Serving up burgers and education benefits for the Pennsylvania National Guard

As the summer winds down, Peirce fit in one last warm-weather event, a picnic for soldiers at Fort Indiantown Gap. The Gap serves as an active training center and headquarters for the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Burgers and hot dogs were served up at the Pennsylvania National Guard Education Center to thank our service members and make them aware of the many education benefits available for members of the military who are interested in continuing their education.

Peirce College representatives with members of the Pennsylvania National Guard

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Pennsylvania National Guard Scholarship goes to Peirce student service member

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again -- adulthood doesn't have to keep you from going back to school, and neither does military service. Today, I want to introduce you to one individual who’s successfully balancing the demands of military service and a degree program, SFC Jennifer Sue Mock. She’s this year’s National Guard Scholarship recipient and one of many active duty service members and veterans among our ranks of students and alumni.

Peirce’s National Guard Scholarship is a competitive, renewable, full tuition scholarship available to active members in good standing of the National Guard or a spouse of an active Guard Member from one of the following states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland or Virginia. Jennifer is part of a long history of Peirce students who served in the military, and a well-deserving recipient of this scholarship.

SFC Jennifer Sue Mock with her daughters; Peirce President James J. Mergiotti;
and Major General Wesley E. Craig, The Adjutant General, Pennsylvania National Guard

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Hurricane Irene update: Emergency checklist

As you know, Hurricane Irene is headed up the East Coast and straight for the Philadelphia area. Please review the following emergency checklist and share with fellow faculty, staff, students, friends, and family. We will keep you updated on any cancellations or closings through our main phone lines and student portal. If we experience severe disruption to our Web servers, we will publish information on Peirce's Facebook page. Stay safe this weekend!

So you think your office is a zoo? Meet Karl Fritz

Peirce College graduate Karl Fritz at the Philadelphia Zoo

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! For Peirce graduate Karl Fritz, who was recently promoted to Director of Business Operations at the Philadelphia Zoo, that’s just another day at the office.

Before he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management from Peirce College in 2006, Karl was a good example of a person who had a lot of potential, but lacked the credentials needed to move up in an organization. He recognized that without a bachelor’s degree, his options in the corporate world were limited.

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Making the most of Career Development Services: Help CDS help you!

That's me, Jasmine!

Hello again! You might remember me from last summer -- my name is Jasmine Ross. I am a rising junior in high school and a returning Career Development Services (CDS) intern. As a returning intern at Peirce, I now realize more than ever the importance of an internship and how it will prepare me for many future experiences in the workforce.

Making a good impression and taking advantage of every opportunity to learn are just two of the many crucial aspects of a successful internship. Another important aspect is positioning yourself for future job opportunities.

Over the past two summers, I have learned a lot about the personalized guidance and support services that CDS offers Peirce students as they explore their careers. This exposure helped me understand that I had some of this guidance available to me in my high school as well.

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FOX Business reports on latest trends in adult education

In a FOXBusiness.com article about the increasing numbers of working adults who are going back to school, reporter Emily Driscoll examines the trend and reveals some of the reasons why more and more adults are deciding to return to school.

She sets the stage with an interesting statistic from a 2007 survey by U.S. News and World Report, which reports that the number of college students ages 40 to 64 has increased nearly 20 percent to almost two million in the last decade.

Adult learners are no stranger to Peirce -- the average age of our student body is 35, and we’ve provided education for working adults since our inception 146 years ago.

Needless to say, we’ve learned a lot over the years about what they are looking for from an educational experience and why getting a degree is so important.

Emily gave Peirce an opportunity to weigh in on what is driving adults back to the classroom based on our experiences with non-traditional learners.

Before connecting with Emily, I sat down with Nadine Maher, Uva Coles, Rita Toliver-Roberts, and Brad Hodge to pick their brains on why adult learners are choosing to return to school. Thanks for including our comments, Emily! Jump over to the FOX Business article to read what we had to say.

Featured Learner Series: Amanda Eades takes on textbooks and tiaras on her path to degree completion

Amanda at a Philadelphia 76ers game with Peirce

The path to degree completion for most adult learners usually doesn't include a stop at the Miss New Jersey USA pageant. But Amanda Eades hasn't had the typical journey.

Amanda lived with her grandparents growing up, and as you might expect, money was tight. Despite that, she worked tirelessly to earn straight A's in high school, because she was determined to better herself and go to college. Thanks to her outstanding grades, Amanda received a scholarship to Burlington County Community College. There she earned her associate degree in accounting.

After graduating, Amanda entered the workforce at Charming Shoppes. One day at work, she attended a seminar where representatives from local colleges (including Peirce) presented their school's options. Once again, her love of education connected with her understanding that it is the key to getting ahead.

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A non-traditional approach for non-traditional students

In education, adult learners are known as non-traditional students. A non-traditional student is one who is beginning or completing his college education when his adult life, a life filled with the responsibilities of family and work, has already begun.

Adult learners need support from people who understand the difficulties that come with juggling education and the stresses of everyday life. A non-traditional student needs a non-traditional way to get ahead in life. We know this because that’s what we do every day at Peirce.

As case in point we have Grace Derr, who is on pace to graduate at the end of August 2011 with a degree in information technology. She just sent a beautiful letter that’s making the rounds here and making us all feel good about our non-traditional approach to non-traditional students.

We asked Grace if we could share her letter with you because nothing could say it better than she did. Here it is, just as it appeared in my inbox.*

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Peirce Commencement hits the big screen: Your computer

Grab your popcorn and a soda, because you have a free ticket to the movie of the year! It’s a film that’s hitting web browsers everywhere, and its hundreds of stars each give an Oscar-worthy performance. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll applaud adult learners as you watch Peirce graduates on the first day of the rest of their lives. Lives made better with their newly minted degrees!

A video of the 2011 Peirce College Commencement ceremony is now available online for students, friends, and family to relive the excitement of the day. And if there’s anyone who couldn’t be there, they can finally see their favorite Peirce grad walk across the stage!

Share this with your friends, post it on your Facebook page, and send it to anyone who you know has what it takes to one day walk across this same stage. Don’t stop spreading the word about the power of degree completion!

Best schools for military members: 5 things servicemen and women should look for

Going back to school or finding a college that is the right fit can be a daunting task for any student, but military students have a unique set of requirements they need met. They’re asking questions such as, can I transfer my military experience for college credits? Can I keep up my coursework if I get re-deployed? How can I make the most of the GI Bill benefits available to me?

Peirce College is proud to be a military-friendly school and our Admissions Office is well-equipped to respond to these questions from service members. This June we welcomed Denise Kerr, who joined our ranks as an Enrollment Representative specializing in military recruitment.

Denise comes from the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she processed Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, so she is the ideal person to help walk active-duty or retired service members through the enrollment process and beyond. Her experience gives her an in-depth understanding of what veterans are looking for when they return to earn their degrees. She knows the ins and outs of the paperwork, the logistics, the benefits, and the common questions and fears of service members.

What it really comes down to is finding a college that understands the situation that military members are in and has the programs, resources, and knowledgeable people who can support military students throughout the process.

I sat down with Denise to get her advice for military members or veterans who are looking to complete their degree. Read on for some of the important things servicemen and women need to consider when identifying a college that can best meet their needs.

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