Have you ever met a person whose passion you can feel when you are talking with them? I recently met that person. Lindburgh Neal is a current student at Globe University. Neal is also an Army veteran, father of two girls, husband, and a volunteer for his local church. Just those responsibilities would deter some people from returning to school, but not Neal. He decided to pursue his passion and jumped back into school head first. Neal enrolled in the exercise science program. Lindburgh Neal with his wife and daughters Neal was stationed in Germany while in the Army. He was working in IT and at a point where he was either going to have to stay in IT indefinitely, or take a risk and do something he loved. This led him to a college search. He looked at numerous schools, but he could not find a program to ignite his passion. So he thought about what he loved and those things were health, sports and fitness. Finally he found the health fitness specialist program at Globe University. Globe University aligned with his personal goals of wanting to help others with life changes and making a difference in people’s lives. As a Sergeant in the Army, Neal has learned many things that he is applying to his education. He has learned how to be disciplined and assertive. Neal also learned in the Army that things in life can be hard, but you have still have to do them. That directly correlates to Neal’s full-time class schedule. It may be hard, but he is doing it! "Globe University inspired me to go full time," Neal said. "They made it possible." With Neal’s busy life schedule, he manages his schoolwork whenever he has a spare moment. If there is downtime at work, Neal is doing classwork. He uses any opportunity available. Neal tries to complete all classwork during the week so he can leave his weekends open to spend time with his family. I asked Neal for advice to anyone thinking of returning to school. Neal said, "Go after what you really want — you won’t regret it."   Learn more about other Globe University Students here. The post Student Spotlight: Lindburgh Neal, Exercise Science Program appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Written by Josie Young, Globe University-Green Bay director of admissions Students from area high schools had the opportunity to "solve a crime" and participate in a mock trial at Globe University-Green Bay’s second annual Legal Preview Day. Students get firsthand experience and education in programs like paralegal, criminal justice and legal administrative assistant. The day consisted of hands-on breakout sessions to help students solve a murder mystery, learn about the justice system, and bring their knowledge of the evidence and case to a mock trial. Crime Scene Breakout Sessions Students spent the day in small groups learning about different elements for the murder with instructors who had experience in the field including a former police chief, former FBI agent, and practicing attorney. Some of the sessions included: 1. The Crime Scene: Students listened to the police dispatch and witness statements. 2. Shoe Impression: Students learned how to do a proper casting of a shoe impression and how shoe impressions can help in an investigation. 3. DNA: Students learned how DNA can be used as strong evidence but how tampering can lead to complications in a trial. 4. Fingerprinting: A former FBI agent taught students how to dust and lift fingerprints. Students learned how to analyze different ridges in a fingerprint as well. The Mock Trial All rise! Students learned the basics of courtroom procedure including how to properly approach a judge and question a witness during the mock trial. Students were selected to be part of the jury, sit on the prosecution and defense, as well as serve as witnesses in the trial. Career Preview Days Globe University offers a variety of career programs in the medical, business, legal and technology fields. If you or someone you know is interested in attending an event like this, please contact Josie Young, director of admissions at josieyoung@globeuniversity.edu or (920) 264-1630 to discuss how we can customize a career day to your interests. The post Local High School Students ‘Solve A Crime’ at Globe University Legal Preview Day appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Through an applied learning project in Professional Communications I at Globe University-Madison West, four students were able to visit the Middleton Senior Citizen Center. After receiving a tour of the center, which was a repurposed old bank, we were able to sit down and talk with seniors who were knitting hats for babies and cancer patients, and making blankets and pillows for people in the hospital. From right to left: Drew Komplin, Leonora Pedrosa, Christina Steinberg and Jenny Lynn The students sat with the residents and conversed, asking about their childhood, favorite songs in high school, and how long they have lived in the area. This was to help break communication barriers that often exist between generations. Drew Komplin, a business administration student, said "A lot of them were more active than I thought." The class has volunteered to create a pamphlet with pictures for the center. This will help inform the community about volunteer opportunities they have available, such as Meals on Wheels and giving rides to appointments. Christina Steinberg, veterinary technology student, said, "We are going back once a week." "The whole class had a great time with the seniors, and we all learned a lot about communication. By breaking the stereotypes in our minds, we were able to meet people in our community and see how we can help them and learn from them," said Natalie Busse, instructor. "Thank you Middleton Senior Center for letting us join in on the fun." The post Globe University-Madison West Students Volunteer at Local Senior Center appeared first on Globe University Blog.

From left to right: Brennan Porter, administrative assistant; Jamie Buenzli, campus director; Ashley Tanner, director of career services; Rita Cordova, medical assistant program chair Helping a sick child fight their illness takes a big emotional toll on a family. Adding a financial strain can make it all almost too much to bear. The Ronald McDonald House Charities helps address those problems, whether they involve housing that’s near a hospitalized child, the expense of staying together in another city, or even getting basic medical and dental care. So how did Globe University-Madison West help contribute to families and children in need? By cooking a dinner for 25 people staying at the local Ronald McDonald House. At 6 p.m. sharp, the cooking of spaghetti and garlic bread began and the salad was set out. Brennan Porter, administrative assistant, said, "we braved the winter storm and our Globe team tested out our cooking skills by providing a hearty and well-balanced meal for the Ronald McDonald House families." It was a simple way to show our "We Care" mission to the community to families in need.   Jamie Buenzli, campus director, posing with Ronald McDonald after serving dinner "I enjoyed talking to the family members that were staying at the Ronald McDonald House. It was great to meet the visitors and hear their stories. They appreciate the meals provided to them through community volunteers," Rita Cordova, medical assistant program chair, said. Are you interested in gathering a group to cook for one night at the Ronald McDonald House or other ways to volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House Charities? Check out their website. The post Globe University-Madison West Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Feeling stagnant in our professional lives is an inevitability that many of us face at some point. We get bogged down by life’s other demands and might not have the time or energy to advance professionally. But even though our lives can be hectic, are we doing our part to reach our career goals? Here are a few things we can do to reach our career goals in nine months. The post How to Reach Your Career Goals in 9 Months appeared first on Globe University Blog.

The special populations massage therapy class at Globe University-Wausau is back out in the community this quarter, having recently visited the Stoney River Assisted Living center. This visit proved to be meaningful for both the students and clients alike. Special populations class at Stoney River The first trip into the community for this class usually brings a sense of anxiousness from doing something for the first time and not quite knowing what to expect. "The thought of going to Stoney River Assisted Living terrified me because it was something that is far out of my comfort zone," said Sara Rosenberg. "What helped me to not be overwhelmed was to think about taking the situation one step at a time." Jenna Scholz, however, wasn’t nervous at all. She said, "It was a rewarding trip that brought me back to my passion of caring for the elderly. I am lucky to have a lot of experience with patients in various stages of aging." All of the students were able to relax and enjoy the experience once they began working with clients. Xang Xiong related a story about his first client who had previously owned horses, and that they were able to talk about horses while he worked on her shoulders, arms and hands. "I was happy that she accepted the massage, and it was nice to see that she enjoyed it," Xiong said. Jenna’s first client was nervous at first, but over the course of the massage, the client noticeably relaxed. Jenna said, "With my previous experiences working with elderly and dementia patients, I could tell the time I spent with her was very meaningful. It meant a lot to me to work with someone who was so deserving and so positively affected by a simple hand massage and time visiting." These students left Stoney River Assisted Living Center with a sense of having really made a difference for the clients they met with that day. "The small amount of time using touch and small conversation was extremely valuable for us, both students and clients," Jenna said. "This experience was extremely rewarding and opened my eyes to the opportunities of helping and healing through massaging elderly and special populations. These populations can feel extremely lonely, even when surrounded by people. With the lack of independence and one-on-one care, the comforting touch of massage is extremely beneficial." "It brought happiness to me, knowing how much I helped a person who wasn’t expecting it. I’ve taken a lot from this experience, but mostly that we should never let fear stop us from trying new things," Sara said. Melissa Baker, instructor for massage therapy, knows that the experience of going out into the community has been rewarding in many ways for her students. "These visits to Stoney River have proven to be beneficial to our students by giving them hands-on experience, and to the clients by giving them personal attention and interaction," she said. "I hope to continue the relationship between our program and Stoney River far into the future." The post Massage Therapy Students Gain Hands-on Experience at Senior Center appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Do you know what feminism means? If you Google it, or look it up in a dictionary, it is defined as "the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men." It’s a pretty straight-forward definition — women should have the same rights and opportunities as men to make their own decisions on who they are and what they want to be. At its core, the women’s rights movement is for gender equality. The feminist movement is far from new. Beginning in 1848, it has seen support rise and fall. It took until 1920 for women to get the right to vote, and the struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment was process decades in the making. More recently, several world events, business people and celebrities have brought renewed attention to the movement. • Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani woman, shared the Nobel Prize for her support of education for girls. This was a strong statement coming after the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls by Nigerian terrorists. • Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, has received a lot of attention for pointing out the lack of women in positions of power in business and government. • Emma Watson has been named a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. She is lending her voice to support gender equality through the HeForShe campaign. • President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, supporting equal pay for women. Why it matters Why does the feminist movement matter? Because we don’t have gender equality. Did you know that the U.S. government pushed for a gender rights platform in the new Iraqi Constitution and the United States does not have one itself? We have seen changes. Women are currently earning the majority of degrees in our country and women-owned businesses are thriving. But women still earn less than men and are not equally represented in higher positions in business and government. Women make up just over half of our population. Economically, 41 percent of women earn the primary income in their homes. Not having the same economic opportunity impacts our overall economy as well as the individual household. The strict gender roles of our past have broadened, and studies have shown that men, women and children benefit from a more equal model. Boys and girls benefit from strong male and female role models. Check out this TED talk on why everyone should be a feminist. We should recognize the progress that has been made, but the current feminist movement also recognizes that there is still more to do. The post Feminism: What It Is and Why It Matters appeared first on Globe University Blog.

"Suzette, I wanted to let you know that last evening and today is the first time since my cancer that I haven’t been in pain."  This was the first sentence of a note that Suzette Plemel, massage therapy program chair of Globe University-Green Bay, found in her mailbox the day after her and two students, Amanda Davies and Kathleen Mistele, performed deep tissue massage on Maggie Lee. Maggie Lee’s thank you note to Suzette Plemel Maggie’s Story Recently, I had an opportunity to sit down with Maggie Lee, alumnus and employee of Globe University-Green Bay to understand more of her recent experience with Suzette and students. During the interview, Maggie opened up about her past struggles with breast cancer and chronic pain.  She shared that after multiple surgeries because of a bilateral mastectomy, lymph node removal, and multiple reconstructive surgeries, she was left with nearly three years of chronic pain due primarily to scar tissue. Before receiving the deep tissue massage, Maggie explained that her pectoral muscles always hurt. On a scale of one to 10, most days she gave her pain a five. Maggie had also spent time with a physical therapist who was able to reduce her daily pain. Her days of chronic pain were wearing on her. Through counseling, Maggie understood she was in a state of "flight or fight" in which any type of touch reminded her of the day in which she was told she had cancer. Having recently earned a degree in veterinary technology, she was eager to begin a new career but fearful that she didn’t have enough strength to hold an animal down. All of that fear quickly disappeared since discovering the benefits of deep tissue massage and how it can truly help relieve pain from scar tissue. Throughout our time together, Maggie was thankful for the opportunity to do an interview. If sharing her story helped one individual not have to go another day in chronic pain, then she said she was happy. She was quick to admit that before setting an appointment for deep tissue, one should understand that the massage is going to hurt a bit but it is a "healing" type of pain, the kind you know will go away and truly make you feel better. Maggie also shared that while she still has moments of pain when the weather is cold and damp, it is not the same level of pain prior to deep tissue. Amanda Davies and Kathleen Mistele, massage therapy students, Maggie Lee, employee/alumni, and Suzette Plemel, massage therapy program chair Suzette’s Story   After meeting with Maggie, I also had a chance to sit down with Suzette and understand the story from an instructor and student point of view. In casual conversation between one employee and another, Maggie had shared her chronic pain symptoms with Suzette. After hearing her story, Suzette opened up her student lab to Maggie if Maggie was willing to try deep tissue massage. Suzette shared with Maggie that while Maggie wasn’t going to like her initially, eventually she would love her because she knew that if she was able to loosen the scar tissue, she would be able to relieve much of Maggie’s pain. Amanda Davies and Kathleen Mistele, massage therapy students, oversee as Suzette Plemel, program chair, works on Maggie Lee Once in the lab, Suzette explained to Maggie that the massage was also a time to release any feelings and that this was normal, that the lab was a safe area, an area in which it was okay to let the body release all pain. After the consultation, Maggie welcomed the students to feel her scar tissue. The students were asked to palpate the scar tissue to feel all of the lumps that existed. Suzette then showed them how to do some deep work to break up the scar tissue. During this time, Amanda held Maggie’s hand as the tears began to flow. The years of trauma and pain were being released. The students were then able to palpate the area once again to feel the difference in the area. A once-lumpy area was now smooth. They were provided a real-life patient in Maggie and felt the before and after effects of deep tissue. Overall, this experience was a win-win for everyone. Maggie is left feeling much better and two students were able to see how their future career positively impacts the lives of others on a daily basis. If you or anyone else is suffering from chronic pain due to scar tissue, research the benefits of deep tissue massage. While this specific clinic is not offered every quarter at Globe University-Green Bay, the campus regularly hosts new patients from the community for students to learn massage techniques in exchange for client advice on how to improve. For the current quarter schedule, email Suzette at splemel@globeuniversity.edu.   The post Globe University Massage Students Help Relieve Chronic Pain appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Meet Globe University-La Crosse‘s new Films in Society instructor, Joel Kopplin. Joel is a huge film aficionado and published writer. Each week, the students are kept in suspense until the very last minute, never knowing what film they will see until Joel shows it in the classroom. This makes for some lively discussion and anticipation. The two times I have visited his class, it was so great to see the students engaged and full of questions. You can really tell Joel loves what he is teaching, and by the students’ interaction, that passion is contagious! Joel Kopplin, Globe University instructor "I love the act of teasing out and sharing ideas over complex issues, and it’s really satisfying to see what students get out of the same act," Joel said. "I teach in a seminar format, so my classes are usually conducted in a circle so that I’m not the center of attention," Joel said. "Seeing students wrestle with tough or alien concepts, and then seeing them share their ideas with each other, is really awesome. I find that the students ultimately learn more from one another other in this format than they do from me. It is really fantastic." The students were hesitant at first, but now they jump right into the film discussion. Joel is impressed that all of his students are game to tackle difficult topics and issues. "I love that they fully insert themselves every week to discuss bizarre films," Joel said. "I love showing difficult, offbeat films every week, demonstrating to students that film is much more than an entertainment. Films have a magical way of intersecting with the strange realities of what it is to be human." It was hard for him to narrow down his favorite films of all time, so he gave me three must-see movies: Blue Velvet (1986, dir. David Lynch), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, dir. Carl Theodore Dryer), and Mamma Roma (1962, dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini). To get a little background on this film buff, I asked Joel to tell me a little bit about himself. "I finished up my undergrad degree in 2009, and I was compelled to continue on with my English degree. At first teaching was merely a role I served for my assistantship, but after the first year, I was convinced that this was something I could do — and something that would offer rewarding relationships." Joel also teaches at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and writes in his spare time. "I write fiction primarily. I’ve written novels and short stories. Writing fiction is something I’ve wanted to do from a very early age. It’s one of the few ways I have to make sense of the world," Joel said. Because of his success as instructor in the Globe general education area, I asked him if he has any advice for instructors who struggle with keeping the students engaged. He stated, "Don’t let anyone else validate what you do." We consider ourselves a very lucky campus to have Joel Kopplin on board. He offers a breath of fresh air, a unique teaching style, and knows how to engage a classroom! The post Faculty Spotlight: Films in Society Instructor Joel Kopplin appeared first on Globe University Blog.

February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart health, especially in women. Globe University-Sioux Falls medical assistant students were eager to volunteer at the Go Red for Women event recently to support the cause. The event was held at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and featured members of the Sioux Falls community. Medical assistant students Ann Brunkow, Sarah Pacheco, Johana Gebregiorgis and program chair Amy Zobel The event raises money for research and education to prevent heart disease and stroke throughout South Dakota. Attendants of the event heard from medical professionals and survivors of heart disease on how women can decrease their risks. Medical Assistant Program Chair Amy Zobel was responsible for organizing students to volunteer for the event. "We were there to help with registration and check in people. We also assisted in the silent auction, which is the fundraiser at the event," Amy said. "It’s amazing to see so many women come together to help raise money to fight heart disease. There are also a few men who attend this event." The student volunteers also had a good time and learned how to relate survivors’ experiences to their future career. "I will definitely take the knowledge gained from their stories into the clinical setting with me. Hearing a speaker talk about their symptoms and experiences will help me better relate to my patients in the future. I went to this event because I like doing charity work outside of school. I also attended the Go Red event in Kansas City, and my aunt works with the American Heart Association, so I have other connections there," said Ann Brunkow, medical assistant student. Students in the medical assistant program gain valuable knowledge from events like Go Red and make connections with members of the community. We’re glad to see our staff and students learn so much from events like these. The post Globe University-Sioux Falls Medical Assistant Students Volunteer at Go Red Event appeared first on Globe University Blog.