L'Oreal's Gorostiza selected as Adult Learner of the Year.

When Rolando Gorostiza decided to set a good example for his children by returning to college, he never thought he would earn a national education award along with his college degree. But he did. The American Council on Education (ACE), which presents the ACE Adult Learner of the Year Award annually to an adult who leverages professional training that has been evaluated by ACE's College Credit Recommendation Service, saw something special in Mr. Gorostiza, a computer assisted design (CAD) engineer and manager for L'Oreal USA in Clark, NJ.

He enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology (BSAST) degree program at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, NJ in 2005. Mr. Gorostiza completed his degree in 19 months at the college. His employer, L'Oreal USA, provided tuition reimbursement. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding achievement in their community or workplace while successfully balancing the demands of family, career, and education. The ACE review process validated Mr. Gorostiza's certifications and occupational training for college credits. He traveled to San Diego, CA, to be honored at the ACE's annual meeting on Feb. 12, where he received the award.

"We are very pleased to see that ACE has chosen one of our employees to honor as Adult Learner of the Year for 2007," noted Patrick Cafaro, vice president of human resources for L'Oreal USA. "We have always encouraged employees to attain their college degrees via our tuition reimbursement program. This investment in our people is one that benefits all concerned--from the employees, to their families and back to the company. We are proud of Rolando for this accomplishment as well as his drive to persevere on his own time to achieve his bachelor's degree at Thomas Edison State College."