I graduated from NHCTC Berlin in the early 90s with an Associate Degree in Management. At the time my goal was to increase my value with the organization I was working for, but I also wanted to take advantage of the excellent education benefits the Army National Guard had to offer, such as The Montgomery GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, and Tuition Waiver.
NHCTC was the perfect way for me to start my college career, but three things had to happen for it to work: the courses had to be in the evening; they had to be offered nearby (I didn't want to travel); and I wanted a quality education. Because NHCTC fulfilled all three requirements, I eagerly enrolled. It quickly became clear to me, after only a few courses, that learning is a great feeling. It gives you confidence and makes you feel like you can accomplish anything.
After graduating from NHCTC I enrolled in the College for Lifelong Learning (CLL), now Granite State College, and was happy to learn that all the credits I earned at NHCTC easily transferred to CLL. Once again I was able to continue my education by taking evening courses and without having to travel any further than Littleton, though most of my classes were in Berlin.
At this stage in my life, thanks to the great teachers at NHCTC and CLL, I was hooked on learning and decided that I wanted to become a teacher. After getting a bachelor degree from CLL, I enrolled in the master degree program at Plymouth State University. This was a bit more difficult because most of the courses were on campus and required traveling to Plymouth during the evenings and on weekends. But at this point nothing could stop me. I was on a mission. I completed my studies in 2005 and received an M.Ed as a Computer Technology Educator. I had finally reached my goal and it was time to change careers.
I currently teach Cisco Networking, Computer Programming, Fundamentals of Web Design, and IT Essentials at White Mountains Regional High School in Whitefield, NH. And just to prove that I've gone full circle, I'm also an adjunct teacher at NHCTC Berlin, teaching computer courses in the evening. Life is good! I know this might sound like a cliché, but none of this could have happened without NHCTC. It's where I planted the first seed.
