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Ana G. Mendez School Expands: Miramar Welcomes Ana M?Ndez University, a Private School That Serves Bilingual Students

Posted on: Sunday, 4 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Natalie P. Mcneal, The Miami Herald

Jun. 4--When Lissette Bossolo decided to pursue a business degree, she looked for a program that would be flexible enough to allow her to spend time with her husband and two young daughters.

Bossolo, 37, a native of Puerto Rico who lives in Orlando, decided to attend Ana G. Mendez University System in 2003. The university, founded in Puerto Rico, has a cam-pus in Orlando and offers accelerated degree programs in which students can earn bachelor's degrees in two years, taking four-hour courses once a week.

"I had to finish my degree quickly," said Bossolo, who now works as operations manager at the college.

Now, Ana Mendez University is opening a branch in Miramar. At a news conference in Miramar's Town Center last week, politicians and college leaders welcomed the university to the city.

Classes start on Aug. 28 in a 30,000-square-foot building at the Miramar Park of Commerce.

"Today, we celebrate the arrival of new educational opportunities for the community in South Florida," said Syndia Nazario-Cardona, director of the Miramar campus. Miramar leaders say that as the city matures, it needs more universities to groom a potential workforce for the Fortune 500 companies that have moved into the city. Miramar Mayor Lori Moseley said the school will encourage "trained and qualified employees," to the businesses.

University leaders say that Miramar's proximity to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, coupled with the vibrant Hispanic community in South Florida, made the city a perfect fit for the college. In 1942, Ana G. Mendez, a University of Puerto Rico graduate, started the Puerto Rico High School of Commerce with 29 students and a $5,000 budget. Then, Mendez co-founded the Puerto Rico Junior College in 1949, which eventually became the Colegio Universitario del Este, with campuses in two different cities in Puerto Rico.

The school made its stateside debut in Orlando as Ana Mendez University in 2003. Mendez's son, Jose Mendez, has run the San Juan-based school, which has 36,000 students, since 1974.

When Ana Mendez University opens in Miramar, the private school will offer bachelor's degrees in business, education, health, and hotel management. The school will have master's degrees in teaching English as a second language, guidance and counseling, educational leadership and human resources. They anticipate that about 250 students will enroll this fall.

For an undergraduate degree, it costs $285 per credit and a master's is $335 per credit. Students must be at least 23 years old, and have some post-secondary education or college experience to enroll.

"We want to make sure they have been exposed to that environment," said Jessica Lopez, spokeswoman for the college.

The school is structured to graduate bilingual professionals. Bossolo, says that half of her classes were in English and half in Spanish. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

For more information, call 954-885-5595 or visit www.suagm.edu/florida.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Miami Herald

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Miami Herald

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