ACE's Adult Learner of the Year Award
ACE's Adult Learner of the Year Inspires Family to Follow His
Lead
San Diego, CA (February 12, 2008)—Rolando
Gorostiza always encouraged his children to pursue their college degrees
but felt his words were hollow as he had not graduated from college
himself. Now, degree in hand, Gorostiza is an inspiration to his entire
family.
The American Council on Education (ACE) today named Gorostiza the
2007 Adult Learner of the Year in recognition of his educational
achievement.
The Adult Learner of the Year Award is presented annually by ACE's
College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) to an adult learner who
used ACE college credit recommendations to earn a college degree or
advance a career. Recipients must also demonstrate outstanding
achievements in their community or workplace while successfully
balancing the demands of family, career and education. ACE's CREDIT
Service reviews employer education programs nationwide and makes
recommendations for colleges and universities to award up to three
college credits for each course.
"Winners of this award, like Rolando, inspire us, too," noted Susan
Porter Robinson, ACE vice president, Center for Lifelong Learning.
"Despite the rigors of his career and personal life, he worked with both
an excellent employer and institution to realize his goal. ACE is proud
to provide the bridge that made that possible."
Gorostiza enrolled in Thomas Edison State College's (NJ) Bachelor of
Science program in applied science and technology. He was then able to
use the credit recommendations he had earned though the ACE CREDIT
service while employed at L'Oreal USA to acquire a solid foundation for
his degree. Gorostiza received his bachelor's degree at Thomas Edison's
35th commencement ceremonies in October 2007, at which he also received
an Arnold Fletcher Award for exceptional achievement.
"I was exhausted most of the time, but the academic spirit in the
home was intoxicating! I never knew that I loved school so much and also
affirmed what I had suspected, that academic fervor is best conveyed by
example," said Gorostiza, a resident of Delran, NJ, and father of three.
Currently, each of his children is pursuing a college degree and his
wife has also begun a degree program at Thomas Edison State College.
Nominations were reviewed by a three-person panel: Diana Thomas, vice
president of United States training for McDonalds Corporation; Clay
Warren, Chauncey M. Depew professor of communications, George Washington
University; and Deborah Ross Warin, associate director of corporate
programs, ACE's Center for Lifelong Learning.
ACE's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) pioneered
the evaluation of education and training attained outside the college
and university degree programs. For more than 30 years, CREDIT has
evaluated and made college credit recommendations for nearly 36,000
courses offered by hundreds of organizations. CREDIT uses college and
university faculty to evaluate courses offered by business and industry,
labor unions, associations, and government agencies and recommends
college credit as appropriate.
More than half a million adult learners are currently enrolled in
ACE Transcript Services, with hundreds of thousands of additional
learners using these credit recommendations directly through
partnerships between their organizations and colleges and
universities.
Founded in 1918, ACE (www.acenet.edu) is the
major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education
institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university
presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks
to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education
issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and
program initiatives.
Please direct questions about this page to:
credit@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated: 03/11/2009
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