Getting closer to the finish line

I have mentioned this before, this is my last quarter of my Associate's Degree and I am in the middle of my internship. This quarter is all about graduation: doing paperwork, ordering my cap and gown, taking necessary exams, inviting people to my graduation, and planning a graduation party. It's exciting! Not that I have much time to really enjoy it, because I am crazy busy this quarter. But every now and then I do get to take a moment to realize that this really is my last quarter! I can't believe that I will be done in just five weeks. Of course when I say done I mean with my Associate's Degree, because this week I have met with someone in admissions to sign up for my Bachelor's Degree. I have decide to continue, because I want this for myself, and I am in a roll, so I'll just continue what I've been doing. I will definitely walk and go to my graduation, there is no way that I am missing out on this experience. I am excited though that from now on I will only have three classes instead of four, and I will be switching from day to night classes. In the fall quarter I will have one night class and two online classes. This will be an interesting new experience for me, because so far I have been day/online. 

So I will see everybody again in the fall. Count me in.

Claudia

Pairing Electives

My initial plan when I started at Sullivan University was to obtain my Culinary Arts degree.  As my education continued, I found myself in a situation where I only had my culinary labs left to finish but no lecture classes to fulfill the rest of my Financial Aid course requirement.  After discussing my options with the Admissions Team at Sullivan, I decided to throw myself into the Bachelor's Degree Program, as well.  Now, as a Culinary Arts graduate working towards my Hospitality Management degree, I have taken many classes that are catered to management of a business but not specifically in the hospitality industry.  Therefore, I have been encouraged to find the connection between what I am studying and how it could help me in my desired field of being an Executive Chef.

This quarter, I am taking an Anatomy and Physiology course as a General Elective required for my Bachelor's degree.  One short assignment I completed for this class shows an example of a connection I was able to make.  Our instructions for the assignment were to discuss which bone in the human body was our "favorite," and why.  The following insert was my response:

It is a somewhat difficult decision to choose ONE bone of the 206 in the human body

as my favorite. I'd honestly have to choose a structure of bones because it's the

function of many bones together that achieves my "favorite" task.  My favorites would

be the bones in the wrist and hands, the carpal bones, metacarpals, and phalanges.

In my line of work as a chef, my hands are my tools. I am able to touch, grasp,

and maneuver my utensils, tools, and, most importantly, the food I am working with.

My favorite area in a kitchen, my "comfort zone," is the saute station.  My hands,

wrists, and general arm muscles are the most valuable tools on a saute range.

Holding tongs and spatulas to agitate the product, motioning your wrists to flip

ingredients together in a pan, and gently placing food on a plate to form a beautiful

presentations form the basis of any saute station. Without the incredible function,

purpose, and control of my wrist and hand bones, I would not be as skillful or as

passionate about food.  My hands and wrists allow me to be in touch with my food,

to almost form a relationship with it that transitions out into the art of presentation. 

It is always exciting to learn new things about your desired profession and to make connections between things you previously knew.  Sullivan University is a great institution and outlet for these realizations.  This story is just one of many similar experiences I have had during my time at Sullivan.

Hayley Charron

Its getting closer and closer to the end

I am currently in my second to last quarter of graduating with my bachelor's degree in business management and I'm very excited about it, but I'm also nervous because I'm not sure what I want to do once I've received my degree.  My mind is batting around so many different ideas, some of which will keep me attending Sullivan University at least another year or 2, with that I'm really not sure what to do. 

What I've learned and appreciated the most during my attendance at Sullivan is that the choices of careers have expanded not only in society but also within Sullivan which has caused my slight case of uncertainty of career choices.  I took a Conflict Management class that was very interesting a few quarters ago, and because of that it has peaked my interests of learning more about that particular career field. 

Whatever I decide to do or whatever career choice I make I want to say thank you to Sullivan for offering up such diverse career choices and wonderful advancement opportunities, I am truly grateful and very appreciative.

Tracy Dickerson

Why Sullivan?

Did you know that Sullivan is the most recognized accredited private university in the state of Kentucky?  Sullivan University holds accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as an institution of higher standards learning.  This accreditation allows associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees to be attains.  The Kentucky Council on Post-Secondary Education also licenses Sullivan to offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees to its prospective students.

The university also holds valuable accreditation for specific programs.  The Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.  The National Center for Hospitality Studies is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.  Each program within the school repertoire is officially accredited by the proper channels.  A student can be very confident in the degree which he or she is working towards. 

All programs, accreditation, and divisions can be found in detail on the Sullivan Sullivan website.  If you have more questions, concerns, and comments can also be directed to Sullivan's Admissions Department.

Hayley Charron

Ahead of the Curve

Getting ready to start a new career path or advance in your current career? What sets you and your resume apart from the stack of resumes that employers are looking at when they are getting ready to fill a position? Many employers consider the inter office dynamics of bringing in someone new, but to give yourself an edge above the others, several employers are looking at the volunteerism of candidates as a factor to show a strong work ethic and social responsibility. Many of the school organizations are already involved in community projects like Big Brothers/Big Sisters or community cleanup projects. It's not glamorous work, but it is very rewarding and may offer an extra set of skills that could put you ahead of the competition for that next job. If you want to find out more about the local volunteer opportunities, check with some of the school organizations in your field of studies or check www.volunteermatch.org, there's plenty of opportunities out there!

Brian Strickler

Last Quarter and externship are here

I am in my last quarter now and have started my externship as a paralegal at a prosecutor's office. So far, I have worked there two days, and tomorrow is my third day. It's been very exciting so far, and I have really enjoyed being there. The people I work with are amazing! They are very encouraging, and also very dedicated to making this a great experience for me. I feel welcome, and I know that I will learn a lot while I am there. This will making transitioning to a job so much easier, because of the exposure I am getting during my externship. It starts with driving and parking downtown and making my way through the different court buildings that are there. I know now where the clerk's office is, and I am making important connections with people I will have dealings with on a regular basis once I work at a law firm or any other place where I might be working once I graduate. I took criminal law last quarter at Sullivan, and now I am using my knowledge on a daily basis. It is exciting how classroom theory now turns into real life applications.

I think it is a really good thing that Sullivan makes its students do a externship project as part of the curriculum because this is valuable experience we are gaining as part of our education. Of course it is hard to fit in 15 hours of extra work on top of my school schedule with three more classes and my regular 20 hours I work every week. Right now I am working six days a week and I am not all that happy about my workload. Today is Sunday, and my weekend is already over, and I haven't done anything "fun" yet. By the time I am done with errands and grocery shopping, it will almost be time for bed. But three months from now, I will have finished my degree, and on October 12 I will get to wear my cap and gown and pick up my official papers. This will be so exciting! After all the hard work, to finally hold it in my hands. And you can be sure that I will send out cards to all the people who doubted that it could be done, and to all the people who supported me and cheered for me, and who knew that it could be done.

Claudia

Financial Resources

With just weeks to go before the new quarter, I'm seeing a lot of classmates filing out scholarship applications and lining up financing for the next few quarters of classes. No matter what your program, there is money out there to help you pay your way through school. The Imagine America scholarship offer up to $2,000, various other organizations offer scholarships based on all sort of qualifications. All these scholarships and grants can be found with an online search. So, while student loans are designed to get you through a bachelors degree program, it's helpful to use whatever resources you can to alleviate that debt when you graduate or use it to continue on through a masters degree. Given the competition in the job market, the higher degree you obtain, the more options you have in a job and the more desirable you are to employers. Think of the people out of work that have degrees and the people trying to get a job with out a degree, who would an employer pick first?

Strickler