My college was very fortunate to hire a new admissions counselor who has particular insight to the needs and interests of the Spanish-speaking community. I asked him to speak to me a little bit about his background, why he returned to school and his hopes to encourage others to finish their degrees.

Sam Irizarry was born inPuerto Rico to hard-working parents. They moved to the U.S. when Sam was in the third grade. He entered a bi-lingual elementary school and learned English there. Later he attended a technical high school and got interested in drafting. He said he was always artistic and thought about a careerw:st="on">Inter American University of Puerto Rico , an exchange program he helped to establish as part of the Latin America Association at a university in Connecticut .

In his role as an admissions counselor for an adult-serving, public online college, Sam works with people from all walks of life. For most adults, balancing family, job and school is the biggest challenge to returning to learning. “You really have to want it”, says Sam. “It is a lot of work, but earning the degree is worth it.”  Sam finds that most of the prospective students he works with are pursuing their education because they want to be role models for their children. The reality of today’s market place is that without a college education, your job opportunities are limited. Parents want the best for their kids and know that completin s

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So, are you making plans for your summer vacation? With gas prices soaring, you probably are thinking twice about getting in the car and heading across the country, or even across the state! But, what you may think about is taking the opportunity to either get started or catch up with your degree completion program. And, since you don't have to drive to a campus to do this, you've just saved what could be hundreds of dollars in gas prices alone!

Many college students enrolled full time in traditional programs often want to get ahead over the summer. Or, unfortunately, need to re-take a course in which they received a less than stellar grade. Instead of sacrificing time at the pool or the earnings provided by a summer job, the time and place flexibility of online learning may fit the bill.

Summer is also the perfect time for an adult returning to learning, or new to the online environment, to get his or her feet wet....not in the pool, but in an internet assisted learning environment. Taking just one course over the summer, usually delivered in a six or eight week term, puts you three credits closer to degree completion. And, it provides you the luxury of focusing on just one course, from the comfort of your home or workplace and at your convenience. So, you can still take the family on a day trip to the museum and log in at night to complete your online assignments. Rest assured, all of your fellow classmates have the same hectic schedules  and balancing acts that you do. But, they also have the sincere desire to learn and grow...just like you.

Community colleges  and state universities will offer a variety of affordable  learning opportunities in the summer term. If you are currently matriculated full time at another college/university be sure to check with your advisor regarding the transferability of the course you wish  to  take.

Always be sure to check the accreditation of a college before enrolling in  a  course. You usually will want to be sure that a college is regionally accredited. This assures maximum transferrability to another institution and recognition by an employer.

Ahhh, summer....a time of relaxation and renewal....and maybe getting more than a tan, but a jump start on your education.