2020–2021 Graduates at a Glance

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

28

Twenty-eight students earned more than one degree during the academic year.

86

Excelsior’s Class of 2021 includes 86 students from outside the United States, the most being from Canada (17), followed by the United Kingdom (13).

5,840

There are 5,840 graduates, and 5,754 graduates are from the United States; the most graduates—1,168—come from New York followed by 504 from Texas.

36

The average age of the Class of 2021 is 36.

29

Twenty-nine percent of our graduates are members of the U.S. military.

74

This year’s oldest graduate is a 74-year-old male from Carencro, Louisiana, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts.

 

“In These Unprecedented Times …”

Posted on by Caitlin Abram
Rethinking the work-at-home life, one year later

More than a full year into the pandemic, the deluge of content touting the best ways to create a home office, offering Zoom-ready makeup tutorials, and the many, many, articles containing the words “self-care” have slowed to a trickle as the world has reached the final stage of its collective mourning for normal life: Acceptance.

By now, when it comes to working from home, you probably fall into one of three different categories:

  • You are thriving! Management will have to rip the sweatpants from your cold, dead body.
  • You hate it! You’re not your best professional self at home and pine for the structure and camaraderie of in-office life.
  • You vacillate wildly! You both revel in the lack of commute and curse the all but obliterated lines between personal and professional time as well as the circus of partners, children, and pets you have to battle to get any actual work done.

No matter how you feel about working from home, chances are you may not be going back to the office any time soon and many organizations are re-evaluating their need for physical office space even after the working world resumes business as usual. After what feels like a lifetime of settling into “office 2.0,” most workers have realized that the daily grind hasn’t changed, it’s just moved in with them. Let’s revisit some of the most repeated remote work tips from the early days of the pandemic and examine if they still hold true or, with a little perspective, if we’ve learned better.

Turn “Self-Care” Inside Out

First, let’s reflect on what the majority of these early content pieces failed to mention and acknowledge—the true luck and privilege of having gainful employment with the ability to work from home during an era when so many others have not and do not. This gap highlights a tremendous inequality. A June 2020 Stanford University survey reports that higher paid, white collar workers were able to easily transition to a remote work environment while lower paid workers in industries like agriculture or hospitality, or those who lack adequate internet and a suitable home environment, were being left behind.

This past year has been one of difficulty and instability for a large percentage of the world and mutual aid societies have become a new way for people to help and connect. Mutual aid groups help communities share support and resources to care for each other in times of need. Working from home, and the pandemic in general, has kept many people in their communities during the day. Try becoming a more active part of your own. Everyone has something valuable to give, so find out where the most need in your hometown is and find out how you can help. Afterall, sometimes caring for others is the best care for yourself.

The Pants Paradox

When offices first went remote, one of the most common pieces of advice concerned our pants. To maintain some mental semblance of normality, countless tips advised workers to continue to dress as if one was still going into the office. While this advice may have been followed at first, the sartorial mullet familiar to most Zoom-equipped workers consisting of business from the waist up and party from the waist down has, by now, become a well-worn cultural meme. As work dress norms relaxed, corporate leadership was left wondering whether a dress code was outdated and even necessary when working remotely.

If you’ve found yourself sporting the same old hoodie for too many days in a row, consider changing up your wardrobe. You might be surprised at how different you feel.

Of course, what you wear all comes down to personal preference and the industry in which you work. The last year, though, has proved that productivity and “professionalism” isn’t necessarily as tied to what we wear as we thought. What’s most important is your intention starting the day and the act of getting dressed in a way that makes you feel “ready for work,” whether that’s putting on a freshly pressed shirt or changing from your night pajama pants into your day pajama pants. Studies from Scientific American and the Harvard Business Review confirm that what we wear does affect our mood and even our posture. If you’ve found yourself sporting the same old hoodie for too many days in a row, consider changing up your wardrobe. You might be surprised at how different you feel.

Tipping the “Work-Life Balance”

Mercer, an HR consulting firm, conducted eight surveys between April and October of 2020 and found that nearly 90 percent of the more than 300 U.S. employers surveyed reported that productivity was consistent with or above pre-pandemic rates. This is, of course, great news for businesses and shows employees have a remarkable ability to adapt, but boiling down the past year’s experience to “productivity data” is only looking at half the story.

As much as the workforce was urged to find a healthy work-life balance during the pandemic, the phrase itself betrays the paradox when you have to work where you live. A Society for Human Resource Management study notes that nearly 70 percent of professionals who transitioned to working from home during the pandemic report working on the weekends and 45 percent report working more hours during the week than before. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) calls this extra work “hidden overtime” in its September 2020 report on the remote workforce.

The pandemic has made people recognize that work-life balance just looks different now and that’s going to have to be okay. Traditional office life confined people of very different personalities and preferences into “one size fits all” ways of working, dressing, and living. One of the positives of leaving that behind has been finding new opportunities for flexibility, introspection, and discovering that left to your own devices, you’re actually morning person, or you get hungry for lunch at 3 p.m., or that you’d rather take more breaks during the day and work later into the evening. Needless to say, that despite everything that’s happened, we’ve kept learning!

We asked some of our colleagues at Excelsior College who are working from home what they’ve learned about themselves, how they like to work, and what advice they would travel back in time to give their 2020 selves. Here are some of the comments we received:

  • “I love working from home, and I like the improved collaboration!”
  • “Work-life balance is only as good as you make it.”
  • “Designated space is important.”
  • “Take a break.”
  • “Buy a really, really good desk chair.”
  • “If working at home for the long haul, it’s important to have a plan!”
  • “I’ve gotten in touch with my self-motivation.”
  • “Pay attention to food.”
  • “Enjoy the flexibility.”
  • “Find a work buddy if you can and meet up a few times a week.”

    •  

    Q&A with Catherine Seaver

    Posted on by Jenna Kerwin
    Dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies
    Arrow up

    Catherine Seaver began her career with Excelsior College in July 2019 as associate dean of business, science, and technology. In December 2020, she became dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies.

    Seaver has extensive experience in higher education. Prior to Excelsior, she was vice president of academic and student affairs at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts. For 14 years, she worked at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Connecticut, as director of the business, engineering, and technology division; interim associate dean of student affairs; and department chair of engineering and technology.

    Seaver earned a PhD in leadership with a specialization in education from the University of the Cumberlands. She also has an MS in educational technology from Eastern Connecticut State University and an MS in computer and information systems from the University of Phoenix. Photo: Mike Hemberger

     
    What do you enjoy most about Excelsior College?
    At the core is the mission of the school and how it drives what we do and how we do it. It lets us give students opportunities for higher education and degree completion that they wouldn’t get elsewhere. Our mission and the CARES credo [guiding principles for employees: Each Excelsior employee is Compassionate, Agile, Respectful, and committed to Excellence and Service] empower faculty and staff to do what they can to help students be successful, advocate for them, and support them in ways not found elsewhere.

    I also enjoy the people I work with. Not only are they passionate about their work and supporting students, they are good, nice, and fun people. I felt at home so quickly when I came to Excelsior. And as we have continued to work during the [COVID-19] pandemic, everyone has been so wonderful and supporting of each other.

    How would you describe your leadership style?
    Foremost is trust. I hope that people trust that I have their backs, that I am looking out for their well-being, and that I want them to be successful. And it is important that I trust those around me.

    I try to remove barriers for people so they can do their jobs. It is important to me that others feel comfortable around me and there is open communication. Also, I am an optimist and I think that is important when leading others. This doesn’t mean that I don’t see challenges and obstacles, and that I don’t recognize failures; it means that I look for ways to get around obstacles and overcome challenges. And if someone or something isn’t working, then we should find a way to fix things.

    How is online education changing? How are you preparing Excelsior College to meet those challenges?
    I have been involved in online education since the very beginning, being one of the first to teach online at a community college in 2002. At the beginning, we tried to do what we do in the physical classroom. Now we know that the way we learn online is different, so the way we design our online courses needs to be different.

    It is also great to see growing acceptance of online education. I’ve always found that both teaching online and being an online student are challenging, rewarding, and have the potential for deeper learning than in the physical classroom. If you think about it, students can go to a classroom, sit in a chair, daydream, or fall asleep—but they get credit for attending. You can’t fake your participation in an online class. If you aren’t participating, it is obvious. It is not unusual for students to say that they had to work a lot harder in an online class.

    One of the challenges we face at Excelsior is from competition. The pandemic has forced many schools that were not embracing distance learning to open their minds. Now that they have overcome hesitancy to teach online, many will continue offering at least some of their courses online. We need to make sure that our courses continue to be dynamic and engaging. We have the advantage of having been teaching online all along, and we need to make sure that students know about our experience.

    In my role as dean, I need to make sure that our faculty and staff have the resources they need to continue to update our existing courses and develop new programs and courses to meet the needs of our students.

    What skills can students expect to gain in Excelsior’s undergraduate programs?
    We design our curriculum to provide students with the skills they need to meet their goals and be successful in their careers. We do this by providing not only the subject matter skills such as accounting, engineering, health science, etc., but also by being aware of other skills that employers are looking for and including those in the curriculum. We know that employers are looking for graduates who can think critically, be creative, solve problems, communicate, and work as part of a team. We build these components into our courses and include them in our general education and career competencies, which are also addressed in the courses. We also focus on outcome assessment to monitor how well we are doing this—how do we know that students are learning what we want them to learn.

    How did your own college education affect you?
    I had a nontraditional start to my college education. I graduated from high school at age 16 and went to a community college for a semester. At that time, I thought I wanted to be an accountant, so I focused on accounting courses. When I transferred to Miami University of Ohio, I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. I learned in those science and biology courses that I am not good at memorizing things. By the end of my sophomore year, it was obvious that I had to change majors due to poor grades in the science and biology courses. My grades were good in math and physics, so I changed to manufacturing engineering technology. That degree has served me well and it gave me the start I needed. My subsequent degrees were all online or hybrid, which was what got me to where I am now. My experience in online master’s and doctorate courses gave me our student’s perspective, which has been invaluable. I was a single parent with a full-time job, staying up late after the kids went to bed so I could participate in online discussions and write papers. I was the parent at soccer games sneaking in a few minutes of studying before an exam. I appreciate the challenges of our students because I have been there myself.

    I thought that college was a required part of education just like high school for most of my childhood. I am aware of the advantages this gave me and have always tried to be particularly supportive of first-generation students who do not have the support and encouragement of their family as I did. As a college, we have to make sure that we have the support systems and services in place to help our students be successful no matter their story.

     

    Lopa Chakraborty Navigates the Changing Role of HR

    Posted on by Maria C. Sparks

    The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impact on the workplace brought challenges to all levels of an organization. As an HR professional, Lopa Chakraborty addresses those challenges directly as a partner to the leadership team and a coach in decision making.

    Chakraborty, the human resources manager at the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development within the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, has been working in HR for more than 15 years. In her current role, her responsibilities include recruitment, performance management, learning and development, and employee relations.

    She is also an interpreter of regulations, seeker of information, booster of employee morale, and proponent of employee engagement.

    Stress Reliever:
    Painting
    Reason for MBA:
    To rebuild her HR career after moving from India to the United States
    Volunteer Time:
    Board Member of Utsab Inc.
    Medical Reserve Corps in Schenectady and Albany Counties

    “There are so many little things we need to think about, so that’s what makes being in charge of implementing policies and procedures so interesting,” says Chakraborty, of Niskayuna, New York. A planner by nature and by necessity in her career, she has to think of every possible scenario before the implementation of a policy, procedure, or decision that affects the workforce.

    Except that now, in a world with COVID-19, regulations and guidance change quickly, which makes it difficult to plan for how to do things. Her mantra these days is “Don’t get too comfortable with change because as soon as you get comfortable, it will change again.”

    To navigate these changes, she leans on the skills she acquired while earning an MBA from Excelsior College in 2018. “An MBA is not only a degree,” says Chakraborty. “It’s like a tool kit or toolbox; it has the different tools you need.” For example, she draws on her knowledge and experience with operations management. “If a manager comes to you asking for help, how can you frame [the guidance] in a way that makes sense in a data-driven way?”

    “It just helps you make your case stronger. You are not just saying it—you have read about it, researched it, you know what you are talking about.” –Lopa Chakraborty

    Chakraborty joined the Research Foundation as an HR specialist in 2018, and she was recently promoted to HR manager, which is her current position. The MBA, she says, has opened doors to career growth. Formerly a lead recruiter for Excelsior College, Chakraborty pursued and earned her MBA while working for the College.

    The MBA gives her confidence that she leans on when she is involved in decision making. “It just helps you make your case stronger,” she says. “You are not just saying it—you have read about it, researched it, you know what you are talking about.”

    She also has the self-awareness and confidence to know she is learning every day. For more than a year, Chakraborty has been helping people adjust to and thrive at working from home while she too was working from her home office—with a spouse also working at home and a son spending some of his first year of college learning from home. She has addressed challenges that come with working remotely, including maintaining employee morale and engagement.

    In thinking back on what she and others have gone through during the pandemic, Chakraborty says what she has learned is patience. She has also learned to temper expectations for the future. “If the last year has taught us anything, it’s to not look too far ahead.” Still, she can and does make plans, such as for helping colleagues transition back to the workplace. She just makes sure those plans come with a contingency plan.

     

    Steven Corey Moves from Entry-Level to Nursing Leadership

    Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

    Nursing was not at the forefront of Steven Corey’s mind when he began looking for a career. It wasn’t until the Scotia, New York, native got a job as a patient care technician with Albany Medical Center in 2007 that he realized he wanted to stay in the world of health care.

    He earned his associate degree in nursing from Maria College a year later, in 2008. After a few years in trauma nursing, Corey was promoted to a patient care coordinator. This new clinical leadership role carried a lot of responsibility, but Corey was ready for it. “I loved the work. Being a leader in a department full of incredible talent inspired me,” he says.

    First career:
    Restaurant industry
    Favorite part about Excelsior:
    Interacting with peers on discussion boards
    Personal interests:
    “The Walking Dead” television show and “Star Wars”

    By 2013, Corey had been covering night shifts in the Emergency Department for some time and was ready to apply for the position of nightshift assistant nurse manager. As it turned out, he was declined for the role due to lack of education. Corey then learned of Albany Medical Center’s partnership with Excelsior College and decided to take the plunge into online learning so he could advance his career. “The process of enrollment and setting up a course schedule was surprisingly easy. So, I jumped right in. Excelsior offered eight-week courses, which allowed me to expedite my effort,” he says and adds that working with his Excelsior academic advisor and the education team at Albany Medical Center was a smooth process.

    “And whether it’s budget-related, policy-related, or regulation-related, I’m learning something new every day.” –Steven Corey

    It didn’t take long for Corey to master navigating Excelsior’s online courses. In less than a year after enrolling, Corey earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 and decided to pursue a master’s degree with Excelsior. He earned a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems in 2017 and soon found himself on a path to nursing leadership.

    After earning a master’s degree, Corey first became a nurse manager for the medical ICU and, as he puts it, he “had a blast.” He enjoyed his relationships with his coworkers and spent a little under two years gaining experience as a manager and doing administrative work. In January 2019, the chief nursing officer asked Corey to return to the Emergency Department to become the interim assistant vice president of emergency services, trauma, and mental health. He was appointed to the position in October 2019.

    As an assistant vice president, Corey has a challenging job. Problems are on a larger scale, he says, noting that looking after several different units, instead of just one, makes things more complicated. It’s also what makes things so interesting. “It [a problem that arises] changes the thinking a little bit, it changes the strategy a little bit, and it challenges you to research and learn every single day… And whether it’s budget-related, policy-related, or regulation-related, I’m learning something new every day,” says Corey. He also points out that his job involves a lot of self-discovery, saying he learns about himself and his capabilities with each new opportunity.

    Corey says being in leadership has caused him to be a better mentor to the nurses and nursing leaders. “It’s about building the next group of leaders and promoting your team,” he says. The changing times of health care make it an exciting time to be on a nursing team, making on-the-spot decisions and trying to problem-solve issues not previously encountered. “It’s just a cool place to be,” says Corey.
     

    Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present

    Posted on by Maria C. Sparks
    Arrow up  “Keeping a Tradition Alive” by Len Tantillo, 2011, Oil on Canvas, Collection of Excelsior College, 24 x 40 in.

    In honor of Excelsior College’s 40th anniversary in 2011, Excelsior President John F. Ebersole commissioned artist Len Tantillo to create a commemorative work. The painting, “Keeping a Tradition Alive,” shows traveling educators in the 19th century, an historical nod to how Excelsior College brings educational opportunities to students. The painting pays homage to those who pursue learning as well as to those who provide the education. Tantillo’s research on the lyceum movement, an early form of organized adult education in the United States, influenced his concept and led to a direct connection with Excelsior as an online institution. When asked what he hoped people would take away from his work, Tantillo said: “The idea, at the most ground level, that people’s desire to learn is universal and timeless. If the desire is strong enough, you’ll make time to do it.”

     

    Excelsior College and University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education Partner to Offer Students More Opportunities

    Posted on by Erin Coufal

    Albany, New York — Excelsior College is building a learning ecosystem to offer seamless pathways for students and award college credit for certificate programs. University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (UCI DCE) is partnering with Excelsior to offer students earning evaluated certificates an opportunity to convert that professional certificate to credit in an Excelsior degree program.

    In addition, through this partnership, Excelsior students and alumni will have the opportunity to enroll in the UCI DCE certificate programs to continue their lifelong learning.

    Excelsior College was founded in 1971 as the Regents External Degree Program, which evaluated credit earned from college courses, proficiency examinations, military educational programs, and the assessment of knowledge gained from experience and nontraditional approaches to education to help students achieve degree completion. While evolving to offer degree programs fully online, Excelsior has maintained its commitment to aggregating credit for previous learning accomplishments and awarding credit for approved workplace and military training, health care credentials, and industry certifications.

    “The partnership between Excelsior and UCI DCE represents a shift in higher education to a larger educational ecosystem,” said David Schejbal, president of Excelsior College. “The collaboration will allow students of both institutions flexibility in customizing the best learning experience to meet their needs.”

    UCI DCE was established in 1962 and has served the lifelong learning and career development needs of individuals and organizations. It offers over 80 industry-relevant certificates and specialized studies programs.

    “The learning pathway partnership between the University of California Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education (UCI) and Excelsior College is a wonderful example of the kind of inter-institutional cooperation that foreshadows a major trend in higher education,” said Gary Matkin, dean of continuing education and vice provost of career pathways. “Built on the need for students to have facilitated on-ramps to learning that create value to them over their life transitions, the partnership combines the strength of UCI’s credit certificate programs and Excelsior’s long tradition of innovation in degree completion programs. Students can start with a UCI program gaining credit for it toward an Excelsior degree or start with the degree and enhance it with a UCI certificate program. As always, for both institutions, students are at the center of this partnership. We hope this partnership will be a model for other institutions as higher education evolves to meet students’ needs.”

    More information about the partnership is available at excelsior.edu/uci.

     

    # # #

    Media Contact Excelsior College:

    Erin Coufal, ecoufal@excelsior.edu, 518-608-8498

     

    ABOUT EXCELSIOR COLLEGE

    Excelsior College is an accredited, not-for-profit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The college contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity.

     

     

    The Other Side of Dentistry

    Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

    Virtual Internship Program Steers Merideth Sweeney Toward Her Dream Job

     

    In spring 2020, Excelsior College student Merideth Sweeney of Woodland Hills, California, began a virtual internship with Posturedontics, a dental ergonomics company focused on evidence-based ergonomic therapies for dental professionals. Little did she know that the internship would connect her to a new career. Through this internship, she met dentist Michael Goldberg of Practice Perfect Systems, a health care practice management consulting firm based in California.

    When her internship through Excelsior came to an end in November 2020, Goldberg asked Sweeney to join his firm. Sweeney, a former dental hygienist, now works with Goldberg in the company’s marketing department, helping dental practices build and grow their businesses. She focuses on developing and marketing resources for other companies to turn to when they have questions about dental practices. “We are taking all the biggest dental problems that dentists are facing right now,” she says. “We are picking things that we actually believe in, that we believe will help, to solve the issues that are facing dental practices.”

    Sweeney knows the dental field. For 20 years, she was a dental hygienist until a severe injury left her unable to work for two years. It was then that she decided it was time to return to school to pursue a different path to support herself. She returned to Excelsior College where she had previously earned a bachelor’s in health sciences to obtain a master’s in health care administration. She’s on track to finish the program in February 2021.

    Sweeney’s studies and experiences in Excelsior’s Master of Science in Health Care Administration program fit in with her current role with Practice Perfect Systems. “I like [that] I’m in marketing. I love the psychology behind how someone decides to purchase an item…I like to influence people or inspire people to believe in the things that I do,” she says, referring to being able to help other companies choose the service best for them.

    So far, Sweeney has used much of what she has learned—particularly new knowledge about one-on-one coaching—in her role. She’s already put some of her knowledge to the test by writing content for an online employee handbook that other dental companies can reference for answers to common best practice questions. And at Goldberg’s suggestion, in January 2021, Sweeney started a three-to-six-month leadership program with John Maxwell, a popular and influential leadership expert. Sweeney says she’s hoping to glean several things out of the program: “becoming more comfortable speaking in front of groups, being able to communicate my message easier, not to be so intimidated, and also to learn how to delegate more.”

    Sweeney advises others that to land a job outside of clinical dentistry, it’s important to increase your education in administration or marketing. Because Sweeney took a virtual internship while pursuing her master’s degree with Excelsior, she was able to contact the company that would eventually become her dream job and is now helping other dental companies succeed.

     

    More from Merideth Sweeney:

     

    What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

    The best piece of business advice I have ever received is to hire personnel based on their attitude first and then for skills and traits… An employee’s attitude and behavior are tell-tale signs of their productivity level, how well they work with their fellow employees, and the regard for their organization. Evaluating these characteristics is possible by hiring employees on a short-term basis and giving them a project to complete.

    What are the most important traits/skills for someone to succeed in your field?

    Some of the essential traits/skills for someone to succeed in the consulting field is the curiosity to learn, seeing the big picture, being open-minded to incorporating business ideas and innovations originating outside the dental industry, and effective communication/relationship building. There needs to be a desire to learn and improve your skills because business changes daily, and the need to pivot and adapt is crucial.

    Best book/podcast/e-newsletter that is relevant to your industry?

    Dentistry’s Morning Briefing e-newsletter by Dentistry IQ magazine is a daily roundup of timely content related to the dental industry and links to informative posts and articles. Practice Perfect Systems’ consulting niche focuses on dental sleep medicine, so the podcast by Jamison Spencer, DMD, MS, called The Airway, Sleep & TMD is timely and relevant.

    Len Tantillo Exhibit at Albany Institute of History & Art Includes “Keeping a Tradition Alive” from Excelsior College

    Posted on by Erin Coufal

    Albany, NY — In 2011, Excelsior College’s then president, John Ebersole, commissioned Len Tantillo to create a historical work in honor of the College’s 40th anniversary. Now, 10 years later, Excelsior is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the painting is on loan to Albany Institute of History & Art as part of the “A Sense of Time: The Historical Art of L.F. Tantillo” exhibition.

    Tantillo’s painting, “Keeping a Tradition Alive,” links Excelsior’s modern-day, remote learning style to the educational endeavors of the American lyceum of the 19th century. This early form of adult education is portrayed in the painting, and the lanterns in the scene symbolize the light of knowledge. The characters in the painting symbolize predecessors of Excelsior students. Adults of all ages and backgrounds came to learn from the prominent teachers of the lyceum movement just as students of all backgrounds find light and education at Excelsior College.

    “The refrain of a college without walls kept echoing in my head. Education that was not tied to a specific place was my inspiration for the painting,” said artist Len Tantillo.

    In the mid- to late 19th century, lacking campuses and classrooms, lyceums took place in any available outdoor or indoor location. They were all about learning. The painting “Keeping a Tradition Alive” celebrates the dedication of highly motivated teachers and the indomitable spirit of adult students willing to give up their free time in pursuit of knowledge.

    “Excelsior College is proud to have this Tantillo painting as part of its history, especially now as the College celebrates its 50th anniversary,” said David Schejbal, president of Excelsior College. “Albany Institute of History & Art curated a prolific exhibit of Tantillo’s work, and Excelsior is pleased to share this painting with the museum and the public.”

    “A Sense of Time: The Historical Art of L.F. Tantillo” is on display at the Albany Institute of History & Art through July 25.

    “The Albany Institute of History & Art is thrilled to host this 40-year retrospective of Len’s work,” says Albany Institute of History & Art’s Executive Director Tammis Groft. “Len Tantillo is one of the most notable painters of historical subjects and marine views of our time. He’s recognized for his ability to capture specific moments and visualize places of the past through his paintings, and visitors have been awestruck by the scope and scale of his work.”

    Watch Len Tantillo talk more about his work.

    ###

    Media Contact Excelsior College:

    Erin Coufal, ecoufal@excelsior.edu, 518-608-8498

     ABOUT EXCELSIOR COLLEGE

    Excelsior College is an accredited, not-for-profit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The college contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity.

     

     

     

    Life in Health Care

    Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

    Katheryn Soons uses three nursing degrees to excel in a lifelong career of helping others

     

    Katheryn Soons has been around health care her whole life. In high school, she worked at her father’s ophthalmologist office and surgery center and in college, she volunteered with the fire and rescue squad. It was only natural that she pursued a career in health care, and for the past 29 years, she has worked in various capacities at the University of Vermont Medical Center. During that time, she has earned associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Excelsior College. She completed a master’s degree in nursing education in December 2020.

    The oldest of six girls in an Irish-Catholic family, Soons was encouraged to “branch out.” She was nervous about leaving home, but her father suggested she attend the same school he had, Saint Michael’s College. That decision put her on a lifelong path of helping others. At 19, she joined the Saint Michael’s College Fire and Rescue where she became an advanced EMT, which she has been for 32 years. She also began working in the poison control center in the University of Vermont Medical Center’s emergency room. Her goal was to become an ER nurse, but she needed more schooling for that. Soons and a group of coworkers heard about Excelsior’s online programs and decided it was the best opportunity to pursue their RNs.

    The University of Vermont Medical Center is also a corporate partner of Excelsior, which factored into Soons’ initial decision to enroll. Referring to the tuition discount that comes with her employment at the Medical Center, she says, “It takes the edge off.” She continued to receive discounted tuition during her pursuit of the master’s but notes since she is works part-time, she does not receive the full reimbursement. To compensate, she applied for and was awarded a critical care nursing scholarship that honors the life of a former ICU patient.

    After she earned her associate degree in nursing in 2008, Soons became a nurse in the surgical ICU at the University of Vermont Medical Center. It was a good fit for her personality, but even though she was happy in the ICU, she decided to return to school again for her bachelor’s and earned that degree in June 2019. It was perfect timing, too, because the hospital was beginning to pursue magnet status and encouraged all nurses to achieve the bachelor’s-prepared level.

    Now Soons is on pace to earn her master’s in nursing education in late 2020. “It’s very clear what you need to do to earn a good grade,” says Soons, “I have a routine with Excelsior. I can map out my term and say on this week I need to start preparing for that paper that’s due at the end of the term.” Soons says the coursework has been rigorous, but the instructors are accessible and supportive if she ever has any questions, or if she needs an extra day. She says, “They recognize that many of us are working while we’re going to school and if you’re reasonable and you say, ‘this is what I can do, this is how much I have done’—they’ve been very kind and understanding.”

    The discussion boards have been a highlight of Soons’ time with Excelsior. Having only worked and spent her adult life in Vermont, Soons admits she has one way of thinking, and so she appreciates the broad views and personal perspectives from others she comes across while in her courses. “When I’m on the discussion board, I’m with people from all over the all over the world,” she says, “So, it’s been great to be exposed to so many different types of nursing. And I find that really has enriched my educational experience.”

    Soons works part-time with the clinical emergencies response team and per diem in the adult surgical and pediatric ICU at the University of Vermont Medical Center, which demands nursing expertise across the life span. She works two 12-hour shifts a week, and because the schedule can be demanding on her physically and mentally, she has developed a system for self-care. Soons oftentimes wakes early to take a swim to keep her back and brain healthy, she says, and only drinks one cup of coffee per shift. Fridays are spent with her grandson exclusively, and Sundays, Monday night, and Tuesday night are saved for homework.

     

    Soons’ dream is to teach. She’s already dipped her toes into the pool, too, because she taught EMT training as adjunct faculty for five years and since 1991 as temporary faculty at the University of Vermont. She knows Excelsior’s master’s in nursing program will help her become a better teacher and already has some feelers out for a new teaching position. She says she owes it to her degrees for getting her this far and adds that she has become a better nurse because of what she’s learned. “There are things I’ve learned in the last three years in the bachelor’s in nursing program that were not included in the associate program, and these are the things I think make me a better nurse—things like research, quality, theory—things that you might kind of roll your eyes at, but there’s something to be said for this stuff.”

     

     

    A Champion for Women Who Served: Phyllis Wilson Leads the Way

    Posted on by Dana Yanulavich

    “You put yourself in the right place; you never know what can happen,” advises Phyllis Wilson. And this three-time Excelsior graduate can rightfully back up this claim. Currently, the president of the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wilson has an impressive 37-year military career, seven college degrees, a registered nurse credential, eight children, and 12 grandchildren.

    With the goal of becoming a doctor, Wilson started her college career at a local community college following high school, the first in her family to pursue higher education. But due to limited financial resources, she could only afford one or two courses at a time. “I realized that I was two and a half years into it, and I didn’t even have one year of college finished and I thought this is going to take forever—there’s got to be a better way,” she recalls. And as fate would have it, she passed an Army recruiting station that was promoting college tuition benefits.

    Wilson signed up, expecting to serve a four-year enlistment, yet discovered military service resonated with her. “There was something about the military that was a perfect fit,” she explains. “I just love the teamwork and the travel—the incredible sights, scenes, sounds, and foods that I probably would have never been exposed to had I not raised my right hand and said I’m willing to join the military.”

    She began her Army career as a Military Intelligence German linguist voice intercept operator. During her active and reserve service, she held roles ranging from tactical to strategic with duty in Germany, Iraq, and the United States. She mobilized to support Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm and served as the signals intelligence collection manager for XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Wilson also supported Operation Enduring Freedom as a senior counterterrorism analyst and deployed twice to Iraq with a highly specialized Joint Special Operations Task Force, whose objective was the capture of Osama Bin Laden.

    Military tuition benefits launched her educational career, covering the costs of three of her degrees. She earned the first, an associate degree, while living in Germany. She earned an LPN certificate stateside with the goal of joining her husband in Germany and working at the local military hospital. When that didn’t work out as planned, she took a position at a credit union, which offered tuition benefits as well. She observes, “Life throws you curve balls, and you’ve got to learn to swing.”

    And Wilson is pragmatic about those curve balls in her life. “I would much rather have failed trying to do something than regret that I never tried. Because when I’m much older, I don’t want to regret that I didn’t even try for it.”

    Failure wasn’t an option when Wilson attended the Army’s airborne school. “I was not coming back to an airborne unit without those wings,” she says about earning her Parachutist Badge. “You find a way to get through. It truly is mental. There is so much your body can do for you, but sometimes you think you can’t. But if your mind tells you that you can, you can!”

    Now as the leader of the Military Women’s Memorial, the nation’s only major national memorial to honor all women who have defended the nation from the Revolutionary War until the present, Wilson continues her service in a civilian role. “Everything I’ve done in the military, God’s path, has prepared me to do exactly what I’m doing here [at the Memorial] I love this job!”

     A parking lot encounter is another example of finding herself in the right place, one that prompted Wilson to apply for the Military Women’s Memorial position. “I didn’t want to be associated with a military women’s anything,” she explains. “I was a soldier, not a woman soldier.” But after being confronted by a man who questioned her right to use a specially marked veteran’s parking spot, she rethought the opportunity. He asked Wilson if her husband was with her, incorrectly assuming only a man could be a veteran. Biting her tongue, this Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame member calmly explained that she was indeed entitled to use the spot. She explains, “Goodness, how many more women have to wear a uniform to serve this country before they’re recognized? Situations like this are happening to other women too and somebody has to champion them. Why not me?”

    Wilson earned her seventh college degree—her third at Excelsior—in June 2021. She used her Master in Public Administration capstone course to explore the Memorial’s organizational construct. Throughout her Excelsior studies, earning a BS in Liberal Studies in 1988 and a BS in Nursing in 2010, she enjoyed the College’s flexible approach to learning and its military savviness. Based on her personal experience at other colleges and universities, she observes, “There weren’t a lot of colleges and universities that were nearly as helpful as Excelsior in finding those additional credits.” The College, she says, is a good fit for military students. “They get it, they know what an ACE guide looks like, they know what a joint service transcript is, and they can help you get maximum credit,” she explains.

    As a recent graduate student working on her second master’s degree, she cites access to a world-class library and the collaboration with her fellow students as hallmarks of her experience. Noting the importance of self-improvement, she says, “higher education is a great way to demonstrate that you’re trying to be the best possible employee, whether in uniform or out of uniform.” Learn more about Excelsior College’s Liberal Arts degrees.

     

     

    Antoine Mason, BS in Psychology, 2021

    Posted on by Excelsior Staff

    Antoine Mason, BS ’21, of New Orleans, Louisiana, is looking forward to Excelsior’s virtual Commencement ceremony and finally seeing his name on a diploma. Planning to pursue a future in education, Mason is glad he’s at the end of his journey to a degree and wants to thank everyone at Excelsior “for making the first chapter of my career path a reality.”