enorth,
I am assuming that you are not going to need the $2500.00 in the near future for college (or other) expenses. By near future, I mean within 5 years. If not, a roth would be the first thing I would invest in if I were you. You should read up on the Roth IRA as it is a pretty nifty way to save for retirement, but you can also withdraw the money under certain conditions penalty free. If you start one now, you have started the clock ticking towards having it established for 5 years.
Link to Roth IRA
Link to IRS info on Roth IRA
Vanguard is another very good company. However, Vanguard has a 3,000 minimum to invest, (I don't know how doable it would be to come up with another $500.00 to establish a Vanguard account)
Link to Vanguard