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TUSAWOA Announces Winner of GU Scholarship |
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Tracie Nisker |
The United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) Scholarship Foundation, in conjunction with Grantham University, is proud to announce that Tracie Nisker is the winner of the Four Year Grantham University Online Scholarship.
Tracie is married to a Chief Warrant Officer who has 30 years of service, and they have two children. Over the years she has volunteered at her children's school in both the classroom and the PTA. Recently, Tracie re-entered the work force as an instructional assistant and currently serves as the library assistant at her daughter's elementary school. She has been involved in Girl Scouts as both a leader and as a Service Unit Manager for many years.
Seeing the tremendous impact that positive role models can have on her children rekindled her desire to return to college and complete her degree. “After coming to the decision to return to college, it became obvious that in order to attend in-class instruction, I would be forced to eliminate many of the professional and volunteer activities that I had been involved in for so long,” said Tracie. “I feel that these activities are very valuable and that it is important to maintain the commitment that I have made to the organizations and the children that they serve.” Tracie also knew that attending traditional classes would cause numerous disruptions in the established routine of her family and would require sacrificing many of the activities that they are now involved in.
Tracie first heard of Grantham University and its online scholarship through the USAWOA Scholarship Foundation. “This scholarship is the perfect opportunity for me to complete my college degree in Business Administration, while allowing me to continue to participate in my various professional and volunteer activities,” said Tracie. She feels strongly that obtaining a college degree is the next step in the development of her personal resources and will prepare her to meet the expanding future needs of herself, her family and her community.
“I am grateful to the United States Army Warrant Officers Association, the United States Army Warrant Officers Association Scholarship Foundation and Grantham University for the four year online scholarship.”
About USAWOA
The USAWOA represents the entire Army Warrant Officer Corps, active duty, reserve component and retired. Founded in 1972, the Association’s mission is to foster a spirit of patriotism and devotion to duty among its members, recommend programs for the improvement of the Army, disseminate professional information among warrant officers, promote the technical and social welfare of its members, and promote a spirit of true comradeship among its members.
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Grantham University Supports “Night of Heroes” Fundraiser |
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Last month, on Thursday, June 15, 2006 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., the Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) Foundation held its annual “Night of Heroes” Gala to raise funds to support wounded military personnel and financial programs for military families.
The black-tie event began with a silent auction followed by dinner and dancing. During dinner, the PFCU Foundation presented American Military Hero Awards to General (Ret) John P. Jumper and Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, and presented the Corporate Award to Northrop Grumman.
To honor the brave men and women of the armed forces for their hard work, dedication, and service to our country and to support the efforts of the PFCU Foundation, Grantham University sponsored a table and provided an auction item for the evening. The event was a great success, raising much needed money to support the foundation’s initiatives for wounded soldiers and their families.
The mission of the PFCU Foundation, in partnership with the donor community, is to ensure that those who are devoting their lives to the defense of our country have the skills and resources they need to secure a sound financial future for themselves and their families.
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| Student Spotlight |
Christopher Martin
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Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Martin is an Electronics Technician specializing in Communications aboard Submarines in the US Navy. He joined the Navy one year after graduating from High School, but it took him eight years to enroll in his first college course and 16 years to earn his Bachelor’s Degree.
SCPO Martin found Grantham University while on shore duty when he was a First Class Petty Officer and Grantham was the Grantham College of Engineering. He completed his Associate Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology in June of 1999, but chose to stop pursuing the Bachelor’s degree when he returned to submarine duty, happy with what he had already achieved.
When SCPO Martin returned to his next shore duty, knowing there was no plausible excuse to not complete his education and earn a Bachelor’s degree, he proceeded to investigate several colleges through the Navy College Campus and other institutions of online learning. He returned to Grantham, now a University, because of the flexibility, challenging curriculum and outstanding student services. During this time, SCPO Martin, serving as a Chief Petty Officer found the Business Administration curriculum to be very intriguing and changed his degree course. With some courses credited from his military experience and the previous degree with Grantham, there were five semesters to complete before he could earn a Bachelor’s degree. Using his Military Tuition Assistance, the Grantham Military Scholarship and his Montgomery GI Bill, SCPO Martin enrolled in the Business Administration degree program in December 2004 and completed his associate degree by September 2005. In March of that year SCPO Martin was promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer.
After two Grantham challenge exams, combining five semesters into four, and four semester finals SCPO Martin earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in March of 2006. In the fifteen months that it took to complete his degree; he dedicated two hours a day almost everyday to studying and taking tests.
“The knowledgeable personnel at Grantham were always helpful and accessible to me, even through tough times such as Hurricane Katrina,” said SCPO Martin. “During the time of the hurricane I submitted a semester final through the mail that week and although the school was badly damaged by the hurricane, the staff of Grantham managed to support me when I felt they were of the greater need.”
Now with a Bachelor’s degree, SCPO Martin has recently re-enrolled with Grantham to earn a Master’s degree. He would like to attribute his success in part to his wife, Kristin, who continues to be his inspiration, his children, Eugene and Richard, whom he tries to set an example for and to his Division Officer, LTJG Dickinson, who has endured two challenge exams and four semester finals over the last year.
As SCPO Martin recommends Grantham to others, he tries to ensure they understand that online courses can be even harder than classroom courses. “It takes initiative, dedication and self-motivation to complete each semester. It is amazing to see how Grantham has grown through the years, and I hope that my story will help others make a decision to improve themselves and their quality of life through earning a college degree. Be a leader and take charge of your life, enroll at Grantham University,” urges SCPO Martin.
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In a recent study, “The Best Jobs in America,” completed by CNN’s Money Magazine and Salary.com, the field of Software Engineering was rated as the best career to have in America. Software Engineering topped the list at number one because of its excellent job forecast, pay rate, low stress level, working environment and career advancement opportunities (http://money.cnn.com/).
To narrow down the list of the best jobs in America, MONEY Magazine and Salary.com began with a list of positions that the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected would grow at an above-average rate over the next 10 years and that require at least a bachelor's degree. Then, they rated positions by compensation, stress level, flexibility in hours and working environment, creativity, and how easy it is to enter and advance in the field. Below is a list of the Top 25 Best Jobs in America.
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Rank |
Career |
Job Growth (10-yr Forecast)
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1 |
Software Engineer |
46.07% |
2 |
College Professor |
31.39% |
3 |
Financial Advisor |
25.92% |
4 |
Human Resources Manager |
23.47% |
5 |
Physician Assistant |
49.65% |
6 |
Market Research Analyst |
20.19% |
7 |
Computer/IT Analyst |
36.10% |
8 |
Real Estate Appraiser |
22.78% |
9 |
Pharmacist |
24.57% |
10 |
Psychologist |
19.14% |
11 |
Advertising Manager |
20.34% |
12 |
Physical Therapist |
36.74% |
13 |
Technical Writer |
23.22% |
14 |
Chiropractor |
22.40% |
15 |
Medical Scientist |
34.06% |
16 |
Physical Scientist |
12.18% |
17 |
Engineer |
13.38% |
18 |
Curriculum Developer |
27.53% |
19 |
Editor |
14.77% |
20 |
Public Relations Specialist |
22.61% |
21 |
Sales Manager |
19.67% |
22 |
Optometrist |
19.73% |
23 |
Property Manager |
15.30% |
24 |
Actuary |
23.16% |
25 |
Writer |
17.72% |
To view the full list, please visit: http://money.cnn.com/ |
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Navy Increases Tuition Assistance |
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Recently, the Navy announced that active duty sailors are now eligible for 100% of tuition assistance (TA) up to $250 per semester hour (SH) and up to 16 SH per fiscal year (an increase from the historical limit of 12 SH) not to exceed $4500 per fiscal year. Sailors desiring to take more than 16 SH per fiscal year must submit a waiver request which will be considered by a review board and evaluated on its own merits.
Tuition Assistance will remain at 16 SH through fiscal year 2007 while the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) monitors its utilization. If the rate of overall TA expenditures creates a danger of running out of TA funding prior to the end of fiscal year 2007, the NETC may impose management controls and priorities to ensure that academic planning is not disrupted (such as limiting TA over 12 SH to courses tied directly to degree completion).
For more information on tuition assistance visit: https:www.navycollege.navy.mil
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Too Busy? Learn How To Say No.
By Elizabeth Scott
About.com |
Are you overscheduled and overstressed? With today’s busy schedules, you’re not alone! One way to pare down your schedule is to get good at saying no to new commitments. Whether you say ‘yes’ instead of no out of guilt, inner conflict, or a misguided notion that you can ‘do it all’, learning to say no to more requests can be one of the biggest favors you can do yourself and those you love, as it helps reduce stress levels and gives you time for what’s really important.
Here's How:
1. Just say, “I’m sorry; I’m not able to do this right now.” Use a sympathetic, but firm tone. If pressured as to why, reply that it doesn’t fit with your schedule, and change the subject. Most reasonable people will accept this as an answer, so if someone keeps pressuring you, they’re being rude, and it’s okay to just repeat, “I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t fit with my schedule,’ and change the subject, or even walk away if you have to.
2. If you’re uncomfortable being so firm, or are dealing with very pushy people, it is okay to say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” This gives you a chance to review your schedule, as well as your feelings about saying ‘yes’ to another commitment, do a cost-benefit analysis, and then get back to them with a yes or no. Most importantly, this tactic helps you avoid letting yourself be pressured into overscheduling your life and taking on too much stress.
3. If you would really like to do what they’re requesting, but don’t have the time (or are having trouble accepting that you don’t), it’s okay to say, “I can’t do this, but I can…” and mention a lesser commitment that you can make. This way you’ll still be partially involved, but it will be on your own terms.
Tips:
1. Be firm (not defensive or overly apologetic) and polite. This gives the signal that you are sympathetic, but will not easily change your mind if pressured.
2. If you decide to tell the person you’ll get back to them, sound very matter-of-fact, and not too promising. If you lead people to believe you’ll likely say ‘yes’ later, they’ll be more disappointed with a later ‘no’.
3. If asked for an explanation, remember that you really don’t owe anyone one. “It doesn’t fit with my schedule,” is perfectly acceptable.
4. Remember that there are only so many hours in the day. This means that whatever you choose to take on, limits your ability to do other things. So even if you somehow can fit a new commitment into your schedule, if it’s not more important than the things you would have to give up to do it (including time for relaxation and self care), you really don’t have the time in your schedule!
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This Month’s Online Learning Quote
Knowledge is the food of the soul. ~ Plato |
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© Copyright 2006 Grantham University - All Rights Reserved. |
