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.
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.
There are many opportunities for you this spring at Granite State College. As always, Spring is a prefect time for personal and educational growth. During my travels I have met with many who are taking this opportunity, this Spring, to begin or continue with their adult college careers.
I have met with students who are new to college. They have been nervous about the process and the great challenge ahead. I have connected them with advisors who help guide them towards positive outcomes and I have connected them with Academic Support staff to assist with tests, papers and classes. There are always faculty and staff at GSC willing to help support our students into becoming successful graduates.
I have also met individuals who have taken classes at different colleges in the past and they are now interested in transferring those classes into Granite State College and completing their degree. Many of our student started college on a different campus and in a different classroom. We are honored to help you finish your degree and make every effort to combine the classes you have already taken into our degree programs. Other students I have met are interested in beginning their college career with us, taking General Education Requirements and then transferring them to another institution. We are happy to assist all of our students in whatever pathway leads them towards success.
If you are looking for a New Hampshire Adult Education program, Granite State College was created specifically for you. We offer adult online classes, evening college classes, and weekend college classes. Contact your region's Outreach Coordinator today to discuss your educational opportunities here at Granite State College.
I find it interesting that as I travel around southern New Hampshire, speaking with prospective students who have been out of school for a while, who are looking at NH colleges to ease back and take part time classes; a familiar theme repeatedly surfaces: FEAR.
So many working adults that have considered going back to college for career advancement education are hesitant or procrastinate because they're not sure they're up for it. Either they've been away from the education process too long, they believe that they can't fit it into their schedule or that an adult college degree is simply not affordable. For these individuals I can honestly say; "been there, done that!"
I started college as a traditional-age student at a large urban university. After a year and a half "life got in the way" of my college aspirations. A career opportunity pulled me away from my full time studies in Criminal Justice and into policing. My plan was to get settled into my job and return to college to finish my degree part-time. As you can guess that's not how things worked out. I ended up taking a 15 year summer break. I considered going back a number of times over the years, but the thought of the time it would take and the cost caused me to repeatedly put this idea on the back burner. When I hit my mid-thirties I recognized how important that a degree would be for my continued career success. This reality finally overcame my reservations and I bit the bullet.
In researching colleges in NH I discovered that Granite State College was my most affordable option and GSC offered me significant credit in transfer and through validating professional training. I still was a bit anxious about returning to school after such a long period of time, but after I started attending classes I discovered that most of my fellow students were in circumstances similar to my own. I found that I actually enjoyed the coursework and my time in class. It was a great feeling being able to finally earn my degree and walking in the graduation commencement with my wife and son in the audience made all of the time and effort worthwhile. So for those of you considering returning to college as an adult I have two words for you:
"It’s a kind of magic... One dream one soul, one prize One goal... One golden glance of what should be... One shaft of light that shows the way... The bell that rings inside your mind, challenging the doors of time." Queen - It's A Kind of Magic
What was the "bell" that went off in your mind that caused you to reflect on where you were in your life and where you wanted to be?
For me, it was the birth of my third child. I loved my role of wife and mother. I had always wanted and looked forward to raising a family. But one day, as I sat feeding the youngest baby, I thought "Is this all there is? Isn't there something more?"
In high school, the St. Joseph nuns offered me a golden glance of what could be, encouraging me to consider college, but they were ahead of their time. The thinking back then (the pre Ms Magazine era) ran something like this: sending a girl to college was a waste of money because she was only going to get married and have babies. And, in my family, there was also the issue of money or rather the lack of it. I'm sure there must have been financial aid back then, or at least something similar to it, but I knew nothing about such things. In any case, it wouldn't have mattered - my paycheck was needed at home.
So, graduating from high school, I worked on Wall Street for two years, eventually marrying and moving to New Hampshire. Three children and seven years passed before the "bell rang inside my mind" as the dream of a college education reawakened. And so, the door to my future was challenged, opening just a crack. Researching adult college courses in New Hampshire, I found the School for Lifelong Learning, as Granite State College was known back then (by the time I graduated, the name had morphed into the College for Lifelong Learning).
I met with an adviser at the Manchester NH college office who shed a shaft of light that pointed the way to achieving my goal. She mapped out a plan for my Associates Degree (because, at the time, working towards a bachelor's degree seemed such a huge, insurmountable challenge) and I got to work - one part time class at a time. Over the years, the magic continued.
Meeting kindred souls, people in my adult college courses who were dealing with the same day-to-day issues as I and aspired to goals similar to mine; befriending faculty who nurtured the flame of inquisitiveness burning inside of me and who helped me to discover the wonderful world of adult learning - all of this, and more, caused a seismic shift in my perception of what the future could hold for me.
The process of "challenging the doors of time" took thirteen years but I finally earned the prize - my Bachelor's Degree. The act of achieving my goal was so intoxicating, the magic so necessary to my being, that I decided to move on to the next "door" - a master's degree. All these years later, the magic continues to happen, doors keep opening.
Powered by Compendium