GSC's Health Care Management Degree

Greetings! My name is Cathy Driesch and I’m new to the blog scene at Granite State College.  I’ve been connected to the college for many years - first, as a student, and for the past fourteen years, as an employee. As a student I found GSC to be a flexible college that fit the needs of a working mother while I slowly finished what I‘d begun many years before. I had a patchwork of college experiences, each of which had led to fulfilling careers in business, nursing and sign language interpreting. Granite State College allowed me to pull it all together and obtain a B.S. degree in Behavioral Science and go on for my Master’s in Education in Counseling and Human Relations at Plymouth State University. Needless to say, my family got tired of coming to my graduations (one can listen to just so many speeches, even if there is the promise of food later!), but each was a cherished milestone and I learned how to make some clever Halloween costumes out of all the caps and gowns I accumulated!  

I began my GSC career as an Academic Support Coordinator working in the Claremont NH college campus and Lebanon NH college campus supporting students with all manner of academic needs along with providing skill building workshops. This position afforded me the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with students through all their struggles and triumphs as well as connect with our talented faculty. That job led to a position as Faculty Coordinator where I hired faculty and scheduled classes in the region and later added the role of Regional Coordination where I was surrounded by an extraordinary staff who worked tirelessly to provide the best service to all who entered our doors. And yes, on occasion, costumes were involved.

In 2011 I moved into the role of Academic Program Director working directly for Academic Affairs on broader initiatives such as promoting our new Health Care Management Program, curriculum work, and hiring faculty mentors for Independent Learning Contracts – ILC’s to you veteran students! So, I’ve seen the college from a variety of perspectives and the common theme has been growth and change. I get what it means to miss a birthday party or soccer game because you have a presentation to make or a final exam and I know how it feels to lose a paper in cyberspace. College is an adventure, a journey and ultimately, life-changing. Know that there is a dedicated staff here that believes in you and is here to support you along the way.