Grantham Student - Notable Mention: Service Member of the Year Award

Recently, the ArmyTimes announced the winner of the 2007 Service Member of the Year Award, and Grantham student Sergeant First Class Scott Griffith was honored to discover that he had been given a notable mention. Sgt. 1st Class Griffith, a human resources specialist, serves as the operations sergeant for the 84th Training Command's leadership development directorate.

Master Sergeant Rebecca Burr, a teammate, said, "He leads by head, heart and hands." Not only is he a reservist and a businessman, he helped raise $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation last year. Sgt. 1st Class Griffith, a survivor of two bouts with cancer and a father of three sons, is also a warrant officer candidate.

Sgt. 1st Class Griffith has been attending Grantham University since 2002, where he earned his Associate degree in Information Systems and is working toward a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Congratulations Sgt. 1st Class Griffith!

To view the 2007 Service Member of the Year winners, honorable mentions and notables from each military branch, please visit: www.militarytimes.com.

New Military Programs Department

In an effort to continue the support of our military students, Grantham University has established a Military Programs Department. The department's mission is to facilitate academic access and success for the military students of Grantham University.

These efforts are spearheaded by a key group of staff, Dr. Greg Garcia, Dean for Military Programs; Dr. Duane Gieken, Director of Student Resource Activity; George Colon, Education Services Liaison; and Stephanie Evans, Military Programs Coordinator.

"We're working hard to establish a continuing, recurring presence in some of our military communities through a series of scheduled visits," said Dr. Garcia. "This has been a successful endeavor, and we are looking forward to duplicating these efforts in other military communities around the country."

Right now, staff are regularly visiting with and providing services to the military communities of Fort Leavenworth, KS; Fort Riley, KS; Offutt AFB, NE; Whiteman AFB, MO; and Little Rock AFB, AR.

The goal of the Military Programs Department is to respond to significant changes in the military community and enhance the academic experience of military students by:

• Maximizing the opportunity for credit transfer through partnerships with programs such as:
• Servicemember's Opportunity Colleges
• Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Air University-Associate's to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) Degree Program
• Creating an Academic Support Program in which enrolled military students can review their academic progress one-on-one with a representative of Grantham University.
• Maintaining open communication and building relationships with Education Offices worldwide.

Upcoming Base Visits:

• August 9-10 - Scott AFB
• August 22-24 - Ft. Riley
• August 29-31 - Offutt AFB

The National Guard Soldier

Poem Written By:
Michael DiSalvo, Army National Guard Soldier & Grantham University Student

There he is, 17 years old and still in high school,
Sees failure all around and vows to never be a fool.

Tells the recruiter to sign him up for the very next mission,
He's determined to start a patriotic family tradition.

Staff Sergeant asks, "Son, you know this is a very committed decision?"
But simply answers, "Yes sir, I have this freedom-fighting vision!"

Goes on with his daily life, but now attends monthly military drills,
Now as both citizen and soldier; an honor that gives him constant chills.

Six years later on the verge of becoming a police officer he gets that phone call,
Lieutenant says, "Pack your duffel bags Sergeant, it's time we make Al Qaida fall!"

Stunned, petrified, and locked in a complete state of disbelief,
Yet remembers how terrorists caused thousands of families so much grief.

Realizes the time is now to make this great sacrifice for the country he loves,
Assuring his family and friends he'll be ok leaving them kisses and hugs.

Steps off the plane and hears the Taliban, smells the war, and makes them fall to the dirt,
Tells his team there and family at home, "I promised you we wouldn't get hurt."

Now it's time to again be a regular citizen after celebrating this awesome victory,
The war veteran peacefully sits on his porch and tells his children about making history.

He preaches, "Son, don't ever take life for granted. So these life values you will bestow."
And concludes, "I have been this kind of man because I am an all-American hero."

Grantham University Graduates

May and June 2007

Congratulations on a job well done from all of us at Grantham University!

Join MentorNet for Advice from Professionals in Your Field of Interest

Grantham University is continuing its partnership with MentorNet which offers mentoring programs pairing undergraduate and graduate students with professionals for one-on-one, email-based mentoring relationships. As a student at Grantham University, you can sign-up for a mentor at no cost to you.

Over 360 Grantham students have been matched with mentors in the last 5 years. Their mentors come from a variety of companies including IBM, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard and more. Not only will a mentor provide you with excellent career advice, they can also provide you with support, encouragement and access to professional networks within their companies.

Comments from Grantham Students:

"My mentor was really someone I admired. She was focused and volunteered her time on so many things other than herself. That really made a difference in my life."

"I learned from my Mentor that some jobs have to be created. The MentorNet program has helped me to stay much more focused on getting my degree...helping to keep it in front of me without putting additional pressure on. ...I am working in my chosen profession at this time so the encouragement is what I needed without being pushed...my time is not always my own."

"My mentor offered lots of encouragement from someone who's been there"

How can you find a mentor?

Joining MentorNet is simple, and as a Grantham student, membership is offered at no cost to you. Just follow the steps below:

1. Visit: www.mentornet.net/join
2. Create a UserName and Password, and choose the option to create a protégé profile.

For more information about MentorNet, visit: www.MentorNet.net.

Scholarship Opportunities

Horatio Alger Association - The Horatio Alger Association is now accepting applications for its Military Veterans Scholarship, which is open to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan or Operation Iraqi Freedom. The deadline for applications is September 28th, 2007. To find out more, visit: www.horatioalger.com//scholarships_military.

Freedom Alliance - The Freedom Alliance has provided over $1,000,000 in scholarships to dependent children of U.S. military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty during the War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan, Philippines, etc.). They are now accepting applications for the 2007-2008 academic year. Students must be enrolled at an accredited college, university or vocational school. The application deadline is July 31, 2007. For more information and to download an application, visit: freedomalliance.org/fa.

Absolute Best Web Resources for Writers

Adapted from an article by: Jamie Littlefield
About.com

Before you start that essay assignment, check out these indispensable writing resource sites. Learn how to write, what to write, where to find information, and how to format your paper. Goodbye hours of frustrating rough drafts, hello A's.

How to Write

• The OWL Writing Lab is one of the most complete writing sites on the web. Offering everything from step-by-step outlining to developing a thesis, you're sure to find something to improve your writing here.



• The Guide to Writing a Basic Essay walks readers through a step-by-step process of creating and perfecting an essay.



• Michael Harvey's Nuts and Bolts of College Writing provides extensive information for those writing at the college level. From research and documentation to structure and style, there are hundreds of interesting, informative pages.



• The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Writing Center offers a writing handbook that guides writers through all steps of the writing process.



• Essayinfo.com provides extensive information about different types of writing (critical essay, narrative essay, persuasive essay, etc.)



• The Study Skills Online site uses graphics to guide students step-by-step from questioning to editing.

What to Write

• Old Dominion University Library provides lists of hundreds of possible subjects organized by category.



• The Argumentative Essay Topics web page offers suggestions for persuasive papers with possible thesis statements and links to reference material.

Where to Find Information

• Reference.com offers hundreds of links to sources of information such as almanacs, dictionaries, and literature.



• Refdesk.com provides organized links to useful sites on tons of topics.



• The Library of Congress provides an Ask a Librarian service that allows researches to ask previously unanswered questions and receive an email response in five days. (Important: This service is not to be used for simple assignments.)



• Many states have Ask a Librarian programs that allow users to chat with a librarian live (and for free) from their home computers. California's program Asknow.org gives access to live librarians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all residents. To find out if your state has a similar program, enter your state's name and "ask a librarian" in any search engine.



• LibrarySpot offers thousands of links to reference material on a variety of subjects.



• From biographies to news facts, InfoPlease.com provides tons of useful information for writers.



• Encyclopedia.com provides brief factual information on many subjects.



• The Internet Public Library offers links to full text books, articles, and reference material for free.



• Google Scholar allows users to do a web search with only academic results. If you're looking for sources that are taken seriously, this search will save you the hassle of sifting through unprofessional material.

How to Format Your Paper

• The Online Writing Lab offers a wealth of information for using MLA style.



• The Online Writing Lab also offers information about using APA style.



• The Citation Machine is a helpful web-based program that automatically creates proper citations in MLA and APA styles based on simple information that you provide.



• The Writing Center offers detailed information about using Chicago or Turabian Style.



• The UVic Writer's Guide provides essential information about citing sources and avoiding plagiarism.

Upcoming Events

August 9th - 10th: Visit to Scott AFB

August 13th - 17th: Blacks In Government Annual Conference, Nashville, TN

August 15th: National Guard Family Picnic, Washington, DC

August 22nd: DC City-wide Job Fair, Washington, DC

August 22nd - 24th: Visit to Ft. Riley

August 23rd: Visit to Andrew's AFB Education Center - 11am until 2pm

August 29th - 31st: Visit to Offutt AFB