Students who take a college course during the winter or summer breaks at Lone Star College can earn extra credit, graduate sooner and stay engaged with their studies before returning to the fall or spring semester at their four-year university.

In 1982, Keith Barber started taking economics courses at LSC-North Harris when he was home during the summers. He said that experience gave him a leg up as a full-time accounting student at Southwestern University in Georgetown. Barber is the current Chief Executive Officer at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital and serves on the LSC Foundation Board of Directors.

“Taking the required economics classes, for my undergraduate and graduate degrees, during the summers at Lone Star College helped me to pace myself better and greatly contributed to my success as a college student,” said Barber. “I had great professors at Lone Star College and the quality of education was fantastic.”

Barber recognizes that LSC is different today than when he attended it 40 years ago. Still, he believes in the college’s mission and said LSC is a great educational institution for people who do not have the financial means or the need to attend a college away from home.

“Lone Star College offers high-quality and economical programming that allows people to supplement their education,” he said. “Having a college system, like Lone Star College, in our backyard enhances our lives.”

Barber earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree from Southwestern University and a Master of Science Degree in Health Care Administration from Trinity University. He has worked in the hospital administration field for more than 30 years, with nearly 11 years in the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital system. Barber plans to take art and welding courses at Lone Star College when he retires. 

It’s never too late to enroll in classes at LSC. Each semester, the college offers Next Start classes ranging from eight to 14 weeks that are available in-person, online and hybrid formats. Learn more at LoneStar.edu/Class-Start-Options.

Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2022 Great Colleges to Work For^® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education, ranked 35th in Texas in the Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers By State’ list and recognized by Fortune Magazine and Great Place To Work^® as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Texas^™. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.