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Anthony Granny likes mixing it up. Whether he’s mixing drinks at the bar he manages, combining majors, or transitioning from one campus to another, he enjoys the synergy that comes from the benefits of multiple options.

Having already earned an Associate Degree in Business Management from ����ɫ��ҹ University’s Kent Campus last Spring, Anthony started pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga in Fall 2020. He sees each major as complementing the other as he pursues a career in business management with expertise in IT.

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“Having an IT background helps me in my business,” he explains. “This way, I can manage a business and handle the business’ IT needs myself instead of hiring someone from the outside to rescue me if I get a glitch in the system.”

While taking classes, Anthony manages a bar at a hometown restaurant in Middlefield. Despite the time and event restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Granny says that the bar is starting to enjoy brisk business on the weekends.

“I love working in food service, being social and getting to know people,” he says. “Once I started tending bar [last August], I recognized that I like the big dinner rushes, game nights and special events that make it fun working at a bar. It will be great when we can get back to normal.”

Of course, managing any business can’t be all fun and games. Anthony is grateful for the practical instruction he’s receiving at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga that he can implement on the job. In particular, he appreciates Associate Professor Joseph Muscatello, who taught his Human Resource Management courses.

“One of my favorite assignments was when he gave our class 10-12 real-life workplace scenarios. Our role was as an HR manager who had to decide which candidate was best for the job, keeping in mind that we couldn’t discriminate on the basis of age, gender or family obligations. That was a memorable exercise.”

Muscatello has been more than a great teacher. Anthony says that he has been a family friend and a mentor, answering his questions as he entered college and helping him navigate through difficulties along the way.

Anthony's late father John Granny, the former Director of Business Affairs and Operations at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga, passed away unexpectedly last summer. "He was the best dad someone could ask for," Anthony says. "I would like to thank the Geauga Campus for all of their love and support this past year." 

A Middlefield native and Berkshire High School graduate, Anthony started his college career at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga, then took some classes at the Kent Campus “for the big college experience.”

He appreciated being able to choose between the benefits of each style of education. While he loved the excitement of big classes, a diverse student body and so many activities in play on the Kent Campus, he deliberately chose to take a challenging math class on the Geauga Campus to have a 20-1 (as opposed to a 120-1) student-faculty ratio in the classroom and the one-on-one benefits of personalized tutoring. He also enjoys seeing familiar faces from high school, personalized attention from faculty members, and all the homey qualities of the regional campus atmosphere.

Anthony will complete his second degree by Fall 2021. Then, whether he chooses to stay close to home or travel the world, he’ll enjoy success with his mix of business management and IT expertise. Why choose one or the other when he can make them both work for him?