THE hAPPiness ISSUE · shining example is Michael Johnson, MBA ’04, who overcame incredible...

Happiness examined

Perks that work

Balancing act: calming work-life chaos

Michael Johnson, MBA ’04CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Dane CountyMadison, Wisconsin

A chAmpion for children

Your Alumni Magazine | January 2012

THE hAPPiness ISSUE

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ry 2012

Bettina Deynes | BSB/M ′04

Everyone hasa story to tell.Share yours and you could be in anupcoming issue of Phoenix Focus.

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happiness

Whatever the reason, celebrating the past year’s achievements and establishing a plan for the next 12 months always makes me happy.

Every January, my husband and I set a goal together along with our personal goals. Having a formal plan helps us make decisions throughout the year, which is essential to keeping equilibrium in our home. In “Balancing act: Calming the work-life chaos,” (page 22) you’ll find tips on how to keep all the moving parts of your life in harmony, which is something we all can feel happy about after the busy holiday season has passed.

This New Year, I am inspired by the optimism of our alumni. One shining example is Michael Johnson, MBA ’04, who overcame incredible obstacles while growing up in the roughest parts of Chicago. Today, he is a true champion for children (page 26), offering them hope for a better life through his role as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County in Wisconsin.

Here’s to a New Year filled with hope and happiness!

Nikki Sandoval, MBA ’03 Executive Director, Alumni Relations University of Phoenix [email protected]

Follow us at twitter.com/uopxalumni

Each new year fills me with optimism. Perhaps it’s because having a fresh start on the calendar gives us the chance to think bold thoughts and set new personal and professional goals.

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MarCom 2011 AwardsAwarded by the American Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, Phoenix Focus won six MarCom 2011 Awards:

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Gold—Magazine/Association

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Gold—Writing/Magazine

Honorable Mention— Design (Print)/Magazine Interior

4 PHOENIX FOCUS | January 2012

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Print edition Thank you for providing the email of the five most-read articles in Phoenix Focus alumni magazine. I share it with my co-workers. I often miss the print magazine as I was able to share it with others.

Kind regards, Talya Mason, MAOM ’05

Hello Talya, That is wonderful news that you are enjoying your alumni magazine Phoenix Focus and sharing it with your co-workers. Many of your fellow alumni also have inquired about print copies of the magazine. We are happy to announce you now have the option for a print subscription. The cost is just $19.99 for 10 issues to cover printing costs of your magazine. We will continue to send the complimentary online version by email each month. Nikki Sandoval Executive Director, Alumni Relations

Alumni businesses The best part of the Entrepreneurship issue for me was how alumni and their businesses were featured. It has a positive impact on those who are still working toward getting a degree as well as encourages those with a business to keep pressing forward. ...We can can strive to do things greater than ourselves to help strengthen the community and our families.

Royce Matthews, BSB/A ’09 Owner, Tastee Cookie Company Columbus, Georgia

Entrepreneurial dreams From a remote jungle in Asia, I read your magazine for the first time today. Well done! There are people out there like me with ideas and so much experience, and their stories are inspiring. It’s funny how this comes to me as I am at the crossroads of starting a business on my own. ... I’ll let you know how it goes, and how all my experience comes into play. I am so looking forward to following your magazine.

Jackie Lee Onsurez, MBA ’09

Letters

Editorial team

Senior Vice President Arra Yerganian

Vice President Kathleen Fern MBA ’99

Executive Director Nikki Sandoval MBA ’03

Editorial Director Jenifer King MBA ’11

Senior Editor Amanda Flatten

Features Editor Lee Jonsson

Communications Manager Bridget Gutierrez

Senior Writer Julie Wilson

Phoenix Focus September 2011

LETTERSTHE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Assistant Editor Lindsay DeChacco

Phoenix Focus Nov./Dec. 2011 Online Community

Manager Amy Wilson


contents

9Happiness examined

A four-part feature exploring the root of happiness.

10 The habits of happy people

12 What are the happiest countries?

14 Happiness through the years

16 Is happiness genetic or a choice?

26On the cover: A champion for children

Michael Johnson, MBA/GM ’04

While growing up in Chicago’s notoriously rough Cabrini-Green housing projects, a mentor gave Michael Johnson hope for a better life. Today, as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, he is doing the same for children.

Features

THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

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18Your Career

18 Work less, accomplish more

20 Perks that work

22 Balancing act

40Extra! Extra!

30Alumni Profiles

30 Charlotte Phillips A lifetime of self-discovery

34 Steven Gold Clearing the way for disabled students

38 Emily Garcia

39 Sharon Maloney

42The Buzz

42 Published by alumni 43 Recognition

44Your University

44 University news 46 Campus news 50 Community relations

In this issue


twitter.com/uopxalumni

alumni.phoenix.edu

facebook.com/uopxalumni linkd.in/uopxalumni

When our network grows, so does yours.Get connected.

•Expandyoursphereofinfluence.

•Sharecareeradvicewithfellowalumni.

•Findalumnieventsinyourarea.

•Learnbusinessdevelopmenttips.

•Getnewsandinformationthatimpactsyou.

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Happiness examinedA four-part feature exploring the root of happiness.

By Ashley Milne-Tyte


THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Americans feel a certain pressure to be happy. How could we not when the pursuit of happiness is enshrined in the Constitution? The problem for many of us, though, given this mandate, is that true happiness always seems to be just beyond the rainbow: “When I have X (a spouse, a child, a job, a house, a car)I’ll be happy.” But academic experts in this burgeoning field say chasing happiness doesn’t work. Happiness is more of an attitude. And the happier you are, the likelier you are to be successful in all spheres of life.

What makes us happy? Let’s get money out of the way first. It does have an influence. David Myers, a professor of psychology at Hope College and author of The Pursuit of Happiness: Who is Happy, and Why? says, “There is some correlation [between money and happiness], but it tapers off once you reach a middle income standard of living that affords some control over your life circumstances.” In other words, as soon as we have enough money to take care of our basic needs such as food, clothing and housing, the amount of money we have no longer affects our happiness levels.

“We’re twice as rich as we were 50 years ago, but we’re not happier at all,” he continues. That said, a 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center showed half of the wealthiest respondents described themselves as “very happy” compared to 30 percent of those with family incomes of less than $30,000 a year.

The most important influencer of happiness, Myers says, is other people. “We’re social animals,” he says. “We come with a deep need to belong. So people who have close, supportive, intimate relationships with others are more likely to report themselves as really happy people.”

The habits of happy people

Happy people tend to pay attention to the things they can control and not worry about the rest. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, shares the following tips about how to become happier.1. Count your blessings. Be aware of all the good things in

your life and express gratitude for what you have.

2. Cultivate optimism. Make an effort to see the upside of a situation and surround yourself with positive people.

3. Avoid social comparison. This is a tough one in our aspirational culture, but Lyubomirsky says it’s well worth cutting down on how often you dwell on your problems and compare yourself to others.

4. Practice acts of kindness toward friends and strangers.

5. Nurture your relationships. Don’t take your friends and family for granted.

6. Do more activities that really engage you. This increases what psychologists call the “flow” state where you’re totally absorbed in what you’re doing.

7. Savor life’s joys. Go over them either by writing them down or thinking and talking about them.

8. Commit to your goals. Pick at least one significant goal and devote time and effort to pursuing it.

9. Develop coping strategies. Practice ways to get through or get over stress or trauma.

10. Learn to forgive. Letting go of old hurts and resentments frees your mind and heart.

11. Practice religion or spirituality. Research shows people who do so are happier.

12. Take care of your body. Exercise, meditation and laughing all count.

12 tips for a happier life

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Then there’s the matter of goals. Michael B. Frisch is a professor of psychology at Baylor University and co-author of Creating Your Best Life. “All the research shows having some over-arching goals, meaning and purpose in your life is essential to human happiness,” he says. “People without a sense of purpose or meaning aren’t as happy.”

How to find happiness Frisch says it’s important to have quite specific goals, including within your relationships. “High functioning couples have time every day for each other, and [happy] people in the work world tend to be very focused and hard working.” He says both sets of people tend to be happier and more successful at marriage or work because they’ve committed to set objectives within each arena.

But David Myers has a caveat: goals must be realistic. “Frustration and unhappiness are partly defined by the gap between expectations and attainments,” he says. And that big dream, such as landing a longed-for job or buying a car you’ve coveted for years? Sure, achieving it will bring a surge of happiness, but it won’t last because, Myers says, we are wired to adapt to the new situation. “The other thing is social comparison. As you achieve your dream, the comparison standards you’re using change—you begin to compare yourself to people who have a little more than you do.” Envy starts creeping in, and happiness levels dip.

FEATURE | The habits of happy people


THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Most surveys reveal the tiny kingdom of Denmark as the happiest country in the world. Depending on which survey you review, it’s followed (or occasionally preceded) by neighbors such as Sweden and Finland, and countries like the Netherlands, Australia and Canada aren’t far behind. America usually doesn’t make it into the top 10.

Common denominators The happiest countries tend to have several things in common: They’re wealthy democracies and have strong social safety nets including universal health care and free (and generally good) education, decent unemployment benefits and a good balance between work and leisure time. In many cases there’s also a relatively small gap between the richest and poorest citizens.

Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener has traveled the world from Greenland to Calcutta researching the happiness of various populations. He is the author of Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth. He says rich Danes and rich Americans look quite similar to one another on a graph. “Where you find the difference is in poor people,” he adds. “Poor Danes look exactly like rich Danes [on a happiness scale]. Poor Americans look very different from rich ones. Poor Americans are high in negative affect (anger, worry, etc.) and have lower overall positive evaluations of their lives.”

He says it’s likely that poorer Danes “feel more included, or the income equality of the society makes everyone feel worthwhile psychologically,” whereas poor Americans, living in an acquisitive, status-conscious society, feel every inch of difference between “them and us.”

What are the happiest countries?

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FEATURE | What are the happiest countries?

A stable society Other factors also come into play. “Denmark is a pretty well-run society,” Biswas-Diener says. “When you walk around, you feel relatively safe and see relatively small amounts of street crime and homelessness.” It also has a small population, which, traditionally, has been homogenous, though immigrant levels have risen in recent years. But that sense of shared background means people trust each other: Danes happily leave their babies in strollers outside stores while they shop.

Of course the same can’t be said for places like Australia and especially Canada, home to millions of immigrants. But like all the countries on the “happiest” top 10 lists, these nations tend to be socially, politically and economically stable, and the state has a robust role in society.

Still, happiness doesn’t just revolve around feeling relatively well off and taken care of.

Biswas-Diener comments on what he calls “the Latin American effect.” “In general, these [Latin American] countries are happier than you would expect given their income. So somewhere they’re getting this boost of happiness. Where is it coming from? They’re relatively poor. Why is it that a comparable country in Southeast Asia isn’t as happy?” The answer, he says, is that South Americans “have cultural norms for emotion that are pretty intense and positive.” In other words, it’s easier for someone from Venezuela to get a kick out of life than it is for a person from Vietnam.

Biswas-Diener would like to scotch a couple of myths, too. Many of us have heard a version of this: A friend comes back from a trip to Africa and raves about how happy local villagers were, despite having few comforts, by Western standards, and living on the economic edge. “Let’s not romanticize these people’s lives,” he says. “When you talk to them, they say things like, ‘My husband drinks all the time; he beats me; how can I get to the United States?’ A lot of the smiles are on the kids.” But he concedes, “Even adults enjoy a certain buffer from the dire effects of poverty. They have such a nice social fabric there; they feel so ensconced in a community.” Again, close ties to other people make the difference.

Biswas-Diener says that’s why the Calcutta homeless are happier than those in California and Oregon. “They’re not looked down upon by the entire rest of society.”


THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Our modern idea of happiness—that it’s something everyone can earn and that we all deserve—would have been completely unfamiliar to our ancestors. Darrin McMahon, author of Happiness, A History, points out that the word “hap” is Old Norse and Old English for “luck” or “chance.” Happiness, he says, “was in the hands of fate or fortune. It was literally what happened to you.”

Happiness before the 17th century While the Greek and Roman philosophers believed you could achieve happiness by living a good, virtuous life, that life might include plenty of pain (sometimes literally). “Cicero claimed the happy man will be happy even on the torture rack,” says McMahon. Happiness, as far as the ancients were concerned, was such hard work few could hope to realize such a state.In the Christian tradition, happiness wasn’t something you could expect during your time on earth. You achieved it in the next life, providing you lived piously and virtuously during this one. In short, you had to be dead to enjoy it.

It wasn’t until the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries that the idea arose that happiness should be for everyone. Americans may be happier today than our 19th century predecessors—no child labor and the invention of antibiotics being just a couple of reasons—but there’s no real way to tell because social scientists didn’t start to measure happiness until the 1940s.

Are we happier now? You might think the upheavals of the 20th century would have had an effect on people’s happiness: The first World War, the roaring twenties, the Depression, World War II, not to mention social change after the war when many women left their jobs and returned to the hearth, while men conquered the workforce and the economy boomed. Then there was the upheaval of the 1960s—the civil rights movement, changing social mores, the Vietnam war, followed by an economic downturn and more political and social upheaval in the 1970s. Feminism came about because many women weren’t happy with the status quo. But none of this shows up in any spikes or dips on the happiness graphs.

Happiness through the years

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FEATURE | Happiness through the years

Since the late 1940s, when happiness surveys began, happiness has remained pretty stable. Americans don’t appear to have become much happier—or unhappier—in the decades since. Tom Smith, principal investigator for the General Social Survey at NORC at the University of Chicago, says there are a couple of good reasons for this: “What makes most people happy or unhappy has to do with their personal or family lives—are they getting along with their kids, their spouse, the neighbors?—and not whether some international incident is brewing or whether there’s a new controversy about gay marriage.”

Smith says those larger things, though they may have a great impact on society as a whole, simply don’t drive happiness. Also, he says, in boom times people may do well, but they re-evaluate their situations during those heady days and tell themselves while they may be thriving, so is everyone else. They adapt to the times. This is what psychologists call “the hedonic treadmill.” The same goes for bad times, when people don’t tend to report being less happy than usual because, again, they adapt to the general temperature of the era.

That said, the current economic downturn has caused a dip in happiness. The General Social Survey of 2010 shows general happiness fell to an all-time low, with 29 percent of respondents describing themselves as “very happy.” That’s a drop of 5 percent since 2004. The percentage of people describing themselves as “not too happy” rose. Michael Frisch of Baylor University adds another depressing note: “In times like this, all the mental illness indices are off the graph: child abuse, wife abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and anxiety.”

“What makes most people happy or unhappy has to do with their personal or family lives—are they getting along with their kids, their spouse, the neighbors?” Tom Smith, principal investigator for the General Social Survey at NORC at the University of Chicago


THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, says, “A lot of it is genetically determined, up to 50 percent.” That statistic comes from several studies of identical twins. Researchers found that when they compared the happiness of identical twins, who share 100 percent of their genetic makeup, each was remarkably similar from a happiness perspective, despite the various things, good and bad, that had happened to each twin over the years. This, researchers concluded, shows that everyone has a “happiness set point” that is determined by genetics.

But if only half our happiness levels are inherited, that leaves plenty of room for improvement, says Lyubomirsky. “We can become happier,” she says. “It involves effort and commitment. I make the analogy with weight loss, where some are luckier than others. If you’re less fortunate, you have to put more effort into it. Maybe every week you need to do something to maintain your happiness.” (See “12 tips for a happier life” on page 10.)

Happy by choice Lisa Napoli admits choosing to be happy isn’t easy. A longtime journalist, she realized several years ago that being surrounded by professional cynics was having a corrosive effect on her mental health. She heard about a local happiness class, went and started to work on her attitude. “It was about approaching life from a point of abundance rather than a point of lack,” she says. “But unless you’re naturally wired that way, it takes some work.”

Napoli ended up taking leave and traveling to Bhutan to help run a local radio station. That experience led her to write Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth. (Napoli notes the “happiest kingdom on earth” label is a Bhutanese marketing tactic rather than a scientific fact.)

Is happiness genetic or a choice?The short answer is both.

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FEATURE | Is happiness genetic or a choice?

“the feel-good, do-good effect.” Happier people are easier to live with, too. They are less preoccupied with themselves and more interested in others.

Lyubomirsky points to other benefits of happiness, gleaned during her research. “People who are happier have stronger immune systems, experience less pain, are more likely to survive surgery and they live longer,” she says. When it comes to relationships, they are more likely to find marriage partners and less likely to get divorced. “They earn more money and are more likely to be hired on a job interview,” she says. And they’re likely to be friendlier and better liked.

Napoli says she feels happier today having adopted a new aspect of life, common among Bhutanese. “I felt a big lack … not having any kind of religious framework or belief system,” she says. In Bhutan “religion was very public. I started studying with a monk when I got back. For me it unlocked this dormant spirituality.” This has added to her sense of well-being.

Benefits of being happy According to Hope College’s David Myers, “Happier people are more altruistic, even if they’re temporarily made happy by finding money in a phone booth.” Research shows “they’re more likely thereafter to help somebody with dropped groceries.” It’s what he calls


Work less, accomplish more Reclaim your time while boosting your productivity.

In an ideal world, we’d be able to accomplish everything on our to-do lists and still have time to go to that yoga class, have lunch with an old friend and enjoy a relaxing weekend with our families. In reality, though, most of us are chronic multi-taskers, figuring the only way to conquer the endless to-do list is to try to get it all done at once.

Julie Wilson

Some time management experts argue that this approach not only adds to our stress, but it also costs American companies billions of dollars in lost productivity every year. According to research firm Basex, interruptions consume 28 percent of a high-level worker’s day, meaning those impromptu emails, phone calls and on-the-fly meetings that are at the heart of multi-tasking add up to an inefficient way to work. All is not lost, though. There are some simple ways to work with purpose and reclaim your calendar.

Turn it off In a world where buzzing, beeping and blaring are our constant companions, radio silence can seem almost unnatural. But Laura Stack, president and CEO of The Productivity Pro Inc. and author of SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best, suggests turning off the electronic alerts that serve as around-the-clock distractions.

“We constantly react to things as they appear and never get a block of time to work on something because of the speed of the input,” she explains. Her solution? Create alerts only for the most important people in your life—say a spouse or your boss—and schedule regular times to check emails, texts and voicemails. This will help you gain back uninterrupted stretches of your day so you can focus on completing your high-priority projects on time.

Stop distracting yourself Another thief of your precious time may very well be your own brain, according to Dave Crenshaw, time management expert and author of The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done. He refers to multi-tasking as “switching,” and

THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

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YOUR CAREER | Work less, accomplish more

maintains that “active switches” are distractions we create for ourselves, such as making a call in the middle of working on a presentation. The opposite of active switches, “passive switches” are distractions that are beyond our control. These include a ringing phone or an impromptu meeting with a colleague who shows up at your office.

“The most common culprit [of active switching] is having a mind full of too many to-do’s that you are trying to keep straight in your head. You put yourself in a position where your brain will switch its own attention,” Crenshaw says. “When you switch tasks regularly, you are telling your brain that it should switch tasks, and you condition your brain to behave that way.” The bottom line? Distraction begets distraction. Make a conscious effort to be present in the moment, whether you’re working on a big report, participating in a meeting or catching up with your family. This will help you complete the task at hand—and move on.

Write it down Getting organized can calm your mental chatterbox and help you focus. Stack’s mantra? “If you think it, ink it.” Simply put, write down the important things you need to remember in one centralized place. “Most of us don’t really have an effective capture tool,” she asserts. “Keep a running notebook next to you so you can jot down your thoughts and get back to what you were doing.”

Meet with purpose Another obstacle to productivity can be endless meetings infiltrating your calendar and leaving room for nothing else. When Crenshaw is invited to a meeting, his first response is to ask if the objective can be accomplished without a meeting. Sometimes the answer is no. In that case, he asks for an agenda, including when the meeting will end. He also asks who will lead it. “One person needs to be responsible for making sure the meeting stays on target and moves toward the desired result,” he says. “I also try to make a meeting as short as possible. It all goes back to the principle that time fills up a vacuum. If we schedule a meeting for 50 minutes, then it will take 50 minutes, but if we schedule it for 25, then it will take 25.”

When Stack is faced with a long meeting she doesn’t really need to attend, she asks to go first on the agenda. “If there is not a whole lot I need to be involved in, then I will be there for part of it,” she says. “I let the meeting leader know that I have a conflict—a meeting with myself.”

Tame your inbox Drowning in an overflowing email inbox? You’re not alone. “In a new era of hyper-interruption, whoever manages the chaos best wins,” says Mike Song, a keynote speaker with time-management training company GetControl.net. He suggests taking some simple measures to gain control of your inbox and reclaim your sanity. First, become a master filterer by using your email program’s auto-route feature to automatically sort incoming, nonessential email into logical categories, such as travel rewards or retail promotions. “In Outlook, you can simply right-click on an email to send it to a folder you can check once a month,” he says. With your email inbox clear of these superfluous messages, you’ll be able to hone in on the important ones faster.

Also, if you send less email, you’ll receive less. “For every email we send, we get roughly three back,” says Song. “There is a boomerang effect.” He suggests being more judicious in the emails you do send so you don’t inadvertently fill your inbox. The added benefit? When people get fewer emails from you, they will pay more attention when you do send them a message, and everyone will be the more productive for it.

Create boundaries One of the most important—and most difficult—ways to boost your productivity and find balance is to create boundaries between your professional life and your personal one. In an era when your boss can find you anywhere and anytime by calling your cell phone, this is easier said than done. “Boundaries are blurred right now,” contends Stack. “I believe that if [employers] are going to be flexible enough to allow people to do work things at home, then they need to understand that people need to do home things at work sometimes.” This means having an honest conversation about expectations so both parties end up with what they need and are happier and more productive for it.

Crenshaw likens life-work balance to debt. “When we overspend money, we go into debt and have to repay with interest. It’s the same thing with time. If I borrow from sleep to pay work, over time I will lose productivity and have to sleep more to make up that time,” he says. “I believe that happiness comes from spending five minutes less than what you have—and misery comes from spending five minutes more than what you have.”


THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Perks that work Free and low-cost ways managers can boost morale.

With the economy in a three-plus year slump, U.S. companies have had to scale back tremendously on the lavish perks they once used to lure employees to work longer and harder. But now that in-cubicle shoulder massages and gourmet meals have been taken off the company ledger, what perks can savvy employers offer in the current fiscal environment to engage and retain a weary workforce without spending all the profits?

“When it comes to the subject of perks, it’s really all about creating an environment where employees feel valued,” says Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day: Employee Recognition that Works. “Whether it’s a perk or simple recognition, people want to feel that their employer cares about them.” And according to Ventrice, there’s a lot managers can do to satisfy that need, without spending a fortune.

Flexibility is cheap In a recent study conducted by Ventrice, she found that the top priority for all workers across the board among perks is to have some degree of flexibility in terms of their telecommuting and time off. “Time flexibility makes people feel that they are really valued because there’s a trust component that comes along with it,” explains Ventrice. “When you telecommute, the employer trusts that you don’t have to be babysat to do your work.” And with today’s laptops and online office meetings, it’s possible for an employee to work from virtually anywhere.

Flexibility doesn’t just have to be telecommuting, says Ventrice. “Flexibility can also mean an employee gets a certain amount of ‘get out a jail free’ time to attend kid’s sporting events or what have you,” she adds. And unlike other perks, which may appeal to one age group more than another, Ventrice finds that the flex-time perk works across all ages. “When I did my generational study, it didn’t make any difference whether I was talking to a generation Y or a baby boomer, they were all interested in some form of flexibility,” she says.

By Jenny Jedeikin

Do-it-yourself perks When it comes to designing low-cost perks within the office, Ventrice advises that it’s best to bring the employees in on the decision-making process, so they feel like their needs have been taken into consideration. “In the better companies, they sit down and tell employees their budget and ask what’s important to you,” Ventrice says.

An engineering firm Ventrice recently consulted asked its employees to help design an effective work environment. “The employees really wanted to create work spaces where people could collaborate comfortably together,” says Ventrice. “They came up with these treadmill stations and scattered them throughout the offices. The treadmills had platforms so that people could put their laptops on them and work and work out at the same time.” During certain hours of the day, everyone is in an environment where people around them are working alongside each other rather than being in their cubicle. This means there is conversation and collaboration going on, which was important to that company.

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YOUR CAREER | Perks that work

It may not fit a company’s budget to dole out trips to Hawaii, but for the conscientious boss, there are still some very effective options:

1. Telecommuting. Hands down, offering a flexible work schedule is the surest way to an employee’s heart.

2. Awards. It doesn’t cost anything to nominate someone as “Employee of the month,” and it always makes a person feel appreciated.

3. Game rooms. You don’t have to outfit your game room with state-of-the-art air-hockey tables; sometimes just providing a game of Pictionary is enough for employees to let off some steam.

4. Free passes. Every employee appreciates the opportunity to attend their child’s school play or sporting event. Offering a pass to use at their discretion gives employees a nice break.

5. Surprise low-cost gifts. It doesn’t take much effort to get to know what someone really likes and surprise them with their favorite magazine subscription or coffee card.

6. Lounge rooms. When a conference room is too formal, it’s nice to offer employees a place to meet and discuss ideas while sitting on comfy couches.

7. Dogs in the office. In some workplaces, dogs are easy to accommodate, and it always makes people feel good to have their pets nearby.

8. Nap rooms. For startups and companies where employees work incredibly long hours, it’s nice to be able to take a much-needed break.

9. Flexible start time. Allow employees to start early or late to avoid rush hour traffic.

10. Special-request snacks. Take an informal survey of your employees, and keep the kitchen stocked with their favorite snack foods.

10 low-cost perks

If treadmill stations seem expensive, there are cheaper ways to achieve a comfortable work environment, “where employees can collaborate and bond, such as game rooms,” says Ventrice. She has seen Nerf guns and little Nerf soccer setups sprinkled around offices, for instance. “If employees are allowed to create their work space however they want to,” says Ventrice, “that’s going to make them more comfortable; so they get more work done.”

According to Ventrice, a perk doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective. “Yes, perks are going to change for some employers because they just can’t afford them anymore, but during the process, they just need to keep the employees’ interests in the equation,” she says.

Finally, Ventrice says we can’t afford to focus just on rewards and perks. “Making people feel valued is a holistic effort,” she says. “It comes from the way we treat people. The thoughtfulness in determining what kind of benefits people receive ultimately emerges from the day-to-day interactions that managers have with their employees.”

Jenny Jedeikin lives in Northern California and her writing has appeared in San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Rolling Stone and In Style, among other publications.

“When it comes to the subject of perks, it’s really all about creating an environment where employees feel valued.” Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day: Employee Recognition that Works


Balancing act

Calming the work-life chaos.

Each day you battle hours and minutes to balance your career, family, friends, school, purchasing power and—if you find an extra nanosecond or two (ooh!)—personal time. But most nights you lay down at the end of a long day feeling defeated. You have it all, so why can’t you enjoy it?

Trying to achieve calm among the work-life chaos is predominantly America’s cultural signpost, says Dr. David J. Palmiter, Ph.D., ABPP, clinical psychologist and author of Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies That Make a Difference. Unlike our European and Eastern counterparts, Palmiter says many overworked Americans fail to step back from their hectic schedules to re-prioritize what they truly want out of life.

“So many households are going up in flames” as a result, says Palmiter. “The oxygen masks have long since dropped; all the oxygen is going to the kids, and the parents are wobbly from the lack of attention to self and romance.”

Single and childless individuals fare no better as they try to manage competing demands on their time. In fact, sometimes it’s worse for them because employers expect they can work even longer hours or travel more, adds Kathy McDonald, work-life balance expert and author of Creating Your Life Collage: Strategies for Solving the Work/Life Dilemma.

We all get wrapped up in our “puritanical approach to work,” says McDonald, mostly because it is the one thing people can measure in terms of their accomplishments, both professionally and materialistically. Measuring whether someone is a good mother, father or child is simply intangible, she says.

By Marissa Yaremich

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YOUR CAREER | Balancing act


Evaluation begets equilibrium The first step for people to reclaim equalized happiness with their work and personal lives is to remember balance is possible, it’s just how you approach it, says McDonald. “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at the same time. At different stages of your life, you have to ask yourself: What do I want to do now?” she says.

Moreover, she adds, “time management and productivity tools won’t work until we address the underlying cause of our mindset. Then we can put our to-do list in its proper perspective, making conscious choices.”

In his book and related workshops, Palmiter advises people to imagine their funerals to consider their overall goals compared to the narrower, weekly goals, like making money or cleaning the house. “The gift of death to the living is perspective,” he explains.

The why of unbalance There are many reasons for work-life unbalance. Working men are often stuck in the archaic paradigm that they must be the family’s (or future family’s) breadwinners despite the increase of successful women in the workforce, says Cameron Phillips, founder of Bettermen Solutions. Working women are often stuck in the paradigm that they must be the primary caregivers.

ShrinkYourWorkWeek.com founder Shari McGuire finds her clients overextend their work hours because they harbor fear—fear of losing a job or disappointing

loved ones. Others fall into that cultural trap or ingrained mindset that working until “burn out” is normal. They won’t “speak up” to their bosses to find a better work schedule solution because they dismiss their right to engage in life’s pleasures. “Work with your boss and talk about what your work objectives are for the year,” says McGuire.

Phillips agrees and suggests you “present a well-thought-out, altered schedule proposal to your boss.” This also requires spouses to communicate the tradeoffs of a reduced work schedule and possibly less pay, he says.

Shandon Harbour, president of SDA Security, advises that employers not only accept the work-life balances demanded by today’s employees, but also suggests that people ask employers during the interview process to explain how they value work-life balance to ensure they don’t sacrifice their happiness for a paycheck.

“You can honestly say work-life balance is achieved when you’ve created a scenario in your life, given all its burdens and responsibilities, that allows you to be as productive on the work front as on the home front, regardless of gender,” says Phillips. In fact, Phillips, who works on improving employee retention and avoiding job burnout, notes in his study “Work Life Balance: A Working Father’s Perspective,” that employers can save $15 billion annually via employee retention, reduced absenteeism, etc., by helping men and women find balance.

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Scrap your old schedule If your job still demands a lot of your time every week, these experts say there are plenty of ways to control your schedule without it controlling you.

First, McGuire advises inking in, not penciling, work-life events such as a child’s dance class, date night with a spouse or lunch with a friend, and sticking to them until balance becomes a natural part of your lifestyle.

Palmiter believes setting aside “special time” with a child not only makes a parent feel less guilty about working so much, but also nurtures a valuable familial attachment.

Phillips also advises parents to schedule “work time” with their children. Dad, for example, works on his laptop while the child works on her homework thereby sending the child the message that she is important, but that both can do their work.

Parents or loved ones also can set a cell phone alarm 15 minutes before your child is scheduled to take a test so you can send a text message wishing her luck.

“In spousal relationships, work-life balance falls apart when we are not feeling appreciated,” says Phillips. “So take a moment twice a day to hug your spouse like you mean it.”

Tiffany Powell, of Surprise, Arizona, says she sees the benefit of mentally or literally scheduling things in her personal life to achieve balance. In addition to her and

her husband pursuing master’s degrees, Powell runs her own bookkeeping and accounting business while trying to help care for her mother, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer.

Every Sunday, for example, she and her husband put their cell phones in the other room and block off half of the day “to just being spouses” or planning the occasional weekend trip so they can reconnect with one another. They also make certain they work on the extended family dynamic by attending the regular, monthly dinners her parents hold for the entire family.

By knowing what happens on weekends, Powell says it makes her feel less guilty or stressed when her work and study schedules demand her flexibility. Even with that schedule’s chaos, Powell says, she finds balance by scheduling 15 minutes every night to read before bed.

And when all else fails to jive your work and personal lives, Harbour says, it’s best to defer to your sense of humor and accept what you cannot change. “Being able to create laughs and spread smiles makes everyone’s day more fun.”

“You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at the same time. At different stages of your life, you have to ask yourself: What do I want to do now?” Kathy McDonald, author of Creating Your Life Collage: Strategies for Solving the Work/Life Dilemma

YOUR CAREER | Balancing act


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Michael Johnson, MBA ’04CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Dane CountyMadison, Wisconsin

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While growing up in Chicago’s notoriously rough Cabrini-Green housing projects, a mentor gave Michael Johnson, MBA/GM ’04, hope for a better life. Today, as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, he is doing the same for others.

Growing up in the housing projects on Chicago’s North Side, Michael Johnson didn’t dream of becoming a fireman or a doctor or a teacher. In this tough neighborhood, making it to your 18th birthday was considered an accomplishment, a grim reality underscored by the fact that only four members of his elementary school class of 25 are alive today.

ALUMNI PROFILES | Michael Johnson

A chAmpion for children


But Johnson defied those odds thanks to sports, his church, the local Boys & Girls Club and a mentor who made all the difference. Today, as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County (BGCDC) in Wisconsin, he is helping kids just like him take charge of their futures and create better lives for themselves.

An unlikely mentor As a boy, Johnson and his single mother lived with eight others in a three-bedroom apartment. At 13, he decided it was time to find a job and help his mom pay the bills. One day, he put on his Sunday best and paid the owner of the neighborhood market a visit. “I went to his store in a white suit with a briefcase, and I asked him for a job,” Johnson remembers. “He laughed at me. Then he told me, ‘Your first job is school, and your second is to stay off the streets and work here.’”

And so began an unlikely friendship between Johnson and the Greek-American man who would become a stand-in father to him and teach him about his

potential. “He said to me, ‘I believe you can go to college and make something of yourself,’” Johnson says. He did, eventually earning his associate and bachelor’s degrees and starting a career of service to youth.

Finding his footing Johnson began his career at the YMCA of St. Louis, later working in education and social services in Indiana and Pennsylvania. While employed by the Philadelphia Public School District, Johnson’s boss told him that he needed to return to school to get his master’s degree, a move that would prepare him for future leadership roles. He earned his Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Global Management from University of Phoenix in 2004.

He continued to progress in his career, managing hundreds of facilities as deputy recreation commissioner for the City of Philadelphia until

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Michael Johnson with children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin.

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2010 when the opportunity he had dreamed of came calling. “I never imagined I would become CEO of a Boys & Girls Club,” he admits, “or that I would turn down a $250,000-a-year job in the private sector to do so.”

A mission to serve But his heart was always with the Boys & Girls Club, and it is there that he is doing his life’s work of helping the kids who need it most. “My job is to make sure our kids are successful,” Johnson says. He does this by hiring and managing the right team to work at BGCDC, raising funds and managing a board of 24 members. “A major part of my job is resource development,” he sums up. “And if the staff is happy, then the kids are happy.”

Johnson credits the University of Phoenix with giving him the skills he needs to change children’s lives for the better. “If I couldn’t manage a budget and raise resources, then I would fail these young people,” he says.

A measurable impact Under his leadership, the BGCDC has thrived, due in part to his persuasive fundraising skills during a downward economy. One of his first initiatives was to revitalize the dilapidated clubhouse. “It was depressing,” says Johnson. “It is a huge facility, but it was not warm, not bright, not clean. I wanted it like a country club.” Within seven months, he had raised enough money to completely renovate the place with new paint, carpet and furniture. He also purchased six new mini-buses so BGCDC staff can pick up kids from 18 schools who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to the club.

But Johnson’s most important accomplishment to date has been the boost in college entrance among the kids at BGCDC as a result of the club’s college prep program. “At the end of 2010, 100 percent of our kids graduated from high school and 90 percent of them went on to college,” he explains. “In 2011, we had a 100 percent graduation rate, and 100 percent of them went to college.” In this way, he is helping to set these kids on the path to success, as his own mentor did for him back in Chicago.

But that’s not enough for Johnson, who feels responsible for the kids in his program after they leave the walls of his club. He doesn’t want to lose touch with them after they graduate from high school and risk having them lose their motivation to continue their education. To remedy this, he is in the process of creating a college continuation coordinator position at the club to follow his kids’ progress and show them the BGCDC still cares. “We are going to stalk them after they graduate,” he says, smiling. “If they don’t graduate from college, then we didn’t do our job.”

Full circle Recently at the Boys & Girls Club, Johnson and his wife had the chance to visit with his mentor, the businessman who took a chance on him and gave him hope for a brighter future all those years ago. “I know I wouldn’t be alive today if he was not in my life,” he says, frankly. “He gave me inspiration and encouragement, and he opened doors for me.” Johnson’s greatest satisfaction is doing the same for others now that he is able. “When I look at them, I see myself.”

The UOPX-BGC ConnectionSince 2007, University of Phoenix and Boys & Girls Clubs have partnered to provide opportunities to at-risk youth across the country.

• The University has awarded more than 200 scholarships to Boys & Girls Club members.

• University of Phoenix Foundation provided a $1.8 million grant for the BE GREAT: Graduate program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which provides high-impact educational support for young people at 10 Clubs nationwide.

• In 2011, select University of Phoenix campuses received $100,000 in engagement grants to support 20 Boys & Girls Club projects that make a meaningful contribution to literacy support. University employees, faculty, alumni and students logged more than 1,400 service hours creating reading-friendly environments, hosting book drives and volunteering in Clubs.

• Apollo Group volunteers, including University of Phoenix staff, have donated more than 2,100 hours of service to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

“In 2011, we had a 100 percent graduation rate, and 100 percent of [the kids] went to college.” Michael Johnson, MBA ’04

ALUMNI PROFILES | Michael Johnson


Atour’s accolades:2007: First recipient of the National Restaurant

Association Award—Faces of Diversity

2007: Regional Franchisee of the Year

2007: State of California Franchisee of the Year

2008: Jack in the Box Franchisee of the Year

2010: Brand Ambassador for Jack in the Box (bestowed by CEO)

Currently: Largest franchise operator for Jack in the Box

A 20-something Charlotte Phillips, EdD ’09, joined the U.S. Army on a whim and ended up with a fulfilling career that spanned 22 years. Today, she’s come full circle to her original dream of becoming a teacher.

For some, what appears to be a haphazard approach to life can be fate in disguise. When a young Dr. Charlotte Phillips joined the U.S. Army on a whim, no one was surprised. Accustomed to her capricious nature, her family supported her with the usual mixture of good humor and disbelief. But more than two decades later, she proved that she had a clear path to follow all along, one that brought her full circle back to her dream of becoming a teacher.

Charlotte Phillips, EdD ’09Instructor, Army Medical Department Center & School Fort Sam Houston, Texas

A lifetime of self- discovery

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A lifetime of self- discovery

ALUMNI PROFILES | Dr. Charlotte Phillips


First ambitions “I remember when I was very young, I told my mother I wanted to be a school teacher,” says Phillips. Despite those early aspirations, at age 23 she woke up one day and decided to enlist in the Army. “I just did it,” she admits. “I didn’t tell my mother until eight weeks later when I had reached the point of no return.”

Committed to her decision—and armed with a healthy sense of adventure and a can-do outlook—Phillips settled into Army life. Though she had an associate degree under her belt before she enlisted, she was set on continuing her education. During her first years in the Army, she actively pursued her bachelor’s degree despite the many obstacles that soldiers face when attempting to get an education. “I was moving every two years and bouncing from college to college,” she says. “It took me 14 years to complete my bachelor’s degree. It was one of the most difficult degrees for me

to get.” Undeterred by the lengthy timeline, she went on to earn her master’s degree, too.

Treating the wounded In the Army, Phillips served as an X-ray technologist and eventually found herself at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. military medical hospital in Germany. There, she served casualties returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “We got them before they were flown to the United States for continued care,” she says.

At Landstuhl, Phillips came face-to-face with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “I saw a lot of soldiers with traumatic wounds,” she says. “At times we would be walking the halls and see patients with that deer-in-the-headlights look. [The staff] was deeply affected by this.”

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“My Army career was exceptionally fulfilling. I would not trade it for the world. It instilled in me a sense of discipline and taught me I could do anything I wanted to do. It may take time, but there is nothing out there that I can’t accomplish.” Charlotte Phillips, EdD ’09

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While at Landstuhl, Phillips decided to pursue her Doctor of Educational Leadership at UOPX. When it came time to select a topic for her dissertation, the choice was obvious. “I was inspired to write about PTSD,” she says. “I wanted to know more about it and what kind of effect it would have on this young generation later on.”

In spite of—or perhaps because of—the trying circumstances under which she worked in Germany, Phillips found great satisfaction in her work. “My Army career was exceptionally fulfilling,” she says. “I would not trade it for the world. It instilled in me a sense of discipline and taught me I could do anything I wanted to do. It may take time, but there is nothing out there that I can’t accomplish.”

First calling When Phillips decided to retire from the Army in 2009, she accepted a teaching job at the Army Medical Department Center & School (AMDCS) in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She teaches on the

ALUMNI PROFILES | Dr. Charlotte Phillips

military installation in a civilian capacity, training the instructors who will teach medical courses to trainees. “If you have a medical job and are in the Army, then you most likely came through AMDCS.”

Phillips teaches several different courses there, including adult learning principles, learning objectives and task analysis. Her PTSD research gives her an edge with her students, many of whom are instructors just returning from war. “I can identify if they are suffering from PTSD and offer resources to help them.”

A bright future Whether she’s treating soldiers fresh from a war zone or sharing her knowledge with teachers of tomorrow, Phillips is happy with her life’s path. What does success mean to her? “It’s getting to wake up every morning and help others,” she contends.

As for her parents, Phillips says they are “ecstatically proud, even though they never knew what to expect from me.” Regardless of the winding road that got her here, she can’t escape the sense that she’s come full circle and is right where she’s supposed to be. “My mother recently said, “‘You always did tell me you wanted to be a school teacher,’” she adds, smiling, “‘and now you’re a school teacher.’”


Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04, has a passion for making education accessible for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. At Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado, he is changing lives of disabled students for the better.

Steven Gold’s childhood dream of working in federal law enforcement was thwarted by his adult understanding of the sobering realities of the job. Not one to be deterred, he decided to do his part for society in a different way. Today, his passion is making education accessible for everyone at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, regardless of disabilities they may face. He’s also using his expertise to educate the next generation of counseling professionals so they can enrich the lives of others in their own ways.

Clearing the way for disabled students

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Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04Assistant coordinator for student disability services, Pikes Peak Community College Colorado Springs, Colorado

ALUMNI PROFILES | Steven Gold


A work in progress Gold’s career wasn’t always so fulfilling. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology, he found himself working in hotel security, frustrated that he wasn’t using the skills he worked so hard to hone. “I was underemployed,” he says, simply, “but I wasn’t going to sit around and stagnate.”

One month later, he decided to pursue his Master of Counseling in Community Counseling from University of Phoenix. “Everyone who is a counselor says they are good with people,” he laughs. “I was always good with people, and I’m inquisitive. It was a natural fit for me to pursue a behavioral health degree.”

In 2005, Gold began teaching psychology classes part time at PPCC. He found that he loved working in higher education with its nontraditional pupils, who ranged from high school students earning credit to people returning for their degrees in their 30s and 40s and retired men and women learning just for the love of it.

Opportunity knocks In 2007, Gold saw a job posting at PPCC that would change his life. An assistant coordinator for student disability services position opened at the college, a job that would perfectly correspond with his education, experience and desire to do more. He was hired for the position, which began as part time and allowed him to continue teaching. “Within a year, it went from half time to three-quarter time, then quickly to full time after that,” he says. The best part? “I was getting to help a population of students I hadn’t worked with before,” Gold adds.

In this new role, he helps provide academic accommodations to the disabled. This broad category includes students with psychological and psychiatric conditions, physical and systemic illnesses, and cognitive and learning disabilities. Gold reviews their requests and verifies that they qualify for assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then he gets to work filling their requirements, which range from technology-based (computers and software) to low-tech assistance, such as readers, scribes and special classroom seating.

Gold knows that making education accessible to these students is only one part of the battle. “We are leveling the playing field by providing accommodations to meet their challenges,” he explains, “but we don’t modify their curriculum at all. They are still responsible for doing what everyone else has to do.”

An unexpected joy Although Gold happened upon his career by chance, he has found great satisfaction in his work at PPCC. “Once you get into the disability field in higher education, it sucks you in—in a good way,” he asserts. “You are part counselor, part advisor, part teacher. There’s so much that [your work] impacts.”

“Once you get into the disability field in higher education, it sucks you in—in a good way. You are part counselor, part advisor, part teacher. There’s so much that [your work] impacts.” Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04

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He finds fulfillment in ensuring access for disabled students to give them a fair shot at success. “The best part is when a student comes to me and says, ‘I just got elected to student government,’ or ‘I am graduating,’ or ‘I am going to Harvard,’” he says. For some students with severe disabilities, though, the accomplishment might be picking up a skill, such as typing, that will enable them to have a job of their own—and a better life. “Their idea of success is different,” he explains. “There is a whole spectrum, and whatever success feels like to a student, that makes me feel really good.”

Creating his future Beyond his dedication to counseling and teaching, Gold maintains a passion for learning, something that is played out in his own life. He recently became board certified in human services and jumps at the chance for additional training. “It’s lifelong learning. You don’t just get the degree and stop,” he says. “This opens more doors.”

Gold finds happiness getting involved in his local community, too, and he serves on panels and councils, working to better the area where he lives. He’s also a member of several professional associations and is working hard to stay at the forefront of his profession.

Today, at the age of 33, Gold already has taught 25 college courses, an accomplishment that sets him apart from other teachers his age. This experience has him poised for graduate teaching opportunities, which he plans to begin in the coming months. He’s aiming even higher, though. “Down the road, I would love to be a dean of students,” he admits. “That would allow me to make positive changes, both systematically and individually.”

For now, though, he is happy right where he is in higher education. “Even on your worst day, you are helping people with a life-changing, positive experience that will enable them to get an education to take them to the next level.”

ALUMNI PROFILES | Steven Gold

Dean’s ListSteven Gold’s passion for his students and his community has earned him recognition in his local community of Colorado Springs:

2011 University of Phoenix Community Service Award Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Star

2010 Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Rising Professional of the Year


When Garcia isn’t spending time with her family, she maintains the 9-1-1 emergency system for Pinal County in Arizona and trains public safety communications dispatchers for the Sheriff’s Office.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL COUP Receiving a phone call from a previous supervisor offering me a promotion. I felt honored and empowered. I felt like all of my hard work was appreciated and that I would be able to share what I have learned with others.

HAPPY PEOPLE ARE … Optimistic, passionate, forgiving, open-minded, compassionate, set realistic goals and build relationships with others.

DO YOU WORK TO LIVE, OR LIVE TO WORK? Two years ago, before my son was born, I would have said I lived to work. Today, I work to live. I still work very hard in my career; however, I take time off each week to spend with my family. I realize that the world will not stop spinning if I am not at work.

CLASS OF

09Emily Garcia Master of Science in Administration of Justice ’09

9-1-1 and Communications Training Administrator, Pinal County Sheriff’s OfficeSan Tan Valley, AZ

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CLASS OF

10Sharon maloney Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership ’10

Retired Medical Technologist and Administrative Head of Emergency Dryden, MI

ALUMNI PROFILES

After retiring from a decades-long career as a medical technologist, Maloney has kept a full schedule, earning her doctorate at age 71, teaching dance classes and being crowned Ms. Senior Michigan.

ON SEEKING HAPPINESS Keep looking till you find it and don’t settle for less. There are a lot of good people out there. Find them.

KEY TRAITS OF HAPPY PEOPLE They actively seek happiness.

JOY ON THE JOB It was a great source of pride when I could diagnose someone’s condition so that the doctor could treat and heal them.

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT A 53-year marriage and raising four extremely successful children.

REASONS TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC TODAY Sometimes solutions are nearer and easier than we think.

HAPPINESS IS … Freedom from guilt and worry. Freedom to run and jump and play.


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Must-reads and online resources to explore happiness.

By Paula Boon

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BOOKS 1. The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean my Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun By Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin spent an entire year trying to increase her happiness level. She shares her findings in this funny, informative account, which also contains tips, advice and research.

2. Happiness for Two: 75 Secrets for Finding More Joy Together By Alexandra Stoddard This volume contains 75 wise, practical and humorous short essays about finding happiness in a relationship. Stoddard demonstrates that couples can be happy together, not at each other’s expense.

3. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work By Shawn Achor Human potential expert Shawn Achor draws on his academic research and experience with Fortune 500 executives to explain how to become more positive at work and what benefits will result.

4. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom By Jonathan Haidt An award-winning psychologist examines Eastern and Western wisdom regarding happiness and the search for meaning and describes how it measures up against the findings of modern science.

5. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being By Martin Seligman Seligman, the founder of the positive psychology movement, identifies the factors that can help people achieve well-being and provides techniques for improving your own life, relationships and approach to work.

6. Stumbling on Happiness By Daniel Gilbert This entertaining and insightful book describes how the human imagination throws us off course in our search for happiness. Gilbert’s explanation draws upon research in psychology, behavioral economics, philosophy and cognitive neuroscience.

7. The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being By Derek Bok The former president of Harvard University delves into happiness research and describes how indicators of societal well-being can and should shape social and political policy in the United States.

8. Happiness around the World: The Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires By Carol Graham Graham presents a fascinating overview of happiness levels around the world and how they are affected by factors like income, health, democracy and equality.

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MAGAZINE ARTICLES 1. The Atlantic, June, 2009 “What Makes us Happy?” By Joshua Wolf Shenk An overview of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has been following the well-being of its subjects since 1937. The online version includes a video of lead investigator George Valliant.

2. Psychology Today, Jan. 1, 2009 “The Pursuit of Happiness” By Carlin Flora Description of the major findings in happiness research, and a discussion of the fact that Americans as a whole have grown more anxious and depressed since this research began.

3. Time Magazine, Jan. 9, 2005 “The New Science of Happiness” By Claudia Wallis Outlines the genesis of the positive psychology movement, what it has taught us and the researchers who started it all: Martin Seligman, Ray Fowler and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

4. New York Times, Jan. 7, 2007 “Happiness 101” By D.T. Max Commentary on college classes in positive psychology and the effects they have on students. More than 200 colleges and graduate schools in the United States offer such classes.

5. Fast Company, March 2011 “The Corporate Pursuit of Happiness” By Nancy Cook Describes how Stanford marketing professor Jennifer Aaker is teaching her students and corporate clients how to find and create happiness to improve employee productivity and attract customers.

6. The Economist, Dec. 16, 2010 “Age and happiness: The U-bend of life” Reports on a surprising study that shows people’s enjoyment and happiness dip through early adulthood and then rise again after middle age, and offers some explanations of why this is so.

7. Scientific American, Aug. 10, 2010 “Can Money Buy Happiness?” By Sonja Lyubomirsky Describes an international study showing that while money allows people to buy many things, it also interferes with their ability to enjoy their purchases.

ONLINE RESOURCES 8. Authentic Happiness www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx A website created by positive psychology pioneer Martin Seligman, with information and resources on well-being and a wide variety of happiness-related questionnaires, surveys and scales.

9. The Chief Happiness Officer positivesharing.com This blog by Alexander Kjerulf, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness at work, offers advice for making work energizing, inspiring and meaningful so we enjoy it more while accomplishing more.

10. Raising Happiness www.psychologytoday.com/blog/raising-happiness Christine L. Carter, Ph.D., a sociologist and happiness expert who teaches parenting and happiness classes online blogs about how to raise joyful, emotionally healthy kids and increase your own happiness at the same time.

11. Dan Gilbert asks, “Why are we happy?” www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html In this 21-minute TED talk, Gilbert describes how little we understand what makes us happy and why our ultimate happiness has nothing to do with whether we get what we thought we wanted.

Paula Boon is a freelance researcher, writer and editor whose work has appeared in publications in the United States and Canada.

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The BUZZWe want to celebrate you in our alumni announcements. Share your story and be part of “The Buzz.” Email us at [email protected].

Published by alumni

One Morning, One Knight

By Valerie Adams

Valerie Adams, Associate of Arts with a Concentration in Foundations of Business (AAFB) ’10, shares the story of a young woman’s natural and spiritual journey to meet a man. The seemingly simple path becomes a road to self-discovery, healing and happiness that ultimately parallels her relationship with God. One Morning, One Knight offers readers an opportunity to reflect and gain insight into their personal situations.

Valerie Adams was raised in Virginia. She enjoys sports and spending time with her two children and three grandchildren.

One Morning, One Knight can be purchased as an e-book or paperback at amazon.com. It is available in four languages: French, Spanish, Japanese and English (www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.sp and www.amazon.jp).

From Student to Nurse: Surviving the Journey as Painlessly as Possible

By Mona Clayton

Mona Clayton, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) ’05, motivates and inspires nursing students in From Student to Nurse: Surviving the Journey as Painlessly as Possible. Written in three phases, the beginning follows Clayton’s personal journey, while continuing sections offer students tips and advice for surviving both during and after completion of their nursing programs.

Mona Clayton has had a rewarding 13-year career as a registered nurse. In 2007, she founded Nurses Roc 2 Publishing Inc.

From Student to Nurse: Surviving the Journey as Painlessly as Possible is available at amazon.com and can be purchased from Nurses Roc 2 Publishing Inc.

THE HAPPINESS ISSUE

phoenixfocus.com 43

THE BUZZ

Recognition

California PittsburgMargaret Wall, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration (BSCJA) ’11; Neville Wall, Associate of Arts in Business (AAB) ’10; and Analisa Wayrynen, Associate of Arts with a Concentration in Information Technology/Web Design (AAIT/WD) ’10, were awarded degrees from the University of Phoenix within a year of one another. All members of the same family, Margaret, her spouse Neville, and their daughter Analisa celebrate the accomplishment of earning a degree as a family.

TustinKatie Males, Master of Education with a Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction (MAEd/CI) ’08, was appointed assistant principal at Hewes Middle School. Males has been a middle school teacher for eight years at California City Middle School in the Mojave Unified School District. She has served as an administrative designee, Standardized Testing and Reporting coordinator, activities director, reading intervention coordinator and athletic director.

Georgia Marietta Mamta Trivedi, Master of Management (MM) ’07, was recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in biotechnology and pharmaceutical services. With an expertise in drug development and disease, Trivedi has 25 years of overall professional

experience. As the global executive director for Quintiles Inc., she assists biotechnology pharmaceutical companies with drug development through clinical trials. Her success can be attributed to her hard work and perseverance. Trivedi is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in management from Colorado Technical University.

Maine Brewer Captain Leslie B. Eadie, III, Master of Business Administration (MBA) ’04, was selected as the permanent master of the training ship, State of Maine. In his new position, Captain Eadie will oversee all operations of the vessel, will represent Maine Maritime Academy to the U.S. Maritime Administration for ongoing ship maintenance and command the vessel while in port and during training cruises. He will also serve as an active faculty member in the college’s William F. Thompson School of Marine Transportation.

New Mexico Farmington Ena Niemand, Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Health Care Management (MBA/HCM) ’06, was awarded fellow status by the American College of Healthcare Executives, a leading professional society. To obtain fellow status, candidates must fulfill requirements such as passing a comprehensive exam, meeting academic criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional and community involvement. Niemand, executive director of San Juan

Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, is a member of San Juan County’s Community Health Improvement Council as well as the Farmington Chamber of Commerce’s committee for health and wellness and the relocation committee.

Oregon Portland Ulf Spears, Master of Management (MM) ’06, was awarded a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership (DSL) from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Previously, Spears earned his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix Portland Oregon Campus. He is an adjunct professor at several colleges and provides mentoring, coaching and consulting for leaders, teams and organizations in the Portland Metro area.

South Carolina Charleston Sarah McLester, Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM) ’10, was named a competitor in the Mototaxi Junket. The Mototaxi Junket is a roughly 1,400-mile race across the mountains and deserts of Peru using only a three-wheeled mototaxi to raise money for Practical Action, an organization which helps farmers in Peru’s remote mountain villages improve crop yields and protect their way of life. Joining teams from around the world in January 2012, McLester of Wadmalaw Island, member of Team Dixie Chickens, will travel to Cusco, Peru, to begin this adventure of a lifetime.


University NewsTHE HAPPINESS ISSUE

New student Android app University of Phoenix recently announced the release of Phoenix Mobile app for Android users that allows students to participate in class discussions anytime, anywhere. An iPhone app was released earlier this year.

Available to enrolled students with an eCampus login ID, the complimentary app offers those on the move the ability to participate in classroom discussion forums; draft and post discussion messages; view, edit and save drafts created on the web; view message flags, discussion questions and class announcements; and receive alerts when grades are posted or when instructors post new threads or respond to student messages—all via their Android mobile device.

Download Phoenix Mobile for Android at http://bit.ly/apollo_android.

Dr. Bill Berry named dean of School of Business Dr. Bill Berry, executive director of the School of Business at the University of Phoenix since May 2010, was recently named dean of the School of Business. During his tenure with the University, Dr. Berry has held a number of positions. Before taking over the executive directorship, he was associate dean for the School of Business, director of Academic Affairs for the Springfield, Missouri Campus and campus college chair for the Colleges of Graduate Business and Management, Undergraduate Business and Management and Information Systems & Technologies in St. Louis, Missouri. In the past, his roles have included the recruitment, training, development and support of faculty to ensure the academic integrity and rigor of programs delivered by the school on his campus. He has also served on the Graduate Business and Management program council, acted as the Midwest Region FlexNet champion, participated in curriculum development and served as rEsource liaison. He is qualified as a certified advanced facilitator and mentor for University of Phoenix Online and at his local campus.

UOPX unveils upgraded prospective student site Phoenix Prep Center found on Phoenix.edu boasts a new look and a new name. Formerly known as The Visiting Student Center, the new name underscores the goal of the site—to set prospective students on the path to success. Phoenix Prep Center gives incoming students a personalized experience through a dashboard full of information, tools and resources tailored to their individual needs.

Key features include updated readiness assessments, academic assessments, tuition cost-calculator, learning tools, career resources, local resources and all-around easier access to the information that matters most to prospective students.

Students who use these tools to answer key questions and concerns and build self-awareness will be ready to have informed discussions with their advisors and make knowledgeable decisions.

Explore the new and improved experience at http://bit.ly/uopx_studentsite.

phoenixfocus.com 45

YOUR UNIVERSITY | University News

UOPX employee lobbies for Special Olympics In September, James Henderson, Southern California Campus college chair for the College of Criminal Justice & Security, attended an exclusive event to announce Los Angeles as the host of the 2015 International Special Olympics at Staples Center. Henderson had the opportunity to meet Maria Shriver, Tim Shriver and Michelle Kwan as he celebrated this great news with fellow Southern Californian business and civic leaders. For the past 18 months, Henderson has actively recruited faculty, students, staff and alumni to volunteer and participate in several Special Olympics fundraising events in Southern California, including the Torch Run, Air Plane Pull and Polar Plunge. The College of Criminal Justice & Security has had an enthusiastic presence at each event, and University of Phoenix is proud to support this great cause.

Pictured above: Southern California CJ&S Campus College Chair James Henderson (center) with Maria Shriver and Tim Shriver at the 2015 International Special Olympics announcement event in Los Angeles.

Apollo Group moves up in 2011 Green Rankings Newsweek magazine placed Apollo Group, parent company of University of Phoenix, at 83rd among the 500 largest U.S. public companies in the magazine’s annual “Green Rankings” of environmental performance. Apollo Group’s sustainability efforts over the past year included projects that were projected to reduce more than 1.3 million kWh (enough to power 100 homes for a year) and 750 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. “Whether through our sustainability-related degree programs, green approaches to education itself or our sustainable business practices, Apollo is committed to innovation in education and environmental stewardship,” says Seth Mones, vice president, Sustainability Policy and Programs. Newsweek’s Green Rankings assess environmental footprint, environmental management and disclosure.


Campus NewsTHE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Campus News

Madison Campus collects school supplies for children In August, employees and faculty members from the Madison Campus held a month-long donation drive for back-to-school items. In total, the campus collected school items to fill more than 200 backpacks for children at the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.Pictured above from left: Shelly Klubertanz, Nadia Kaminski, Sara Nachreiner, Danyelle Dougherty, Briana Houilhan, Janelle Raemisch, Brittany Hanson and Jean Sink attend Supply Drive for Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.

Bay Area Campus saves 53 lives On Aug. 23, the Bay Area Campus joined forces with the Blood Centers of the Pacific to host a blood drive at the San Jose Learning Center. Workforce Solutions Representative Michael Leinhos coordinated the drive, 20 volunteers registered to donate and 20 pints of blood were collected, enough to help up to 53 patients in the community.

University of Phoenix opens new Knoxville Campus On Nov. 2, University of Phoenix hosted a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house reception celebrating the grand opening of its new Knoxville Campus. City officials and local community leaders joined University staff, faculty, students and alumni for this special ceremony. “There has been a tremendous demand for educational opportunities for people who work and live in Knoxville,” says Mark Amrein, University of Phoenix Knoxville Campus Director. “University of Phoenix’s learning-centric education model provides students an accessible and convenient way to accomplish their education goals and achieve academic success.” The University’s Knoxville Campus is the sixth location in Tennessee alongside Chattanooga, Clarksville, Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville.

August popsicles refresh UOPX students Academic counselors at the Bay Area Campus kept students refreshed and focused on their education during Help Desk Days, which occured the week of Aug. 29. The team served popsicles and took time to review holiday schedules and policies with students. Enrollment and finance advisors also made themselves available to students during the week’s festivities.

Magda Ramirez, academic counselor, Ginger Toll, enrollment advisor, and Jennifer Czajkowski, academic counselor, prepare to serve popsicles to San Jose Learning Center students.

phoenixfocus.com 47

Hawaii Campus adopts Kalakaua Middle School On Oct. 9, the Hawaii Campus participated in the annual statewide Adopt-a-School Day event organized by Hawaii Jaycees. The campus adopted Kalakaua Middle School to support education alumni who teach there. Twenty campus staff members, along with family and friends, helped paint the stairs and railings of the school’s portable buildings. Participants enjoyed working together as a team to support the school and make a difference in the community.Pictured above: Hawaii Campus staff, family and friends lend their efforts to improve Kalakaua Middle School.

Madison Campus adopts a squadron In September, the Madison Campus staff and faculty officially adopted the 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. As the United States prepares to withdraw from Iraq by Jan. 1, 2012, deployed troops are adapting to life without some of the essentials and comforts from home. Many amenites have already been removed from the base including the movie cinema, the fast food restaurants and general stores. Soon, other conveniences will also be gone: the Base Exchange (i.e., the military Wal-Mart), Internet access, phone access and the Postal Service. In response to these events, the Madison Campus sent 16 care packages to service men and women. Upon receiving the gifts, the troops responded with a letter expressing their appreciation.Pictured above: Jean Sink proudly displays Madison Campus care packages for the Adopt-a-Squadron collection drive.

YOUR UNIVERSITY | Campus News

Springfield Campus supports the Ozarks Food Harvest The Springfield Campus staff, students and faculty supported the Ozarks Food Harvest this past fall by collecting high need canned goods and household items. The Ozarks Food Harvest responded quickly to the communities devastated by the massive F5 tornado that ravaged Joplin, Missouri, and surrounding communities. The efforts of the Springfield Campus along with other community initiatives will help the Ozarks Food Harvest replenish its stores for continued support throughout the Ozarks.From left: Josh Ragsdale, Seth Wilmes, Chris Medlin, Morgan Wright, Dayna Havemann and Kim Renfro.


Campus NewsTHE HAPPINESS ISSUE

Remodeled Washington D.C. CampusUniversity of Phoenix unveiled its newly remodeled and expanded Washington D.C. Campus at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. Greg Cappelli and Charles “Chas” Edelstein, co-chief executive officers of University of Phoenix’s parent company Apollo Group, joined local officials, business and community leaders, as well as University of Phoenix students, faculty and staff to showcase new investments at the Washington D.C. Campus including recently launched academic programs. The University also pledged its support for local education initiatives in the form of $25,000 donations to the D.C. Public Charter School Board and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.

Pictured above: Apollo CEOs Greg Cappelli and Chas Edelstein, along with local officials, attend ribbon-cutting ceremony for the remodeled Washington D.C. Campus.

Santa Teresa Learning Center hosts seminar for military counselorsSince 2001, two million service members have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. To help local counselors who work with military families to identify and cope with stress, University of Phoenix hosted a seminar on Oct. 1 at the Santa Teresa Learning Center. Sixty-five local professional counselors and University of Phoenix and El Paso Community College students gathered to hear from Military post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experts Vencent Meighen and Lawrence Meyer from William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Counselors benefitted from an agenda that covered combat- related PTSD, combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD/TBI and the military family. Participants learned about the trigger points of stress, short- and long-term strategies to manage it and tips to minimize the impact on families.

“University of Phoenix recognizes the stress of multiple deployments on our service men and women and their families,” said Rebecca Robles, UOPX Campus College Chair, College of Social Sciences. “The University is providing resources to help the El Paso and Southern New Mexico counseling communities address the unique needs of local military families.”

phoenixfocus.com 49

YOUR UNIVERSITY | Campus News

Kansas City Campus volunteers support literacyKrystal Marcum and Christina Gandy of the Kansas City Campus volunteered for The Power of Reading: A Celebration of the Written Word, a collaborative event sponsored by Literacy Kansas City, The Writers Place and Kansas City Public Library. Carolyn Long, KCTV5 anchor, acted as emcee of the event, which took place on Sept. 21 at the home of Lee and Jeremy Smithson. This was the Third Annual Power of Reading event and featured adult learners from Literacy Kansas City sharing personal stories about how learning to read transformed their lives. Local writers Robert Butler, Natasha Ria El-Scari, Brian Shawver and Gabriela Lemmons also read personal stories and original writings, and discussed the power of books and reading in their lives.

Minneapolis/St. Paul hosts blood driveOn Oct. 20, the University of Phoenix Minneapolis/St. Paul Campus hosted Memorial Blood Centers for the annual fall blood drive. Because blood can be broken down into three components (red blood cells, platelets and plasma) the 10 units collected through the drive can be used to save up to 30 lives.

Detroit Campus volunteers in the communityVolunteers from the Detroit Campus were out and about and behind the scenes at two community fingerprinting events in August. First on Aug. 18, the College of Criminal Justice & Security partnered with the Clinton Township Police Department to conduct a free child fingerprinting fair at the Macomb location. This event served more than 30 children in the surrounding community. Additionally, on Aug. 29, the College of Criminal Justice & Security proudly teamed up with the College of Social Sciences to serve the City of Southfield at the Summerfest Festival. Volunteers helped process more than 100 child fingerprints through the event and distributed informational packets on free counseling services available through the Counseling Skills Center.

Pictured above from left: Catherina Castiglione, Michael Taylor, Ebony Taylor and Devin Lee attend fingerprinting event.


Community RelationsTHE HAPPINESS ISSUE

SoCal Campus hosts conversation with author Ted Bagley, author of The Tragedy of Darkness and My Personal War Within, discussed developing a personal brand throughout life during an event hosted by University of Phoenix Southern California Campus. Bagley’s presentation weaved his professional experiences as Vice President of Human Resources at Fortune 500 companies with his personal story to demonstrate how we shape our own personal brand by our words, actions and presence. More than 70 Southern California alumni and students attended the discussion.

Cover image: My personal War Within by Ted Bagley

Bay Area breaks higher learning faculty barrier On Sept. 9, the Bay Area Campus hosted a Faculty Scholarship Showcase at the San Jose Learning Center, an event dedicated to honoring the contributions to professional literature and responsibility made by UOPX faculty members. Ron Gonzales, president of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and former mayor of San Jose (1999 to 2006), presented the keynote address. Also in attendance, Dr. Jeremy Moreland, Dean of the School of Advanced Studies, praised the campus for celebrating scholarship on an interdisciplinary level.

Participants presented publications dealing with subjects as diverse as auditory processing improvement, threats to commercial aviation, entrepreneurship, intersex conditions, satellite communications and poetry. Featured scholars included: Dr. Beth Walters, Dr. Sylvester Fadal, Dr. Vlad Genin, David Bonilla, Michael Green, Dr. Kristin Denver, Richard Kusiolek, Alex Orosz, Dr. Gerald Grudzen, Leslie Baker, Dr. Christopher Jackson, Catharine Bramkamp, Dr. Jason Jones and student Nelson Brasil.

Pictured above from left: Director of Academic Affairs Dr. Jason Jones, former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Bay Area Campus Director Stacey McAfee and Dean of the School of Advanced Studies Dr. Jeremy Moreland.

Bay Area Campus makes an impression in Dublin, California The Bay Area Campus, along with the centralized Community Investment team, donated monies to the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers in Dublin, California, to help with the building and playground of their new facility. UOPX staff members attended the mid-August dedication and graduation ceremony recognizing the Bay Area Campus, along with other sponsors. The grand opening of the school occurred on Oct. 15, and the Bay Area Campus staff, alumni, faculty and students volunteered every day during the week to move boxes and equipment to help prepare for implementation.

Pictured above from left: SOI President Mitch Sigman with Enrollment Advisor Samantha Beard, Finance Advisor Jennifer Ortiz and Success Coach Valarie Taylor.

YOUR UNIVERSITY | Community Relations

Bay Area campus gives $5,000 for school supplies On Oct. 10, Bay Area Campus staff visited Hoover Elementary School in Oakland, California, to present $5,000 in gift cards to teachers at the the elementary’s after-school meeting. The gift cards can be used via donorschoose.org for purchasing needed classroom supplies that had not yet been received since the start of the school year. The remaining funds were given to the Hoover Elementary principal to be used toward general needs, such as library books, physical education and equipment. The Bay Area Campus has a long-standing relationship with Hoover Elementary School, and UOPX is pleased to help enhance students’ ability to learn through classroom donations.

Pictured above: Bay Area Campus staff members pose with Hoover Elementary teachers.

jA in a Day at jenny Lind community school in Minneapolis On Oct. 25, University of Phoenix staff from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Campus were given the opportunity to participate in JA in a Day through Junior Achievement. The event took place at Jenny Lind School, an inner-city school where 83 percent of the population is below poverty level. JA in a Day teaches financial literacy and economic education to children K-12. The campus was able to send 10 volunteers to support 5 classrooms in this program; volunteers reached out to more than 100 school age children. This is the second time that Minneapolis/St. Paul has supported Jenny Lind School through the JA in a Day program.

Pictured above from left: Heather Larson, Mark Hodowanic, Mandy Rowan, Aaron Berktold, Heather Knutson, Emily Mueller, Sean Snow, Tamera Kempel, Tasha Renfroe-Johnson and Crystal Smith.

Green for All Business Academy Green for All and University of Phoenix recently teamed up at the San Jose Campus to offer a free, two-day Business Academy for small and emerging green entrepreneurs in the Bay Area. This was the seventh academy since 2009. University of Phoenix and Green for All, a national nonprofit working to build an inclusive green economy, formed a partnership to support green entrepreneurs and small-business owners by hosting business academies across the nation at no cost to the public.

The San Jose Academy included expert panelists who spoke to attendees about local resources for green businesses, startup tips from successful green entrepreneurs, emerging opportunities, ways to pitch to venture capitalists and lenders and legal issues for startups. UOPX faculty and Apollo Sustainability team members participated in the presentations and panel discussions.

Apollo Group donates 30 laptops to international rescue committee Apollo Group, UOPX’s parent company, donated 30 laptops to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The computers will be used to expand the IRC computer lab which hosts job readiness programs including computer literacy and English as a second language (ESL). Additional computers will enhance the IRC clients’ capabilities, leading to job placement and self-sufficiency. The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives.

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