Before he signed up for college classes, Bay College student Isaac Begres was homeschooled. However, he said adjusting to life at Bay’s Iron Mountain campus hasn’t been overly difficult—instead, the college feels like a second home to him.
Immediately after he graduated from high school in 2022, Isaac started working toward a college degree at Bay.
“Bay provided a lot of great opportunities for business degrees, which I liked,” he said.
Isaac said Bay’s affordable tuition was one of the biggest reasons he chose to take classes there. Along with that, he had heard positive things about the college from his friends.
“I knew it had to be my choice,” he said.
Over the past two years, Isaac said he has found a lot to like about Bay—including his instructors.
“My teachers have been great. They’ve been getting right back to me with emails and answering questions quickly and appropriately,” he said.
Though he said online learning can be a good fit for some people, Isaac has grown fond of attending classes at Bay’s Iron Mountain campus.
“I’ve really enjoyed in-person classes … the staff and faculty here at Bay make it very at-home and enjoyable,” he said.
The campus’ location has made it easy for him to attend these classes, as well.
“It’s literally five minutes from my house. It doesn’t get much better than that,” Isaac said.
Outside of classes, Isaac has enjoyed getting to meet new people as a Bay student.
“You don’t really get the social factor from homeschooling,” he said.
Along with expanding his social life at Bay, Isaac has recently become involved with competitive pickleball.
“I drive competitively to tournaments—the farthest I’ve gone so far is Milwaukee,” he said.
Though Isaac is majoring in Business Administration at Bay, he had entered the business world long before he enrolled there. For nearly a decade, he has been the owner and sole employee of Begres Farms, which sells organic produce at the Iron Mountain Downtown Farmers & Artisans Market.
“I’ve been doing this thing for over eight years now. It’s been a good service to people,” he said.
Isaac said his family played a key role in his decision to establish Begres Farms.
“My dad was a big influence on me starting a business,” he said.
Operating Begres Farms has given Isaac a great deal of hands-on experience with the business world. Still, he said the things he has learned at Bay should help him do an even better job of running his company, communicate more effectively with other people, and avoid legal difficulties in the future.
“Laws and other things to be aware of has been a huge part of it,” he said.
Looking ahead, Isaac hopes to continue his college education by earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration—and he will not have to leave his hometown to pursue this goal. Thanks to Bay’s long-lasting partnership with Lake State Superior University, Bay students can earn some bachelor’s degrees through LSSU’s Regional Center while staying in Iron Mountain or Escanaba.
“You can finish your four-year degree here instead of having to transfer to another college to finish,” he said.
Right now, Isaac is on track to earn his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2026. Once he earns this degree, he hopes to focus on taking Begres Farms to the next level by expanding its footprint and hiring additional employees.
“I want to continue to grow my business—I’m a big future thinker,” he said.