A Message from
Penn Foster College

“I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It‘s not just quitting on yourself, it‘s quitting on your country — and this country needs and values the talents of every American.”
      — President Barack Obama

Regardless of your political view, when President Obama said these words in February, he was right. Without an education beyond high school, the American workforce will be left behind. The economic reality demands educated men and women.

For those of you who are enrolled in a degree program, we take this moment to recognize your investment and your commitment to a better future, and we encourage you to continue to meet your difficult but attainable goals.

For those considering enrollment in PennFosterCollege.edu, we encourage you to get the education you need for the career you want and become a part of the new American workforce.

Sincerely,
Richard W. Ferrin, Ph.D.
President, Penn Foster College

In honor of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, in this issue of Faces of Penn Foster we are proud to highlight some of our hardworking students who are also Moms and Dads. Thank you to all the students who shared their story with us.

ALYCIA K. of Tacoma, WA “It’s the perfect situation for a full-time mother and homemaker, who also has a full-time career. I love not having the pressure of a set time frame, and also being able to work anywhere I can.” Click here to read Alycia’s story.

	JOSE R. of West Covina, CA “I run my own business and it’s doing great, but I’ve always dreamed of having my degree.” Click here to read Jose’s story.

BRIDGET C. of Troy, MO “This program helps me accomplish my goal of getting my degree but doesn’t require me to spend too much time away from my family.” Click here to read Bridget’s story.

Penn Foster has established a new Associate Degree Program in Retail Management. This degree will provide a solid background in the areas of retail management, finance/accounting, marketing, buying, and merchandising, and give a leg-up in industries such as sales management, store management, and supply chain management. This program will focus on the “ins and outs” of e-commerce, consumer behavior, merchandising, and much more!

According to PayScale.com, as of April 2009, assistant retail store managers made between $32,900 and $46,000 a year. In a shrinking job economy, the best retail management positions will go to those with the most education, training, and experience. Visit the Retail Management website to learn more.

Retail Store Assistant Manager — Median Salary by Years Experience

Source: PayScale.com

Join the conversation!! Twitter is all the rage and definitely one of the fastest-growing social media tools out there next to MySpace and Facebook! It’s easy to use and completely FREE! Once you “follow” a member of Twitter, you’re immediately in their loop and connected to all of their updates, which are known as “tweets” on Twitter.

So, now that you know all about the Twitter phenomenon… join the Penn Foster conversation on Twitter and become a PF TWEEP! “Tweeps,” as they’re called on Twitter, are known as connections, followers, or friends on other social networks.

What are you waiting for? Become a Penn Foster “tweep” on Twitter today! Once you sign up to follow our PF tweets, we’ll send you a code to receive 20% off your total order at our online bookstore.

Here’s how to sign-up:
1. Visit www.twitter.com and click the large green “Get Started — Join” button.
2. Enter your information and click “Create my account.”
3. To find Penn Foster, click the “Find People” link at the top of the page and
    type in “Penn Foster” into the search bar.
4. The results should show Penn Foster with our Penn Foster seal next to
    our username.
5. Click our name and once the page loads, hit “Follow.”
6. You’re now officially a Penn Foster TWEEP!

Happy tweeting!

We’re proud to announce a new partnership with Frontier Communications Corporation. Penn Foster students and alumni are now entitled to a discount of up to 13% off of the cost of Frontier’s high-speed Internet service, and a discounted price on Frontier’s Digital Satellite TV Service through Dish Network. Also, as part of this agreement, our students and alumni will have the opportunity to choose a package that qualifies them for a 7% discount off of Frontier’s “Peace of Mind” storage backup service. To take advantage of the high-speed Internet satellite TV and long-distance voice calling offers, simply visit: my.pennfoster.com/offers. After you complete the form, a Frontier representative will contact you within 24 hours to complete the process. For more information on Frontier’s “Peace of Mind” Service Packages offered through Penn Foster, go to pennfoster.frontierhelp.com.

Click here to view the list of students who have recently achieved the Penn Foster Dean’s List honor and who have agreed to have their names listed. Congratulations to all!

Penn Foster now offers more than 35 focused Certificate Programs designed to provide the fundamentals in select fields of study. These shorter, concentrated programs are suited to individuals working in a particular field. The newest Certificate programs just released are:
• Animal Care-Dogs
• Animal Care-Cats
• Westlaw® Legal Research
• HIPAA Compliance

Take one of the quizzes on Monster.com to help define your abilities and interests. You can receive suggestions on occupations matching your profile which may help you make an informed career choice. Here is the link to get you started: Monster.com.

Visit our bookstore to choose from hundreds of items including books, sweatshirts, t-shirts, tote bags, and other Penn Foster merchandise.

Does your company have jobs to advertise? Penn Foster will post your job openings to our students and graduates. Email JobPostings@pennfoster.edu.

Attention Graduates! There is no one better qualified to encourage our students than someone who has personally experienced and met the challenges of distance learning. Many students need inspiration, motivation, and support just to enroll, as well as continue with and complete their studies. Email your story and photo to Jim.Healey@pennfoster.edu. We want to hear from you.

Penn Foster News Archive