Claudia Rodriguez juggles a job with the National Guard, a family life with a husband and two children, and college courses at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. She is a veteran of the U.S. army and on her way to completing an associates degree in sociology with a minor in Spanish.

Although Claudia has already achieved a great deal in life and those around her describe her as an excellent student, family provider and role model, she knows she can do more. Attaining her degree will allow her to begin a career in counseling–something she is passionate about, while also setting an example for her children.

Says Claudia: “I think I made good choices. I am very excited about the future.”

Click here for more stories from adult students on the path to opportunity.

A recent article in the New York Times titled “Placing the Blame as Students Are Buried in Debt” tackles the uncomfortable subject of student debt by looking at the parties responsible. The Project on Student Debt estimates that the average college student graduates with $23,200 in debt. For Cortney Munna, profiled in the Times article, that number is a staggering $97,000.

Who do you think deserves most of the blame in subprime student loan cases? The student? His/her family? The lenders? Or the university?

If you’re caught up in a similar debt mess, the Huffington Post Investigative Fund is conducting an ongoing study into the student lending and debt collection industry, as well as the risks incurred by students who continue to take out massive loans to fund their education.

If you’re a student who wants to avoid going into further debt or to avoid it completely, now’s the time to begin thinking about smart ways to spend and save money. In the past, we’ve listed 5 lesser-known ways to reduce college costs, tips on managing your credit, ways to save cash on textbooks and a campaign to get personal finance tips sent straight to your phone.

Above, watch the trailer for Default, an independent documentary film about the student loan crisis in America.

Aaron Spiegel
Minneapolis Community College
Major: Pyschology

Aaron Spiegel is the co-founder and VP of Pride, a GLBTQ and Allies Group, President of Student Senate, Recipient of Student Senate of the Year Award, part of the Minnesota State College Student Association, Co-Founder of Wellness Advocates for You, and preparing for a Psychology major at Minneapolis Community College. At first, Aaron’s resume sounds like a list of activities and associations commonly boasted by ambitious college students across the nation; but behind this charming young man is a much rockier past than most college students will ever face.

Aaron left home at 15 years old due to an abusive father, became homeless and addicted to drugs. He took refuge at the local library and began to read books. He sought treatment for his addition, earned a GED and began taking classes at the local community college, where, for the first time, he gained a sense of hope for a better life.

Like many of today’s college students, Aaron doesn’t fit the mold of the “traditional” college student, but the reality is he is much more like today’s “normal” student. When asked about the challenges he has faced to stay in school and complete college, this is what he had to say:

1. Upon leaving high school and entering college, what skill did you most wish you would have learned in high school?

I wish I had learned better math and science skills. I was underprepared in those subjects when I first enrolled in college. Most students I know have had similar experiences.

2. What has been the biggest challenge that you have overcome to stay in school?

The cost of education is prohibitive and it keeps getting higher at a rate that is three times that of inflation. Neither student financial aid nor family incomes can keep pace with such steep increases. This further stratifies our society so that the American dream becomes impossible for many. The current system is broken and we need to address it in ways that create more equity.

3. What has been the biggest motivator that has kept you here?

I want to become one of the change makers the world desperately needs. I have a deep desire to learn, even after I dropped out of High School, I still read everything I could get my hands on.
I know that knowledge is power and that my education is something that I can never lose.

4. What do you think is the number 1 concern of students in community college right now?

Tuition and textbook costs.

5. What is your number 1 concern?

I am concerned that like many of my friends I will get great grades, get a degree and then have a difficult time finding a fulltime position with a career in which I am passionate; and then I will have a mountain of student loans that will need to be paid.

Despite the hardships Aaron has dealt with on his journey to a degree, his belief in the power of education goes undiminished.

“I believe that we need to address a deeper underlying issue in community colleges and education in general. Students feel that school is just a game where you regurgitate facts for an exam just to get passing grades and then get a certificate or degree. A common phrase I hear is “C’s get degrees”.

We are turning out students who believe that mediocrity is okay. We need to be creating a culture of actively engaged students that see the value in being a life long learner. I believe one of the ways we can do that is by connecting theory taught in the classroom to real world application. I think experiential or service learning is one way to accomplish this. If a student feels what they are learning has value in the real world, it will help them to understand the concepts better, and hopefully spark a thirst for knowledge for the rest of their life.”

To hear more stories from non-traditional students like Aaron, check out USATODAY’s “Degrees of Difficulty”.

One of the big problems we face in American education reform is teacher quality. The success of charter schools like Harlem Success Academy and the KIPP schools have proven that outstanding teachers make a huge difference, no matter what socio-economic background students come from.

Author, former educator, principal and charter school founder Doug Lemov set out to investigate exactly what makes a good teacher. Lemov was profiled in the New York Times Magazine article “Building A Better Teacher,” published earlier this year.

After years of observation and data analysis, Lemov gathered his findings into a book, titled “Teach Like A Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College,” which was released last month. Above, check out a video of Lemov explaining what makes a great teacher and why he hopes his book can help increase the number of outstanding teachers in this country.

Cameron Herold is successful business coach in Vancouver who struggled through school as a kid only to realize that his struggles stemmed not from his own inabilities, but from a faulty school system. He was born to be an entrepreneur and a leader, but found that the Canada school system seemed to work against his strengths in public speaking and motivation.

At an independent TED event in Edmonton, Herold spoke about the need for schools to recognize the strengths in each individual student, and serve to nurture those strengths instead of forcing everyone to fit the system.

For over 20 years, Herold has worked to mentor kids who dream of becoming entrepreneurs. He advocates the notion of embracing to idea from a young age, when kids are “too dumb”–or rather, haven’t yet been conditioned–to believe that they can’t become an entrepreneur.

“Entrepreneurs are people who have these ideas and these passions or see these needs in the world and we decide to stand up and do it. And we put everything on the line to make that stuff happen.”

Visit Cameron Herold’s website at http://backpocketcoo.com

Yesterday, the Huffington Post launched a new a section called HuffPost College, covering news and opinions from college and university campuses across the country.

The section launch kicked off with a feature that addresses the most pressing concern of America’s college students: money.

“Majoring In Debt” sheds some very real light upon the issue of debt that millions of college students and graduates grapple with in the midst of a grim economic climate.

Nine current students and graduates aged 21-47 tell us, in their own words, what it feels like to be
$15,000, $100,000, or even $250,000 in the red. The feature is part of an ongoing investigation into the student lending and debt collection industry, which found that Americans owe $527 billion total in student loans, and an average of $23,200 each.

Despite owing an exorbitant amount of money coming out of college, many students insist that it’s worth it. Others, however, question whether or not they made the right choices regarding the school they chose, the major they picked, and even the types of loans they took out. It’s important to make sure you carefully consider these kinds of decisions, but one thing’s for certain–to become successful in today’s society, you need a quality education.

Here are a couple of excerpts drawn from “Majoring in Debt:”

I know there has been talk in Washington about helping us “student debt-drowners,” but I watch politics go on as usual and it leads me to believe that there will be no help for me and the thousands like me. Where’s our bailout?
- Todd Sussman, 26, law student, University of Miami

These financial companies are completely out of control, and their predatory lending practices take advantage of millions of students just like me, who are trying to finish training, and be productive members of society. To all the students who are thinking about borrowing from private banks, be very careful, and most importantly, demand ethical behavior.
- Charlie Preston, 30, resident physician, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

These testimonials are accompanied by a word from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who voices his own desire to carry out the government’s plan to lend money directly to students instead of through banks.

When we first launched GetSchooled.com, we hosted a panel event along with New York Entrepreneur Week that featured speakers Marc Ecko, Kevin Powell, and Joel Human recounting their roads to success and offering inspiration to an audience of 200 at-risk NYC students.

Joel Human, a.k.a. “The Fashion Hustler,” is an artist, entrepreneur, and founder of Fashion Hustler (http://fashionhustler.ning.com/) and Hair Hustler (http://hairhustler.ning.com/). In this clip, Human recalls the story of how he found his way back to school after hitting rock bottom. While living with his mother, he made little money cutting hair at a local barbershop until one customer urged him to get a college education and make something better out of his life. Upon waking up from a vivid dream that told him college was the answer, he brought a portfolio of his graffiti art to Pratt Institute, where his talent was recognized and he was eventually accepted with a full ride scholarship.

When we first launched GetSchooled.com, we hosted a panel event along with New York Entrepreneur Week that featured speakers Marc Ecko, Kevin Powell, and Joel Human recounting their roads to success and offering inspiration to an audience of 200 at-risk NYC students.

Kevin Powell is a political activist, poet, and entrepreneur. Here, he puts forth some closing comments to the student audience, challenging them to think past mere survival and start focusing on the future. “Where do you see yourself 5, 10, 25 years from now?” he asks. “What’s your legacy going to be?”

When we first launched GetSchooled.com, we hosted a panel event along with New York Entrepreneur Week that featured speakers Marc Ecko, Kevin Powell, and Joel Human recounting their roads to success and offering inspiration to an audience of 200 at-risk NYC students.

Marc Ecko is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Marc Ecko Enterprises. Here, he tells the story of how he built his business from the ground up, familiarizing himself with every role involved in its operation. “I started Ecko Unlimited with just an airbrush, a t-shirt, and a vision,” he said. “I want to share with these students the knowledge I’ve gained as an entrepreneur so they can start their journeys with just a little bit more.”

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Athlete’s Village (photo by KK Law)

Alan Hart, architect and co-founder of VIA Architecture, talks to Get Schooled about what it takes to be part of a great team and how he’s trying to make Vancouver and Seattle better places to live.

GS: What was the biggest hurdle you faced along your educational path?

AH: For me, the biggest hurdle in becoming an architect was believing that I could really become one.

In my junior year in high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a profession. My dad suggested that I had the artistic eye and creative mind necessary to pursue becoming an architect. I thought that it was a great idea, but had no idea what that involved.

The career counselor at my high school told me definitively that I didn’t have the required course work to go to architectural school; ‘not enough Chemistry or Physics.’ I took his advice at face value and decided not to pursue architecture.

At college, I tried all sorts of courses, first majoring in History, then Psychology, and finally Urban Planning. All this time, I remained very interested in Architecture. I photographed buildings as a hobby and became friends with a number of architectural students. These friends saw my interest and encouraged me to take Architecture as a post graduate degree.

It seemed that those who knew me knew I would make a good architect, yet I listened to advice that I didn’t have the stuff to become one. And ultimately, it was me who had to believe. The rest is history.

GS: What schooling is required for success in your career?

AH: Schooling is such a personal choice. What schooling you pursue to become an architect depends so much on what aspect of architecture you are interested in (there are so many).

In a way, I was lucky not to go directly into Architecture right after high school. I had the opportunity to develop a much broader understanding of the world around me and how it worked This bigger view has allowed me to put architecture in a more real world perspective that has given what I do more meaning and value. My advice is to begin by studying the broader context before you delve into the detailed aspects of architecture.

GS: What inspires you?

AH: I am inspired by the commitment of recent graduates that we have hired to make the world a more sustainable, fairer, and healthier place to live. The younger generation I work with has reminded me of the important questions that have long been overlooked or forgotten. Common sense that has long been forgotten–like putting people before cars, being concerned where our food comes from, understanding that sustainability begins with our personal choices, and that making the world a better place is a very exciting reason to be practicing architecture.

GS: Your latest project was selected as the site for Athlete’s Village at the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics in February 2010. That’s amazing!

AH: We were very excited to be involved in the project from its inception as an “ecodistrict”, or a community that would model walkability, livability, and deep long-term sustainability principles. Our planning emphasized the need for conservation, restoration, management of energy, waste, water, and transportation, and integration of opportunities to grow food in this urban neighborhood. Buildings will use less energy and create less waste. As architects, we feel that work of this kind is a contribution that we can make to our communal well-being, and we hope to take these ideas much further in our future projects.