New Hampshire Graduate

One of the most valuable things I got out of attending classes at Granite State College was from my fellow class mates. They ranged widely in age and background from me and each other. At both my night college classes and my weekend college classes, I was surrounded by a plethora of experience, knowledge, and unique perspectives in addition to what the instructor also offered.

I was able to give peer feedback to a lively, aspiring writer in his 60's who extended his own constructive feedback to me with grace, compassion, and wisdom attained from his life's journey as a middle school teacher, father, husband, and grandfather. I was given the opportunity to support a recent high school graduate majoring in Psychology who was even more scared and unsure about college life than I was. And I found support, myself, from others like me-- tired, single moms working hard all day long before attending part time evening college classes.

I remember sitting in the classrooms and looking around me and being very grateful for this exposure to people from all these different walks of life. And these people were still basically aiming for the same goal I was-- a quality education to fulfill my love for lifelong learning and the golden bonus of a continuing education degree at the end of it all as a New Hampshire graduate. Even though we were vastly different from each other we also had at least that one fundamental dream in common. And I stopped regretting not being able to go to college straight out of high school as I once envisioned, because I wouldn't have been able to experience all of those wonderful voices, young and old, that were only available to me through adult education courses at Granite State College.

The "Public Good" of higher education can only truly be achieved when it is accessible to the masses. As tuition increases across the country continue to outpace inflation and public funding (including financial aid) decreases, higher education begins to become unobtainable for more and more Americans. In fact, the U.S. has slipped dramatically relative to higher education trends around the globe and it is only logical that this will ultimately translate into a loss in comparative advantage and competitiveness. However, non-traditional pathways do exist that strive to keep tuition affordable and access to a quality education achievable for students who are able to find them. As a public institution with the University System of New Hampshire, it is important that Granite State College provide affordable access to the residents of New Hampshire and the region.

Granite State College was recently identified as a "Best Buy" through GetEducated.com for having the lowest bachelor tuition rate in New Hampshire and one of the twenty lowest accredited bachelor tuition rates in the nation. Granite State accomplishes this efficiency by focusing on teaching and learning rather than research or a residential experience. Our classes are taught largely by practicing professionals who can put theory to practice, and more than half our students attend classes online for adults. By offering every program online, including our graduate program, we minimize infrastructure costs and reach more students.

Granite State also maximizes affordability by being transfer friendly and by having a sophisticated system of prior learning assessment. In addition, accessing what financial aid is available is paramount to the ability of many students to attend. Granite State College is unique in our scheduling and calendar in that it is possible for a student to take one course at a time (using our 6-week hybrid model) and be eligible for full-time financial aid! Students may also be eligible for full-time financial aid in any one of our Fast Track programs. 

So while the cost of higher education continues to outpace the ability of many students to pay, it is important that colleges such as Granite State College, remain committed to access to quality higher education through diligent cost containment; delivery and schedule innovation; online technology; and by focusing on our core mission of teaching and learning. 

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!

Do you know what it means to be a lifelong learner? Hopefully you are one. Maybe you graduated from high school 40 years ago, or maybe you are just about to graduate. Does that mean your learning is over? Do you stop learning just because you are no longer a student? A lifelong learner is one who is interested in knowing more about the things in their world. A lifelong learner is one who is excited by the many things they come in contact with each day and they want to know more.

Granite State College has so many programs for lifelong learners - after all, it's a lifelong learning college. Whether you are someone who just wants to take a course, maybe in environmental or behavioral science because that interests you, or you are someone who is thinking about finishing a degree in Early Childhood Education or taking Foster Parent Classes or online college English classes, you are a lifelong learner.

Granite State College has campuses around New Hampshire that can offer the lifelong learner opportunities for growth and understanding. You can take online college classes, or come to one of the campuses for a face to face experience. Either way, being a lifelong learner is what life after high school is all about.

Since December 2010 when I graduated from Granite State College, I have been considering the possibilities of what I might do next.  As a result of achieving my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts, I have gotten involved in a writing project that is very important to me.

As a  way to learn more about the book-writing process, I attended a Writer's Workshop at the University of Southern New Hampshire that was facilitated by Mary Carroll Moore, a published author.

Since the termination of my adults college classes at the Rochester NH and Portsmouth NH college campuses, I have missed the collaboration with my peers very much.  I am transitioning to the next level of my educational journey. During my weekend workshop I once again felt the connection of being with like-minded individuals who were sharing my path.  I think this is an important issue to address sooner than later, once the initial cessation of college classes sets in.

"Change" is a word that is often overused, but in the world of higher education "substantive change" has very specific meaning. An institution that goes through substantive change is one that embarks on new directions that require review by its regional accreditor. Granite State College has undertaken such a change by moving from an institution offering only undergraduate credit to one that will now offers its first masters degree.

The Master of Science in Project Management is intended to provide students with a highly transferable set of skills and competencies that are in high demand across a number of industries. GSC's first masters degree is designed to provide students with both pragmatic content and high level learning opportunities that can prepare students to advance in management and leadership level positions. A cursory search of job postings lists many positions in which project management skills are specifically identified. In addition, managers in general can gain a competitive advantage in the job market by gaining project management competencies.

Granite State College worked closely with industry experts to develop its first masters program in order to ensure our graduates will be well prepared to compete and advance in their chosen careers. At this point, the Granite State College masters degree is the only MS in Project Management offered by a New Hampshire institution. 

We are confident that our new masters degree will meet the advanced education needs of working adults and professionals across the state and beyond. The new program will be offered entirely online as well as at select Granite State College locations.

In the summer I volunteer at the Therapeutic Riding Program at the University of New Hampshire system. It is a horseback riding program that serves children and adults with physical, developmental, and emotional challenges. It is a volunteer dependent program as it takes 3-4 handlers per student: one to lead the horse, 2 on each side of the horse, initially holding on to the student as she/he rides, and sometimes one additional spotter. (The program also depends on donations in case you are feeling generous.) As the summer progresses so do the students' abilities and some are allowed to become more and more independent riders.  I get a lump in my throat and feel so proud when we are able to let go of them or the lead line comes off and they are in control.  Believe me, nothing makes you feel more empowered than knowing that you have control of a 1000 lb animal with just a set of reins and a bit!  It is truly a fantastic experience for me to be a part of.

What does this have to do with my role as advisor at Granite State College at the Conway NH college campus, you ask? In June I attended the graduation ceremonies for the college and recently received the conferral list from the registrar.  The ceremony is a wonderful day of recognizing completion and independence. As I read the list of names again and again I felt so proud of each student who completed their degree program.  I feel like I am letting go of the lead line and watching them go out on their own to pursue other opportunities since they now have completed a continuing education degree program. I know each student is proud of them self as well and feels more in control of their lives, which can be much like a 1000 lb animal at times.

Congratulations to all graduates and I wish you all the best as you continue your life's adventure.

As an adult college degree recipient, I can tell you firsthand how it is possible to go back to school without the financial resources to do so.  I did it, and so can you.  My first mistake was to think I was not eligible for financial aid because I had a good job, was able to support myself and my one daughter who was still considered a dependent on my income tax return.  Do not make this same mistake.  The very first step you need to take in financing your adult education degree is to submit a FAFSA application online.  It is not at all intimidating as I believed it to be.  Not only did I qualify for more than $1,000 in federal and state grants during my freshman year but by completing the FAFSA I qualified for deferred interest loans and numerous adult scholarships as well.  Grants are a gift, they do not need to be repaid.  The Subsidized Stafford loans are educational loans which do not start accumulating interest until 6 months after you graduate or stop taking classes.  Currently the deferred rate of these loans is only 4.5%.  I challenge you to find a loan without collateral at a comparable rate!

Now, how to find adult education scholarships… Use the internet and search every possible avenue.  Here in the State of New Hampshire I found many scholarships I qualified for and applied for every single one of them.  Yes, it does take some time and effort but it is certainly worth it.  GSC offers the “Osher Re-Entry Scholarship,”  as well as the ALA Merit Scholarship.  Next I found the Adult Student Aid Program Scholarship available through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.  Through my continued Internet searches I found available scholarships through the numerous NH chapters of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, the “Take it to the Bank” scholarship offered by NHHEAF and many small local scholarship programs specifically offered to residents of individual counties and communities.  Aside from these scholarships available to NH residents there are countless national scholarships also available to the adult college degree student.  Many banks, retail stores and businesses offer student scholarship contests.  Take the  time and put in the effort to apply for and attain the required finances you need to obtain your degree.   I did it, so can you.  Every scholarship I was awarded was again offered to me for a second and third time in my subsequent years of study.

In my next post I will give you other tips and tricks on obtaining your adult college degree with limited finances.  Most scholarships have deadlines so do not procrastinate and get started right away on your scholarship search.  Once you have completed this you will be ready for the next phase of financing your education....

Creative Writing is a very special process. It is the one process that begs us to dig as deeply down into our personal thinking life as we can, seeking and searching as we go, in order to feel, hear, see, and smell whatever awaits us there.

Professor Agran encourages us to glean courageously what we can from the tapestries of our own personal lives and to say it plain.  

English 604-- Creative Writing: Poetry, Fiction, & Creative Nonfiction is a cumulative effort for the students in Professor Agran's summer class but we seem to be having fun at the same time.  

We read a lot. We write much. We share every written thought we scribble with one another. Writing is a risky business but we are dedicated to the learning process, aspiring to become more...more articulate, more prolific, but we are also learning to become more patient with ourselves in this delicate balance.

Alicia Otis is a student in my Granite State College Creative Writing class.  She is a highly motivated writer who enjoys the writing process as much as I.  The following poem is written by Alicia as an assignment, but I think also as an enjoyable event in her young, free-spirited life:

My friend Donna deserves to have fireworks for the rest of her life for she has truly earned them!  In June 2010 she graduate from Granite State College with a GPA of 3.93! As important as her grades are, they only give us a sliver of a glimpse into who this woman really is and where she is headed in life.

Donna fits the demographic of the typical Granite State College Adult Learner to a tee.  She has lived a life of many years previous to setting and meeting Adult College Courses; she got married, became a mother, then a step-mother, while working at many different jobs along the way.  For instance, in 1973 Donna was the first woman hired at the Hampton Toll Booth in New Hampshire. She was eventually "retired" from this position at the age of 25 because she was pregnant and "everybody would know what she had done to be in that condition."
    
As Donna continued to have children she continued to change jobs for different reasons.  In 1993 she began a degree program because the company she worked for planned to downsize. But as her children began to attend college Donna's plan was set aside money in an effort to support the ambitions of her children and to also pay their tuition.

Miracles do happen!  In 2009 after Donna's company closed its doors she was free to complete her Bachelor of Science degree at Granite State College in Rochester through the Trade Act.  With the help of her dedicated and efficient Advisor, Linda Buttrick, Donna was quickly enrolled into classes in July of 2009.

In order to graduate, Donna's ambitious goal included the completion of nine courses.  Through the Trade Act she was required to take two courses per semester which meant she had to take three courses for the last semester.

An example of Donna's Adult College Program palette includes fun courses like Software Tools and Interpersonal Communications, which she took as Online Classes for Adults.  In the Fall she took The Principles of Assessments, Introduction to Research in Behavioral Science and Sociology which was a bit more challenging for her. But lets revisit her GPA of 3.93 for a moment, which speaks to the astute characteristics of dedication and determination most adult learners already posses when they arrive at Granite State College. 

Self-determined to succeed because "failure was not an option," Donna met with Nicole McMillan in the writing lab to set up a study schedule and to make appointments to proof-read Donna's prolific works.  Once she was settled in her daily routine of good consistent study habits, Donna went on to complete every single course required of her to meet the standard qualifications for the degree she ardently pursued.

I had the wonderful honor and enjoyment of meeting Donna while we were enrolled in Professor Sparrow's course, The Principles of Assesments, Introduction to Research in Behavioral Science and Sociology.  During that time I learned about Donna's love of fiction writing which added yet another dimension to an amazing multidimensional person I will not soon forget.

Bring your creativity! Bring your diversity! Bring an insatiable appetite for the learning process and you too will fit right in.  When Donna arrived she made the learning process her own, until ultimately she reached her own seemingly unobtainable heights!

Good Luck Donna!

What Would Mel Brooks Do?

I tend to ask myself this whenever I am held up by my own insecurities and fears.  I have  lot of anxiety and  so I almost always have Mel Brooks in my head.  Mel's movies and sense of humor always remind me of how ridiculous the entire world can be, and if we're stressed out about it, we're probably taking ourselves too seriously.  I am the newly hired Outreach Coordinator for Granite State College, Claremont/Lebanon.  I am thrilled to be working in a college again, but I am very nervous and definitely have some anxiety about starting this job.  I totally commiserate with those of you beginning your studies this semester. So here we go.  Remember: life is unrehearsed and a sense of humor is necessary.   

I suppose I must admit that I am not from around here.  I was born and raised in Kansas and went to graduate school in Nebraska.  Just a note: if you are from New Hampshire NEVER GO TO THESE STATES.  You won't like them.  Trust me.  I, on the other hand, am in long distance love affair with Kansas.  I won't elaborate except to say that I find it beautiful and enchanting and like nowhere else I've ever been.  I also liked Nebraska very much and hope to end up back there someday.

Education is very important to me and I understand the value of it.  Since I was young I always assumed I would go to college after high school.  Both of my parents have Bachelor degrees and growing up we were regaled with fun stories from my father's exploits as a college student.  I couldn't wait to adopt stray cats and keep them in my dorm room, accidentally blow up trash cans at drive thrus, and put pink light bulbs in all the light fixtures.  I wanted to have friends with weird names like "Tree", or call them by their last names.  It was what I wanted while I was in high school--freedom!  Unfortunately, life happened while I was making college plans and college fell by the wayside.  So life beat me up for five years, but during those five years I never forgot about college.  I would look at adult education services at local community colleges, but could never seem to get my life together enough to take the plunge.  I thought about taking part-time classes or night time classes but still wasn't sure how to make it work. And of course there was no such thing as taking online classes back in the nineties.  I didn't even own a computer.

One day, when I finally had a great job, a cute apartment, and a cat, I knew it was time.  I  had proved to myself that I could have a stable life, so time to scrap it and get going on making those dreams come true.  I packed up the cat and the boyfriend and moved to Emporia KS where I spent the next five years learning everything I could fit into my schedule.  It. was. so. hard.  I. was. so. scared. I would mourn the loss of my job and apartment and sit around being a big ball of stress.  But: I was succeeding in my studies in a way that was surprising and exciting.  I set the goal that I would get a B+ average in my first semester.  I had a 4.0.  I was very shy around the other students.  They were all so young and spry, beautiful and annoying.  They were also talented, accepting, inspiring, smart and LIKED me!! My fellow students were a great source of inspiration and information, and still are to this day.  I liked school so much that I went on to get my MFA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Through it all I have had the most incredible teachers and the most supportive classmates, but I never forget that I worked my tail off, that I did it, that I had the strength and the vision and the courage to get my degree. Sure, I missed out on the dorm experiences, but I still have college  stories that I hope to share some day with my children--the cat doesn't seem to care.  So now I am ready to embark on my adventure at Granite State College, helping people transition into students, a noble and wonderful title.

It was a lovely Sunday morning when my friend and I started out to Lake Cunningham which is about am hour away from my house.  We had to stop for our coffee, morning DD with a donut or two, before we got there as we knew we would need some energy to paddle around the whole lake.  It must be six to seven miles around the lake but what fun it was. We talked about everything as we paddled. We talked about memories and good times that we had in the past, things we would like to do in the future, dreams, etc. then Granite State College came to mind. It was a memory for me as it has been nine months since I graduated with my Adult College Degree. Boy has it been that long?  Time sure flies. When I was going to school it was hard to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" I was so busy. Busy with school work, busy with household work, busy with my full time job work and busy with my four young adults. I just didn't seem to get a break. Now my break is here and can hardly believe it is done. Well, done for the time being anyways. I would love to get my Masters Degree someday.  Maybe the University System of New Hampshire can help with that in my future. 

OK, more about my day. We started out at Lake Cunningham...then went to a lake neither of us had been to before, Lake Rabon, which is only 18 miles from my house. I was so excited to find a new lake and so close!!  "Life is good" as they say. We had map-quested it before we left so we had to watch for street signs as we drove, and low and behold there was the street we were looking for. No more than a stones throw was the lake. OMG what a big lake and bit bigger than Lake Cunningham. There were fisherman fishing and kayakers kayaking..it was great. The water lilies where in full bloom, even brought a couple home to enjoy.
 
All and all we had a wonderful day, we may feel the aches and pains in a couple days but that will pass.  Just like all those classes passed by with the Adult Accelerated Degree Program for school.  Isn't it funny how one experience resembles another at times. 

My daughter is coming home tomorrow and I think her and I will go to my new found paddling spot one day this week. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and remember, "this too will pass."

I was a police officer in Dover, NH when I decided to go back to school for my degree, and I chose GSC and never regretted that decision. The instructors were all working professionals who brought the real world into the classroom, which is the ultimate goal for any educational experience. I got my Bachelor's Degree in Management in 1989 and immediately applied to the University of New Hampshire's graduate school, completing my Master's Degree in Public Administration in 1993. The tools and learning experiences I had at GSC held me in good stead in my master's program, and I look back now on my time at GSC as a dynamic transitional period in my professional and personal life. I later transferred to the Portsmouth Police Department and had a wonderful career there, recently retiring as deputy chief of police. I have recommended GSC to individuals seeking to further their education and I shall continue to do so. It was a great experience for me.

Name: Len DiSesa
Graduated: 1989
Location: Seacoast
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Management

There must have been a time when livestock was expensive enough that it was currency unto itself, hence phrases like "bring home the bacon." I am pretty sure the term bucks came to mean dollars in the frontier days of the U.S for the same reason. There was probably an era, when prosperity and success in life in the developed world could be correlated to the amount of bacon a particular person ate, or at least had access to.

This however, is not the bacon I have in mind; instead, I am thinking of Kevin Bacon. In particular, I think that Kevin Bacon should get his own unit of measure, not shockingly called Bacons.

Let me back up: ever since 7th grade, I thought it would be the coolest thing to have my own unit of measure (after I took chemistry in 10th grade, I added that having my own chemical element would be awesome, too). The greatest names in science, as a tribute to their contributions to knowledge, were made synonymous with units of measure in their fields of endeavor. Some of the are familiar and heard every day, like Fahrenheit, or Newtons, if you've ever taken physics. There are dozens more, and they can get totally obscure, like angstroms, gauss, roentgens, farradays, etc. Since I changed my major in college from chemistry to psychology in my sophomore year, the odds of getting my own element or unit don't look good. Almost everyone else alive today won't get one either, but each of us can make a difference in the world with our Bacons.

The idea is to play off the "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, so that your one-Bacons are the people immediately around you: family, friends, colleagues. The two-Bacons and beyond are somewhat harder to measure, but it could certainly be done. Focusing on the one-Bacons, I believe that the well-being of your one-Bacons is a direct measure of yourself. The best part about this is that everyone you've ever seen, spoken, or been around is one of your one-Bacons, and anyone that they've ever seen, spoken to, or been around is one of  your two-Bacons. Similarly, you could very well be a two-Bacon to two complete strangers, who turn out to be within four or five Bacons of each other....whoa, hang on... I'm dizzy.

This all hit me at the Granite State College Commencement ceremony a couple weekends ago. Even though I have been to a dozen graduation ceremonies before, both as a spectator and a graduate, I just realized a couple weeks ago that an elusive concept like success can be easily measured as your one-Bacons. Each speaker at Commencement, including GSC President Dr. Karol LaCroix, Governor John Lynch, and the faculty and student speakers, more or less made this point from different perspectives. When the students thanked their husbands and wives and children and families, they spoke volumes about being the one-Bacons of their family members. The award recipients basically said the same thing - that their personal achievements were possible only because they are the one-Bacons of their families and colleagues.

I also had a great day that Sunday on account of my one-Bacons. For the first graduation since I started here, I had a number of students graduate that "came in" with me, which is to say I was their advisor from their first day, to that Sunday where they graduated. My one-Bacons are everywhere, too. Some of them had been to multiple schools in the University of New Hampshire System, but finished at GSC. Others have a career for years, even decades, before deciding to finish with online classes for criminal justice.

All of this was huge for me, although to be fair, it's sort of rigged: each of my advisees who graduated are some of my one-Bacons, and it felt really good to have helped in the success and graduation of that many folks. The families and friends assembled that afternoon must have also been proud, so that my two-Bacons also had a great day.

Please know, this is not all about me, or about any one of us, individually. Instead, I think the true measure of the success of any one of us can be measured by our Bacons. Ask yourself, just as I do everyday (wait, that's not true; it's not every day, how about a few times a week):

How did I make my organization better today?
How did I make my spouse's/child's/friend's/neighbor's life better today?

Your one-Bacons (and two-Bacons and three-Bacons, and so on) can be your most trusted friends or total strangers on the bus, and any one of them or all of them can be vastly upgraded by the simplest or silliest things. And even though it's true that we have an opportunity to better ourselves by actively bettering the lot of our one-Bacons, it always helps to have a ceremony or event that broadcasts the betterment of your one-Bacons, like when a number of my students walked across that stage when their names were called at Commencement.

Now that I have attained my degree, where do I go from here?  I knew before I graduated with my adult college degree from Granite State College that I wanted to continue my education so I am working on my MBA degree from our sister institution of the University of New Hampshire System, Plymouth State University.  I was able to take two of the required MBA graduate courses from PSU during this past year and have the credit awarded towards my adult college degree from Granite State College as well as towards my MBA degree.  Therefore I am beginning my MBA program with two courses already accomplished.

Now that I have decided to continue my love of education, what am I to do about my career?  The economy is slowly but surely turning around.  I have slowly but surely turned around my career options by attaining my adult college degree.  One of my business professors told me that any professional seriously looking to change careers should pay a professional resume writer to accomplish the task.  I took his advice and had the professionals at monster.com create my new resume earlier this month.  Below is my new education portion of my resume.  Before this week it simply incorporated my High School diploma.



I have many years of practical business knowledge and now have the degree to compliment my experience.  My real passion and ambition is to somehow enter the fields of HR or Organizational Communication/Public Relations at the age of 43!  My adult college degree is a B.S. in Business Management with a minor in human resources and a concentration in communication.  Being able to say that I have attained my adult college degree not only offers me more opportunities it boosts my confidence in myself.

Follow me on my blog and see where my career aspirations lead me with my degree in hand!

     At Granite State College without exeption we are fortunate to meet many young men and women who have served or are serving in our United States Military.  But in their spare time or not they are also finding time to educate themselves within various programs that Granite State college has to offer. 
     Recently I was fortunate to meet Amber Card who is one of the students in a Survey of American Literature course I attend on Tuesday evenings at the Manchester, New Hampshire branch of Granite State College.  Like myself, Amber is taking the course as a core requirement of a Language Arts Degree.  She is also intending to achieve teaching certification as part of her education.
     One evening before class I took the opportunity to interview her as a military veteran and as a continuing educational student at Granite State.  She shared with me some of the daunting facts about her enlistment and her tour of duty.  Amber participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.  She was deployed from December 7, 2003 - March 2, 2005.  During this time she worked as a Motor Transportation Specialist where she drove 5 tons, semi-tractor trailers and humvees.  She pulled security for convoys, delivered supplies to troops including mail, food, and ammo.  She also pulled security for the base and transported troops.  Amber was also a Mortuary Affairs Specialist.
     She briefly shared with me her thoughts and feelings about her military service.  "I wouldn't necessarily change it but  it was a very hard experience at 21 to absorb.  It made me grow up very quickly and realize what was important in my life.  I had to set new priorities."
     When I said the word "horrible" and asked her about her immediate thoughts she said, " It was very real and you had to take the good with the bad.  Five of my friends died over there and I'll never forget it but there's not a day that goes by that I don't appreciate what I have and realize what my friends gave up for me.  That's why I feel I always push myself to go the extra mile.
    Lastly, I asked Amber about her most significant experience.  To this she replied, "Is when we had just moved into Iraq from Kuwait and within 24 hours our base got attacked and we lost someone and several were injured.  It really changes your perspective right off the bat!"
     Since my interview with Amber I listen more closely to everything she has to say in class.  Immediately I notice the difference in the attention and detail she gives to the learning process.  She speaks with such devotion and compassion about the children she will someday soon be teaching upon graduation from Granite State College this June.  She is also pregnant with her second child, a boy.  And one thing I do know for sure about Amber:  She values life.  She also values education and children.
     Though I am much older than Amber I am humbled by her maturity and all that she has experienced in her very young life.  Experience when it does not kill us most certainly makes some of us stronger.  I am a better person for having met Amber and learned about her past life and her future goals.  As a woman among many she stands tall and proud in my eyes.

Leslie Bowering

It has now become reality in my mind; Karol LaCroix is really retiring this June!  Karol is the current President of Granite State College.  She has truly made this school what it is today, a thriving academic environment available to all within our State and beyond.  Granite State College is one of the best Colleges of New Hampshire.  We are the leader in online course offerings and almost 50% of our alumni continue on to graduate school.  GSC offers flexible class scheduling, many degree majors which include self-design degrees and utilizes an abundance of career educators as well as business leaders to teach our students.  Karol has been instrumental in bringing Granite State College to the new millennium.  Karol has been a strong leader, a mentor to many and a friend to all.  She will be greatly missed.

Last week the new President of Granite State College was announced, Dr. Todd Leach from the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a question and answer forum with Dr. Leach and the other two finalists for the Presidency.  I was very pleased with the information and answers he gave at his “drilling”!  You can find a link to his resume on the GSC homepage if you are interested.  Below is a word cloud I created from my impression of our new President.


 

If it is not obvious, I am reluctantly excited.  My reluctance is only in losing Karol, I could not be more pleased with the candidate that was chosen.  Change is usually a good thing.  I welcome Dr. Leach to our learning community and look forward to the opportunity to watch him thrive.

I just finished my capstone course last semester and needed only one more elective credit to complete my adult education degree in Business Management from Granite State College (GSC).  Because GSC is part of the University of New Hampshire System we are eligible to attend classes at Keene State College, Plymouth State University or the Univerity of New Hampshire for direct credit.  These are not treated as transfer credits but instead the grades are calculated into our GPA’s just as if they were earned from a GSC course.  In this particular situation not only does the credit and grade from this PSU course count towards my affordable Bachelor degree at GSC but it also satisfies one required elective course in the MBA program at PSU which I am pursuing after graduation.  I took a graduate course through PSU in the fall as well.  I will graduate from GSC with my Bachelors degree and already have two required graduate courses for my MBA accomplished.  This is referred to as double dipping.  I get the credit for having taken four courses at the investment cost and time of only two classes!  

The course at PSU which I chose to take was “Women as Leaders.”  The class met for a long weekend at a charming Inn in Waterville Valley.  The class utilized four seasoned educators who possessed incredible synergy with one another.  My classmates were a diverse group of strong, accomplished and enthusiastic women who empowered one another through the bonding experience.   I gained valuable knowledge, insight and networking contacts from this weekend.  I also gained some weight as the owner of the Inn is an accomplished chef who presented us unbelievable meals three times a day!  Did I forget to mention that this course included a room and board fee?  I had a room to myself and ate better than I ever could have at home.

This was my second experience with the weekend college classes format which includes room and board and incorporates a 24 hour learning experience.  I cannot adequately express everything that is gained from such an arrangement.  If flexibility and opportunities are what you are looking for, stop right here; you have found them.



 

I first heard about top-flight college and universities topping the $50,000 per year mark a couple of weeks ago. The first one to announce corssing this threshold was Boston University (I think), followed quickly by Dartmouth (unique among NH colleges & universities to cross this benchmark), Mount Holyoke, and Tufts, among others.

Most folks that mention this on talk radio and other media do so with overt disgust and contempt.  The cost of higher education is portrayed as an extortion with impunity by unscrupulous professors and bloated administrations. One could even argue that the announcements of astronomical cost to attend the aforementioned institutions and their ilk is to some extent fashionable; certainly, if I were running Brandeis University and neighboring Wllesley College announced that they cost more than $50k, what would it say about Brandeis if we don't cost more than fifty? 

Expressions of pity for the parents of high school graduates usually follow, but I feel there are two important points that commentators miss, whether acciedntally or deliberately. First - the very parents for whom they express their spendthrift sympathies are likely to be the ones demanding the state-of-the-art facilities and accommodations that have contributed heavily to the steady rise in these tuition and room-and-board totals. That top-flight schools and even some state schools have sushi bars and world-class fitness centers is demanded by the marketplace, rather than artificially dreamed up and foisted upon the higher education public.

The second point that commentators seem to regularly pass over is that there are still far more ways to obtain an affordable bachelor degree than an inaffordable one. It reminds me of the joke where a guy goes to his doctor and says, "Doctor - it hurts when I do this," and the doctor replies "Well, don't do that." If attending Holy Cross and staying on campus and having a meal plan costs more than you can afford, then don't go there. The idea that if you don't go to Holy Cross or Amherst that you won't get a decent education, or worse, that if you can't afford to send your child to one of those places that you are somehow inadequate or a failure, is stupid at best and destructive at worst.

Maybe this kind of discussion gets my hackles to stand up because I attended a public college myself - not a New Hampshire state university, mind you - but the flagship of a nearby system. I wouldn't trade my undergraduate education and experience for anything, and it would be a shame if folks, whether straight out of high school, or looking for Adult college classes, didn't consider public schools, i.e. Granite State College, which are particularly designed to be affordable, accessible, etc.

Fifty thousand a year? Really? Even when a students comes into my office starting from scratch, we can work out a  plan that can finish off the degree for less than $35,000 total.

If that works better for your budget and prevents you from having to take out a second mortgage, drop me an email, and we can talk about that some more.