Adult Education Diploma

On Sunday, June 10, 2012, Granite State College held its annual graduation ceremony. Under a near-perfect blue sky and beautiful warm sunshine, more than 200 students marched proudly across the stage at Meadowbrook Pavilion. It is one of my favorite days of the year as it is an uplifting and positive reminder of what we do - help adult students reach goals, better themselves, and prepare for new adventures.

Quite simply, graduation is the attaining of an academic degree. The reality is much more than that. The common theme of the speakers at the ceremony was one of commitment and support. Commitment by the students to pursue and complete their degree despite obstacles that often came their way. Support from family, friends, faculty, and college staff to continue the journey even when it was rough going.

I am always drawn to the other word we use for this occasion: Commencement. This is the ceremony to mark the conferral of the degree but the word also means to begin, to commence, to start new.  As students walked the stage, clutching their hard earned diploma they feel great satisfaction about the accomplishment they have completed . What they may not be thinking about at the time is that it is a new beginning for them. Whether they studied Business, Health Care Management or Elementary Education, new opportunities will be theirs to pursue.

As I watched each happy graduate breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate their achievement, I was also reminded that Granite State College has helped them start  on a new path.  It is what we do. Congratulations and best wishes for all of the graduates.

My daughter is 14. She started high school this year and is experiencing a whole new world. On her first day of classes, one of her teachers had her list her goals for her future. I'm not sure she's ever even thought in these terms before. Here's what she wrote:

I want to get straight A's.
I want to be on the honor roll.
I want to take AP (advanced placement) classes.
I want to be valedictorian.
I want to go to a really great college.
I want to get a college diploma.

Then they asked who her role model was. She wrote:

My mom.

I'm the first person in my immediate family who has a college degree. Granite State College's adult and continuing education program made that possible when it seemed impossible. 

My daughter wants to be the second.

I love New York City. I love the lights, the noise, the people, the larger than life... everything. I have a fondness for the apartment-building stoops and the architecture and the street food carts and all of the different accents from all the different ethnic groups. I've always wanted to experience New York City at Christmas time. Watching "Miracle on 34th Street" (the black and white version only!) every year makes me long to see the famous parade, witness the light displays, visit Macy's. My daugter feels the same way and when I asked her what she'd like to do for Thanksgiving this year, she asked to go to the city to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

No matter how much I love the city, the actual reality of going there always scares me, especially with my kid in tow. I have to think about parking and train schedules and hotels and packing and safety and supplies and weather and money and food and directions and logistics of all sorts. But I really wanted to go and I told her I would make it happen. But when it came down to it, just a few days before we were to leave, the fear set in. What if I encounter something I'm not prepared for? With a city that size, there are millions and billions of unpredictable situations. It was the fear of the unknown.

I've felt this fear before of course. Every year of my life on the night before the first day of high school, upon starting a new job, before a date. And one of the biggest ones-- going back to college as an adult. The thing about this fear is, I couldn't ever let it stop me from moving upward and onward. As much as I'd rather have gone about my daily life stuck in a job I deplored with no formal education beyond my high school diploma, and as much as I'd rather sit in the warmth of my living room watching the parade on television when that fear took hold, I knew I couldn't. I wouldn't be that person.

Before beginning college in New Hampshire, at Granite State College, I went through these same feelings and worked through them the same way I did a few days before Thanksgiving. I just stayed scared and followed through with my plan anyway. I just forged ahead despite the fear. Because the only way to make the fear of the unknown go away, is to jump in until its known.

We ended up having a great time in New York City and my daughter and I are now able to say that we saw the most famous annual parade up close and live. We were there. Everyone else I know watched for us on TV from the comfort of their living rooms. But we were there.



   

   

   

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.

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.  

    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.

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."

A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend from high school. A few days after that encounter, I ran into another friend from high school. It's always amazing how you feel when you run into old friends. There are some people you get very excited to see, and others you get this feeling in the pit of your stomach and in all honesty, you may try to dodge them from seeing you. For most people that I have met (post high school) it's a time in their life they want to forget. And seeing someone from your past can bring up some uneasy feelings that you thought you had buried. 

Although the purpose of this blog isn't to promote products - even if they ARE educational toys! - I can't resist writing about the ant farm we got for two of our grandchildren that may go down in history as the first thing to distract them from video games!  It actually lights up and has a gel that the ants appear to eat and dig their tunnels in as well.  Our daughter loves it so much she goes into the room where the farm is lit up, to read.  And she talked me into getting one for my office too.

Here it is, though this doesn't show how it lights up, which is especially cool!


What got my brain going was thinking how we've always compared hard workers to ants.  Remember the Aesop fable when you were a kid about "The Grasshopper and the Ant"?  The grasshopper has a "what, me worry?" attitude toward life (which Walt Disney made into a wonderful song in the 1934 cartoon that goes like this:  "Oh, the world owes me a living...").  He's disdainful of the ant who just keeps plodding along and works hard to get the job done of preparing for winter.  The climax of the story, of course, is that winter comes, and the grasshopper is in trouble because he's not prepared, so he learns a lesson from the ant.  (In the Disney version, the ant kindly helps the grasshopper.  I'll bet in Aesop's version though, that the grasshopper froze to death!)

Some of my students have told me that when they were in high school, they couldn't wait to graduate and "get out into the real world."  Alas, after a few years (or even decades) in the real world, they realized that a high school diploma wasn't going to get them where they wanted to go.  Sometimes they just wanted to feel more educated.  Sometimes they realized they needed further training to achieve a goal they'd decided was worthwhile.  But always, the lure of a diploma got them started.  Many of them sign up for regular classes at Granite State College, and some sign up for adult online courses.  We even have accelerated undergraduate courses, so you can complete some courses in as little as five weeks.  (This is hardly the easy way out, though, because you're taking a full college course in that short time!  But for some, it's a blessing to be able to squeeze in a course in less time than a regular college course.)

So I can't resist trying to make my readers decide whether they want to be a grasshopper or an ant...at least, metaphorically!

Meanwhile, I'll write again when my ants arrive in their heated package.  (I kid you not - that's how they can mail them in the winter!)  Now wouldn't the grasshopper have loved that?

Another twelve weeks has come and gone at Granite State College, and I am emerging on the other side of this term changed once again.  Perhaps 'changed' isn't the right word, as each class has enhanced or refined who I am as a person.  I don't believe that one can actively engage one's mind and learn new concepts without being impacted.  A truth, once learned, becomes a part of who we are.  Once our eyes are opened, it would be utter foolishness to close them again to what we have seen.

Learning doesn't stop at the classroom door.  Some people consider their educational career to have been completed upon receiving their high school diploma; others equate learning with adult continuing education programs, and "pause" between courses.  What I've found from taking my behavioral science classes, as well as the core and elective classes, is that the readings, discussions, and assignments throughout the terms have stirred my hunger for knowledge.  

I've often filled the between-times trying to learn more about the subjects I've already learned, or trying to satisfy my curiosity about thoughts and ideas yet to be explored.  A simple search for "behavioral science" on YouTube results in many videos illustrating the psychological concepts discussed in textbooks and classes.  Another favorite site of mine is http://www.sciencedaily.com, which I've used extensively both in my classes and for my own interest.

One of the many benefits of being a recipient of adult higher education at Granite State College is that it has prepare my mind to be a lifelong learner, not only in the classroom or through the online adult programs, but in the great classroom of life.

There is knowledge waiting to be discovered everywhere.  Whet your appetite and prime the pump at Granite State College.

I never want you to feel nervous or scared to start a fresh new life. That's the person I was until a friend brought me to Granite State College. Since I have begun my education by taking many behavioral science classes, I have become a whole new person. I am a go-getter now! I am happy and excited by things and I know I am headed to a great place. If you have any thoughts about starting your education, stop on by! We have so many things for you to take a look at, see what interests you. Maybe you are looking for online classes for criminal justice! Maybe you are looking for foster parent classes or an accelerated undergraduate courses! We have a wide range of things to offer you, and with convenient nights, weekend, and online courses, you can still work while you get your adult education diploma. Whatever you decide to do, I want you to know that I am here for you! You can stop by any time and we can talk about getting you a fresh start too! So come on by to the Manchester Campus and ask to speak with me, Danielle, and become the best that you can be!

P.S. Registration for our Winter term begins today!!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I have begun my position as the new administrative assistant at Granite State College's Manchester NH college campus, working with our students who are taking Manchester NH classes to get their adult education diploma! I am so excited to be working with everyone! I want to help make our Manchester Campus the best it can be! So if you have any suggestions of classes you would like to take, like  Behavioral Science classes or possibly any other career advancement programs, let me know! I would love to know your thoughts on how to make the Manchester Campus easier for YOU!

Did you read my last post about Online courses at Granite State College?

Did you think about how being an older adult, maybe this online adult education idea is not for you?

Well I have good news for you. I am an older adult. (Not that I like how that sounds!) And as an older adult involved in the Early Childhood and Teacher training education programs at Granite State College, I have found out that managing the online education system really isn't all that difficult. I have almost finished putting an entire course online. I have had excellent help from faculty at Granite State College and I have also used the online tutorials. I have overcome my fear of this new system for the younger adults and I actually am having fun mastering an online course. So I want to encourage you, if you are interested in an adult education diploma, or online college English classes or any form of online education courses at Granite State (and check out all the offerings) and you are an "older" adult, I am telling you that you can do it. Go for it! You will find that it is lots of fun.

Has anyone said to you, "So, are you going to vote next week?" What have you replied?

Maybe you said "Yeah, sure," but meant, "No way."

Maybe you said, "I would but I am busy that day."

Or maybe you said, "It's not worth it."  

Have you thought about how your vote might influence the future of education? There are candidates out there who would willingly cut the funding for college scholarships, for HeadStart programs, and for every other education level in between. There are also candidates out there who want to add to federal funding for schools and colleges. Adult Education Certificates, Adult Education Diplomas and undergraduate education in New Hampshire can easily be impacted by what happens on November 2.

If you get out and vote in favor of education you will be taking part in an opportunity to improve and protect education from preschool to college. See you at the polls.

I recently had a meeting with a distraught student named Alison, who attends classes here at Granite State College in Conway, NH. She received her first C in a course and was feeling like a failure.  As we spoke she began to reveal that her child had been very ill, necessitating many trips to a specialist on the other side of the state,  her husband had lost his job and she had increased her hours at work in an attempt to make ends meet.  Under these challenging circumstances she still managed to keep doing her school work, and successfully complete the class.  It saddened me that she saw her C as a failure.

After this meeting and a number of similar ones, I have been thinking about the role perfectionism plays in achieving an adult education diploma. As a somewhat reformed perfectionist, I remember the fervor with which I pursued the holy grail of the perfect 4.0.   While this is clearly a laudable goal, life seems to delight in throwing unexpected curve balls at adult learners, making perfection nearly impossible.

When life turns up the heat, adding new responsibilities to the daily load -  a sick parent or child, an extra shift at work, etc. - students have a choice to make.  Some students are able to adjust their expectations of themselves, admit that they have less time and energy to devote to a particular course, and keep plugging away at it.  Others, in pursuit of the 4.0, would rather withdraw than risk a bad grade.

Let's think about this for a moment.  A C is a perfectly acceptable grade. It satisfies core requirements, as well as courses in the major.  Classes with a C or better are fully transferable.   The occasional C does not drastically harm your GPA, or scream to the world that you are a bad student.   Withdrawing, however,  can have many adverse ramifications.  Depending on when the course is dropped, you could lose registration fees, tuition, get a W on your transcript, or even worse - an AF if withdrawal is not done properly.  It can impact your financial aid.  Even if a courses is dropped by the deadline,  a semester's worth of progress is lost, making the path to completion longer.  

Sometimes it is better to be able to accept life on life's terms and learn to embrace the concept of "good enough." I am not advocating the pursuit of mediocrity here. I believe in giving your best and in giving 100%.  I am suggesting that we need to recognize that our "best" varies from semester to semester and sometimes giving your best means staying the course even though there are many obstacles to doing so.  In Alison's case, I would consider her C a victory. 


 

Do you have career plans? Do your plans include college education courses? Have you thought about obtaining an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree or maybe an Adult Education Certificate or an Adult Education Diploma?

Granite State College may be just what you are looking for. Did you see the September 2010 issue of "U.S. News and World Report?" It compared the best colleges in the country. One of the criteria was class size. Another was availability of the faculty. Affordability and the availability of grants and loans was another criteria. Granite State College has a low student to faculty ratio. Many courses only have 10 to 15 students in them. This allows you to really get to know your professors. The professors have a chance to get to know you as well. And, what you may not know, most Granite State professors are working in the field that they teach in. This means that what you are learning is current and what you need for your career.  Granite State also has a wide range of available student financial aid.  
As you consider your career plans, whether you are right out of high school, or an adult interested in adult education programs, consider Granite State College.

I had put my dreams of a college degree away and carried on with my life.  I was busy, and happy in my career, but really never thought I would "close the book" on an adult education diploma.  I was enjoying some success in my career and as luck would have it, I was promoted to Lieutenant of the Conway Police Department.  This was a happy time for me but a crossroads as well.  Now that I was an administrator, would I have the credibility dealing with budgets, Boards and Committees?  I new I had to take another look at finishing my educational journey.

In December of 2007, I went down to the local Granite State College office and met the greatest people.  From my academic advisor Nancee Caughey to the office staff, Cindy, Patti, Julie and Molly, they were all clearly pulling for me to get back in the game!  They could tell that I was nervous about returning to classes after 15 years, especially the online classes for criminal justice.  I wasn't the most computer savvy guy and I was more than a little intimidated.  They explained the process of re-enrollment, accuplacer testing and the many new programs available to help me obtain an accelerated undergraduate degree. 

The thing that caught my attention first was the huge variety of degree choices.  I had choices like Associate in Science in Business, Criminal Justice or even General Studies.  All of these choices were now available online too.  No traveling to the Berlin NH College or to any Concord NH Classes for credit.  I settled on continuing with a Business Degree, now at the Associate level, and realized I was actually more than half way there!  My fear was replaced with excitement and a renewed sense of purpose.  I thought, "This is really going to happen!"

Next:  Online classes, test outs and the impossible becomes possible!    

Recently I've had a few opportunities to talk with some recent high school graduates about their plans for the summer and beyond....including continuing education.  I found it rather interesting listening to them talk about the pressures of attaining good grades to get into good schools to try and get good jobs (the typical parental mantra to motivate kids through the high school years - it didn't work on us when we were kids yet we try it on our kids and they will try it on theirs as well - maybe some things are genetically coded.....).

Anyway what struck me is the attitude of some of these young people.  They are not "buying in" to the college right after high school tradition.  As a matter of fact many of them are looking at ways to get involved in the global community for a year or two before going "back to school" to earn a degree.

Some are looking at AmericaCorp, Habitat for Humanity, and other global service opportunities.  They are seeking ways to expand their experiences as a world citizen, gain a better understanding of how the world works, meet some people with similar values and aspirations and concerns, and share their passion for giving back.  Some want to be able to use this time to get to know themselves better.  Many are considering smaller, less well known colleges or universities.  Some are pursuing their own interests distance learning universities and online classes.  And yes, the truth be told, some just don't know what they want to do, but they know that the traditional path just isn't the right thing for them now.

Some are looking at the experiences that their parents have had both in academics and in the business world.  Many think about deferring college to enlist in the military.  Some are considering adult education certificate programs or getting into an adult education diploma program that allows them to go to school while pursuing a job or their passion.  They've seen their parents working while getting their degrees (undergrad as well as post grad work).  They've seen their parents go back to get a second degree or certificate and start a new career.  They have learned that education is the key to their future, but it doesn't have to be down the traditional path.

For all of the caterwauling about today's generation (every generation past has complained about the one they created), there are a lot of bright kids (okay, parents, you can acknowledge that you did a great job with your kids....there, feel better?).  I came away from this conversation feeling pretty good about the next generation of learners.  They are taking charge of their own education.  They have challenged the system, the teachers, the parent, and even the business world.  They have options that we never heard about, they are courageous, they are afraid of the future, but not paralyzed by their fear.  It feeds their desire to get outside of their comfort zone.  They know that you can hit the reset button and recover if you make a mistake.  They are not afraid of doing something they haven't done before.  They create opportunities, they create their future, they create our future.

They will change the way education will be delivered in the years to come and they will complain and be overly concerned about the next generation.....and somewhere down the road, some one will have a conversation with a group of the next generation and find out that this new generation, like the ones before it, will create a world of new knowledge and opportunities for living, for working and even for learning.......

They are using online courses, accelerated undergraduate programs, and distance learning  in ways that create opportunities for those in academics to create the future of colleges and universities.  They are creating new careers and new technologies that are creating opportunities for colleges and universities to grow and evolve faster than ever before.

The adult learning community is listening and responding!  Never before has there been so many options for today's learning community to access education.  Never before has there been so many options and academic programs to purse so many unique and innovative degrees.  Never before has the academic world been more ready to serve and support the adult learning community.

So, graduates (high school, tech school, community college, college and university grad, and even you post-grad learners) when you get ready to turn to the college and university community to continue and support your education and career advancement goals, we will be there, ready to give you the education you need to continue your journey as a lifelong learner......

See you in class......

In 1990 I decided to enroll in College.  I was 30 years old, had two children, a mortgage and a full time job at a busy police department.  Even though I knew I needed to obtain a degree, I was really dreading it.  The only brick and mortar school in my area was the Berlin NH college, or as we called it, "The Vo-Tech".  This really wasn't a realistic option as the drive was too far, and the time commitment to large.  A friend of mine was involved in adult education services at our local high school and mentioned the night school they held there for adult learners.  Back then it was known as the College For Lifelong Learning.  My first thought was "how would they fit that title on a diploma?"  It didn't sound very enriching but it was the only real option if I wanted to get any level of career college training in my area.

I reluctantly went down to the local C.L.L. office and met some wonderful people.  I am guessing that Gail Paine and Beth Beyerle had met the likes of me before as they quickly stripped away all the preconceived obstacles I felt stood between me and a degree.  I was left with only one real option, jump in with both feet!  I can still remember how helpful they were in taking me from looking in from the outside to actually being a real college student.  

Back in 1990 our college offered a much more limited plate of degree choices and options.  Although a police officer, the school had no criminal justice classes to offer.  As far as delivery method you had the choice of face to face or face to face!  That's right Gen-xer's the Internet hadn't yet been applied to commercial use for distance learning universities.  I picked a degree that I though would help me in the higher ranks of police work.  It was a business offering called a Business and Professional Studies Degree, only offered at the Bachelor's level.  So here I was, signed up with the School For Lifelong Learning in a Business and Professional Studies Degree Program (like I said, imagine the size of the diploma!), and starring down the barrel of at least 6 years of school ahead of me.  So with great trepidation I walked into my first college classroom, at 6:00pm, in my old high school, with my old English teacher.  I thought to myself "was this really going to work?"

Next blog I'll discuss how GSC made the impossible possible for me!