The Be Your Best College Prep Academy celebrates their graduation today (Aug. 4) at 4:30 p.m. at Riverland’s Austin Campus in the West Building cafeteria. The Be Your Best College Prep Academy has served more than 210 students during the past 10 years. The program runs for eight weeks; this year from June 13 through Aug. 4 and it included participants from Austin, Albert Lea, Kasson-Mantorville, Triton, Faribault and Owatonna high schools. In honor of the 10^th anniversary of the program, past Be Your Best Alumni have been invited to speak and share wisdom with the 2016 graduating class.

The Be Your Best College Prep Academy is a free program for teens and young adults, ages of 16 to 22. During Be Your Best, students have the opportunity to prepare for college by taking pre-college math, reading, writing and career planning. Students receive guidance and support through dedicated instructors, advisors, counselors and tutors. Students also benefit from the educational seminars designed for college success and participate in leadership, volunteer activities and field trips throughout the summer. The Be Your Best College Prep Academy is made possible through the continued generous support from The Hormel Foundation, Austin and Albert Lea public schools, The Minnesota Office of Higher Education, and The Riverland Community College Foundation.

Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State system, is a community college that inspires personal success through education. Approximately 4,900 students are served annually through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,400 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Campuses are located in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna. The Riverland website can be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.

The Minnesota State system includes 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving nearly 396,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system of its kind in the United States.