We asked and you guys listened - the One Professor campaign reached its goal of 500 video submissions honoring the amazing professors who change our lives.
A few months ago, at the request of the Pearson Students, I agreed (what was I thinking?) to get pied in the face if we reached 500 videos.
The video below gives you that moment. It was a surprise to say the least. :)
The One Professor campaign is still going and we would love to honor your professor. Learn more at PearsonStudents.com/OneProfessor.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
College Success for Moms
Whenever I feel busy or overwhelmed there is one thing I always think about to help me put things in perspective - moms in college.
I've never been a mom but I have been a nanny, which I know is just a blip compared to what it actually means to be a full time mom. I also know what it is to be a college student, and it's so hard to imagine balancing both.
Yet I've met so many incredible moms who remind me that the old adage is true - "when you want something done, ask a busy person."
Moms in college also prove that people have an amazing ability to overcome obstacles when they really want something.
However, that doesn't mean it's easy. Being a mom in college is really, really hard. But it's not impossible, and one community college mom Dianna Blake is inspiring other moms to reach their dreams with her new blog College Success for Moms.
Dianna is a community college graduate and currently at California State University, Fullerton. She'll graduate in 2015 with a Bachelors in English and Public Relations and plans to pursue graduate school right away.
Below is an interview with Dianna so you can learn more about her journey. Please share her incredible blog with any moms you know who are going back to college or who wish they could. It is possible.
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| Dianna & her family at her CC graduation |
My children. They believe in me without reserve, and knowing that their future is molded by my choices really keeps me going.
I first went to school at 22 but dropped out, then started part-time in 2007 and finally became a full-time student in 2011. At the time I became full-time they were 9, 4 and 1 year old.
2) What was the hardest part about being a mom in college?
Missing my children. I think about them all the time and worry when I am away. I don’t want to miss anything.
But I want to say that when I spend time with my kids, my oldest son always says things like “Mommy, I want to go to school just like you” or when I graduated he said, “I am so proud that you are my mom.” That right there is all the reminder I need that I am making the right choices!
3) What inspired you to start college success for moms?
My school friends really inspired me to start the blog – especially Anita who has faced so much adversity but has remained resilient and kept moving forward.
I realized that there have to be more moms than just the ones I know who are seeking advice, encouragement and motivation. I want to be there for them just as my friends and mentor have been there for me.
It was during my fall 2011 semester that I realized I am more than a mom – that I was still free to fulfill my goals and aspirations; I want other moms to know that too.
4) What is one thing you wished someone would have told you before you started college as a mom?
I wish someone would have told me that there are programs for non-traditional students on pretty much every campus. I discovered a bit too late! It would have been nice to have joined the programs and had that extra assistance/counseling.
5) What is the most important piece of advice you would give a mom in college right now who's struggling to balance it all?
Buy a school planner or download an app on your phone. Organization, time management and avoiding procrastination are essential for any student but even more so for moms.
If you can avoid procrastination you will be more successful in school and feel less stressed at home and this will actually allow you some “free time.”
Be sure to check out College Success For Moms!
How to draw for a living: First Job Profile of a former Disney animator
This summer I connected with some amazing professionals who were willing to share their wisdom. Each profile features how their first job out of college led to their amazing careers today, as well as their advice to help you do the same.
I'll never forget my first trip to Disney World and those little cubes that showed animators desks. Coloring for a living?! Yes please!
Unfortunately I realized pretty early in life that I did not have the talent nor the patience to draw well. But I've never stopped admiring animators and designers.
I recently met an incredible designer who loves his work and has a deep passion for life.
Oh, and if you've seen a little movie called The Lion King, then you have seen some of his work:
First Job Profile: Paitoon Ratan, Freelance Designer
1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it?
My first job out of college, in 1993, was as a Visual Effects Artist/animator for Walt Disney Animation Studio Florida at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
In 1990, I won the prestigious Disney Feature animation internship while I was a Junior in college (Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio). I came to Florida and trained with the legendary Disney animators for a semester.
At the end of the internship, I was offered a job to work on Beauty and The Beast but I decided to go back to Ohio and finish my degree in Industrial design.
I graduated with a BFA In Industrial Design along with The Outstanding Senior in Industrial Design Award in 1992.
Thankfully in late 1992, while I was back in Thailand with my family, Disney called me and asked if I would like to come back to work on the film, The Lion King. I said yes and that was the beginning of a decade of working for the Walt Disney Company as a full time cast member.
2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job?
When I first arrived at the Disney studios in 1990 as an intern, everywhere I turned, I saw someone who is more talented and more skilled than me as an artist/designer.
It was a humbling experience to say the least to walk down the Disney animation building knowing that I was surrounded by the very best in the world.
Once I actually became a Disney cast member, one of the most valuable lessons I learned was to figure out what kind of a designer I wanted to become and what types of projects I would like to be a part of during the rest of my career as a designer. Ever since then I have spent my entire career trying to become that designer.
3) What did you do to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today?
I stayed at my first job for a decade doing what I loved to do and got to be a part of so many special films. I'm so incredibly grateful for that; it was an amazing time period to get to be a 2D animator for a studio such as Walt Disney and to have that as part of my life journey.
It also gave me the confidence that I was capable of doing 'more' than just design and animation. In 2002, after I finished work on Brother Bear, I decided it was time for me to go out on my own and give myself a chance at fulfilling some of my other dreams and passions as a designer.
My independent design consultant career took off from the day I left Disney Animation into the direction I had imagined.
Because my first job at Disney was animation, my transition into the toy and consumer goods, theme park and VDO Game industry was almost seamless. I started to design toys for Disney Consumer Products and DC Comics very quickly after I left Disney Animation.
As a young Industrial design student, I dreamt that someday I would have "a product" that I designed out in the market. While I was working at feature animation, I set goals to someday be designing theme parks, toys, movies, TV, VDO games etc. and I have been so fortunate to have achieved and done many of those things I set out to do.
I continue to be a part of some really cool projects working with some really amazingly talented groups of people as an independent designer.
4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college?
In my humble opinion, I think the real question is not so much about the advice on finding 'the first job' but it should be 'finding the job that you feel 'passionate' about.
I think all of us should have this question answered long before we all go to college. 'What is your passion?' It should be a High school's graduating requirement. :)
Once you are in college, you should know exactly what you need to do while you are there in order for you to graduate and get a job that helps you become who you want to become. I think if you don't know what your passion is, finding your 'first job, second job or third job ' is not going to matter much as I don't think you will be happy working at your job.
So I'd say go out there and look for the job that you love. But in order to do that, you need to know what it is that you love doing. So you need to figured out what your 'passion' is.
Then spend the rest of your life going after it because spending 40-60 hrs a week on a job that you don't like is a long time to be miserable every week (even if that job pays amazingly well).
I will end this with a quote from one of my all time favorite authors who spent her entire professional life studying terminally ill patients:
"It is very important that you only do what you love to do. You may be poor, you may go hungry, you may lose your car, you may have to move into a shabby place to live, but you will totally live.
"And at the end of your days you will bless your life because you have done what you came here to do. Otherwise, you will live your life as a prostitute, you will do things only for a reason, to please other people, and you will never have lived. And you will not have a pleasant death.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
I'll never forget my first trip to Disney World and those little cubes that showed animators desks. Coloring for a living?! Yes please!
Unfortunately I realized pretty early in life that I did not have the talent nor the patience to draw well. But I've never stopped admiring animators and designers.
I recently met an incredible designer who loves his work and has a deep passion for life.
Oh, and if you've seen a little movie called The Lion King, then you have seen some of his work:
 |
| Cars Paitoon designed |
1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it?
My first job out of college, in 1993, was as a Visual Effects Artist/animator for Walt Disney Animation Studio Florida at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
In 1990, I won the prestigious Disney Feature animation internship while I was a Junior in college (Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio). I came to Florida and trained with the legendary Disney animators for a semester.
At the end of the internship, I was offered a job to work on Beauty and The Beast but I decided to go back to Ohio and finish my degree in Industrial design.
I graduated with a BFA In Industrial Design along with The Outstanding Senior in Industrial Design Award in 1992.
Thankfully in late 1992, while I was back in Thailand with my family, Disney called me and asked if I would like to come back to work on the film, The Lion King. I said yes and that was the beginning of a decade of working for the Walt Disney Company as a full time cast member.
2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job?
When I first arrived at the Disney studios in 1990 as an intern, everywhere I turned, I saw someone who is more talented and more skilled than me as an artist/designer.
It was a humbling experience to say the least to walk down the Disney animation building knowing that I was surrounded by the very best in the world.
Once I actually became a Disney cast member, one of the most valuable lessons I learned was to figure out what kind of a designer I wanted to become and what types of projects I would like to be a part of during the rest of my career as a designer. Ever since then I have spent my entire career trying to become that designer.
3) What did you do to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today?
I stayed at my first job for a decade doing what I loved to do and got to be a part of so many special films. I'm so incredibly grateful for that; it was an amazing time period to get to be a 2D animator for a studio such as Walt Disney and to have that as part of my life journey.
It also gave me the confidence that I was capable of doing 'more' than just design and animation. In 2002, after I finished work on Brother Bear, I decided it was time for me to go out on my own and give myself a chance at fulfilling some of my other dreams and passions as a designer.
My independent design consultant career took off from the day I left Disney Animation into the direction I had imagined.
Because my first job at Disney was animation, my transition into the toy and consumer goods, theme park and VDO Game industry was almost seamless. I started to design toys for Disney Consumer Products and DC Comics very quickly after I left Disney Animation.
As a young Industrial design student, I dreamt that someday I would have "a product" that I designed out in the market. While I was working at feature animation, I set goals to someday be designing theme parks, toys, movies, TV, VDO games etc. and I have been so fortunate to have achieved and done many of those things I set out to do.
I continue to be a part of some really cool projects working with some really amazingly talented groups of people as an independent designer.
4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college?
In my humble opinion, I think the real question is not so much about the advice on finding 'the first job' but it should be 'finding the job that you feel 'passionate' about.
I think all of us should have this question answered long before we all go to college. 'What is your passion?' It should be a High school's graduating requirement. :)
Once you are in college, you should know exactly what you need to do while you are there in order for you to graduate and get a job that helps you become who you want to become. I think if you don't know what your passion is, finding your 'first job, second job or third job ' is not going to matter much as I don't think you will be happy working at your job.
So I'd say go out there and look for the job that you love. But in order to do that, you need to know what it is that you love doing. So you need to figured out what your 'passion' is.
Then spend the rest of your life going after it because spending 40-60 hrs a week on a job that you don't like is a long time to be miserable every week (even if that job pays amazingly well).
I will end this with a quote from one of my all time favorite authors who spent her entire professional life studying terminally ill patients:
"It is very important that you only do what you love to do. You may be poor, you may go hungry, you may lose your car, you may have to move into a shabby place to live, but you will totally live.
"And at the end of your days you will bless your life because you have done what you came here to do. Otherwise, you will live your life as a prostitute, you will do things only for a reason, to please other people, and you will never have lived. And you will not have a pleasant death.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Thursday, August 8, 2013
A survivor's guide to college paperwork stress
Has paperwork ever made you cry?
I can remember running around from department to department at both my community college and university trying to manage all of the paperwork that came with applications, registrations, graduation, transcripts, and financial aid.
Tears followed a few occasions when it felt like I was doing the same things over and over again and nothing was getting accomplished.
College is rife with complicated paper processes that can leave the best of students in tears and drive the most at-risk students out the door.
This past week I had to deal with a uniquely complicated paperwork process for a college that hired me to speak. A few phone calls and four visits to a fax machine across town later I was reminded of the intense stress paperwork can cause.
Luckily for me, the community college staff member who walked me through the process was helpful, empathetic, and supremely kind.
When you're in the storm of a paperwork crisis there is nothing more helpful than a kind person on the other side of the desk (or phone).
However, you can't control the attitude of the people you're working with, so below are four tips to help you avoid the paperwork headache and not let it ruin your college experience - or even your day:
1) Read everything
In an age of information overload, we survive by paying attention only to what we need. However, sometimes this skimming-instinct causes us to miss vital details.
When it comes to college, read your college catalog. Read the introductory paperwork. Read every e-mail from your college. I know it's boring, but it will save you tremendous time, stress, and maybe even tears.
2) Ask a lot of questions
Be proactive and ask lots of questions during every step of your college journey.
While colleges do their best to keep you informed, sometimes the information isn't very clear, or you can simply suffer from information overload.
Being confused and frustrated is totally NORMAL. The students who visit the offices daily and ask lots of questions are the ones who get things done faster and with a little bit less stress.
If you have a question, ask it right away and don't judge yourself. I truly believe in college no question is a dumb question. Ask and keep on asking.
3) Find a friendly face
Get to know the people in your college's offices. Use their name and go back and say thank you when they help you. There are plenty of grumpy people in almost any office environment, but at almost every college you should be able to find at least one person who really cares about students and would love to be there to help you.
Once you've found someone you connect with, ask for their e-mail address and follow up to say thank you. Then, stop by their office to say thank you in person or just update them on how you're doing. Ask that person for advice. Everyone who works in a college will have something helpful to share.
Once you've built a relationships you'll have an ally who knows the college and who will bend over backwards to help you when you have a question. Even if they can't help you directly they'll connect you with someone who can.
4) Remember the process will pay off
The worst part about paperwork is that it in the moment it can feel so irrelevant to your life. But whether we like it or not, paperwork is a gatekeepers to so many things in life, and it always helped me to remember that once I get it done it's DONE and I will be closer to my goal.
Remember that your college degree is worth the stress. It's even worth the tears.
The sad truth is you will encounter paperwork stress throughout your life. However, the good news is you can use college as a training ground to build resiliency and not let paperwork ever stand in the way of your goals.
The more prepared you are to deal with the stress and avoid as many complications as possible, the quicker you'll go through the process and the greater sanity you'll preserve.
Good luck with your paperwork this year. When you're stressed remember that you're not alone. (And while we're on reminders and paperwork, don't forget to fill out your FAFSA every year!!!! ;))
I can remember running around from department to department at both my community college and university trying to manage all of the paperwork that came with applications, registrations, graduation, transcripts, and financial aid.
Tears followed a few occasions when it felt like I was doing the same things over and over again and nothing was getting accomplished.
College is rife with complicated paper processes that can leave the best of students in tears and drive the most at-risk students out the door.
This past week I had to deal with a uniquely complicated paperwork process for a college that hired me to speak. A few phone calls and four visits to a fax machine across town later I was reminded of the intense stress paperwork can cause.
Luckily for me, the community college staff member who walked me through the process was helpful, empathetic, and supremely kind.
When you're in the storm of a paperwork crisis there is nothing more helpful than a kind person on the other side of the desk (or phone).
However, you can't control the attitude of the people you're working with, so below are four tips to help you avoid the paperwork headache and not let it ruin your college experience - or even your day:
1) Read everything
In an age of information overload, we survive by paying attention only to what we need. However, sometimes this skimming-instinct causes us to miss vital details.
When it comes to college, read your college catalog. Read the introductory paperwork. Read every e-mail from your college. I know it's boring, but it will save you tremendous time, stress, and maybe even tears.
2) Ask a lot of questions
Be proactive and ask lots of questions during every step of your college journey.
While colleges do their best to keep you informed, sometimes the information isn't very clear, or you can simply suffer from information overload.
Being confused and frustrated is totally NORMAL. The students who visit the offices daily and ask lots of questions are the ones who get things done faster and with a little bit less stress.
If you have a question, ask it right away and don't judge yourself. I truly believe in college no question is a dumb question. Ask and keep on asking.
3) Find a friendly face
Get to know the people in your college's offices. Use their name and go back and say thank you when they help you. There are plenty of grumpy people in almost any office environment, but at almost every college you should be able to find at least one person who really cares about students and would love to be there to help you.
Once you've found someone you connect with, ask for their e-mail address and follow up to say thank you. Then, stop by their office to say thank you in person or just update them on how you're doing. Ask that person for advice. Everyone who works in a college will have something helpful to share.
Once you've built a relationships you'll have an ally who knows the college and who will bend over backwards to help you when you have a question. Even if they can't help you directly they'll connect you with someone who can.
4) Remember the process will pay off
The worst part about paperwork is that it in the moment it can feel so irrelevant to your life. But whether we like it or not, paperwork is a gatekeepers to so many things in life, and it always helped me to remember that once I get it done it's DONE and I will be closer to my goal.
Remember that your college degree is worth the stress. It's even worth the tears.
The sad truth is you will encounter paperwork stress throughout your life. However, the good news is you can use college as a training ground to build resiliency and not let paperwork ever stand in the way of your goals.
The more prepared you are to deal with the stress and avoid as many complications as possible, the quicker you'll go through the process and the greater sanity you'll preserve.
Good luck with your paperwork this year. When you're stressed remember that you're not alone. (And while we're on reminders and paperwork, don't forget to fill out your FAFSA every year!!!! ;))
Monday, August 5, 2013
When should you start building your personal brand?
Ever wonder when you should start crafting your personal brand? The answer:
Now.
Because good personal brands not only win jobs - they also win scholarships.
When I applied for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship and read all the essay prompts, I realized "Mmmmm, I'm just a normal girl and think I might wanna be an English teacher" wasn't really a good personal brand. They wanted to know who I was, what I'd been through, what I'd done, and how that influenced what I wanted to bring to the world.
I worked really hard and thought really hard to put my life into a cohesive essay and subsequent life plan. Sure, that plan changed a lot, but having a direction and thinking deeply about who I was is what made all the difference.
To start, make a timeline of your life and draw pictures to illustrate your milestones and most defining moments. What made you who you are today?
Then, start to think about what kinds of things you enjoy most. When do you feel most alive? What kind of work would you love to do every day?
You may not know exactly how to communicate who you are and what you want to do right now. And that's okay.
Having a personal brand isn't about having it all figured out. It's about deciding that you will constantly do the work to create your brand as you learn more about yourself and the unmet needs in our economy. It's about taking ownership of your career before someone else does.
Whether you're about to start college for the first time or are just finishing up, it's time to begin to figure out what your personal brand is and how you can best communicate it online and in person.
Today I just launched a free ebook to help you do just that - it's called How to Get a Job Without a Resume, and you can get it for free here!
Today getting a job is about so much more than a resume - it's about how well you're able to communicate your personal brand online and in person. And trust me, you have more to share with the world than you realize.
Please feel free to share How To Get a Job Without a Resume with your friends and on social media, and feel free to share any thoughts or questions on Twitter using the hashtag #WithoutaResume!
Now.
Because good personal brands not only win jobs - they also win scholarships.
When I applied for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship and read all the essay prompts, I realized "Mmmmm, I'm just a normal girl and think I might wanna be an English teacher" wasn't really a good personal brand. They wanted to know who I was, what I'd been through, what I'd done, and how that influenced what I wanted to bring to the world.
I worked really hard and thought really hard to put my life into a cohesive essay and subsequent life plan. Sure, that plan changed a lot, but having a direction and thinking deeply about who I was is what made all the difference.
To start, make a timeline of your life and draw pictures to illustrate your milestones and most defining moments. What made you who you are today?
Then, start to think about what kinds of things you enjoy most. When do you feel most alive? What kind of work would you love to do every day?
You may not know exactly how to communicate who you are and what you want to do right now. And that's okay.
Having a personal brand isn't about having it all figured out. It's about deciding that you will constantly do the work to create your brand as you learn more about yourself and the unmet needs in our economy. It's about taking ownership of your career before someone else does.
Whether you're about to start college for the first time or are just finishing up, it's time to begin to figure out what your personal brand is and how you can best communicate it online and in person.
Today I just launched a free ebook to help you do just that - it's called How to Get a Job Without a Resume, and you can get it for free here!
Today getting a job is about so much more than a resume - it's about how well you're able to communicate your personal brand online and in person. And trust me, you have more to share with the world than you realize.
Please feel free to share How To Get a Job Without a Resume with your friends and on social media, and feel free to share any thoughts or questions on Twitter using the hashtag #WithoutaResume!
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