&8220;You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about, the more you have left when anything happens.&8221;

&8212; Ethel Barrymore

Many have said learning is a lifelong process, that the pursuit of an education is a journey worth undertaking regardless of your chosen field of study.

For Shelby County residents, such a pursuit is widely available locally thanks to the superb educational opportunities provided for us at the University of Montevallo, the Shelby Campus of Jefferson State Community College and Virginia College&8217;s Tech campus located in Pelham.

If your goal is to become a nurse, caring for those in need, you can do just that here. Perhaps you plan to earn a degree in English and become a well known author or perhaps an educator; you can begin that journey here. Even if you simply want to improve your outdoor barbequing skills or learn something about yoga [hopefully not simultaneously], you can get those pursuits done along with many more through courses available locally.

Classes run the gamut of virtually any professional or avocational pursuit. Thumbing through course directories for each institution can be daunting but a quick call or visit to the institution&8217;s website can answer most any question.

Registration for summer classes at both institutions is nearing so if you are interested in broadening your educational horizon this summer, in hopes of improving your career or simply for the fun of it, be sure to act soon.

For more information on classes offered or how to register, please contact:

-University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL 35115, (205) 665-6000, www.montevallo.edu

-Jefferson State Community College, Shelby Campus, 4600 Valleydale Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35242, 205-520-5900, 205-520-5903 fax, www.jeffstateonline.com

-Virginia College Tech, Pelham Campus, 2790 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, AL 35124, (205) 358-1100, www.vctechnical.com