Is The Journey Too Far?

I was looking at some numbers that were brought to my attention the other day, less than half of the people who enter college in the U.S. actually graduate. In Kentucky, the number is higher, but still around 30%. Most leave because of financial problems, the second is for poor academic performance. Those are valid reasons to anyone, but the third leading cause was surprising to me, poor social fit...What!?! Leaving because it interferes with your social life? You can't see your friends or go out as often as you'd like? How is leaving school going to help with that?
School requires some sacrifices, yes. You have to commit time to succeed at it, but that's the same with anything else in life. How much easier a time are you going to have seeing them when you can't afford to go out on the weekends or can't get out of a shift working at a low paying job? Education is about making a better life for yourself, not winning a popularity contest. You are learning to get ahead in life and afford the things you and your family want. If you're letting your friends get in the way of a good future, how good of friends are they?
Lets turn the tables on that question, how good a friend are you to not let them know or see the skills you are learning and how it is helping your future? Have you told your friends about Sullivan and all the programs it has and it's Career Services Center that helps graduates with placement after you've earned a degree? As students we are here to learn valuable job skills to improve our future, but lets also try to raise the prospects in the futures of those around us and, in turn, the world we live in.

Brian Strickler

THE CONSTANT CHANGES

I have to say that these past 9 weeks of being in school, beginning a new year, and a lot of changes that have taken place within my company the one thing that I can say is that change is constant.  You never know when change is going to come, but whenever it does you certainly better be ready for it when it does. 

Although you may have a routine for day to day activities, I certainly do, there is going to be something that is going to throw a wrench in your plans.  I know you may have seen some of the posts that I've put on our blog about my son going off to college and being so happy and proud that he was actually trying to make an effort to not only further his education but to also try and make something of his life without his dad or I running the show.  well, I'm here to say that hearing that he is on academic probation and that he has not been making any kind of effort whatsoever to do any of what I mentioned for himself was not only a huge slap in the face but a major change that I was not completely prepared for.  Although I know my son and am very aware of how lazy he is, I hoped that there would be some incentive of being on your own and away from home that might have helped him want to do more with his life, that is the disappointing part of it all. 

At this point my son has until May to decide if he is going to make an effort to pass his classes or completely flunk out....let's see where this story will take us then.

Tracy Dickerson

Week 9 is ending..

I can't believe we are already finishing up week 9!! Only two more weeks until final exams and the quarter is over. The weeks have been just flying on by, but I'm glad because I have been making good use of them. So far, this quarter I attended my favorite set of classes and though they are all unrelated in subject, they tied in together perfectly. My classes were Intro to Speech, Microeconomics, and Psychology I. I benefited greatly from each in their own way, but I found Microeconomics to be the most interesting. I felt as if we were taking a relatively simple subject and examining it in a such a way as to expose it for how complex it really is. It was quite challenging conceptually, but once you got hold of the idea, it all made sense. Anyway, I hope everyone else is having as great of a quarter as I am!! Good luck with the upcoming finals!! The month of March has arrived!! :-)

Tim

getting closer to the end

So, first of all, congrats to all those that will be graduating this spring! I know that is a few of us adult ambassadors. I know that you have all worked hard to get here. I will be joining you, but will also go on to further my education at Sullivan.
I am nearing the end of quite a crazy ride. I have been involved in two competitions that are at the beginning of march. As the days draw nearer and my days grow longer, I am trying to keep sight of why I have taken on so much my last quarter. I promised myself that I would make the most of my experience here at Sullivan, and that is exactly what I have done. It annoys me to hear people say unkind words about my school when I know they are the type of people that feel they are entitled. Every opportunity is waiting for you here at Sullivan. It is up to the individual to take advantage. that is part of being an adult. I have found everything that I was looking for, and so much more!
I hope to bring home several accomplishments and awards to Sullivan! Here is two two more wonderful years of school!
`Kamisha Jones`

502 Restaurant Week

In over 200 cities around the country, dozens of restaurants are participating in National Restaurant Week.   Louisville has introduced 502 Week as a new Foodie event for this fast-growing culinary city, running February 22 through March 3.  Twenty-nine incredible restaurants around Louisville have chosen to participate in 502 Week, one being Winston's Restaurant here at Sullivan University.  According the the primary press release, the purpose for this city-wide event is to "promote the incredible restaurant industry that Louisville has become so famous for and to drive business into restaurants during a seasonal lull."

Each restaurant involved has designed a special menu for the event. These menus can be collectively seen on the 502 Restaurant Week website.  Most of the participating restaurants are abiding by the general deal of a three-course dinner for two people for $50.20.  Some, like Winston's, are offering some other fantastic specials as well. 

I am currently finishing up my culinary internship at Winston's.  The last couple weeks have been fun and educational in preparation for this great event.  The Winston's 502 Menu can be seen here.  Unlike most of the other participating restaurants, Winston's is doing things a little differently:

• The smaller four-course menu includes a cup of soup, two choices from the small plate menu, and a dessert for $25.10. 
• The larger four-course menu is comprised of a cup of soup to start followed by one selection from the small plate menu, one selection from the large plate menu, and a choice of dessert for $50.20.
• Winston's is also offering glasses of wine for $5.02, as well as $5.02 of any full bottle of wine.

These deals, at Winston's and the other restaurants involved in 502 Week, are incredible! Make sure to take advantage this week!

Hayley Charron

Internship getting closer

I can't believe that soon I will have to start looking for a place for my internship. When this quarter is over, I will only have two quarters left and I am done with my Associate's Degree. This week I am going to a lunch of the Louisville Association of Paralegals and I need to talk to some of the ladies there to get some phone numbers of HR contacts. I am a little overwhelmed by this task, because there are so many other assignments and tests I currently have going on. But it is always like this, there are tests, homework, advising, financial aid appointments ... the list goes on and on. Seems like every week something new comes up. I can't wait for Spring Break! I will do absolutely nothing. Well, except I still have to go to work, of course. But in the end, it's all doable. And the sense of accomplishment is great.

Claudia

Another Quarter Almost Over!

Is time flying by or what???  I've actually lost track of the weeks!  Due to starting the 2nd week of the quarter for one of my classes and being off for another, I'm really not sure what week it is off the top of my head...I want to say it's week 7....wow.....

So, I'm enjoying my personal/private chef class tremendously!  I have actually got the ball rolling on my business and I'm so excited!! I've registered my business and have received my EIN!! Now I'm in the process of working with a friend to create my logo and design my webpage and order new business cards!! I'm ready to get this thing started!!!!

My prayer is that I get many clients and fulfill all of their dreams and desires!! I want to be parts of so many families and have my name out there to where I will succeed in bringing families back to their dinner tables one meal at a time!

Alona Beasley-Jenkins
~LaLa's Decadent Creations, A Personal Chef Service (Owner {that is a great feeling! I'm the owner!!!})

Sometimes you have to just breathe....

It has always amazed me what an average human being is capable of when they put their mind to it! I personally am a walking time bomb. Currently I am a full time student with Sullivan. A full time owner and Manager of a new business MATCH Cigar Bar. I am in the middle of planning a wedding in less than 6 months time and to top it all off this week, I have to find a new home for me and my family of 3 dogs and a soon to be husband. So I guess this is where the BREATHE comes into play. Sometimes I wonder how so many people see themselves as productive by doing very little with their time. Then I find myself running on 4 hours of sleep and day and a brain that just does not shut off. However with all of this being said it is amazing the capacity I have to still maintain in life. So many people have those moments where you just cannot take on any more. So how am I surviving? How do I awake everyday with the will to power through all of this? I know that the Hard Work will pay off in the long run. If you face life head on and challenge yourself daily your end result will be an even more fulfilling, proud time in your life! But sometimes that feeling cannot come soon enough. But as I sit hear, at three am, writing a Marketing Plan, a Research Paper, all while ordering product for work, I know myself I wouldn't have it any other way!

Cheers
Veronica Shipman