Student Spotlight: Jeremiah Woznick

When Jeremiah Woznick, a Navy veteran, first heard about Grantham University and the flexibility of its distance learning program, he admits that he was a bit skeptical.  “I’ve never gone to a college class without being able to sit down in front of a teacher,” commented Woznick. But, he really wanted to go back to school while he could still utilize his Montgomery GI Bill, so he decided to give it a try and enrolled in Grantham’s General Studies program to earn his associate degree.

Woznick quickly found out that his Admissions Representative was right about the flexibility of the courses.  As any avid surfer knows, particularly one living in Hawaii, when the waves are good, you just have to be in the water.  “I could surf when the waves were good and study when the waves were bad,” he said.  While attending Grantham, he competed in the 2006 World Longboard Championships in Costa Rica and started his own landscaping company when he had three months of classes left to finish his associate degree.  With his landscaping company, Aina Kare Landscaping Services, Woznick is his own boss, and he credits Grantham with helping him achieve his goals.

After earning his degree in early 2008, Woznick celebrated in true Hawaiian style by tow-in surfing on the North Shore when the waves were 60 feet high.  Now, he plans to study for his contractor’s license and earn a bachelor’s degree in Landscaping Architecture.

Woznick served four years on active duty with the Navy and is a veteran of two foreign conflicts.  In 2001, his ship was a major force in the early parts of Operation Anaconda, where he served as a crash and firefighter crewman in charge overseeing all flight operations, maintaining flight deck firefighting equipment and firefighting vehicles.  His next tour of duty took place during Operation Enduring Freedom.  When his tour ended, he moved back to Oahu, Hawaii and worked odd jobs until he decided to return to school for his college degree.

Ho'omaika'i 'ana, Jeremiah!

Grantham’s Book Buy-Back Program in Full Swing

Wondering what to do with your used textbooks?  Why not sell them back to Grantham?

On July 1st, Grantham University announced the start of its Book Buy-Back Program.  Through this program, you have the opportunity to sell back certain textbooks to Grantham's Bookstore.  In order to qualify for the Buy-Back Program, the textbooks you want to return must be in good condition, be able to be used by another student, and be found on the Textbook Buy-Back List, which is available on the Student Site.  Grantham will grade the quality of the returned textbooks and will reimburse you if the textbook is in like-new or used condition.  Both conditions will receive the same reimbursement.

Conditions:

• Like-New: The textbook is in perfect condition.  The spine is not broken and the book doesn't have any frayed corners, scratches, dents, tears or stains.

• Used: A used book may have minor scratches or dents on the cover. The cover is intact but may be bent or frayed. Less than 25% of the interior pages are wrinkled or have writing or highlighting on them. There are no torn pages.

Textbook Return Process:

1. The bookstore now includes a prepaid Fed-Ex return label and a Textbook Return Form in the box containing the textbooks that are being shipped to you.  (The Fed-Ex return label and return form can also be printed from the Student Site if either document is lost.)

2. Once you are finished with your textbooks and verify the book is listed on the Textbook Buy-Back List, simply complete the Textbook Return Form and return the book using the Fed-Ex return label.  (The Textbook Return Form is the document which ensures that reimbursement for the textbooks is given to you and not someone else.  This form must be included with your returned textbooks.  Without this form, a refund will not be issued.) 

3. When the bookstore receives your return shipment, they will confirm that your textbook is on the Textbook Buy-Back List and is in good enough condition to be used by another student. If your book meets these criteria, you will receive a check within 2-4 weeks.

If you have textbooks for previously completed courses that are in good condition and are the same edition as listed on the Textbook Buy-Back List, they are also eligible for the Buy-Back Program.  Print a return label and return form from the Student Site and follow the Textbook Return Process above.

If you do not have access to a Fed-Ex/Kinko's ship location or are located at an APO/FPO address, simply mail your books via the US Postal Service to the Grantham University Bookstore at 8600 NE Underground Drive, PLR 119, Kansas City, MO 64161.  Grantham will reimburse you for the cost of your postage in addition to the published Book Buy-Back price. (Please note that Fed-Ex drop boxes do not accept ground shipments.)

The documents referenced above can be accessed by going to the Student Site and prior to logging in, click on the Book Return Label link on the left-hand side of the page.   

If you have any questions about the Book Buy-Back Program, please send an e-mail to books@grantham.edu.

AFA Announces Winner of Grantham Scholarship

This month, the Air Force Association (AFA) announced that Desiree Piele was the winner of a full 4-year scholarship to Grantham University.  The scholarship includes the cost of tuition, required textbooks, software, fees and shipping of the course materials.

Piele applied for the Grantham University Scholarship to further her education and fulfill a life-long dream.  “I was so thrilled when I found out I won the scholarship,” said Mrs. Piele.”

This scholarship means so much to Piele because she has been through many ups and downs in her life.  At the age of 17, she became pregnant while in high school and at the time, she thought that it was the end of the road for her dreams of earning a college degree.  “Being pregnant actually made me stronger; nothing kept me from getting that High School Diploma,” said Piele.  Earning her diploma made Piele realize that nothing is ever simple, but staying true to her convictions makes things easier in the long run.  “All of the tough times and experiences that I’ve had encouraged me to set goals and understand that life may be hard at times, but by putting your all into it, you can conquer your fears and dreams,” commented Piele. 

Now, she is a stay at home mom of an almost four year old boy and is expecting a second little boy in December.  Her husband, Ron, is in the Air Force in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  Piele has decided to major in General Studies because it will provide a well-rounded education that can be utilized in many different career fields.    

About AFA

AFA is a 501(c) (3) organization that educates the public about the critical role of aerospace power in the defense of our nation, advocates aerospace power and a strong national defense, and supports the United States Air Force. AFA has more than 230 chapters nationally and internationally. Visit AFA on the Internet at www.afa.org.

Understanding Stress and How to Deal with It Effectively

By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com

While the body’s physiological stress response—the fight or flight response—is virtually universal, the way that stress impacts us is as unique to each individual as the events that cause us stress in the first place. Simply put, we all respond to stressful events in our own way, and our responses to stress affect us in ways that are unique as well. Why is this?

Stress Triggers
We’re all affected differently by life’s events. While extreme events like a physical attack by a violent stranger or the diagnosis of a serious illness produce a strong stress response in virtually everyone, many everyday events on the job or at home will be experienced as ‘stressful’ by some and ‘exciting’, ‘challenging’, or even ‘exhilarating’ by someone else What accounts for these differences?

• Past Experience: We all carry our ‘baggage’, and that affects our current thought patterns and how we conceptualize what’s going on today. These thought patterns impact whether we see something as positive or negative, challenging or stressful, etc.
• Temperament and Personality Traits: Some of us are simply born more reactive to stress than others. Differences in temperament can be observed in infants as young as one day old, and these traits affect how we’re affected by life—for life.
• Overall Lifestyle: Those who lead busy and stressful lives tend to have fewer reserves to help deal with stress. They also tend to encounter more triggers.

Stress Response Differences
The way in which we respond to stress can alter the impact that stress has on us. While some people will deal with a stressful day by hitting the gym or hugging their children, other people may drink to excess or lash out at others. Additionally, some people find stress to be a minor inconvenience while others are completely overwhelmed. Dealing with stress in a healthier way tends to create resilience, of course; ineffective coping can increase the negative effects of stress. What accounts for the different ways people deal with stress?

• Physiological Factors: Just like some people are just born more emotionally reactive, some have a more sensitive physiology, and find that stress impacts their blood pressure, induces headaches, or causes other physical responses. Likewise, the way you care for your body in terms of healthy diet, quality sleep, and regular exercise—or lack thereof—can impact your reactivity to stress.
• Coping Techniques: We all have our different ways of coping with stress, and some of these techniques are healthier and more beneficial than others. If you find yourself using alcohol, emotional eating, or responding to stress in other less-than-healthy ways, it’s time to find new ways of reducing stress. Over time, they’ll become automatic, and will replace your more unhealthy responses.
• Learned Behavior: How we respond to the stress in our lives is shaped by our early experiences and cemented over time. Our habits play a role as well. Those with healthy habits tend to handle stress more effectively.

Protective Factors
Certain features in your life can also keep you somewhat insulated from stress. Those with a supportive network of friends and other personal resources tend to be less affected by stress, and deal with their stress more efficiently.
Because we can’t stop stressors from being a part of life (and we wouldn’t want to eliminate all stress, even if it were possible), effective stress management focuses more on minimizing our triggers, altering our responses, and building up our resources and protective factors so that we’re less negatively impacted by stress. Because stress is such an individual experience, it’s important to have a stress relief plan that works for you. The following resources can help you to find ways to relieve stress that work best with your individual situation. You may want to quickly skim each resource and take away information that stands out to you, or focus more deeply on each resource and work on integrating the principles into your life in a more significant way.

Stress Reliever Personality Test: This self assessment tool will allow you to answer a few questions about your lifestyle and personality, and then direct you to stress relievers that may fit best for your particular situation. It’s a useful tool for those who want to begin with techniques that are most likely to work for them.

Stress Symptom Quiz: This tool allows you to quickly examine the different ways that stress may or may not be affecting you, and provides you with ways to deal with stress symptoms that you may have. It educates you on the ways that stress can affect you, while providing specific help with the ways that stress does affect you.

Emergency Stress Relief: If you’re feeing overwhelmed and just want something to help you relieve stress quickly, these tools can help you reverse your stress response right away, so you can more effectively deal with the issues at hand. (They can provide a nice ‘quick fix’ until you can get more long-term stress management strategies in place.)

Upcoming Events

August 15th: Education Expo at Camp Pendleton
August 18th: Education Fair at ISC San Pedro
August 19th: Education Fair at Los Angeles AFB
August 20th: Vandenberg AFB Education Fair
August 21st: Visit to Whiteman AFB
August 22nd: Education Fair at MCLB Barstow
August 25th: Visit to Scott AFB
August 27th: Visit to Fort Knox
August 28th: Visit to Fort Campbell & Monthly Visit to Andrews AFB
September 1st: Labor Day Holiday (Grantham University will be closed in observance of Labor Day)
September 17th: Education Fair at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

Quote of the Month

“If you want to get somewhere, you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then, never, never, never give up.”

~Norman Vincent Peale