The Globe University-La Crosse campus got into the holiday spirit recently by sponsoring Angel Tree tags from the Salvation Army and the Tree of Hope for pets. Each group put up a tree in the commons, one for donating pet supplies and the other inviting students, faculty, and staff to sponsor a child in need. Decorated by photos of animals in local shelters, the Tree of Hope features items donated by the Globe community. Dry and canned cat and dog food, kitty litter, toys, treats, and pet beds are piled up, ready to help animals in the area. "The donated items are then picked up by the SPOTT program: Supporting Pets Over Troubled Times. We heard about this program in Sparta through a former student of ours," said Amy Stinson, vet tech program chair. "It is similar to a food pantry for people, but for pets instead." Globe’s Angels Dani Graham, a vet tech instructor, noted that animal shelters and pets can be overlooked during the holidays. "It’s easy to forget animals are in need, too," she said. Donations for the SPOTT program will be accepting donations on campus until December 17. Globe University also sponsored 25 children from the La Crosse area through the Salvation Army’s "Angel Tree." The Salvation Army estimated that more than 1,500 children were provided clothing through area sponsors last year, so the La Crosse campus was more than happy to contribute this year. Jackie Lee, medical assistant program chair, sponsored several children through the program. "I feel fortunate in my life to not live paycheck to paycheck, so it only feels right to give back to those who maybe don’t have that luxury," she said, adding, "The thought of a kid getting something that will bring a smile to their face makes me happy. I like to be able to help in the community." Several students also sponsored children through the Angel Tree. Vet tech student Mollee Whyte was one student who participated. "I chose to donate to the Salvation Army to help a child  in need," she said. "I feel that every child should be able to have a joyful and happy Christmas. I hope my donation helps the family and the child have a happy Christmas." We are grateful for the generosity demonstrated on our campus to fulfill Globe University’s mission of We Care, and wish a safe and happy holidays to all.

Our campus received many nominations for several staff members, but one in particular stood out from the rest. You may see her around the halls, walking quickly to help with vet tech surgeries or tutoring students in the computer lab as she is always busy. We are proud to announce Jennie Wertel, vet tech program chair, as the recipient of our Staff Member of the Year Award! Why is she so awesome? Here are 15 reasons: She is an active listener with students and coworkers and demonstrates the qualities of a strong leader who always represents Globe University-Green Bay well. She is great with our campus’ open door policy as she is always willing to listen or help. By offering tutoring sessions and being a leader in best faculty practices, Jennie paves the way for finding out tricks in Campus Connect and provides training as well. She is approachable, helpful and eager to answer any questions. She is always willing to help students or staff members and is willing to talk about new ideas for her program.       She is professional, respectful and thinks outside the box. She goes the extra mile for her students every day and takes the time to get to know all of her students — which is a big deal considering she’s got a huge program! When she comes across a student who has needs that may go beyond what they are getting in school, she does her best to help them. She gets along with everyone so well and is just as giving with her coworkers as she is with her students. She will step up and help out whenever asked.         She has a super strong work ethic. Her students see this and many emulate it. She is tough on her students because she wants the best out of them. She not only works well with the vet tech team, but also with all of the other teams on campus. She helps the vet tech team to provide excellent service to our students. She is always able to answer questions of staff or students and goes the extra mile even though she may not actually have any free time in her schedule. She truly cares about every student and teacher on her staff. She is definitely a "do as I say and do" person because she is consistent in her messages and her actions. She backs up everything she says with positive outcomes and never has to step on anyone to get there. A true leader. 

Students from two professional communications classes teamed up with Turn Style Consignment for an applied learning project. They competed by putting together professional, interview-appropriate outfits for their professional etiquette unit.   The teams met and received a brief presentation from industry experts where they were able to see a few examples of appropriate professional attire as well as get a basic layout of the store before the competition began. Each team had one hour to pull together a professional outfit for a team member and then present it to the experts at Turn Style. Once the "Champion Outfit" was selected, the students were asked to add up the cost of all the items in the outfit to find out which team put together the lowest cost professional ensemble. The students were surprised to learn that they could buy a professional outfit for less than $30. "After this project, I feel better prepared for an interview, because I now know what a lot of companies look for in terms of professional attire," said Gina Lemay, Globe University-Woodbury student. "I may return to Turn Style for interview options because I feel like they had more high-end and nicer clothing than other thrift stores." According to Brenna O’Connor, instructor of the professional communications class, her class learned about affordable, professional clothing options as well how to apply a variety of guidelines to appropriate interview attire. "This project also gave the students a hands-on experience in teamwork, professional etiquette, and a variety of other communication skills that were practiced and developed during this activity," said Brenna. Student Megan Nelson commented that she thought this was a great project because they were able to work in teams and they had a lot of fun. "This was a great experience because now when I go for an interview, I can easily go into a store and look for what I need and what will get me that job." Professional Attire DOES Matter Did you know that first impressions are usually formed within the first 30 seconds? According to Brenda Ferguson Hodges, a California-based image consultant and career coach, appearance affects hiring decisions and plays a major role. Hiring managers need to be able to visualize you in that position they are trying to fill. "This applied learning project taught me that almost 70 percent of good communication is non-verbal. Therefore, if I wear the right attire for an interview, I should be on track to have 70 percent of the communication in place," said student Daniel Mitre. It is very important to make a good impression in a job interview. Click here to learn more about the top reasons hiring managers and human resource personnel give for not hiring an applicant.

LinkedIn is a great tool to assist with your job search. There is a right and a wrong way to use it, though. Find out which of these mistakes you may be making - and how to avoid them. 1. No Profile Picture A gray silhouette is a red flag to LinkedIn users. A picture to go along with your profile makes you more relatable; more human. Recruiters want to put a face with a name, so you should include a professional headshot of yourself to accompany your skills and experience. 2. Including "Seeking Opportunities" in the Headline Although this is a nice way of saying you haven’t quite yet landed the position you’re looking for, it can make you look desperate. Instead, include your area of expertise or what your general job title would be in your headline. "Veterinary Technology Professional" or "Business Marketing Expert," for example. These keywords will help you come up in search results if a hiring manager is looking for someone like you. 3. Not Completing the Summary Section Fully The Summary section of your profile is a chance for you to showcase your value to potential employers and sell yourself as an employee. Be sure to fill it out completely, including uploading files or linking to examples of your work, such as a PowerPoint presentation or blog article. 4. Not Including Contact Information Your contact information should be easy to find on your profile. People won’t spend extra time looking for it if it’s not available, so you could be passed over for job opportunities. 5. Confusing Work History If your work history is confusing or doesn’t match your resume, it will turn recruiters off. Make sure you clearly lay out everywhere you’ve worked, for how long, and what your job title, duties and any accomplishments were. 6. Grammar and Spelling Mistakes If your profile is littered with grammar and spelling mistakes, it simply looks bad. It gives off the impression you’re sloppy and that you don’t pay attention to detail - qualities a hiring manager does not want in an employee. 7. Not Including All 50 Skills People are able to search skills on LinkedIn, and the more skills you have listed on your profile, the more likely you are to come up in search results. Take advantage of this feature by listing the maximum 50 skills. 8. Not Joining All 50 Groups Being a member of a group can also help you get pulled in search results. Join 50 industry-related groups to maximize this opportunity, and don’t forget to engage! 9. Not Getting into the Discussion Participating in group discussions or commenting on posts is not only a great way to show your expertise, but it can put you in front of key influencers who have the power to get you hired. 10. Not Saying Thank You Always thank a new connection. It starts a conversation and shows the person you’re not just blindly adding every LinkedIn user you can. Point out that you have the same interests, a common connection or similar work experience to make the message more personal. To learn more about Globe University and career support services visit www.globeuniversity.edu/about-us/career-services.

In Carey Mraz’s Professional Communications course, Globe University students recently got to experience first-hand the variety of customer service they were provided at local businesses through an applied learning project. In the first half of the class, students learned about the importance of nonverbal and verbal communication, which prepared the students for the types of skills they should be observing as well as demonstrating while out in the community. All of them recognized that nonverbal communication is just as important as, if not more important than, verbal communication. Each student was allowed to call one of their three locations to pose their customer service question over the phone, and they found the calls were not as easy to make as they had initially thought due to the lack of nonverbal communication. Students noted that their experiences were generally positive, though the few bad incidents were bad enough that they would not return to those businesses. They did say that they definitely now know how not to act when they are providing services to customers at their jobs. On a positive note, one student had such a great experience that she took the time to fill out a positive customer service experience card for the individual who worked with her to answer her questions. This customer service project allowed the students to put into practice the communication skills they had gained throughout the quarter, while at the same time observing the communication skills of others at local businesses. Students were assigned to small three- to four-person teams and they were allowed to choose which businesses they planned to visit. To make the task of talking to the businesses easier and more realistic to the students, they were encouraged to visit locations and ask questions that they sincerely had an interest in or had a need for. For instance, one student was looking for a new cat litter for her cat who has sensitive skin. She opted to go visit Petco. There she was able to speak with someone about her cat’s issue and they helped her select the best litter option. Another student was looking for a new cellphone company so she visited Cellcom to ask about their plans and options. This took the pressure off the students so that they didn’t feel that what they were asking was fake or staged and they were able to relax a bit and act themselves when they approached employees on their visits. 

Students in Professional Communications I are required to complete an Applied Learning project each quarter at Globe University-Sioux Falls. Students are encouraged to center their projects around their field of study and career goals. This quarter, seven veterinary technology students worked with two pet rescue organizations in the Sioux Falls area to benefit cats and dogs.  Program chair Kim Smith was responsible for contacting Northern Plains Boxer Rescue and Peanuts Place Cat Rescue. Kim divided the students into two groups and organized a food and donation drive for the rescues. The students then decorated two boxes to be placed at the front entrance of campus, as well as other boxes that were stationed at local businesses. Students periodically checked the boxes for donations to be delivered at the end of the quarter. "We do a lot of work for the different rescues around the region. We try to help them out by spaying and neutering their animals as well as vaccinating and micro-chipping them. The reason we do this is to help get these animals their forever home. We feel grateful to these rescues as they are our bread and butter as they provide the animals that our students use to get the much needed hands on learning they need. This is what allows us to produce great veterinary technicians. Our students felt the need to give more as they see how much time, money and effort these rescues put into saving these animals," Kim said. The collection effort was a "great success," she said. "The cat rescue received 13 20-pound bags of food, three eight-pound bags of food and four 40-pound bags of cat litter, along with lots of toys and cat bedding. The boxer rescue ended up with two 20-pound bags of food, a bag of rawhides, a dog bed and some toys and leashes," Kim said. "We also are taking cash donations for both rescues over the holidays." The food was delivered to the cat rescue and it was greatly appreciated. "The manager explained that she uses 80 pounds of dry food a week, not including any canned or special diet food. She also goes through 2,000 pounds of cat litter a month," Kim said. "The cats I saw at Peanuts Place were the healthiest and best-looking cats I’ve ever seen at a rescue. These cats were all very tame and friendly. It was truly a cat’s paradise." The students were happy they could help out. "They may not have realized because how many supplies these rescues go through to keep animals safe and healthy before they find their forever homes," Kim said. One student in particular stood out to Kim during the Applied Learning project. "Sami Koontz did a great job of organizing the students and keeping them on task so that everything went smoothly. She also did a great job of getting thank you letters out to all that participated," she said. It’s always great to see students work hard on their applied learning projects. It’s especially wonderful to see students networking in their fields of study to benefit those in need.

One thing that really sets Globe University-Green Bay apart from other colleges is our We Care mission. Michelle Jadin, second from left, shows off toys with St. Vincent staff. Many classes include applied or service learning that helps build collaborative partnerships in the community, benefiting both the organizations we work with and the students who are given the opportunity. One student in particular took that mission to a new level. "Since I’ve started coming to Globe University, I’ve enjoyed doing the service learning projects in class, so I decided to do one of my own," Michelle Jadin said. What better to do a service project than to gather toys and supplies to benefit children in our local hospitals, Bellin and St. Vincent’s? Michelle, a medical assistant student and student leader on campus, organized the project herself. It was an idea she came up with on the spot. She is passionate about kids and her career choice of medical assisting, and wanted to do something to make the holidays better for kids who were stuck in the hospital. Little did Michelle know her project would turn out to be such a great success!   With the help of students and staff at Globe University, the campus graciously donated well over 60 items: toys, books, crafting items, stuffed animals, puzzles and more. All were be shared with kids at Bellin and St. Vincent’s hospitals. When Michelle went to drop off the items at St. Vincent Hospital, the staff was so grateful that Globe University staff and students thought to collect and donate items to make children happy. We are grateful to have such a giving campus and students like Michelle who take initiative to organize awesome projects like this to help our community!

Santa arrived early at the Globe University-Wausau campus… but it appears that only pets made the nice list! Anissa Kimm and Jayne Bloomer decorate this tree to encourage donations for Christmas Wish Recently, the holiday tree in the commons was piled high with pet-related items that will find their way to local shelters due to the efforts of local radio station 95.5 WIFC, spearheaded by morning show personality Stacy Cole, in partnership with Marathon Town & Country Store. Together, they sponsored Christmas Wish, a donation drive to benefit five local animal shelters with food, toys, cleaning supplies, newspapers, leashes and collars, and other necessary items. Through various community and social media connections, veterinary technology program chair Stephanie Daniels learned of Stacy Cole’s efforts and talked to her about how Globe University-Wausau could help. Stephanie talked about this opportunity with the VT club and in classes, and this immediately caught the attention of veterinary technology student and Student Ambassador Jayne Bloomer. "Jayne contacted me about jumping in on the project as soon as she saw the information about the drive," Stephanie said. "I wanted to do something like this, but I wasn’t sure of how to go about it," Jayne said. "I was excited to be able to help out!" With the veterinary technology students and the club on board, the next step was to generate interest on campus. Jayne and fellow veterinary technology student Anissa Kimm provided inspiration by decorating the tree in the lobby and the nearby donation boxes. "I had fun decorating," Anissa said. "I was happy to do my part." They didn’t stop there. They spread the word using e-mail, social media, flyers and word of mouth. Anissa took flyers home so she could talk to her family about the project, and her mother and stepfather gladly pitched in. "They love supporting animals," Anissa said. "And I love shopping for animals, so it was exciting for me, too!" Jayne also encouraged her friends and family to support the efforts. "I shared our post on my personal Facebook page to encourage other students, family and friends to donate items for the shelters. I also made sure to talk about the donation drive in my classes." Stephanie also made sure to talk about the drive with Globe-Wausau’s partners in the community. When she mentioned it to Stevens Point Animal Hospital, they offered to help out with five large bags of food. Along with the generous contribution from Stevens Point Animal Hospital, the Globe-Wausau campus was able to donate cleaning supplies, five bags of newspaper, cat litter, pet food, collars, toys and trash bags. Donations for Christmas Wish piled around the tree Stephanie expressed her gratitude to all those who participated and contributed to this cause: "Thank you to all who donated, especially Stevens Point Animal Hospital, and the students who embraced this project, like Jayne Bloomer. At the holidays, it’s the perfect time of year to think about those in need in our community, including our furry friends. Shelters depend so much on donations and volunteers. This was a wonderful opportunity for our veterinary technology department to get involved." Jayne, too, was grateful for the opportunity. "My passion has always been helping people and animals, so I had a great time helping set up for this donation drive. I’m happy we had the chance to make a difference."

Fall quarter of 2014 continued the tradition at the Globe University-Wausau campus of recognizing a deserving student of the quarter. This quarter, the faculty of Globe University-Wausau is pleased to name Sara Rosenberg of the massage therapy program for this honor. These qualities describe Sara perfectly, as Melissa Baker, massage therapy instructor, explained: "Sara’s a pleasure to have in class. She’s motivated, works hard, stays positive, and definitely has a knack for massage. I can’t wait to see all the incredible places this new career will take her." Noted campus librarian Nora Craven: "Students aren’t always excited about library instructions. But Sara was involved during the library instruction in her class. She asked thoughtful questions and set a good example for the rest of the students. She often spends time in the library, and it is a pleasure to have her there. She always has a smile for everyone." Sara was pleased to receive this honor, and is glad she chose to attend Globe University-Wausau. "I’m very happy I chose to take my classes here at Globe University; it’s quite the charming school," she said. "I’m finding that I really appreciate the experience here, and the support from fellow students and faculty helps me strive to do my best every day. I really appreciate everyone putting forth their best effort and helping each other shine." Sara is always ready to motivate other students. She shared some quotes that have inspired her in the hope that others will find inspiration as well. "First, always believe that something wonderful is about to happen! Another is that we cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails." She added, "Also, your attitude is your driver in taking you where you want to go. I truly believe that a positive attitude is essential for success." As the Student of the Quarter, Sara will receive a designated parking spot for the entire winter quarter, complete with her name and photo on the sign.

Globe University-Appleton was a sponsor for the "Celebrate LIFE" fundraiser benefiting the Community Benefit Tree.The Community Benefit Tree is 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate people’s lives and provide support during a medical crisis. They help family, friends, and co-workers plan a "Celebration of Support" event for their loved one who is ill. This one day event helps the family raise funds they can then use for living and medical expenses. Community Benefit Tree also provides education, support, resources and financial assistance for families struggling with a medical crisis. Rachel Romatoski and Gina Havlovick (left to right) The "Celebrate LIFE" fundraiser had participants play a life-size game of LIFE in order to develop an understanding of daily expenses, especially for an individual experiencing a medical crisis. Director of admissions Gina Havlovick and admissions representative Rachel Romatoski manned the "Education" table for this game. The event also included a silent auction and food sampling from local vendors. About the fundraiser Havlovick noted "This is my third year working a booth at this event and it is my favorite event of the year! The Community Benefit Tree is such a wonderful organization which fills a need in our community. It is truly inspiring to see everyone come together for one night and try to raise funds to continue to support families in need in the Fox Valley." Romatoski added, "playing a ‘life-sized’ game of life was a fun way to help understand medical financial struggles from a different perspective. I was happy to donate to the cause and I won my first silent auction!" Several other GU-Appleton staff members were able to attend. Associate Dean Brandon Pannier said "The event had a great energy.  It is important to help others in need and give to charity, but if you can do it while playing a life-sized version of a board game, it’s a plus! It was great to see so many organizations from the community come together to help others.  Also, the community food vendors were fantastic." Written by Amanda Loewen, Service Learning Coordinator at Globe University - Appleton. Amanda teaches several classes each quarter and works with non-profit organizations within the Appleton community to assist the organization with their needs while providing students with applicable learning opportunities.