soon as my daughter realized the opportunity offered to me as a direct result of my academic accomplishments she realized there was no reason she had to wait until her mid-life for the same opportunities. 

No matter what your age, an adult college degree will open doors, present opportunities and offer new and exciting challenges.  I will not be surprised to find myself working for my daughter in 5-10 years!

To my daughter Brittany; you have always been bright, beautiful, ambitious and highly capable.  Now that you have decided to begin your adult college program, the world is yours for the taking.

You continue to make me proud of the young woman you are today and will undoubtedly become.  I am grateful you have made different life decisions than I, you will thrive in your academic pursuits and enjoy the benefits of your education for a lifetime.

You  go girl!

It is Sunday and a week after my trip to Tennessee to visit my grandson.  If you are not a grandmother or grandfather yet, I pray you get to enjoy that life experience some time in the future.  His eyes just light up when his Grammy comes to visit.  He seems to know that in his short life of four years, that Grammy gives him all the attention, love, fun and special moments he so enjoys.  We talk about everything and he is very inquisitive at this young age.  His voice yells out, "But Grammy, why?" so many times throughout the day. 
 
Why this, why that? Isn't it great to want to learn, want to discover, want to experience everything that is right in front of you every day?! In this picture to the right, we were at a park with a megaphone, where one talks in one end and at the other end of the park. Grammy is talking back.  He kept saying, "Grammy are you there?"  When I talked to him, he would look inside with wonder with curiosity and confusion, wondering where the heck was I.

So cute, so memorable. 

Just as he learns, we all learn. We all have that desire to learn and grown.  Sometimes I think we get in a rut and forget to grow our minds.  Our minds are muscles and need to be worked. It is known fact that when we get older we need to read, do puzzles, play Scrabble, etc.  It just shows that learning is a life-long process. Granite State College gave me that avenue to learn and grown. Whether it be working towards an Adult Education Degree or just working on Adult Continuing Education Programs, they all involve learning.

So if you are reading this, thinking about what I wrote about learning, get started and contact an adviser. They are so helpful and can get you started to learning, growing and working that brain of yours.  Until next time, have a great day!!

At all of our Granite State College campuses, we have recently implemented a new model for serving students on their path to degree completion.  We have formed Student Success Teams at each of our campuses.   I am very excited about this because it provides students with even more support than they have previously enjoyed. 

At the Conway NH college campus where I work, everyone is coming together to support our learners.  We have so many new options to make college learning easier!  We are offering a series of workshops, including writing and math labs, workshops on time management, organization....lots of different kinds of information to help students be more successful. These workshops are offered in a small group format, which allows us to support more students while fostering networking and relationship building.  

Another exciting direction we are moving in is offering Career Advancement Services.  We have always offered one-on-one career counseling, but we are expanding our programs and will soon have more to offer to students who need extensive career and life planning. 

We are very unique amongst colleges with online classes in that we offer so many different kinds of learning supports.  We have online 24/7 tutoring, "Smart Thinking" and online students who have access to one of our GSC Campuses, are also able to attend the live workshops. 

Another exciting tool we offer is a degree auditing system called CAPP.   Its available online, 24/7  and helps learners track their path toward an adult education diploma. CAPP shows students where transfer credits fit in, display grades and gpa information, and allows students to do a "What If" analysis that shows where their credits would fit in if they switch majors.

If you have a suggestion for workshops you would like to see to support your learning, please email me your suggestions at jan.hodges@granite.edu.  

I graduated from Granite State College with my B.S. in Business Management degree one year ago this month.  Where am I now?  What have I been up to?  What has changed for me as a result of attaining my adult college degree?

I am presently pursuing my MBA degree at Plymouth State College.  Did you know that GSC now offers a Graduate degree in Project Management?  Unfortunately it was not offered at the time I began my graduate program but it is available now for any current and future graduates.

Since my graduation one year ago I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel.  I actually took two trips in the past year.  One to Ireland with my eldest daughter and one to Kauai, HI with friends. 

Today, as a direct result of my academic accomplishments, my company president announced my promotion from Legal/Executive Assistant to Global Communications Manager.  I am very excited about this wonderful new professional challenge.  This opportunity would not have been offered to me without the accomplishment of my adult college degree.  What professional opportunities are you missing out on?

Do not take my path and wait 20+ years to enroll in your first adult college program.  Do it now!  If you are apprehensive, contact me and I will walk you through the process.  As in any life pursuit, the hardest part is starting.

    The inspiring story below is that of John, another ALA Scholarship Recpient for 2011.  John is just one more example of the unique and diverse student population you will find within the classrooms or on the blackboards of Granite State College.

    My educational journey has encompassed self-learning for most of my life after high-school.  My father passed away when I was in seventh-grade and I was a C+ student in a Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA.  I began college in Maine intending to study Marine Biology but being a mediocre student I needed student loans to cover all of my expected expenses.  I dropped out several weeks after the start for fear of mounting student loan debt.  At eighteen I entered the workforce as a high-school graduate, married my wife in 1981 and began a family in 1983.  As expected my job choices were very limited but I held a desire to enter the technology field.  After much research I chose Sylvania Technical School and entered the Telecommunications Electronics program using student loans once again, but these were limited and controllable.  Our first daughter, Bethany, was born with a heart defect and passed away after heart surgery at 7-days old.  Our second daughter, Noelle, was born just over a year later in 1984 but was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at 1-year.  Her care was a significant part of our existence and it took a huge effort on my part to attend Sylvania Tech three days per week at night after my job to attend classes in addition to sacrificing that time away from my family, but it was for their benefit that I was educating myself to better position me for employment that provided a living wage and benefits that we so dearly needed for Noelle’s care.  Just before I graduated in 1988 with a diploma I interviewed for an Information Technology position at Raytheon and because of the reputation of Sylvania Tech and my grades I was hired as a Data Communications Field Tech.

    Wentworth Institute of Technology purchased Sylvania Technical School before I completed my program so my diploma bore the Wentworth name.  Because of this relationship Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston offered graduates of Sylvania/Wentworth Tech advance standing entry into an A.A.S. in Electronic Technology degree program.  Raytheon’s tuition reimbursement benefits were significant enough to allow me to attend one course per semester at their Boston campus and  continue my career college training.  It took me five years from 1992 till 1997 to complete my associate degree.  Five years of time and travel into Boston and precious time away from my family.  Nights and weekends I worked at our kitchen table on study and research while my family patiently gave me the time I needed for my studies.  My wife supported my endeavor by taking on additional care responsibilities for our daughter.  I wanted to complete my associate degree so that I could advance my career, become a better provider, and show my growing daughter that education is important and is a lifelong endeavor.  Noelle passed away on the second-to-last day of a wish trip to Disney on May 19, 1996.  My life was shaken for months after that event.  I did not attend the spring or summer semesters that year but eventually wanted to complete that degree for my daughter.  Two more semesters and I was finally able to dedicate my degree to Noelle during graduation on May 18, 1997, one day short of the first anniversary of her death.

    Afterward I honestly didn’t have the drive to continue my education at Wentworth.  Like many parents who have lost children I grieved by immersing myself in my work.  I continued to attend annual technical training to hone my information technology skill-sets which made me a more valuable employee but every year that passed I still thought about completing my degree.  After graduating Wentworth I worked with a recruiter from Boston in a job search.  He informed me that he would not be able to even get me into some corporate doors for interviews without having at least a bachelor’s degree.  Fortunately after interviewing at Lahey Clinic Medical Center they valued my technical skills more than my education and hired me as a Data Communications Engineer.  Each year that followed I have given consideration to completing my adult college degree but talked myself out of it.  Each year I thought, “if I had only begun last year I would almost be done”.  Well after a close scrutiny and self-assessment a couple of years ago about my past, present, and future life and career I decided to take that first step to completing my B.S.  I realized that as I grow older I am handicapped from further career growth without completing an adult college degree, B.S.  After almost twenty-five years working in technical positions in the field of information technology I find myself desiring to move into a leadership/management position within my current field of healthcare IT.

    I began the next iteration of my education journey in the spring of 2009 with Granite State College.  I discovered that the program for Applied Studies: Allied Health Services was tailor made to my career.  I have almost twenty-five years of technical experience but I needed to round out my business skills that are so valued in industry.  This B.S. will give me the necessary business skills with a slant toward the healthcare field that I currently work in, providing a targeted learning environment for me.  I began this degree program intending to provide myself and my wife “career insurance” to update and round out my skills, make me a more valuable employee and insure my future ability to provide a home and life for the both of us.  That goal has morphed over the course of the past two years, sparking my interest in pursuing an advanced degree after I complete my B.S. this spring at GSC.  Plymouth State offers a M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration, an ideal advanced degree for my career plans to remain in healthcare.

    After spending over a decade caring for our daughter, Noelle, at home and in Boston Children’s Hospital I would never have imagined that I would be working in the healthcare field yet here I am.  My education has been a struggle of work/life/family/financial balance yet we have accomplished much with the time we have had together.  I dedicated my A.A.S. to my daughter, Noelle.  I plan to dedicate my pending B.S. to my loving wife, Kathy, for her patient support during these past two years and God willing I will dedicate my future M.B.A. to everyone who has supported me and my family.  We have a great deal of loving family and friends in our lives, some have been treated at Lahey Clinic, my employer, and at least one had his life saved at Lahey with a liver/kidney transplant.  I am proud to dedicate my career to such an institution and hope that my continued education will allow me opportunities to serve in greater capacities.  I plan to achieve my B.S. before I am fifty-years old.  I still have between fifteen and twenty career years in front of me; I plan to contribute further to the success of Lahey Clinic’s service to our community, friends, and family.  I may have started as a mediocre high-school student but I believe with time and continued commitment to the goals I set and achieve for my benefit and also for my wife I am gaining back the opportunities I missed in my youth.  Two more semesters and I will have achieved this next goal while I plan yet further!

Please visit John's website to learn more about his personal accomplishments.

It is a Saturday in Dearborn, Michigan. The birds are singing like crazy, the nice cool breeze is blowing and I am thinking, "This is summer, where is the sunshine? Did I leave it behind in South Carolina or is it just fate that I am not going to see it much in Michigan at all?"  

I tend to believe that it will shine, sometime, someday in the future...I am praying it shines before I go back to work on Monday. 

I think I will do little planting today, maybe some sunflowers like I had in SC and see if they get as tall in Michigan. It will be a experiment, a learning factor to find out where they grow the best.  Here are a few of the spectacular sunflowers I had beside my home in SC. 


















I had so many different sunflowers last year, the one on the left was just so cool and I had neighbors coming from all over to see it.  It looked more like a marigold than a sunflower.  I saved some of those seeds and that is what I am putting in this afternoon in my Michigan back yard, the learning begins. 

Learning about flowers or learning about education, is just part of life that keeps us going. They say even in your aging years, you need to keep learning, keeping the mind fresh and awake is the key to longevity. Going to Granite State College opened up my eyes to learning and it can do it for you too.  You will not only get an awakening, you will meet some great friends, people who are in the same spot in their life as you are.  Maybe you just got divorced or maybe you are laid off or don't have a job. There is no time like the present to go back and get that adult education degree.

Have any of you moved and can't find some of your belongings at the other end?  Well, that happens. It has happened to me almost every time I have moved.  What is missing, is always the question and what just about drives you nuts looking for it. 

That exact thing, happened this time with my move from SC to MI.  An iron is lost and a couple boxes I had packed earlier are also missing in action.  The movers were so great and nice, I have no clue where these items were put or delivered too.  Well, the movers are coming out tomorrow to take a look in my attic to see if they can find the items.  I hope they do, I hope they find everything I have lost.  Hopefully it will not be too hot up in that attic in the morning.  

Moving brings back my memory of my move to NH. Learning the area, finding some friends, learning a new job etc., all very exciting.  I also had to find an adult college program to transfer too from Aquinas College in Nashville, TN.  I found a college that took all my credits and continued my education at Granite State College.  They had an adult education degree program, they had Accelerated weekend intensive classes that helped me move along to that piece of paper while raising a family and holding down a full time job. I mostly liked their evening college classes - they included other adult learners just like myself. 

So, whether it is finding belongings after a move or finding a college to finish your adult college degree, stay positive and you can do it. We can do anything we want to do bad enough, I am a believer, I am proof it can happen.

Well, all my fans and friends, I am in my new home in Dearborn, Michigan.  It has been twenty-three years since I left and some things have changed and some remain the same. 

I thought about blogging this morning as I was on Facebook and saw a picture that brought back many memories of great times in Dearborn. One at Camp Dearborn where everyone would end up on the weekends.  You went to school with your friends during the week and on the weekend, the picnic baskets were packed, swimsuits bundled with towels and it was off to Milford, where you played with those same friends, on the weekends. Fun, lots of fun and fond memories.  Then I came upon another picture of the Ford Rotunda which sat way back off the road on Rotunda Drive.  I was very young when it burned to the ground but I can remember my grandfather taking me there to sit on Santa's lap.  That was a long, long time ago. 

Many memories are coming to mind with this move back to Dearborn. 

Good memories of Granite State College, where I earned my adult education degree, roll through my mind as well.  Memories are good no matter what they may be about because memories make who we are and the experiences we embark upon through our life.  Going to college and earning my adult college degree was one of my finest memories.  It is where I gained confidence in myself and grew as a person. It actually got me my job in Dearborn, which brought me home!!

Below is the story of one amazing Granite State College student that I came across when reviewing application essays for the GSC ALA Scholarship this past spring.  With a student such as Lori in your classroom, you not only learn with her, but from her.
"You may have seen the ad for Dyson vacuum cleaners. James Dyson tells how he tried some 5,000 times to get the vacuum cleaner design and function he wanted, but he didn’t give up, and it culminated in the popular Dyson Ball. I am drawn to stories of people determined to reach a goal probably because I feel I can relate especially in my quest for education beyond high school.

I loved growing up on a farm in the Midwest, but the path of least resistance would have been to live and work for the rest of my life in the small town six miles down the road. I came from hard-working parents who believed higher education was good for those who knew exactly what they wanted to do and had the money to do it. At age 18, I knew this left me out on both counts, but somehow I was going to navigate my way in an unfamiliar world by myself.

I believe a curiosity about so many things and a love of learning has been wonderful, but for the last 30 years it’s also made finding my place in the working world a challenge. I have always enjoyed creating/designing, organizing spaces, history, and what makes people do what they do to name a few. If an entry level job, which has been what I’ve been qualified for, didn’t have any of the above attributes nor the potential for advancement, it didn’t hold my interest over the long term. I always felt that going back to school to tqake adult college courses could increase my options for a better job so I took courses here and there, but I allowed myself only a certificate program time commitment which proved to be too narrow in scope.

Over the years, my quest for an adult education diploma had become a common theme of hope for the future. I was accepted into an adult college program, but got married and we had to move too far away for me to attend. However, for the next eight years I pursued and finished an Associate’s Degree while working part-time and raising a family. Later, during my divorce when my kids were in middle school, survival and stability became the priorities. After a few years, I was accepted into another adult college program at a local university. As I was making plans to go to college fulltime, diagnosis of a serious illness turned my world upside down. Surgery, treatment and keeping life positive at home for my kids put education on the back burner once again.

Nearly two years ago with my kids out on their own, I made plans again to pursue a Bachelors degree. To make this work financially, I sold, donated and discarded most of my possessions. I started at Granite State College, but I needed some direction. Through introspection, good advising, and taking SDLR 550, I realized a self-design program in Gerontology was a good choice for me. At 54, accumulating educational debt when I ought to be planning for retirement seems counterintuitive, but I now have hope for my future. I want to flourish in life, not just survive it.

Gerontology, is the study of the process of aging, across the life span, whose multi-disciplinary aspects include physical, mental, social and spiritual changes in people as they age. Much of my interest comes from a deep affection and respect for the elderly which has developed over my lifetime. This has been supported by many influential experiences with elderly relatives. My dear grandmother wasn’t conventionally domestic, but we spent countless hours on a creek bank just talking and fishing. She was a young widow who didn’t drive and was dependent on people for transportation, but she was a lady with a very independent spirit.

Older persons inspire and fascinate me with their personal perspectives of historical events. I’ve enjoyed talking with people who lived through the Great Depression, served in wars, and some who survived the holocaust. The residents I’ve come to know while working at RiverWoods, a CCRC, have experienced the benefits and joys of family, higher education, and financial success. All gracefully persevere through the loss of family, friends, and health.

I can’t tell you exactly what I want for a position, but I feel that my determination toward this degree will afford me more employment options and opportunities hopefully helping the elderly flourish at whatever age they are. As independent as I tend to be, I realize the importance of interdependence and the reciprocal nature of giving and receiving. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for this scholarship as it will help me achieve my goal. I look forward to being in a position helping others achieve their goals and unlocking their own potential regardless of age."

Another move is underway. Boxes are everywhere to be seen!!

The day started early at 6am when the truck arrived to load up my belongings and head to my new adventure/destination.  I have a new address, actually an old address, as I am moving back to the same city I was raised in.  I am sad to leave my newly-built dream home, but I am also happy to be back in Michigan and close to my dad who will be 90 this year. 

I am moving into a much smaller home, eight hundred and one square feet to be exact.  I have been running to the dump and goodwill the past few days; pitching stuff I don't need, don't have space for or just tired of moving it from one state to the next.  I figure if I haven't opened the box from my NH days, which was 4 1/2 years ago, I didn't need it.  I was surprised the boxes that came in that category.  We all tend to save things for sentimental reasons and yet, someday someone else will pitch them for us when we are dead and gone. 

There is one thing no one can pitch though, and that is an adult college education from Granite State College.  The value in an education is so great and the good example of continuous learning will be passed on for generations.  Whether a grandson says someday, "Grandma went back to school," how cool is that? I hope I have been a good example for my family and I pray they keep going to school all of their lives.  An adult college degree is priceless, kind of like the commercials on TV about Master Card.  There are just some things that don't have a price on them and a dult college education doploma is one of them.

Got to get back to the movers... more later.