Not many people keep in touch with their college advisers. Frank Benzakour (@fbenzakour), however, is an exception. Just recently, he sent an email to his adviser at Adelphi, Christina Wease, saying that he had accomplished a major goal: He had graduated from Cornell University with an M.B.A. in Business Strategy and Finance. “Frank was driven and committed,” Wease recalled of her former student. “He graduated from Adelphi after only a year.”

At the age of 19, Benzakour came to the United States from Casablanca, Morocco, to pursue his studies. He began his educational career at Baruch College, but transferred to Adelphi when he moved to Long Island—and he brought with him a surplus of college credits. Wease worked closely with him, but the ambitious student already had a plan: After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in business administration and breaking into the hospitality industry, he would pursue an M.B.A. from an Ivy League institution. “Having a bachelor’s degree alone in a business environment isn’t viable anymore,” he said. “I wanted something to separate me from the crowd.” And it did. After graduating from Cornell, Benzakour became chief operating officer at Jesuit Edgewood Golf and Recreation (edgewoodnj.com), a country club that also deals in real estate. But he attributes much of this success to his time at Adelphi. “The business skills I learned there allowed me to compete in an Ivy League environment. And I had a great team of support, which helped me to make wise choices with my career and academics. Students shouldn’t sever ties with staff after they graduate. You never know when it might benefit your future!”