Meet Randall Barnes, Author

Randall Barnes is a college freshman and the author of the young adult novel series, The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson. He recently released The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson: Volume II. You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope as @AuthorRandallB, and be sure to check out his YouTube channel.

1. How did you come up with the character of Aaliyah?

I came up with the character of Aaliyah Anderson seeing the wonderful, ambitious young women around me at my high school. I didn't see a clear representation of them in the media. I knew their stories were intriguing, entertaining, and worth chronicling in a novel series, so I documented all the characteristics of these ladies and created Aaliyah Anderson. I also consider Aaliyah the female version of me. We share the same ideologies and dreams. We both also share one main weakness, overthinking things!

2. What inspired you to start writing novels for young adults?

There's a void in the industry to reflect what's truly going on in the lives of young adults. I got tired of seeing every other book for young and reluctant readers be about linear topics such as relationships. We're more diverse than that and The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson novel series shows that. Within the books, we tackle subjects that have never been discussed before in a commercial novels series such as the corruption that plagues many public school systems and the effect your environment has on your mental development. I wanted to prove that you could craft higher minded works of fiction for young people that are still entertaining.

3. What are some of the experiences we'll see Aaliyah face in your latest book?

The first edition in the series was the introduction to Aaliyah. Now, we get into the drama! Aaliyah is tangled up in a heated student presidential election with her enemy Latasha, who is eerily reminiscent of Donald Trump in this election. Latasha hurls non-stop insults at Aaliyah and doesn't specify what she'd do to make Clarkson a better school. Aaliyah is actually bringing up good ideas and is presenting herself as a phenomenal representation of the student body, but they're supporting Latasha because of the entertainment factor. It's amazing that I predicted the 2016 Presidential Race back in 2012!

Aaliyah also has to deal with the increasing violence that's occurring in her hometown of Willowsfield, Georgia. Willowsfield is statistically the #1 most dangerous city in America, and the novel shows that. For example, her best friend Allison is kidnapped by her significantly older ex-boyfriend, and Aaliyah has to find her before she gets hurt. The street gangs of Willowsfield are engaged in a social media war with the gangs of Worthington, Georgia, and the beef culminates at the Howard-Jones vs. Worthington High Football game. Aaliyah has to find her way to success while keeping her sanity and life intact.

4. How has Wattpad helped you as an author?

Wattpad showed me who my audience is. I used to limit myself by saying that my reader base is young women between the ages of 13-18. Looking at my numbers on Wattpad, I found that college age readers also enjoy The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson. It's also allowed me to build a platform for my novels that propelled me to get a book deal back in 2014.

5. As a college student, when do you find time to write your novels?

It's easy to find time to write in college. When in college, you have the freedom to set your own personal schedule. I currently have four classes on Mondays and Wednesdays but only one in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That means Tuesdays and Thursdays are my writing days! I try my best to write at least 500 words or complete a chapter of the latest book I'm working on. I was told by one of my author mentors back when I was in 10th grade that writing books in college would be challenging. I'll go as far as to say writing novels in high school was more challenging because of the lack of freedom. Besides, it's all about your passion for what you're doing. No matter what schedule constrictions you have, you always have time to write.

Thanks, Randall!

A Guest Post from the Irish American Young Leaders

The Irish American Young Leaders are hosting a Hall of Fame and launch party this Friday, March 11, 2016 in New York City. Learn more about the organization below and also by reading the press release linked here.

What is the Irish American Young Leaders?

The Irish American Young Leaders program was initiated by a group of young people who are deeply proud of their heritage and are interested in finding ways to be a positive influence their local communities and globally.

Founded in 2015, the Irish American Young Leaders is a non-profit organization that fosters leadership among high school students, college students, and young professionals. We believe in the power of the youth to effect positive change for themselves and their community. Leveraging local leaders and community resources, IAYL offers leadership initiatives that give high school, college students and young professionals the necessary tools and real life experiences to become strong leaders in the community. Our motto is that some future "leaders are made, not born."

The Irish American Young Leaders builds strong teams, infuses those teams with a sense of personal connection to new members, and welcomes new contributors with open arms, making everyone feel they belong and thus growing a strong and scalable community that can expand beyond the current membership base and produce new generations of competent contributors in the future. This is an important way in which we can build our shared culture, founded on a strong commitment to our values.

I Am Young Leader Ambassadors work on their own initiatives or lend the power of the I AM Young Leaders network to those initiatives already in existence. The first chapter was established in New York in September 2015 with Kiera O'Conner as the 1st President.

New Members Are Always Welcome!!! Although we are a young organization, several chapters are already in place in the tri-state area and Florida, with ambitious plans for a global network uniting our young leaders of the future. We are reaching out to all our people and the corporate sector, among other audiences, to raise awareness of our mission to help build and connect. Our website is currently under construction, but in the meantime please "LIKE" our Facebook page to keep up to date with our progress! We hope that you will also assist us by spreading the word about our program to your family, friends, and business associates around the world!

The Irish American Young Leaders Hall of Fame has been created to honor leaders who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world beyond. The Hall of Fame reinforces the message to future young leaders that they can and should strive for excellence in any endeavor of their choosing. By presenting powerful role models and teaching young people about inductees, the Hall of Fame is a source of learning, inspiration, and resources.

Everyone is invited to our exciting, fun Launch Party as we honor today's most influential leaders, the brightest leaders from NYC & beyond, so come let's party! Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Meet Adrian Jones Pearson, Author

Adrian Jones Pearson is an independent author of idiosyncratic fiction. His work has been published under multiple pseudonyms, including this one.

Check out Cow Country, Adrian's novel set at a fictional community college, and learn more about him on his website.

1. How did you come up with the setting for your novel?

Well, I had always wanted to write a novel about the rise and fall of American civilization, and of course the American community college was the most obvious choice for the setting. The fact that Cow Eye Community College is located in a region that is itself in decline--with unprecedented drought conditions, changing demographics, a dying ranching industry, and an uneasy community struggling to come to terms with it all--made it even more perfect for my purposes. Plus, the year I spent in Cow Eye Junction was really an amazing experience, and I truly enjoyed my stay there; by the time I left, I knew for sure that this was the place to set my novel. And the rest, as they say, is history.

2. I don't think I've ever read about the college accreditation process in a novel before. What were the challenges of writing about this process?

Of course the main challenge is that it's an incredibly dull subject that is not really worthy of literary consideration. Most people, if they're going to take the time to read fiction at all, will generally prefer to read stories about interesting personalities and events. So, yes, it was definitely a challenge. But as an author I also saw it as a great opportunity. Because if you can write about regional accreditation in a new and exciting way--if you can somehow make it sexy--then that would surely qualify as an accomplishment worthy of literary immortality.

3. Would you tell us a little bit about the main character of Cow Country?

Sure. The main character is a man named Charlie who moves to Cow Eye Junction after a series of failed jobs and fruitless personal relationships. He's the kind of person who tends to be a lot of different things yet none of them entirely--in other words, the type who willingly chooses to go into educational administration. Over the course of the novel, we see Charlie trying to do his job while also attempting to leave a meaningful legacy of some kind. But the world around him is changing so fast that he can't keep up. Ultimately, he fails in rather spectacular ways, as is so often the case with educational administration.

4. What is your own experience with community college?

I am, in fact, a community college faculty member and administrator, and so a lot of what happens in the book does come from my own personal experience. The castration scene, for example, and the focus group--not to mention the creative writing workshop, the tantric discovery session, and the Christmas party where faculty members are treated to a cow blowing demonstration--all of these are based on situations that I've found myself in, or that have happened to me in my career. With Cow Country, I really tried to leave no stone unturned in depicting the contradictions of American life, and I've been extremely fortunate to be able to draw so extensively upon my professional experiences in academia, and specifically my time spent in the community college environment.

5. As someone who teaches at a community college and struggles to find time to write, I have to ask you: where do you find time to write?

It's not easy, that's for sure! As a community college instructor, you really have to make a concerted effort to find time for your writing, even if it comes at the expense of student learning and success. At least, that's the approach that I take, and I've found that it works quite well for me. Otherwise, I tend to catch myself exerting incredible amounts of time and creative energy--all my artistic exuberance really--on my students. In my younger, pre-tenured days I devoted myself entirely to my teaching, and I did it in the most tireless and self-effacing way. And now when I look back on that time of my life, I think, you know, those years are gone, and I will never get them back--and I feel a tremendous sadness.

Probably the turning point in my evolution came when I hung a Japanese calendar over the narrow window in my office door so students couldn't see that I was in. This was such a simple and understated act of liberation--yet it immediately felt as if a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders! Since then, I've developed countless other strategies to help me cope from one semester to the next. For one, I avoid the composition classes like a plague. But if I do happen to get one, I always make sure to give minimal handwritten feedback on student essays, and those comments that I do give I tend to focus mostly on grammar and punctuation and other issues of syntax that don't require much concentration on my part. In class I have the students work in small groups to correct each other's drafts and provide peer feedback (previously I would provide the feedback myself) while I circulate around the room ostensibly overseeing group discussion but in fact working out important issues of character and plot development in my mind. I also have a system of coded symbols for feedback, and I use a five-point scoring rubric to simplify grading. (I just have to check boxes!) If a student needs individualized help with a particularly difficult concept being covered in my class, I don't hesitate to refer them to the tutoring center for a detailed explanation. And of course I try to incorporate as much technology in the classroom as possible--online instructional materials, web resources, automated graders and the like--to streamline the teaching process and to make it more efficient, which really helps to free up more time for my writing.

Of course it's never easy to balance one's creative endeavors with the mind-numbing and creativity-sapping drain that is effective classroom instruction at the community college level. But I think after many years of struggle, I've finally found that balance for myself. And in fact, Cow Country is a wonderful testament to that compromise, evidence that even the most impossible creative feat can be accomplished if you just set your mind to it!

Thanks, Adrian!

Meet Aurora Afable, Entrepreneur and Blogger

Aurora Afable is a biochem student, blogger, entrepreneur, and more. She's been blogging since she was 16, and over time, it became her profession. She has also written and published a book about outsourcing. Learn more about Aurora and her work by checking out her sites, Cool College Helpers and The Modern Catholic.

1. When did you first become interested in being an entrepreneur?

I've always had an interest in entrepreneurship since I was very young. I lived in a different country back then, and I would sell candy or cellphone credits (since I'm a reseller) to other people. The candy didn't work out, though. I ended up eating the inventory I had! When I moved here, I was eager to find out more about how entrepreneurship worked here. It's very different compared to the previous environment I was in.

Of course, over here everything is modern, so I decided to go to the marketing route, since I'm a technology power-user. I couldn't settle to do the regular college-related jobs. Sadly, I don't have the same amount of energy most college students have because I served in the military (but that's another story). Instead, I took the risk (since it's fun) and just did it. I don't even know how it all began. I guess one day I just woke up and decided that I was going to buy hosting and get myself the two websites.

2. How did you decide on the topics for your websites, Cool College Helpers, and The Modern Catholic?

Good question! You don't find a lot of student entrepreneurs in this niche (as far as I'm concerned). My motto is "there must be a better way," so I have a knack for finding out the best things about how to get something done or make something more enjoyable. My family members always ask me advice on how I do things, and I also had some of my friends do the same when I first started college. I guess you can consider me as a risk-taker because I don't care to fail. All that matters to me is being able to accomplish my goal no matter how many times I fail. This has given me plenty of insight and experience on certain ideas so that I can kind of predict the outcome of a situation. Because I'm a student, I have so much knowledge about the topic that I thought I'd share the tips I have to the world. I really love helping people out. Cool College Helpers is about helping working college students out. I don't do it because of the money. I do it because helping an individual who needs your help not only benefits that person, but it also benefits you because you realize that you're needed in the world.

The Modern Catholic first started off as my personal blog. I guess you can call this blog "pure." I knew I had to change it when I realized that all my interests would not fit this particular theme. The goal of The Modern Catholic was to basically document my journey as I try to come back to my faith, or to God. There was a time in my life where I doubted God. That was when I was depressed, was not doing well in school, had broken up with someone I truly loved, and just seemed to be stuck in a hole. Truly, that was the most challenging year in my life (thus far). I moved to California to leave that and decided to be happy again. The Modern Catholic definitely keeps me straight and reminds me to take a moment and remember my beginning. I believe that some people experience this also, so I decided to make this journey go public.

3. Do you create all of your own content for your sites, or do you work with freelancers at all? In other words, how do you balance your studies with your websites?

I'm really glad you noticed. It is difficult, after all, to work in your career, try and find yourself, and manage to try and help people out. As I started building a site, I did outsource to Filipinos for awhile. There are only a couple articles at CCH that have been written by them, but I was never happy about it because it lacked culture. After a month or so, I decided to let go of them and just write my own articles. The content needed was based on my experience, and it was hard for them to interpret that in writing. Mind you, most of my staff had bachelor's degrees, but the culture just wasn't there. To answer your question, I write ALL the content of my sites except all the legal notes on them.

4. In your opinion, how long does it take to achieve success?

It depends on what you mean by success. My meaning of success would be having a good amount of readers that come back to your site because they trust the kind of advice it gives, or it makes them feel good, or they think that it helps. With a large amount of observation and trial and error, it isn't far. I have been doing this since March, and with the right amount of content, and followers, we've been doing better every day. We have generally increased the fans of our social media profiles, and we've actually had people want to do guest posts. To me, seeing it grow from what it used to be to what it now feels like I am going somewhere like I'm closer to success. At this rate, success seems like it'll be here in about a year hopefully.

5.What do you plan to accomplish, in the next year or so?

Honestly, I haven't even planned that far! I have too many ideas and writing on my hands. Evidently, I am getting there. I just finished scheduling articles for the next three months. At this rate, I should be able to find out a realistic goal for next year. Every day counts as it's part of my statistics. Some days are difficult, and some days are just wonderful, especially when people tell you that what I wrote truly helped them. It's very addictive... I don't receive a lot of gratitude, but out of all the hard work you do, a small thank you once in a while can keep you going. I think it's the same concept as eating sunflower seeds. The amount of work you put into opening the shell does not equal to the amount of food you get. However, a tiny piece of that reward is still enough for you to keep opening a hundred more.

Thanks, Aurora!

Meet Kallie Clark, Educator and Postsecondary Counselor

Kallie Clark is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, and works as a graduate research assistant at the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Kallie is an experienced classroom teacher and counselor with experience working in both charter and traditional public schools. Kallie is highly skilled in providing postsecondary counseling to first-generation college students, low-income students, students of color, and undocumented students.

Learn more about Kallie's work by visiting her blog, Scribd page, and SlideShare site.

1. How did you first become interested in working in the field of education?

Like many of my students, I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and my family didn't have the financial resources to help, so I worked as a nanny throughout undergraduate school to help pay the bills. I loved working with young children and really thought I could have been a preschool teacher for the rest of my life and been happy. When I decided to pursue a master's degree, my first experience with graduate teaching was with college freshmen. I was surprised by how much I loved it! I never thought I would enjoy working with older students, but I did. After I graduated, I landed a job teaching in a local high school. It seemed like a natural progression to me. Over the years my role changed, and I moved into counseling. I loved helping students prepare for life after high school, and I really enjoyed the creative aspects of teaching and developing curriculum, but I knew I wanted to have an impact outside the walls of my classroom. That's why I decided to return to graduate school and study education research.

2. Would you tell us a little more about your work in postsecondary counseling?

My first experience working as a postsecondary counselor was with The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. I was a college counselor and college seminar teacher: meaning, I did both one-on-one counseling with the students, and I taught a college readiness course to seniors. It was an incredible learning experience for me. Similar to my own experience, my students were predominantly first-generation college students from low-income families. However, unlike me, my students had the additional hurdles of growing up in urban, sometimes violent neighborhoods. They also were predominantly students of color. The lessons I learned from my students not only helped me become a better teacher and counselor; they helped me become a better person.

As a college counselor, it was always my goal to help my student get into the college that would give them the best chances of graduating. Choosing a college is a careful balance between graduation rate, cost, and environment. I am a big fan of small liberal arts colleges. If I had to pick between a large public university and a liberal arts college, about 70-80 percent of the time I would lean towards the liberal arts college. The support services and sense of community is just so much stronger at a smaller school. When I send a student off to a liberal arts college, I know they aren't going to get lost in the shuffle: if they need help, I can be pretty sure someone is going to notice and reach out.

3. What are some of the documents you've created and shared via Scribd, and how can these help students and their families?

Navigating the college application process can be overwhelming. Things have changed a lot in the last ten years, and college admissions have become very technical and very competitive. Finding the right college takes planning and follow-through. That's why I am sharing the documents I created and used as a college seminar teacher. I am constantly uploading documents as time permits, but eventually parents and teachers will be able to access support documents for everything from building a college application list to building a class schedule. The "Matriculation Check-list" is one of the most important documents I share. It helps ensure that a student completes all the steps necessary to actually show up on campus in the fall, something many students take for granted after they have been accepted.

4. For families who currently have a student in high school who would be a first-generation college student, what are some resources that you might recommend?

There are a lot of resources out there when it comes to planning for college. The problem I found was that they were either too broad or required too much time to navigate. Most parents don't have time to read an entire book about applying to college. I also found that for first-generation college students, these resources often avoided giving parents the unspoken truths that those of us who have already been to college know first-hand. For instance, not all colleges are created equal. Yes, there are actually lemon colleges, just like there are lemon cars. I also talk about the importance of environment and recommend families put long-term goals first when deciding if living at home or going away to school is going to provide students with the best chance of graduating. I have a series of PowerPoints on Slideshare that do a great job of helping parents get a crash course in college admissions and financial aid.

5. What are some ideas you've seen prove helpful for students when it comes to avoiding student loan debt?

Telling students to avoid student loan debt is like telling them to avoid buying a car. If you live in a major city with great public transportation or have enough money to take a cab every time you need to go to the grocery store, then sure, you can avoid buying a car. But, for most of us, buying a car is an important step in moving towards financial independence, even if it requires taking out a car loan. That car loan is seen as an investment if it gets you to work every day, right? We don't tell our kids to not buy cars; what we tell them is to buy a reliable and dependable car that will get them to work every day, and do it within a sensible budget. The same goes for student loans.

This conversation is really about long-term goals. It might sound like a lot to ask of a high school student, but really what I am talking about are those kids who already have their mind set on something. If a student is pretty sure they want to become a doctor and has the academic record to support those aspirations, then student loans will most likely be unavoidable (unless their family has the money to foot the bill outright). Getting into med school is an incredibly competitive process, so picking an undergraduate program with a strong reputation is important. For students who know they want to pursue a technical field, consider two-year colleges, and absolutely do not take out student loans. No student should ever take out student loans to attend a community college. For everyone else who is pretty sure they want to graduate from a four-year college but maybe not 100 percent sure of what the future holds, choose a college with the best graduation rate and reputation that you can get for an affordable price. I usually tell kids not to exceed the standard $5,500 student loan unless the school is top-notch. For low-income students who receive PELL and state grants, this is usually possible. For middle-income families, state schools are not always the best deal. Look to the small, private or faith-based colleges who have more liberal financial aid parameters.

What I would avoid doing at all costs is taking out personal loans for undergraduate study, and absolutely do not attend a for-profit college. All loans at the undergraduate level should be federal student loans to accredited not-for-profit colleges. I also recommend that parents do not take on PLUS loans unless they are financially savvy, understand that these loans will need to be taken out every year, and understand that these loans are not forgivable (even if the student doesn't graduate). There are loan forgiveness programs out there, but they are usually for specific fields, and most require that you work in a certain industry for a given time after graduation.

My last bit of advice is to start where you plan to graduate from, meaning that you start somewhere that offers a degree you can live with in case you aren't able to transfer. Transferring is a very risky plan, unless the student has strong family support and parents or guardians who can be involved to ensure the student actually gets (and passes) the classes they need to transfer and maintains the grades necessary to be admitted later. Life happens, and transferring is banking on the fact that the future will happen as you have planned. Rarely in life does anything happen as planned.

Thanks, Kallie!

Meet Christopher Berg, Career Coach and Consultant

Christopher Berg is a career coach and motivational speaker based in New York City. He runs a business called Go Berg or Go Home. He started the business with a particular goal of helping young professionals become more prepared and marketable in a tough job market.

1. What are some of the specific ways you help clients through your work offering career services?



The strength of our company is that we do a large amount of research on an ongoing basis. Go Berg has over 30 relationships with hiring managers, recruiters, staffing agencies, and HR directors throughout the Northeast region. Through these relationships, we are able to stay up to date on various industries, specifically what they are looking for in resumes, interviews, and skill set. Next, I have "secretly shopped" over a dozen colleges throughout the Northeast. I know what expectations college career centers are setting and what their limitations are. I have along extensive experience in HR, recruitment, hiring, interviewing while also achieving the highest certifications in resume writing and interview/career coaching. I offer young professionals the best services to make you stand out on paper, a chance to learn the best interviewing techniques, and the opportunity to network with my contacts to get one foot in the door. Thanks to the reputation we have built, my contacts know when they reach out to me they are getting top talent to fill their staffing needs. We help young professionals spread their wings in the marketplace by unleashing their confidence.

2. How would you define the servant leadership model, and how do you put it into action in your own business?



I am an avid servant leader. I learned about servant leadership in my master's program at Albertus Magnus College. Servant leadership is basically "serving others' needs first." I built my business with the vision of serving young professionals' needs first. When I graduated college, I was lost! I was taking little jobs here and there and living with my mom, with no clear guidance. Then a little lady named Sallie Mae came looking for money for something called student loans. I was deferring every chance I could because I simply could not afford it.

Fast-forward almost a decade later and what has changed? College grads are feeling the pressures of getting a job more than ever. Then one day it hit me. After attending a college career fair, I was in charge of hiring recent graduates for a leadership development program. After numerous interviews, I was shocked at how many students were unprepared for the interview, what was recorded on resumes, and the lack of confidence in their presentation of skills. I knew the market needed someone like me to help. The essence of servant leadership is having a passion to help others, and that is what I love to do!

3. Would you tell us about some common issues that you see coming up for young professionals and recent grads in today's job market?


Great question. I do have to break it up into two sections because there is a clear difference between young professionals and recent grads.

The most common issue I see in young professionals is how they are playing the organizational game and not knowing how to get promoted in their current career. I hear it all the time from frustrated young professionals. "I don't make enough money," "I don't get the recognition for my work," or my favorite, "Someone else got the position and I have no idea why!" I can absolutely help with these young professionals understand how the system works! How do I know how it works? In my current studies in my doctorate program, I'm focused on researching this matter and I have personally used it in my own career and have received countless promotions by following a PIE model. Want to know what PIE is? Just give me a call!

For recent graduates, it is just helping them debunk some of the myths about what a resume should look like, what some college career centers are teaching, and setting realistic expectations. I have tons of clients who become discouraged because they keep getting declined and passed over on jobs because they are simply not qualified for the position. Coaching to realistic expectations is my strength and unleashing the confidence is key when working with recent grads. Lastly, exposure!!!! It is all about exposure and understandably many college grads do not have the connections. I can help them gain the exposure so their likelihood of getting more interviews and the probability of landing a job increases.

4. Why did you decide to start your own consulting business, and what has your experience been so far when it comes to going out on your own?



Honestly, I feel I can help people. I know the in and outs of the job market game and my experience, story, and expertise can help others. I wish there had been something like Go Berg when I graduated. For most of my clients, they just need a kick in the "you know what!" I know I did at that time in my life! I want to help, spread my message, and use my gifts to help others.

Going out on my own is scary. I still work full time, pursuing a doctorate, while running a business. Time management is key in my life and my experience thus far has been amazing. The feedback, the follow-up letters, the pictures of my clients' working in their new positions makes my heart smile. There is no better feeling then knowing we helped someone start the next journey in his or her life. It is very powerful!

5. If you could give just three pieces of advice to someone who feels that he/she is struggling to find a good job, what would you say?


First, look at the jobs you are applying for. I guarantee half are out of your experience realm. When I pass up on candidates and send the "no thank you letter," I am really just saying, "You do not meet the qualifications of this specific position."

Second, take your current resume and read it aloud or record yourself reading it. It sounds crazy, but I use this technique with my clients all the time. If you are stumbling over your words, have a lost facial expression, or find confusing descriptions, you can imagine what the hiring manager is going to think.

Lastly, avoid online resume writing companies. If you can't meet and have a connection with the person writing about YOU on paper and shaping what is arguably the most important document in a career that helps open doors, AVOID! I recently paid four online companies and sent in a purposely-incorrect resume, and I was shocked on what was edited, not edited, overlooked, and changed. These services are overpriced and misleading. When you are seeking career help, just ask, "What makes you an expert?" because you can tell a lot from that answer--trust me!

Thanks, Christopher!

iCarryalls Makes iPad Accessories for College Students

When you make an investment in an iPad or other tablet computer, you want to keep your device looking and functioning like new for as long as possible. I see people with all sorts of different iPad sleeves, many of them made from plastic or PVC type materials. For people who want a classic, professional type look and a case made from long-lasting leather, there's a company named iCarryalls which makes an iPad portfolio case.

A variety of cases are available. There are larger business portfolios with room for an iPad as well as other paperwork, such as handouts and other materials given as school assignments. And of course there are streamlined cases which simply hold your Ipad. Some of the cases have a handy "quick release" function for easy opening and closing. Rather than carry a bulky laptop bag, why not carry an iPad portfolio which has room for your pen, pencil, and other necessary school supplies? You can choose a portfolio with a carry handle which makes it function very similarly to a briefcase.

There are lots of colors and styles to choose from, too. I could see these cases making popular holiday gifts!