Monday, August 30, 2010

Debt-Free U, Zac Bissonnette, and the Today Show

Zac Bissonnette, who is a senior at UMass Amherst, was interviewed by Ann Curry on the Today Show. The interview is worth watching for several reasons:

1. Zac does a wonderful job answering her questions (and she certainly seems to have taken copious notes on his book, featured above);

2. Zac is an exemplar of a student whose ambition and hard work have already resulted in a published book plus amazing experiences and contacts, and

3. Zac makes excellent points regarding some of the advantages of getting an education at a public university, such as UMass Amherst, where I teach.

You can read about other amazing things that Zac accomplished even as a sophomore at UMass Amherst (including how he got his book deal) on the UMass Amherst College of Social and of Behavioral Sciences website page here. In that interview, he also extols the great education that he is getting at UMass Amherst.

I do believe that his book with the full title: Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off my Parents will be a best-seller.

We wish him much continuing success.