Weekend College Classes

I love to travel, always have. I travel so much that my friend at Granite State College never knew where I was at any single time. She would call and say, "where are you" every time we talked. Inevitably, I was in another state or city checking out the stores and sites. I would travel on weekends to visit new cities and towns in the area, especially if I was new to the area. There was no limit to the ground I would cover when I was behind the wheel of my car or on my bike. I also love history, so often found myself in museums. I enjoy seeing new art, visiting new knitting shops, and talking to people at various stores. Traveling is an outing for me, and my kind of adventure - I don't think I will ever stop.

This weekend, I'm traveling to see my daughter in Greenville, South Carolina. That is the very place I finished my online degree with Granite State College. I truly enjoyed going to school and online learning. I was never limited to what courses I could take - GSC offers so many options! Online learning is so convenient, even when you are a traveler. I was initially worried about taking a math class online, but the teacher was great and there were so many resources availabe for students to use. If you like to travel and you're looking to further your education, I highly recommend online learning.

If you are planning a move, a trip, or just wanting to try college, check out Granite State College and their online learning curriculum..... I think you will agree, it works!!

 

Where to start? I love the genuine respect that the professors at GSC give, and the enthusiastic, superior service of all the staff; the breadth of class style choices - from weekend intensives, overnights, online, hybrids and face-to-face; the opportunity to LEARN, stretch, and challenge yourself; the chance to develop and grow among a group of dedicated peers; the affordable cost; the diversity of majors . . . there is so much to love about Granite State College!

- Nicole

I really love that Granite State College realizes life happens. Many of the teachers are very practical and I have learned a great deal from them. Classes are anywhere from at a center, online, weekend intensive, or self taught. I just love GSC!

- Amber

You can run, but you can’t hide—in online.

If you have never taken an online course, or have free floating anxiety about logging into a classroom, please read on. Some of the potential students I meet in information sessions, graduate school fairs, or speak with on the phone, have a huge block of fear when it comes to learning this way. At Granite State College (GSC), we offer two master’s degree programs: an M.S. in Leadership and M.S. in Project Management. We do offer a few graduate courses in Concord, Portsmouth, and Manchester - however, the majority of the Master of Science classes are often online.

Laura was an adult Granite State College student for several years, furiously working towards completing her baccalaureate degree while taking part time classes. She was a professional HR director, and GSC helped her get to where she wanted to be. She loved taking courses at GSC, and had taken them in all delivery methods - hybrid, weekend, evening, and online courses. I was delighted to meet Laura at a conference recently - her enthusiasm for lifelong learning was infectious. I thought she would be a great master's candidate for either the Project Management or Leadership program.

As she was nearing the end of her undergraduate career, the last course she needed to complete was Interpersonal Communication. It was a course offered online and she had every intention of taking it, even with its ironic online delivery. While telling me her story, I flashed back to my undergraduate days. I took Interpersonal Communication in a decade when online learning was not available. I quickly assumed it could only be a classroom course, learning the art and science of successful communication. I paused in my thoughts and was preparing for the worst. How could a college create this online? I prepared for a sympathetic reply.

As she continued her enthusiasm for (what I thought) was a pedagogical mish mash of course delivery gone wrong, I started to listen closer. Her family and friends thought she was making an error in judgment.  "Don’t do it," they said. "You’re crazy." She took the course successfully and told me it was the best course she ever took. The posts were lively, deep, and thoughtful. She made friends with a number of people in the virtual classroom. “You can’t hide in an online learning platform. Students who are shy in a classroom can’t hide in online learning. You can also think about your posts, edit, and get your point across clearly.” Her sales pitch was right on queue. And, I know she is correct.

This brief encounter with Laura gives me more fuel and intelligence for the GSC graduate programs. I have chatted with potential students who feel the same way Laura’s friends and family did. The anxiety about getting a graduate degree online can be eradicated when you listen to Laura's story. She preferred her online courses. It was her time. She’d get up at 5:00 a.m. and start her coursework before the day got away from her. Laura is now applying to Master of Science in Leadership, and is very excited about the incredibly flexible, affordable, and relevant program. “It’s time to do it. And, I love that I can take it online.”

 

 

I just had a full day at work and we (significant other) are deciding what to do for the evening. Summer nights in Michigan are just as nice as the ones in South Carolina. There are lots of things to do in the mitten state, that is what Michiganders call it.  We have crisp nights with a coolness in the air, has been a nice refreshing change from the southern nights.  We always have choices for our evenings. We like to go to a great little venue in Livonia called Trinity House, where music of all kinds are played.  We have seen many different artist there and have traveled elsewhere to follow them as they were so enjoyable to listen too.  We have gone to the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) to walk around and enjoy the art. We also have the riverfront where barges float by and music is played, children are running through the fountain and across the water lies Windsor, Canada where I used to go almost every weekend as a child (my Grandparents lived there). 

One of my favorites though is going to the DIA. I love to look at art.  I took a art appreciation class in my adult college classes. If you are in college and have not taken an Art class, ask the faculty about it, see if they can suggest one for you. I can't imagine they would not encourage such an experience.   

Got to run...be back soon with more.

I had the most amazing weekend and also the most challenging weekend I have had in a long, long time. I was part of the West Michigan Breakaway MS bike event.  I raised money to help the society with research and hopefully, find a cure for MS.  There were so many people at this event. All kinds of people, from all walks of life and all ages.  I rode with a lady I had never met before. She worked for the same company as I did but a different building. We met that evening for the first time when she walked through the door at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. We were staying in the dorm and were linked as roommates by the registration coordinator for the event. We instantly bonded and had great conversation until late that night. We had to get some sleep because we were riding our road bikes in the morning, one hundred miles. Yep, you read that right, a century ride.  I have been training to do the ride for the past couple of months so I had this goal. It wasn't really her goal but she was in as long as I rode with her the following day. So, that was our plan. Ride together at a good pace, make the 75 mile loop by 3:00pm and finish the last 25 before 5ish.  We did it and then there was the next day. I wasn't real keen on riding a century again, but I actually felt better than I thought I would. The following day was another great day, but a tiring 58 mile loop. Going across that finish line both days was spectacular. It was an accomplishment and I had felt the power of doing a century. Going to Granite State College gave me a similar feeling of accomplishment. I accomplished getting my degree later in life. I had the same determination I had riding my bike as I did when I took all those classes to get my BS degree in Business Management. I have often thought about taking Project Management Masters Program courses and may do that someday down the road.  With evening college classes, it would be possible. It is all possible: biking, school etc. You just have to have the drive to succeed to gain that power.  

I have a tendency to complain. There's something comforting about it, especially when I can get others to commiserate with me. Then it's like I have permission to get all righteous about whatever I've decided is responsible for my discontent and that makes me feel better somehow. But I really do know that all of that is pointless and futile.

It takes me a while sometimes, but it's very refreshing when I remember that it's all a choice. Everything I do, except for involuntary actions like blinking and breathing of course, is my choice. There are no "have to's."

I don't "have to" wake up in the morning to go to work. I prefer living in a home and eating regularly because I want to be comfortable and live, so I choose to go to work. I don't "have to" suffer through traffic. I prefer to drive any long distances rather than walk or bike. I choose my routes because I want to get to my destination faster. I don't "have to" eat celery instead of that frosted doughnut. I choose to because I want to feel healthy. And I don't really "have to" write this post.

I am not a plastic bag buffeted about in the wind at the mercy of outside forces. I am the architect of my life. Of course there are the limitations of circumstances and opportunites that we all work with, but there is still always a choice. And I love when I remember that, because there's empowerment in knowing how much control I actually do have over the construction of my life.

Before enrolling at Granite State College, I complained quite a bit about how little money I made and about how unattainable certain opportunities were due to my lack of higher education. When someone suggested I go to college, I'd complain about how hard it would be, how expensive it would be, how I couldn't go to school because of my work hours, that it would be too big a load to bear while supporting myself.

I was lucky that someone told me about the affordability of Granite State College and that it offered accelerated studies and the flexibility of online and weekend college classes. But luck wouldn't have been enough. After talking myself into how it was ultimately up to me to change my life and that it was useless to just wait for something to happen that might make my whole life better, I made a choice.

I chose to get a degree. I chose to change my life.

My teen daughter says that she "hates" science. She won't believe me when I tell her that, as Kurt Vonnegut said, "Science is magic that works."

I didn't like science that much when I was in high school either. I think it was because of all the memorizing and rules. It seemed so disjointed and unconnected to my life. It wasn't until I was older that I could appreciate the field better. It's all about the context really and it's too bad more teachers don't present it that way.

Because science is really just a way of figuring out the world, the universe, and life itself-- the mysteries of everything we know. It's like science is Sherlock Holmes and we're the less capable Dr. Watson who serve as simultaneous bystanders and assistants. When you think about it that way, it sounds so much more fun! This is how I started to try to make science more interesting for my daughter, and it does help that Robert Downey, Jr. has made Holmes more current, but she still didn't really buy it.

She is a huge fan of the Harry Potter series though, so I tried to draw a correlation between wizardry and science. Potions class is like Chemistry, Herbology is Botany, Quiddich employs physics, broomstick-flying involves understanding gravity, genetics can be explored to create three-headed dogs and giant spiders, inventing flying cars involves engineering, learning about space took place in Hogwarts' Astronomy Tower, and you can't study the Care of Magical Creatures without Zoology.

Photo credit: http://memoirmode.com

She's starting to come around a little, but I still have some convincing to do. It doesn't help that as a teen, she's naturally inclined to doubt most of what I say.

Eventually though, I hope to foster her curiosity about the world so she continues to want to learn beyond high school and into college. I want her to be personally invested in taking college classes, not just because it's the next step in her life, but because higher education, whether it's through taking weekend college classes in science or online college English classes, connects everything around us and enriches our life experiences. In addition to career advancement education, I want her to be inspired by the joy of learning itself.

Who knows? Maybe she'll eventually find the value in learning science and find herself majoring in psychology or astrophysics. Or maybe she'll find her passion by pursuing a Masters degree in Project Management or English Literature. Whatever path she decides to take, hopefully she'll see it as magical.

If you are a skier and want to go someplace with awesome skiing, then Banff and Lake Louise should be on your bucket list. Yes, the skiing was wonderful and the views high in the mountains were breathtaking.  I know this because I just got back from Banff a couple weeks ago. Yes, I was sore from skiing but that is only because I hadn't skied in about four years.  We spent a week there and got to enjoy many days at both resorts and also got to go on a sleigh ride and evebn did a little dog sledding. 

The snow was deep and just perfect for skiing.  In Lake Louise they had people called "Friends" that would take you around and show you the runs.  I pretty much stayed on the green runs most of the time. Of course their green runs were like Michigans blue runs.  These friends were very helpful, they would gage how you skied and show you the runs that best suited your expertise.  

So I learned which runs were the best for me and which ones I would gradually advance too. I had so much fun and if you have never been there, go.  But in saying that, it is all part of living and learning as we go through life. I learned the level and type of runs I should ski on and when you are in school, you learn how to study. At Granite State College, I learned that I needed a study group when I was attending my adult education classes. I realized this even more when I was taking accelerated studies classes on weekends.  You only had a short time to retain a lot of information. Study groups just worked for me. I had them when I started college in Tennessee and I kind of put a group together when I got into my classes in New Hampshire.  Anyways, learning new things is good, perfecting skills in skiing is a good thing also. I don't think I will ski anymore this year, but next year, watch out. I will be headed for the slopes once again!!

 

When I first enrolled at Granite State College, I knew that my grand goal was a Bachelor degree. Because of my lifestyle-- working a full time job, raising a child on my own-- it was necessary for me to take one class a term and I knew that added up to years and years of evening college classes, online classes, and weekend college classes. The idea was daunting and scary.

My adviser suggested a pitstop, a milestone to aim for-- a smaller goal to focus on that wasn't so intimidating. She convinced me to pursue my Associates degree first. I thought it was a great idea. (Thanks, Allie!) It seemed so much more attainable. I loved having a more tangible goal to strive for and keep me going.

On top of that sweet arrangement, I got to wear a cap and gown twice and attend two commencement ceremonies. It was a great honor to be able to stop halfway through my college path to recognize my achievements and feel proud of the progress I made.

And after that first graduation, acquiring the additional credits I needed to get my Bachelor degree was easy as pie. Mmmmm.....pie.

It is a beautiful morning in Michigan. I peered out my little kitchen window and was delightfully surprised to see a blanket of white snow.  Yes, I am not used to the snow as I had lived in the south for about twenty-three years, but the sight of it was refreshing and brought back great memories.  Playing in the snow as a youngster, was great. Snowballs, snowmen, castles made out of snow and lets not forget the snow angels; lots of fun. I will have to wake up a little earlier from now on just to clean off the drive or the car before I head to work. I am sure I will get in the grove and adjust to my new morning chores, just like I adjusted to the many hours of homework, going to Granite State College after work and study sessions with my adult learning friends.  Adjusting a lifestyle can be a challenge but the benefits that come from being an open minded, well adjusted person are priceless.  The benefits of Granite State College and their flexible school schedule, are points to mention. From after work schedules, on-line learning classes, weekend intensive classed, it is all possible for just about anyone. The college makes it possible to fulfill that dream of having a degree.  Enjoy your day and remember, YOU CAN ADJUST!!

Speaking of incredible adult college courses that deeply impacted
me (well, I was speaking of it in my last post anyway), I'll never forget another class I took through Granite State College-- a Manchester, NH college class called Humanities in the Age of Technology. I always loved the unique course selections available to me every term, excited when a crisp new course schedule would arrive in the mail, and this was no exception.

Professor Jeff Haight was the instructor's name and he was really tough. But he was the best kind of tough, because his high standards, proficiency, and insistence on advanced-level learning challenged me beyond what I thought I could do. He introduced me to another genre of learning that was to become a lifelong love of mine-- philosophy. His passion for the subject made it easy to attend that weekend college class.

His was the type of course that went beyond just career training education; It was a class that provoked me to pursue questions about life and meaning and analytical thought. He introduced me to the discourses of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, exposed the class to the trial of Socrates, and taught us the concept of consilience-- the unity of knowledge.

So, yeah. Here's a shout out to you, Jeff Haight. Thank you for your teaching excellence. I won't forget it.

When I started taking classes with Granite State College (formerly CLL), the idea of online classes was just taking hold. The notion that online learning could be just as effective and fulfilling as face-to-face classes was up in the air. I remember there being a lot of controversy about it. Would online classes be more work? What would be missed by not having the dynamic of spontaneous classroom discussion? Would online student-to-teacher interaction limit learning?

Through all of the years at Granite State College, I've taken about ten classes online, and what I discovered was that there's no one way to answer those questions just like there's no way to answer them when you compare different classroom-based courses. Every class is different. Some online courses were much harder and others were easier. Some online courses offered little value in class discussion and some classes were surprisingly insightful.

The thing that I liked about Granite State College is that they offered such a big variety of both types of classes, in addition to weekend intensives and independent learning contracts, so I had plenty of options. Online classes afforded me more flexibility and the opportunity to study subjects I might not have been able to if the course was offered outside of my area.

One thing's for sure about taking online college classes-- "going to school" while wearing my pajamas was delightful!

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.

Good Morning fans and friends,

I just woke up and saw that Westland is going to be selling Rain Barrels with some of the proceeds going to the cancer foundation.  My mum died of cancer so whenever I can give, help promote research, I am in for it.  But, it is not just for the cancer research fund, it is for the rain barrel.  I have always wanted one to water my flowers, garden and save the water that comes from the sky and recycle it.  I think it is a good thing for our earth as well as a good example of conservation. My grandparents had two of them at their cottage in Canada and I can remember at a young age, putting a dipper in and getting out a bucket full of water.  The Cottage didn't have running water, so we used it to wash our hair, water the garden and yes, even flush the toilet.  I know I won't use mine for all those reasons but I do think it is a good way to reuse our water that comes from the sky. 

I have to research it and see where the best down spout to put it under. But, that is no different than researching a subject for school.  Learning again is what I am talking about, learning about something new, exciting, is all part of life.  I just found out that Granite State College is offering a Masters of Science Degree in Project Management.  I am so excited and want to get signed up as soon as I learn my new job better. I want to be proficient in this new position before I put other information in my brain.  Taking these classes is a great education and career advancement opportunity. I am so excited about this new class, I have told other colleagues about the program and who knows, maybe a few of us will go to Granite State College and take these accelerated adult studies classes. 

OK, I am off to get my rain barrel.  I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Focus: HOPE has established a memorial fund to honor the organization’s co-founder Eleanor Josaitis, who passed away today at the age of 79. This women was such a pillar in the community, helping rebuild Detroit after the riots years ago and carrying on a dream that we all are worth something, each life is valuable. 

Her famous words, "Let your light shine and make the world a better place" What wise words!! Yes, she was a wise woman. She was the woman that stepped in after the Detroit riots to educate people on equality amongst the races. She was also the co-founder of Focus Hope which helped feed, educate young Americans and mainsteamed them into society. She was given many awards throughout her lifetime, including the 1999 “Distinguished Warrior” by the Detroit Urban League and the Ford Employees African-Ancestry Network's 2002 Heritage Award and the National Caring Award from the Caring Institute in Washington D.C, just to name a few. She will be missed as she passed away this morning. She inspired young people to keep learning throughout their lives, embrace life and as she used to say, "let your light shine to make the world a better place." Going to school, learning is just a way of life.

Granite State College is a good place to start that dream, vision. Give them a call, make an appointment, work in those adult college classes in the evening or weekend. It can be done, it is never too late.

Yep, it was a great weekend. It started out with a golf outing and learned how to set my golf ball when teeing off to use my driver...it worked and I have never seen my ball go so far!!  After that on Friday night, I enjoyed a day at the Detroit Dream Cruise. We went down Mustang Alley as we reminisced about the old Stangs as well as the new upcoming ones.  The power they have is remarkable and the old relics brought back some fond memories of cruising days.

We first stared in Royal Oak then went through Birmingham where we were hit by a sudden storm.  The rain came down so fast and furious that big branches of trees ripped off and tents were flipping. Some of the cars took off early as they were calling for hale and Collectors do not want hale damage to their beautiful vintage cars.

It has been over 30 years since I've been to Birmingham. The last time I was there my son was in a baby buggy being pushed down the main street. He is now 31 and everything has changed in Birmingham. Speaking of change, life has its' way of changing for all of us. Some times in our life everything is good and other times it is low and depressing. School is a great avenue to get a fresh start on life. It gives you a goal, a plan and plans seem to help one focus on the Now and Present. Granite State College can work with you to get the goal heading in the right direction.  Either on site classes or on line adult education classes,this could just be the right plan for you.  Don't wait another minute, get a plan and follow through with it, one class at a time.

    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.

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.

Attending school as a non-traditional adult student is not always easy.  Family and professional commitments can often be unexpected and take priority weekly adult college classes.  Granite State College offers flexible class schedules such as adult college classes, online classes for adults and weekend college classes.

I had the incredible opportunity to vacation in Kauai,  Hawaii this past May and was able to commit to the week last year with little concern of it interfering with my adult college program due to the availability of flexible class schedules.  I earned an "A" in my spring marketing class as it was a weekend intensive course which allowed me the flexibility to accomplish the coursework on my own schedule while taking a week to enjoy the sun, scenery and hospitality offered on the island of Kauai.



If you want to learn more about the flexible class schedules available at GSC or about the amazing adventures and beauty awaiting on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, ask me.  I am happy to share my experiences with you.