I was faltering while attending college at another school when I stumbled upon GSC via a web search. I decided to give it a shot and couldn't be happier with my choice! I have found a degree I LOVE! Knowing GSC is a part of the University System of NH makes me confident that this a credible school.The faculty here is amazing and so helpful! I had my entire class schedule planned out for my bachelor's degree program the first term I arrived. The online option has given me the flexability to work full time and continue to take care of my family while pursuing my education - I even made Deans list!! Thank you GSC!!!
- Anne
I am and Early Childhood Education student and I love Granite State College because my degree program is 100% online. I can continue to work in my field and still have time to work on course work at night and on weekends, whenever I have time to fit it in. Without GSC's online program, I wouldn't have been able to return to school for my bachelor's degree in ECE and still be able to work in order to support my family!
- Lisa
GSC makes it easy for me to continue my education even though I have three little kids at home and a husband that travels often. I started at the college a few years back and have enjoyed taking classes online and in the Rochester, Concord, and Portsmouth locations. Every class has been great and the other students and teachers I have dealt with have all made the experience that much better. The degree program that I am currently enrolled in is perfect for me and exactly what I was looking for. The 4 terms a year allows me to take fewer classes a term while still completing my degree in a reasonable amount of time!
- Heidi
I have always been, and always will be a learner. I found myself faced with having to be creative with my education when my parents had the difficult conversation with me that my acceptance to Northeastern University was not something they could afford, even with the $3,000 a semester scholarship. A well respected and accomplished student all throughout my childhood education and suddenly I was faced with having to create my own method of continuing my growth as an adult. Little did I realize at the time - this was a good position for someone like me to be in.
I was fortunate to get a contracted job with full benefits at the University of New Hampshire right out of high school Fall of 2001. It is the University System of New Hampshire I have to thank for my education – both professionally and academically. While working full-time at UNH, I attended classes part-time, receiving a free class each semester as long as I kept my GPA up. Some semesters I took on multiple classes; a couple I even attended full-time while continuing to work full-time as well. It took five years, but I was able to receive my Associate of Applied Science in Community Leadership at the Thompson School without any debt whatsoever. This degree focused a lot on non-profit management and leadership development. It literally opened my eyes to options for a career I had never considered before. I began to research local non profits and seek out leadership positions. This search successfully led me to working for Strafford County Nursing Home as an Activity Aide, which then turned into the positions I have held since, working with elderly and in non-profit agencies.
For my bachelor's degree I was referred to Granite State College as my professor and advisor thought the self-design program was right for me. She was certainly correct in thinking so! The self-design program at GSC, along with their supportive staff assisted me to create a meaningful and fulfilling curriculum that I use today in my statewide job. Granite State College is a school that works alongside with you, and that is why I love it so much.
I am now working on my master's degree in Leadership at GSC so I can truly complete the journey I have started for myself through the University System of NH. I currently oversee a federal, statewide program for NH call the Senior Companion Program. We have 80 volunteers who visit with over 400 frail and homebound elders and adults with disabilities in their homes. We partner with 27 fellow senior care and non profit agencies in our program. To have a master's degree of this aptitude I will be able to continue to expand my leadership role within the program and beyond. I have aspirations to be the Director of Elder Services for my agency one day. My current director is looking at retirement in the near future and I would love to take on the challenge. If not with the current agency I am in, I am now also considering working for a federal or state program with a high level of responsibility. I have always said since realizing I loved working with seniors, I would like to one day be an administrator who oversees a community living facility for seniors or even work with the Attorney General’s Office.
- Nicole
I am only in my 3rd term at Granite State College, but already feel very at home. From the first day that I stepped foot into the offices in Manchester, I was welcomed with friendly faces and had all my questions answered. I was not even planning on enrolling in GSC when I went to speak with someone in Manchester, and when I left that day, I was all enrolled in a B.A. program. Everyone I have been in contact with from financial aid to scheduling classes, has made everything stress-free for me. I love that I can get my entire degree online if I want to also!
The #1 reason why I love GSC, is their affiliation with the school district where I work (Hudson, NH), and my district will pay for some of my classes! I thought I would never see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I plan to graduate from GSC with my bachelor's degree in the Spring of 2014! From there, I hope to get a job teaching Math, and once I am settled, I will continue my education at GSC and someday receive my Master's Degree.
- Rachel
The thing about lifelong learning is, even after you've acquired the formal education you might need for your career, as an inquisitive human being your brain continuously craves more information. That's why the Internet is so powerful, right? It's driven by information. How do things work? What events in history led to where you are? How do you accomplish certain things? Who else has written about, discovered, or invented the subject matter that you find fascinating?
There's a reason that Granite State College used to be called the College for Lifelong Learning. And that former title was one of the major factors that drew me to the school. I am a lifelong learner. Ever since high school when I first became able to pick my own classes, I've always gotten so excited over the new course schedules. So many amazing choices with so many possibilities to learn something new!
Now, since Granite State College's website has become more advanced, it's easy for me to explore the new class offerings online. And it doesn't matter that I've already graduated because you don't have to be enrolled in a degree program to take a class here or there.
Here are some Concord, NH classes that look promising for the Spring term in 2012:
"Modern America and the Movies"
"Society and the Individual"
"Nutrition Concepts and Controversies"
"Vietnam War: An Historical Perspective"
And if I wanted to take college classes online in July and August, these look really interesting:
"Interpersonal Communication"
"American Popular Culture"
"History of New England"
"Survey of World Architecture"
Here's the link to the full summer course schedule:
http://www.granite.edu/courseschedule/summer2012.html
Adult students bring a wealth of both personal and professional experience to the classroom. This experience can be leveraged by faculty to enhance the overall learning experience of students by drawing connections and providing students with more opportunities to apply their knowledge to situations they have experienced for themselves. At Granite State College we promote an androgogy that embraces student experience, not only the prior experience students bring upon entry, but also the ability to take the skills and knowledge they obtain in the classroom and apply it to their current professional or community environments. This "Action Learning" approach is incorporated throughout many GSC programs, and is most particularly evident in our graduate and post-baccalaureate programs (including our new MS in Leadership) where students work on applied projects or in practicum environments.
Having taught for many years, I know from first-hand experience that students tend to gain the most understanding when theory is contextualized and when students have the opportunity to apply concepts and achieve measurable results. The Granite State College MS in Project Management incorporates Action Learning throughout the program in a way that connects core professional competencies to actual projects. Students in our MS degree programs find that the skills and knowledge they are gaining can be applied to actual needs that exist in either their work or community settings, and feedback from students so far has indicated that applying what they are learning to the actual project challenges they face is a win-win for their own learning—and for the organizations they are supporting.
As Granite State College continues to develop new programs, Action Learning will remain an important component of the educational experience. By providing greater context through opportunities to apply knowledge as it is learned, Granite State College students should prove to be better prepared for professional success.
It's Christmastime, the decorations are out, the carolers are warming up, the shopping season is in full swing, and it's time to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of the past year. If I were making a list, the first item in both the Challenges column and the Accomplishments column would be the pursuit of a Masters Degree in Project Management.
The challenge lies in the fact that I haven't been a college student in, oh, let's just say, a very long time. Not only am I enrolled in the very first graduate degree program offered at Granite State College, I am in the very first cohort scheduled to graduate in 2013. I am so proud and excited to be part of such an illustrious group of bright, dedicated and funny people...I really like this thing called adult higher education!
In the accomplishment column I proudly include the completion of the first of ten terms in the project management masters program. This term was made up of two six-week classes - PM 804 Project Management Seminar and PM 804 Leading Teams; both were excellent courses. My preferred delivery method for instruction is face to face, on the ground at our Manchester NH campus. Of course, for those of you who would rather operate completely in the digital world, you always have the option of taking any of our adult college courses online.
It is interesting now that I am immersed in the world of project management...all that we do in life is a project in one way or another. I see it all around me. The applications, tools and techniques of project management can be applied to everything from planning a holiday party to putting a man on the moon.
Now there's a thought...how might I apply what I've learned so far in my project management classes to make my holiday season just a little less stressful and a bit more organized?
Project Scope: Just what do I want to accomplish this holiday season? I certainly don't want to bite off more than I can chew so I had better define exactly what I will and can commit to this year.
Project Team: My family...who is responsible for what and can we accomplish everything we have identified in our project scope?
Project Planning: Creating a task list (work breakdown structure in project management speak) that includes all of the typical activities (cards, gifts, parties, decorations, food, etc.) around the holiday would be helpful.
Project Risk: Have you ever had your heart set on a particular gift for someone only to find the gift is not available, or that the cost exceeds your budget? Contingency plans are always a good idea.
Project Close: The holidays are over; now is the time to assess what worked and what didn't...lessons learned are a very valuable tool at the close of any project, but only if you use them.
So as you think about everything you have to do for the holidays, remember these four easy steps to help you along: plan, execute, manage and close. Wishing you a very merry and stress free holiday season!
GSC Factoid: Granite State College offers the most affordable continuing education in the state and is the University System's leading online provider.
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 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 am thankful for the health and happiness of my family...
I am thankful for my home...
I am thankful for my job...
I am thankful to those that serve for our country...
I am thankful for my education...
What are you thankful for?
Five years ago before I began my adult college education I was not sure either of my daughters were even going to graduate from high school. Today my oldest is a full time adult college student striving to make the honor roll in her freshman year, my youngest has just graduated from Cosmetology school and I am working on my MBA degree.
It took me 25 years after high school to return and earn my adult college degree. It took my oldest daughter 5 years to return to school and my youngest two years. We are all ready at different times in our lives. When you are ready to continue your education, Granite State College will be ready to lead you along your journey.
I am thankful for the guidance, support and opportunities GSC offered me in my adult college program. I am thankful I have in turn been able to offer my children guidance, support and opportunities in their academic pursuits.
I am thankful for my home...
I am thankful for my job...
I am thankful to those that serve for our country...
I am thankful for my education...
What are you thankful for?
Five years ago before I began my adult college education I was not sure either of my daughters were even going to graduate from high school. Today my oldest is a full time adult college student striving to make the honor roll in her freshman year, my youngest has just graduated from Cosmetology school and I am working on my MBA degree.
It took me 25 years after high school to return and earn my adult college degree. It took my oldest daughter 5 years to return to school and my youngest two years. We are all ready at different times in our lives. When you are ready to continue your education, Granite State College will be ready to lead you along your journey.
I am thankful for the guidance, support and opportunities GSC offered me in my adult college program. I am thankful I have in turn been able to offer my children guidance, support and opportunities in their academic pursuits.
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.
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!
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!!
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes we don't know how special a place is until we discover how un-special another place is.
Right after I graduated from Granite State College, with wonderfully positive outcomes, I was motivated and inspired to continue further with my education. Since I had already completed my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts I decided to apply to a Masters Program at another Adult Program in a different University system.
Almost immediately I could feel the difference in the attitudes of the people I had to deal with. There was a time during my studies at Granite State College's Rochester college campus when the Administrative Assistants were always available to answer my endless barrage of questions. Or perhaps I was confused about cumulative GPA or certain credits required for my degree. Always, always my Advisor made herself available to me. Adjunct Professors were there for the sole purpose of educating me and my classmates.
During the very first class in my Masters Program I knew immediately that I was not in Kansas anymore. The director of the program was loud and abrasive. The instructor was also the Advisor for the entire group. She knew little about explaining the computer program that we had to learn in order to succeed in the course. I was utterly confused by the end of the class.
Granite State College has managed to combine their purpose of making money in the business of education with a finely-tuned group of people who really care about people. I will be forever grateful when I think back on those wonderful days.
Right after I graduated from Granite State College, with wonderfully positive outcomes, I was motivated and inspired to continue further with my education. Since I had already completed my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts I decided to apply to a Masters Program at another Adult Program in a different University system.
Almost immediately I could feel the difference in the attitudes of the people I had to deal with. There was a time during my studies at Granite State College's Rochester college campus when the Administrative Assistants were always available to answer my endless barrage of questions. Or perhaps I was confused about cumulative GPA or certain credits required for my degree. Always, always my Advisor made herself available to me. Adjunct Professors were there for the sole purpose of educating me and my classmates.
During the very first class in my Masters Program I knew immediately that I was not in Kansas anymore. The director of the program was loud and abrasive. The instructor was also the Advisor for the entire group. She knew little about explaining the computer program that we had to learn in order to succeed in the course. I was utterly confused by the end of the class.
Granite State College has managed to combine their purpose of making money in the business of education with a finely-tuned group of people who really care about people. I will be forever grateful when I think back on those wonderful days.
Applications at Granite State College are up nearly 40% over last year. This is wonderful news for the college, since it indicates that we are addressing higher education needs that are in demand. It also represents the college's ability to adapt and change in ways that impact prospective students. Granite State has taken a number of steps this year to make the college more attractive to working professionals and adult students of all ages, who are juggling job and family commitments.
Over this past year Granite State has streamlined its application process, significantly upgraded our Rochester NH college campus center and opened a new center at the Littleton NH college campus. Students are also gravitating to our online classes for adults and therefore we have significantly expanded are online offerings and currently offer every one of our degree programs fully online.
The world is moving very quickly and the needs of our students are changing just as quickly. While Granite State College continues to emphasize the quality of the student experience we are also paying increasing attention to the convenience factor that is integral to access.
Over this past year Granite State has streamlined its application process, significantly upgraded our Rochester NH college campus center and opened a new center at the Littleton NH college campus. Students are also gravitating to our online classes for adults and therefore we have significantly expanded are online offerings and currently offer every one of our degree programs fully online.
The world is moving very quickly and the needs of our students are changing just as quickly. While Granite State College continues to emphasize the quality of the student experience we are also paying increasing attention to the convenience factor that is integral to access.
Have you read all the news stories lately about the Tiger Mom? The topic certainly has received a lot of press and caused many people to think about child rearing practices. Do you agree with what you have heard? Were you raised by a strict parent or one who was very permissive? At Granite State College, in a child development class, the discussion about child rearing has been an interesting one.
Students enrolled in Early Childhood degree programs and Behavioral Science classes and degree programs have engaged in a discussion about what aspects of parenting are important. In Foster Parent Classes at Granite State College, the conversation is similar. Research tells us that parents who are accepting of their children, and encourage exploration, while providing stability and love can help children to develop into healthy adults.
It's certainly an interesting discussion to be a part of in our adult and continuing education classes here at Granite State College.
Students enrolled in Early Childhood degree programs and Behavioral Science classes and degree programs have engaged in a discussion about what aspects of parenting are important. In Foster Parent Classes at Granite State College, the conversation is similar. Research tells us that parents who are accepting of their children, and encourage exploration, while providing stability and love can help children to develop into healthy adults.
It's certainly an interesting discussion to be a part of in our adult and continuing education classes here at Granite State College.
I was so happy the other day when my Burpees seed catalog came in the mail. Aha! Spring is almost here - it must be since I got the catalog. Imagine my disappointment when I went outside this morning to go to work. As I stood there in about 6 inches of snow, I saw my dreams of an early spring drifting away like a snowflake on the wind.
I slogged through the snow and cleaned about a foot of snow off the roof and windshield and back of the car, started it up and waited for the ice to melt. My hair was dripping frozen ice down my back and my feet were already wet and I hadn't even left the driveway.When I got to work I had to trudge through another 6 inches of snow because of course we hadn't been plowed out yet.
Finally, I was at my desk, a little warmer and dryer and I was doing my favorite thing - checking in new books. One of the first books I opened up was a new gardening book. It had bright colorful pictures, lots of flowers and vegetables in containers and raised beds and neatly tilled garden beds. I daydreamed about the vegetables and flowers I might grow this year, if spring ever comes!
I remembered last year when I planted a garden for the first time in about 20 years, I was inspired to take the Sustainable Gardening class offered as part of the adult continuing education programs at Granite State College. It was taught by Henry Homeyer from Cornish and I learned so much. I noticed that he will be teaching it again this spring, at the Lebanon NH college campus, this time - I think.
If you like to garden, or want to know more about sustainable gardening or just want to get closer to spring check out his class. It was great, we visited several vegetable and fruit farms in the early spring, planned our garden plots and started seeds inside - it gave us something green to watch as the last of the snow disappeared. And, if the snow is depressing you as much as it is me, I recommend stopping into your local library and checking out a few gardening books and start planning your own garden, or dreaming about it anyway, maybe you could sign up for the Sustainable Gardening class if it's been a while and you need a few pointers.
Keep the faith - spring is just around the corner - I think.
I slogged through the snow and cleaned about a foot of snow off the roof and windshield and back of the car, started it up and waited for the ice to melt. My hair was dripping frozen ice down my back and my feet were already wet and I hadn't even left the driveway.When I got to work I had to trudge through another 6 inches of snow because of course we hadn't been plowed out yet.
Finally, I was at my desk, a little warmer and dryer and I was doing my favorite thing - checking in new books. One of the first books I opened up was a new gardening book. It had bright colorful pictures, lots of flowers and vegetables in containers and raised beds and neatly tilled garden beds. I daydreamed about the vegetables and flowers I might grow this year, if spring ever comes!
I remembered last year when I planted a garden for the first time in about 20 years, I was inspired to take the Sustainable Gardening class offered as part of the adult continuing education programs at Granite State College. It was taught by Henry Homeyer from Cornish and I learned so much. I noticed that he will be teaching it again this spring, at the Lebanon NH college campus, this time - I think.
If you like to garden, or want to know more about sustainable gardening or just want to get closer to spring check out his class. It was great, we visited several vegetable and fruit farms in the early spring, planned our garden plots and started seeds inside - it gave us something green to watch as the last of the snow disappeared. And, if the snow is depressing you as much as it is me, I recommend stopping into your local library and checking out a few gardening books and start planning your own garden, or dreaming about it anyway, maybe you could sign up for the Sustainable Gardening class if it's been a while and you need a few pointers.
Keep the faith - spring is just around the corner - I think.
Hello again!
I realized that any time I end up talking about Granite State College, or any other Adult Education Degree Program, that I always relate it to my life. Granted, I tend to do this to get people excited/motivated through the knowledge that some random person gave herself a chance to change her life. But this one is for you, putting aside my life for comparison.
What got you to the point of reading these blogs? There is obviously something in you that wants to start, or continue with an accelerated undergraduate, or an accelerated degree program. There is something in you that has made you take those steps to search for these. Are you looking to start a program, or finish? Are you looking to improve your current job situation? Personal reasons?
It's very easy for me to say "you won't regret it!" - (and I know you won't), however it's really time that you took that next step to commit! There are so many excuses out there, many that are more than valid, but there are 5 reasons to do it to every 1 excuse. Want to test that theory? :)
I know I'm being very repetitive, but I'm curious: what is fueling your desire to be here? We all have something that inspires us to "take the plunge"; it's time for you to find your inner fire, and embrace it.
I realized that any time I end up talking about Granite State College, or any other Adult Education Degree Program, that I always relate it to my life. Granted, I tend to do this to get people excited/motivated through the knowledge that some random person gave herself a chance to change her life. But this one is for you, putting aside my life for comparison.
What got you to the point of reading these blogs? There is obviously something in you that wants to start, or continue with an accelerated undergraduate, or an accelerated degree program. There is something in you that has made you take those steps to search for these. Are you looking to start a program, or finish? Are you looking to improve your current job situation? Personal reasons?
It's very easy for me to say "you won't regret it!" - (and I know you won't), however it's really time that you took that next step to commit! There are so many excuses out there, many that are more than valid, but there are 5 reasons to do it to every 1 excuse. Want to test that theory? :)
I know I'm being very repetitive, but I'm curious: what is fueling your desire to be here? We all have something that inspires us to "take the plunge"; it's time for you to find your inner fire, and embrace it.
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