Commencement Stories: Keylla Capote, first generation college student accelerates her drive for learning in nursing field

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Keylla Capote from East Greenbush, New York, has earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Excelsior College. As an Excelsior College academic partner student, Capote received her associate degree from Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC). Capote sat down with Excelsior Life as she discussed her educational background, journey, and experience.

 

Excelsior Life: When did you decide to go back to school? Why did you want to secure a degree?

Capote: I started college at the age of 24 after my daughter was born. I always knew I wanted to go college but, as an immigrant, my priority was to learn English and acclimate to the culture. Unlike most Americans that go to college after high school, I started later in life. My motivation at the time I started my associate degree in nursing was to pursue self-education in addition to being a stay-at-home mom. I discovered I loved the field of nursing and thus, I pursued my Bachelor of Science in nursing through Excelsior after that.

 

Excelsior Life: What programs and/or courses were most influential to you?

Capote: Ethics and Public Health were my favorite courses and very influential. Perhaps because as an immigrant, I am sensitive to the issues of patient rights, community health and access to health care for vulnerable populations. It is a great opportunity to pursue an education from the comfort of your own home. The teachers were excellent and the classes interesting and engaging.

 

Excelsior Life: Did you face any academic challenges along the way?  How did you overcome?

Capote: As a single mother and head of household, managing time for a full time job, family, pets and a house in addition to school required time management skills that were short of magic tricks! My family was very supportive and understanding of my limited time for social events. I would wake up at 4 am to do school work and tests, even on weekends, so that I would be free earlier in the day or evenings to have quality dinners with my family or enjoy an afternoon in the park. Many days I cried and felt I wasn’t going to make it, especially at the beginning of every semester. My family’s love and support kept me strong and and helped me visualize my goals.

 

Excelsior Life: How did your support system help you along the way?

Capote: My family, friends and partner were very helpful. They always allowed me ample time and quiet space to do my work. They were patient when I couldn’t attend functions or was too tired to stay up for movie nights. My friends volunteered to be my subjects for school projects and were my practice audience when I had to give presentations. Also, my employer was very supportive of my education and their tuition reimbursement benefits helped me pay for my entire education.

 

Excelsior Life: How do you think your education will position you for life beyond the military/your educational journey? What are your future plans?

Capote: I currently work in a care management company and my bachelor’s degree in nursing has opened doors for me to grow professionally within the company. Aside from that, the education I received at Excelsior for my BSN made me a better nurse with a broader understanding of nursing and health care.

 

On July 8, hundreds of graduates from across the world will convene in Albany, New York for Excelsior College’s 2016 Commencement, to be held at the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany, New York.  “Commencement Stories” explores the stories of a few of this year’s notable grads.

Commencement Stories: Megan Crouse, not-so-average grad pursues her passion for psychology

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

 Excelsior College is a distance learning institution, comprised of more than 40,000 current students who average 37 years of age. Megan Crouse does not fit into this average Excelsior demographic. The 21-year-old graduates this year from Excelsior College with a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Growing up in Guilderland, New York, Crouse graduated high school in 2013. She now lives in Eastlake, Ohio with her mother and puppy Glori. As an Excelsior College academic partner student, Crouse received her associate degree from Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC). HVCC is where Crouse discovered her profound interest in psychology with her love for communicating and counseling others. She saw an opportunity to pursue her psychology degree at Excelsior after becoming interested in the courses that are offered. Crouse is attend Commencement this July with her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and best friend. Crouse sat down with Excelsior Life to discuss her educational journey.

Excelsior Life: What programs and/or courses were most influential to you?

Crouse: Psychology of Learning was fascinating as it discussed the “mechanics” – if you will – to how the mind works. History and Systems was also interesting as it focused on how the study of the mind has changed so significantly over time. The most influential class was Ethics of Health Care. It expanded my mind significantly as to how to always think about every side of a story, every potential effect and outcome. It was also influential as to how much the discussion boards really drove all of us to truly pick a position and stick with it throughout all of the hypothetical scenarios. It made for some very intriguing alternate opinions to be thought of and made for great discussions between classmates!

Excelsior Life: Did you face any academic challenges along the way? How did you overcome them?

Crouse: There were a few topics within the courses that were fairly challenging. I overcame such obstacles by spending more time on that subject material and discussing it with classmates and also with family and friends. Those discussions helped bring clarity to me when it was confusing or very subjective. In particular, all of the discussion threads – from other classmates as well as the professor – were fantastic in helping to understand the topic more clearly.

Excelsior Life: Did you have a support system? If so, in what way did they help?

Crouse: I had a great support system! My parents were extremely supportive of me taking the time to explore my interests in order for me to feel confident in finding “that subject” that I wanted to turn into a career.

Excelsior Life: How will you apply what you’ve learned toward your career?

Crouse: My degree from Excelsior College will help me apply what I’ve learned when pursuing my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.

Excelsior Life: What does having this degree mean to you?

Crouse: This degree means everything to me. I was so proud of myself for taking the time to truly determine what it is that I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Once determining that that would be psychology, Excelsior was the perfect school for me to attend as it had a great program, great courses, and was taught as a distance-learning degree.

On July 8, hundreds of graduates from across the world will convene in Albany, New York for Excelsior College’s 2016 Commencement, to be held at the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany, New York.  “Commencement Stories” explores the stories of a few of this year’s notable grads.

Dude, where’s my car? Vehicle hacking trends & analysis – #7 in the series

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

March 31 Webinar

Disclaimer. The disclaimer from the 1st in the series completely applies to this and all further additions to the series of articles.

Hardware Attack-Dongle

Third parties are reviewing their options as to different manners to market their services to vehicle owners. One of the more prolific examples of this lately has been the dongle which plugs into the OBD-II port. A number of insurers have been marketing these as a way to lower the vehicle owner’s vehicle insurance.

A recent example of this, which has not been openly exploited yet, is the Verizon Hum. This piece of equipment “…turns almost any car into a smarter, safer, more connected car…” per Verizon. This service allows for vehicle diagnostics, roadside assistance, speed and location alerts, driving history, stolen vehicle location, and noting where the owner parked the vehicle.

The equipment from Verizon consists of the dongle which plugs into the OBD-II port, a Bluetooth speaker that clips to the vehicle’s visor (used with roadside assistance and emergency help), and the app on the owner’s smart phone.

As part of the service, there are contractual obligations in the Terms & Conditions (T&C) agreement. Notably,

  • In the privacy section, the client is allowing the Hum system to collect data regarding the vehicle’s use and performance,
    • This information may be shared.
    • They may combine this information with others to gain insight on the HUM users.
  • Your Responsibility
    • The client will notify Verizon immediately of any breach of security or unauthorized use.
    • The client will not reverse engineer, disassemble, remove, alter, circumvent, or otherwise tamper with any security technology,
  • Ownership/Confidentiality
    • The client will not publish, broadcast, retransmit, or otherwise reproduce the information…Any violation…is an infringement of copyright or proprietary rights…”

After reading this, there were several questions that were unanswered, including:

  • How is the data collected?
  • How is the data collected from the Hum in the OBD-II port to the Bluetooth or to the Verizon servers or to third party vendors (e.g. car breaking down)?
  • Who is the data shared with?
  • How is the account password stored?

Verizon was asked regarding the Hum device via a post on the Verizon Support website community on May 1, 2016, another post on the Verizon Wireless Facebook page on May 1, 2016, and the Verizon Facebook page on May 3, 2016. As of May 8, 2016 there was no response. Finally, Verizon was called on May 9, 2016. “Ken” was spoken with re: the security protocol. His response to the broad question regarding the security protocol was “I don’t know”, however he did state the method “Don’t transmit in clear text I believe”.  This provided little comfort as it relates to security and potentially provides for an additional endpoint to analyze and attack.

A vendor with more of a security focus is Allstate. The insurance agency has the Allstate Drivewise Mobile App. Allstate was also exceptionally prompt in responding to questions, which was greatly appreciated. With their service, the clients are in good hands. Their app does the work with a mobile app and not third party equipment being plugged into the vehicle’s ports. This works with collecting GPS data through the phone. The security is managed through the smart phone and app on the smart phone.

Learn more ways to protect your business at The National Cybersecurity Institute.

Source

Verizon. Hum: The technology designed to make your car smarter, safer, and more connected. Retrieved from http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/hum/

 

Charles Parker, II has been working in the info sec field for over a decade, performing pen tests, vulnerability assessments, consulting with small- to medium-sized businesses to mitigate and remediate their issues, and preparing IT and info sec policies and procedures. Mr. Parker’s background includes work in the banking, medical, automotive, and staffing industries.

Mr. Parker has matriculated and attained the MBA, MSA, JD, LLM, and is in the final stage of the PhD in Information Assurance and Security (ABD) from Capella University. Mr. Parker’s areas of interest include cryptography, AV, and SCADA.

AD Team Nominated for Teamwork and Collaboration Award

Posted on by Nursing Staff

By Kim Hedley, Assistant Dean

The AD in nursing team was recognized by the Northeast New York Professional Nurses Organization Inc, as a nominee for the Teamwork and Collaboration Award during the organizations awards dinner held on June 2, 2016.  There were a number of items included within the nomination, but the one that stands out the most is  “Change is embraced within the team and is essential for day to day operations for this fast paced program.  Team members use spirit of inquiry to raise questions, challenge traditional and existing practices and seek creative solutions to problems.  They examine evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice and challenge the status quo.  They question underlying assumptions and offer new insights to improve quality of education with an end result of improved care to patients, families and communities.”

Congratulations to the members of the team for this great honor:

Janette Brunick, Jennifer Cole, Evelyn Davis, Cathy DeChance, Toni Doherty, Kathie Doyle, Ellen LaDieu, Amy Elinskas, Maryann Fischler, Ayesha Geter, Deborah Gilman, Kim Hedley, Nicole Helstowski, Susan Irvine, Claire Ligeikis-Clayton, Nichole Marshall, Norine Masella, Dawne Olbyrch, Bonnie Page, Mary Lee Pollard, Jayne Prendergast, Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher, Lisa Robert, Lynnette Robinson, Heather Senecal, Jeremy Sherman, Alyssa Smith, Katherine Stewart, Shakera Symes, Mark Wahl, Linda Weber and Nona Wilson.

Recap: Virtual Cyber Network Event Alumni, Students, and Fellows

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

On May 19, 2016 the Dr. Jane LeClair, the NCI Founder, hosted its third virtual Cyber Network event for Excelsior Colleges technology and cybersecurity students and alumni.

The event provided a unique opportunity for both students and alumni to explore resources available for them through Excelsior College and NCI, current needs in the job market, in addition to being introduced to the latest trends in cybersecurity in the US and around the world. Guest speakers included Michael T. Breslin, Assistant Director of Career Services at Excelsior College who spoke about the resources and services available through Career Services to our cyber alumni,, Renee Kelly, Excelsior’s Alumni Affairs Manager who spoke about cybersecurity as a Life Long Learning career, and Chuck Brooks, VP of Government Relations and Marketing for Sutherland Government Solutions and winner of the 2016 Cybersecurity Marketer of the Year Award, who is a recognized thought leader in the area and spoke about future cybersecurity challenges.

Were you seen? The Nyquist Leadership Series bridges gap between public health and economic development

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

The Nyquist Leadership Series presented by Excelsior College explores New York State’s most pressing contemporary challenges through the eyes of its most prominent government, education, and industry leaders. On June 7, nearly 100 thought leaders and professionals working in both public health and economic development arenas from across the New York State Capital Region gathered together for ‘Strengthening Communities by Bridging Health and Economic Development” – a detailed exploration of how to revitalize the communities we live and serve in.

Panelists, which included local, state, and national level policy decision makers and influencers, discussed a variety of important issues, including:

  • The reciprocal relationship between health and economic development
  • The investment of resources into neighborhoods, buildings, and businesses
  • The collective positive impact on communities

View the event slideshow:

[metaslider id=9189]

When Cancer Sits on Your Shoulder

Posted on by Nursing Staff

By Sharon A. Aronovitch, PhD, RN, CWOCN
Lead Faculty Program Director, Graduate Nursing Program

Cat on shoulderSome people are lucky and never have to hear or say the word cancer when speaking about family members, whether they have two legs or are furry and have four legs. I am not one of those individuals. Both of my parents had cancer, though only my father died from his cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, after having been in remission for several years from large B-cell lymphoma. My husband is a survivor of renal cancer. We have two furry “cat-kids” ages 12 and 17. The eldest, Allie, is recovering from her second cancer surgery (metastatic pancreatic cancer) and undergoing chemotherapy again.

I share a piece of my personal life to help people see beyond the statistics identifying the number of people or animals diagnosed with the disease and understand how it touches the lives of others. A diagnosis of cancer creates a numbing effect about the disease. There may be one or more members of the immediate family denying the cancer diagnosis and what has become a new reality in their lives. Though many cancer therapies have improved immensely, many have not. How does one live with a diagnosis as the patient, family member, or caregiver? There is no right or wrong way to live your life once cancer enters the door. Each person eventually finds a way to cope and persevere in this new reality.

Cancer.net has a large volume of information on types of cancer, treatment, coping with cancer, research and advocacy, and survivorship. The coping with cancer section provides helpful information to guide family members and friends through the difficult process of treatment and recovery.

Not as much information is available about cancer in pets as there is about cancer in humans. Comprehensive sites such as Cancer.net do not exist for those whose pets have cancer. However, if you spend some time searching online, you can find many websites for small animal cancer centers and research foundations, and interesting content such as this video about dog cancer research that’s informing the treatment of cancer in humans.

 

Image: Coss and Johanna, 2007. Shoulder cat. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pirateparrot/568510660

Aromatherapy Is a Complementary Modality

Posted on by Nursing Staff

Ellen LaDieu, MS, RN, CNE
Lead Faculty Program Director
Certified Clinical Aromatherapist (CCAP)

A woman smells one of several bottles of aromatherapy oil.
A woman smells one of several bottles of aromatherapy oil.

Aromatherapy has been a long-standing healing method. It is a growing holistic modality recognized and used by nurses worldwide in many health care settings.

Long ago plants were used to produce medicines; plants are also the source of essential oils. The nurse uses essential oils to affect a change in people to help them manage symptoms and enhance health. Essential oils harvested from plants are 100 percent pure and quite potent. Different oils have different chemical proprieties and selection of an appropriate oil for a particular symptom is based upon much more than the aroma or smell.

When considering the use of essential oils, it is vital to know the chemical name and the associated proprieties. For example, Lavendula angustifolia is one of three or more standard varieties of lavender. This variety is relaxing and calming. Another is stimulating and will help a person expectorate sputum associated with a respiratory cold for example.

Consulting with an educated aromatherapist is the best way to identify a safe oil for use. At times, traditional medications may need adjustment based on essential oil use; this is also true in the reverse.  Essential oils work as they are inhaled or absorbed primarily through the skin. In Europe, aromatic medicine is practiced, and physicians order essential oils to be administered by mouth.

Essential oils can help with pain relief, healing of skin breaks and lesions, sleep, nausea, and anxiety to name a few symptoms or concerns. Aromatherapy can be a pleasant, effective method of reducing stress as well as improving health in many ways.

CREDIT
Will & Deni McIntyre / Photo Researchers / Universal Images Group

We need role models

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

 

Women have the necessary skills to transform the cybersecurity sector for the better.
Women have the necessary skills to transform the cybersecurity sector for the better.

Consider these facts…women make up over 50% of the current workforce, and outnumber males in attaining college degrees. However, only about 26% of STEM positions are held by women, and even worse, only about 11-13% of the workforce in cybersecurity are women.  There are numerous documented reasons for the paucity of females in STEM/IT/Cyber, and there are many suggestions as to how this imbalance can be dealt with.

One of the suggestions is to highlight women that have been successful and use them as role models for those making their way through our learning institutions to emulate.  What follows is a list of female corporate executives that have made it to the top of the ladder, many in the tech industries. Granted, the list isn’t as long as it should be, but it does demonstrate to the up and coming that with perseverance, anything is possible.

Mary Barra General Motors
Meg Whitman Hewlett-Packard
Virginia Rometty IBM
Indra K. Nooyi PepsiCo, Inc.
Marillyn Hewson Lockheed Martin
Safra A. Catz Oracle
Irene B. Rosenfeld Mondelēz International
Phebe Novakovic General Dynamics
Carol Meyrowitz The TJX Companies, Inc.
Lynn Good Duke Energy
Ursula M. Burns Xerox Corporation
Deanna M. Mulligan Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Barbara Rentler Ross Stores
Debra L. Reed Sempra Energy
Kimberly Lubel CST Brands
Sheri S. McCoy Avon Products Inc.
Susan M. Cameron Reynolds American
Denise M. Morrison Campbell Soup
Kathleen Mazzarella Graybar Electric
Ilene Gordon Ingredion
Lisa Su Advanced Micro Devices
Jacqueline C. Hinman CH2M Hill

Learn more about Women and Minorities in Cybersecurity at the National Cybersecurity Institute.

List retrieved from the Internet at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_CEOs_of_Fortune_500_companies

Celebrate the Little Successes

Posted on by Excelsior Staff
Vicki Pocorobba, Student Success Coach
Vicki Pocorobba, Student Success Coach

Do you congratulate others for a job well done?  Do you compliment friends and/or co-workers when they do something you admire?  Most of us probably do.  But, do you acknowledge yourself when you succeed? Do you ever pat yourself on the back and feel good about your own personal accomplishments?

I was speaking with a student today who is retaking two courses which he previously failed, and I asked him how he would celebrate his good grades.  He laughed and said , “It’s no big deal, maybe go out to dinner.”  He made me think about how so often, we are focused on spreading ourselves thin between work, school, family and other commitments, that we forget to notice how hard we are working to achieve our own goals.

As a Student Success Coach at Excelsior College, I want to remind all of our students that you have much to be proud of as you continue on this path towards achieving your educational and career goals.  Think of each great discussion you post, each paper you write, each course you complete, each exam you pass.  They are the individual brush strokes that help create the masterpiece that is your future.  So please, take some time to reflect on how hard you are working, how you are balancing so much and still moving forward; reflect on your success and celebrate the little accomplishments.  You might see that this self-awareness motivates you to keep pushing forward, and when a time comes in the future when you’re not feeling as motivated (and we all have those moments), you can look back on these little successes and remind yourself that “I can do this, because I did it before!”