College of the Ozarks

I recently attended a writers' workshop in Branson, Missouri. The meeting was held on the College of the the Ozarks' campus. It's other name is Hard Work U.

College of the Ozarks! All I can say is WOW! The campus is immaculate and beautiful but what impressed me the most was that every student there is working their way through school. EVERYONE. If a student qualifies grade wise and can't afford college tuition, he or she can attend College of the Ozarks and work their way through.

I spoke with two young men as I was out taking pictures. One was majoring in English, the other in computer science. They explained the college offers 40 some odd degrees including: pre-engineering, premed, pre- veterinary courses as well as business management, agriculture, computer sciences, and on and on.

The young men explained that some students work in the school laundry where all the campus laundry is processed. As I walked around campus I saw students washing windows, picking up trash on the parking lot, and working in the campus restaurant.

Campus restaurant is not nearly adequate as a description for this eating place. Plush, high class, luxurious, down right swanky would be a little closer to the truth. Students, dressed in white coats, took reservations, waited tables, and no doubt, did the food preparations, all a part of the Culinary Arts degree and or the Hotel and Restaurant Management degrees offered by the college.

I asked about the beautiful, rock faced buildings and learned the students did all the construction under the guidance of the engineering and buildings department. Talk about hands on educations, the College of the Ozarks is the place to go.

For students and families hard pressed for cash, college is not out of reach for those truly wanting to get that higher level of education. Drop by their web site http://www.cofo.edu/ and get an eye full.