Las Vegas, Nevada was originally an oasis rich with water and vegetation in the middle of the unforgiving Mojave Desert. Known only by the Paiute Indians for hundreds of years, it was discovered in 1829 by Rafael Riviera, a scout with a party of Spanish explorers who was searching for water while en route to Los Angeles. The explorers named the area Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "the meadows", and the area originally served as a rest area for pioneers traveling towards Los Angeles. In 1865, Octavius D. Gass built a ranch on what now exists as downtown Las Vegas. The ranch was later sold to Montana senator William Clark, who used the land to complete a railroad line between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911 and, at the time, was a fashionable railroad town. In 1931, gambling was legalized and today, gaming, conventions, retail, dining, and tourism drive the Las Vegas economy.

Located in the Mojave Desert, the environment of Las Vegas is very arid. Enduring extreme temperatures of up to 115 F during the summer months, residents welcome the winter and its mild temperatures in the 50-degree range. The Rocky Mountains surround the city, and between December and June, snow can be seen atop them, although snow rarely falls within the city limits. Coupled with area parks such as Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park and Clark County Wetlands Park, the amicable climate offers up year round outdoor activities such as boating, hiking, and rock climbing.

Nicknamed "Sin City", Las Vegas has a wide variety of entertainment. Casinos such as the world famous Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino and Mandalay Bay offer exciting rounds or roulette, poker, and blackjack. Exotic foods and extravagant flavors of fine dining can be enjoyed at the renowned 3950 restaurant and the Aureole. However, Las Vegas is not just casinos and restaurants. Sample the sophistication of the city while visiting the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and the Left of Center Art Gallery and Studio. Las Vegas also offers an array of retail outlets and a diverse nightlife that is sure to satisfy all who partake.

Las Vegas is predominantly known as the "The Gaming Capital of the World", but other business sectors play a large role in the economy. Among them are construction, manufacturing, high technology, and financial services. Twenty-three different financial institutions including Bank of America, Washington Mutual, and Wells Fargo serve the city, along with numerous savings and loans and credit unions.

There were 353,067 people over age 25 in the city in 2004. Of that number, 80.7% had graduated high school or gotten a GED, and 18.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Private Colleges & Universities

• Las Vegas College
• University of Southern Nevada

Public Colleges & Universities

• Community College of Southern Nevada
• Nevada State College
• University of Nevada - Las Vegas
• University of Nevada School of Medicine at Las Vegas

Professional Schools

• The Art Institute of Las Vegas
• Casino Gaming School of Nevada
• Heritage College
• Marinello School of Beauty
• National University - Nevada

Decision-making can be confusing for a student when selecting a school and program of study, but there are a variety of options when it comes to choosing a school and program in Las Vegas. The following are a small example of programs offered:

Anthropology, Philosophy, Hospitality Management, Lodging and Resort Management, Meetings and Events Management, Spanish for the Professions, Dance, Landscape, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Physics, Earth Science, Environmental Geology, Criminal Justice, and Human Services Counseling.

When all of these options exist along with so many more, how might a student decide which one is right for him/her? "My question to students is 'What do you want to be?'" says Felicia Miller, a career advisor for the Career Services Center at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. "Figure out what your niche is and then pursue it."

Once a student finds that niche, how to do they pursue it? "The first thing to do is immerse yourself in the industry. Go to networking events. Outside the classroom is just as important as inside the classroom," Miller states.

Beyond interests, a student may want to also consider the economy of the area, should they have an interest in remaining there after graduation. "Technology and healthcare are really taking off in Las Vegas," says Cara Roberts, director of public relations for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. "Construction and real estate are huge as well. But our hospitality industry is as big as ever. Tourism is still our driving force."

The economy in Las Vegas is rapidly expanding, leaving employers with a demand for more employees as well. "Las Vegas has approximately 6,000 more people move here every month. We created 63,000 jobs here last year and the American Business Journal named Las Vegas the 'hottest job market' in the country," says Roberts. "We need a lot more teachers, healthcare providers, firemen, and police as well as engineers and technically trained individuals," she continues.

Las Vegas is also seeing a migration of high technology companies from other places around the country. "Imaging Technology Services is now here. Zappos.com came here from San Francisco and has grown by leaps and bounds," Roberts states. "A lot of California companies started coming here 15 years ago and it's continued on. It's cheaper for them here. There are opportunities in this town that allow people to pursue the American dream."

Private Universities

• University of Southern Nevada - $30,852 full time

Public Universities

• University of Nevada - Las Vegas - $98 per credit (resident); $205.75 per credit (non-resident)

Technical/Professional Schools

• The Art Institute of Las Vegas - $40,791 based on a 2-year associate of arts degree

The listed examples are basic tuition rates and do not include costs such as lab fees, book fees, housing fees, meal plan fees, and various other fees sometimes applied by institutions. Students should thoroughly investigate these added costs as well.

Alongside tuition assistance and financial aid are grants. Grants do not need to be repaid and are awarded on financial neediness. They may come from the state, the federal government, or the school itself. Also available are state and federal loans. Loans must be paid back beginning 6 months after conclusion of studies. Some examples are the federal Stafford and Plus loans, and the Perkins loan. Ten million students apply annually for loans and grants. Roughly nine million will receive them.

Lastly are scholarships, which need not be repaid. Some are scholarships available nationally to students that fall within the scholarships requirements. Others available are special interest scholarships, awarded often times on merits of ethnicity, geographic location, and field of study.

Examples of scholarships available to students in Las Vegas are as follows:

• Millennium Scholarship - Up to $10,000 for students deemed eligible by the state of Nevada
• American Indian College Fund Scholarships - For students of Native American descent
• United Negro College Fund Scholarships - For African American students
• NACME Scholarships - Up to $20,000 for minorities studying engineering
• Las Vegas Network of Executive Women in Hospitality Scholarships - For women studying hospitality with a 3.0 GPA and financial need
• Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Las Vegas - 4 scholarships for graduating high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 2.5 that will be attending a post-secondary institution. (Note: the following links are PDF files)
• African-American Future Achievers
• Hispanic-American Commitment to Educational Resources
• Asian-Pacific Students Increasing Achievement
• Exceptional Scholars for Academic Excellence

Internships are available as both credit and non-credit, paid and un-paid. They may occur in many settings including non-profit, corporate, and non-profit business sectors. In due course, they aid in giving the student an aggressive approach that's considered necessary to thrive in today's job market.

Las Vegas companies including Cutler LLC, Nevada Power, Mirage Hotel and Casino, the Department of Energy, and Lockheed-Martin offer internships to students. A sampling of these internships includes financial services, accounting, sales, engineering, and tourism. Students that have at least a B-average can go through the Summer Business Institute of Clark County to obtain an internship. Interested students should contact Clark County Business Development at (702) 455-4432.

Career fairs are a way for students to network within industry. A growing trend is to see these fairs taking place directly on campus. "We sponsor quarterly portfolio shows, which showcase our graduates. We have industry professionals come, and at times, do on the spot interviews and hires," Miller says. "We use this to present the students to companies and get them job opportunities."