El cifrado: la columna vertebral de las estrategias de ciberseguridad

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

In congruity with the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 nationwide initiative to promote a unified cybersecurity effort, the National Cybersecurity Institute is hosting daily podcasts that discuss information security topics. For Week 2 of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, NCI would like to focus on the podcast entitled 鈥淓ncryption.鈥澨齌his topic is one of the most important when it comes to combating cyberthreats and being prepared against modern cyberattacks.

What is encryption?

To keep things simple, James Antonakos of the National Cybersecurity Institute explains encryption as the process of taking data that is readable and making it unreadable to humans. Encryption is made possible by using algorithms to create complex codes out of simple data, effectively making it more difficult for cyberthieves to gain access to the information. According to Florida Tech University, encryption is the most widely used form of data security because its ciphertext听and coding make it more difficult to crack than basic password protected information. To really understand encryption, however, one must take a closer look at the various types.

Symmetric vs. Asymmetric

Symmetric

This type of encryption is also frequently called 鈥渟ecret key encryption.鈥� Computers use the same algorithm, or key sequence, to decode the encryption as they would have to initially encrypt the information. This is an advantage in terms of key management because there is only one code to memorize. However, because there is only one line of defense, businesses must be careful in choosing who gets access to the key.

Asymmetric

Sometimes called 鈥減ublic key encryption,鈥� this method means that the cyberdefense has been built with more than one key. Typically, it is one key to encrypt the information and a separate one to decrypt the data. While managers using asymmetric encryption do not have to spend as much time worrying about key distribution, or the number of people who have access to the keys, they must pay close attention to key management. Having multiple keys can create confusion, so it is important to keep the codes organized.

Why is it important?

While cybersecurity managers may dislike encryption because it requires constant maintenance, it is often your last line of defense from cyberattack, according to Tech Republic. Even if hackers break through firewalls, passwords and anti-spyware software, encryption is still in place to keep them from viewing the protected data. Because encryption algorithms are often difficult to break, this method of cybersecurity is often the most effective.

To learn more about encryption and other topics related to cybersecurity, visit the National Cybersecurity Institute鈥檚 website today.You can also find out about degree programs such as Excelsior College鈥檚 Online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity ..

Historia de 茅xito de un estudiante: Scott Plymesser

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Scott Plymesser

芦Sea cual sea su objetivo, no pierda de vista esa luz al final del t煤nel禄. 鈥� Scott Plymesser

Me encuentro con muchos estudiantes que me inspiran. Scott Plymesser no es una excepci贸n. Como estudiante de primera generaci贸n, Scott se sumergi贸 de lleno en la experiencia del aprendizaje en l铆nea tras 40 a帽os alejado de los estudios. Scott est谩 cursando la Licenciatura en Ciencias Empresariales con especializaci贸n en Gesti贸n de Operaciones. Algo que hay que saber sobre Scott es que no est谩 obteniendo su t铆tulo para que el diploma acabe acumulando polvo en una estanter铆a. Para 茅l, obtener su t铆tulo tiene un significado mucho m谩s profundo. Siga leyendo para conocer m谩s sobre Scott, inspirarse y aprender alguna que otra lecci贸n de 茅l.

驴Qu茅 experiencias de su vida usted han llevado usted el punto en el usted listo para terminar sus estudios?

Serv铆 en el ej茅rcito durante 24 a帽os en el 谩mbito de la infanter铆a y las operaciones especiales. Es muy dif铆cil obtener un t铆tulo universitario mientras se est谩 destinado en el extranjero y se intenta ser el mejor soldado y l铆der usted . Mis padres nunca obtuvieron sus t铆tulos porque se casaron muy j贸venes y tuvieron hijos, por lo que tuvieron que ponerse a trabajar para mantener a la familia. Tras mi carrera militar, perd铆 a toda mi familia a causa del c谩ncer, incluidas mi hermana menor y mi esposa. As铆 que, al quedarme 芦solo禄, mir茅 dentro de m铆 y me pregunt茅: 驴qu茅 es lo que realmente quiero en la vida que me haga feliz y que enorgullezca a mis padres? Decid铆 obtener mi t铆tulo universitario de cuatro a帽os en Empresariales, no porque lo necesitara para un ascenso o para trabajar, sino por mi propio orgullo personal por haberlo logrado.听 Tambi茅n para demostrarle a mi hijo (hijo 煤nico, de 36 a帽os) que incluso su padre puede obtener un t铆tulo sin necesitarlo para un prop贸sito espec铆fico. Como dice el viejo refr谩n: 芦驴Por qu茅 usted el t铆tulo?禄 鈥斅orque puedo!禄, ni m谩s ni menos.

驴Qu茅 significar谩 para usted obtener su t铆tulo?

Significar谩 satisfacci贸n personal y orgullo. Saber que, si usted alcanzar un objetivo, puede lograrlo. Y saber que habr铆a hecho que mis padres y mi familia se sintieran orgullosos. No hay nada en este mundo m谩s valioso que el reconocimiento de los amigos y de las personas que usted quieren. Nada m谩s importa.

驴Qu茅 consejos usted otros estudiantes de primera generaci贸n?

Todo se puede lograr; usted que comprometerse y ser paciente. Roma no se construy贸 en un d铆a. Planifique su tiempo y c煤mplalo. Todos estamos ocupados en nuestro d铆a a d铆a con la familia, el trabajo, los problemas y la vida tal y como es hoy en d铆a. Sea cual sea su objetivo, mantenga esa luz al final del t煤nel. Si usted que colocar una manta para cubrir la luz durante un tiempo debido a las circunstancias de la vida, no pasa nada. La manta se puede quitar cuando usted listo (como yo). Recuerde que lo m谩s importante es cuidarse a s铆 mismo. Si usted estresado, t贸mese un descanso y vuelva cuando haya recargado las pilas.

驴Cu谩l es su receta para el 茅xito?

Planificaci贸n, dedicaci贸n y adelantarse a las tareas. Aproveche los recursos que ofrece la escuela (son de gran ayuda). Adem谩s, no dude en pedir ayuda. Hay ayuda disponible para que todos puedan alcanzar el 茅xito.

驴Qu茅 es lo que usted mantiene usted ?

Como ya he dicho antes, esto es por m铆. Obtener el t铆tulo y nada m谩s. Una satisfacci贸n personal. Mucha gente dice que hoy en d铆a un t铆tulo de cuatro a帽os no vale nada. La nueva norma es un m谩ster, y luego el m谩ster dejar谩 de tener valor y el doctorado ser谩 el objetivo final.听 No creo que hayamos llegado a ese punto todav铆a, pero si usted lo usted as铆, es el escenario de gatear, caminar y correr. Mirar hacia mi anillo de oro, que es una licenciatura de cuatro a帽os, es lo que me mantiene motivado. La paciencia es una virtud.

Conectividad desde drones

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Miren鈥� al cielo鈥� es un p谩jaro鈥� es un avi贸n鈥� 隆es鈥� la conectividad!

Si usted como la mayor铆a de la gente usted tenido la experiencia de perder la conexi贸n a Internet al viajar a zonas donde hay una 芦zona sin cobertura禄. Sin duda, es frustrante. Imag铆nese lo frustrante que ser铆a usted en zonas enteras del mundo que carecieran de cobertura.

Facebook y Google acuden al rescate en un esfuerzo por eliminar las zonas sin conexi贸n. Facebook acaba de completar las pruebas iniciales de su gigantesco sat茅lite (del tama帽o de un 747) alimentado con energ铆a solar que, si todo sale bien, proporcionar谩 servicio de Internet a todo el planeta. En un art铆culo para CNN Money, Heather Kelly escribe: 芦Los drones funcionar谩n con energ铆a solar y utilizar谩n l谩seres para proporcionar conexi贸n a Internet a receptores en tierra, con un alcance de hasta 48 kil贸metros en cualquier direcci贸n. Las conexiones ser谩n r谩pidas, con velocidades de hasta decenas de miles de gigabytes por segundo禄. Facebook prev茅 una enorme flota de estos drones volando a altitudes extremadamente elevadas y proporcionando conexi贸n a todo el mundo... 隆y de forma gratuita!

Gr谩fico del IoT

Google tambi茅n ha presentado ideas similares con una flota de globos de gran altitud que persiguen la misma misi贸n. Seg煤n google.com鈥� 芦Muchos de nosotros consideramos que Internet es una comunidad global. Sin embargo, dos tercios de la poblaci贸n mundial a煤n no tienen acceso a Internet. El Proyecto Loon es una red de globos que viajan en los l铆mites del espacio, dise帽ada para conectar a las personas que viven en zonas rurales y remotas, ayudar a cubrir las zonas sin cobertura y restablecer la conexi贸n a Internet tras una cat谩strofe禄.

La idea de disponer de Internet gratuito sin zonas sin cobertura en todo el planeta es algo de lo que todos podemos disfrutar, tanto aqu铆 en Estados Unidos como en las numerosas regiones menos desarrolladas del mundo.

Fuentes

Kelly, H. (2016) El gigantesco dron de Internet de Facebook supera con 茅xito su vuelo de prueba. Consultado en Internet en

Historias de graduados: Brian White, compaginando su vida como padre, esposo, empleado y estudiante a tiempo completo

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Brian White graduated this year from Excelsior College earning his Master of Science in management. White chose to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in management to correlate with his experience in the field. 鈥淚 was missing one very crucial key component to my management style: Education.鈥� White lives in Troy, New York with his wife and their twin daughters. He heard about Excelsior College through his wife, who is also a previous graduate. He sat down with Excelsior Life to discuss his educational journey.
Excelsior Life: When did you decide to go back to school? Why did you want to secure听a degree?

White: I decided to go back to school in 2005, and start pursing an associate degree that eventually led me to obtaining my master鈥檚 degree.听 I wanted to secure a degree, because of the life and career challenges that were present without having a degree.

听

Excelsior Life: 驴Qu茅 programas o cursos han sido los m谩s influyentes para usted?

White: The most influential courses to me were; Human Resource Management, Mediation, and Business Ethics.

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

Absolutely, I had challenges.听 As being a father, husband and full time employee I endured many challenges along the way.听 The way I overcame them was with the support that I received from my wife. She truly supported me and had to overcompensate for my involvement scholastically.听 My wife was there for every class, she deserves special recognition.
Excelsior Life: How do you think your education will position you for life beyond your educational journey? What are your future plans?

White: I believe that with my education, I will be able to provide for our children in a way that I have always wanted to be able too.听 A person can provide for their children without an education, however, education makes this much more attainable.

My plans for the future are to mentor and educate others.听 I aspire to become a strong leader that focuses on improving the lives of others.
Excelsior Life: Do you think you鈥檝e been able to apply what you鈥檝e learned听toward your career?

White: Yes I do.听 Every day, my education comes into play.
Excelsior Life: What does having this degree mean to you?

White: It means a lot to me.听 This was not just a milestone for me, but more importantly for our family.听 It showed our children that hard work leads to success.听 It gave me confidence and the skills needed to push further in my career.

驴Estuvo usted ? Ceremonia de graduaci贸n de Excelsior College de 2016

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

On Viernes, julio 8, 2016, hundreds of Excelsior College graduates and their families celebrated their academic achievements at the Commencement Ceremony. The event took place at The Empire State Convention Center in Albany, New York. For more information about Commencement, visit the official 2016 Commencement page.

[metaslider id=9593]

Photo Courtesy: Mike Hemberger

El presidente en funciones Jim Baldwin es reconocido en Berkshire con un diploma honor铆fico

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

At Berkshire Junior/Senior High School鈥檚 2016 Graduation and Recognition Day Ceremony, the administration honored two friends of the organization for their dedication to its students and mission with honorary diplomas. Berkshire Union Free School District Superintendent Bruce Potter presented a diploma to Dr. James Baldwin, Executive Vice President for Excelsior College, and loyal partner to Berkshire. Also recognized was Dr. Paula Consolini, Director for the Center for Learning in Action at Williams College. Both honorees are passionate about providing opportunities for vulnerable youth.

鈥淲e are truly impressed by the level of dedication shown by our honorees to the advancement of our student population,鈥� said Potter. 鈥淥ur community at Berkshire thrives because of the passion and genuine interest of our friends and partners in the success of our students.鈥�

Dr. James Baldwin was District Superintendent at the educational services agency, Questar III BOCES, before serving as Executive Vice President for Excelsior College. He is a champion for student engagement and helped to found Warren Street Academy in Hudson, NY, for students with academic challenges, alongside the school districts of Hudson and Catskill.

鈥淒r. Baldwin鈥檚 work in helping to craft the legislation that made Warren Street Academy possible has also played a significant role in the school鈥檚 ability to grant 15 high school diplomas to students working to overcome educational obstacles,鈥� said Potter. 鈥淗is efforts have in part created opportunity for students in our own district and cut $500,000 in yearly personnel and transportation costs for the other participating districts.鈥�

From Plattsburgh to Long Island and Buffalo to Canaan, Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth provides innovative programs that strengthen New York State鈥檚 vulnerable children and families so they can live safely, independently, and productively in their home communities. Berkshire鈥檚 full continuum of care offers home-based family preservation, foster care, group home, residential treatment, and drug and alcohol treatment services.

###

驴Se ha visto usted ? Convocatoria de premios del Excelsior College

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

El jueves 7 de julio de 2016, cientos de graduados del Excelsior College y sus familias se unieron al personal para celebrar los logros acad茅micos, profesionales y personales de los estudiantes galardonados. El evento tuvo lugar en el hotel The Desmond, en Albany, Nueva York. Se sirvi贸 un refrigerio, se sortearon premios y se habilit贸 un fotomat贸n. Para obtener m谩s informaci贸n sobre la ceremonia de entrega de premios y consultar la lista de los galardonados de este a帽o, consulte el programa digital del evento.

Historias de graduaci贸n: Yehudis Appel, una licenciada en enfermer铆a que sue帽a con ayudar a otros a superar obst谩culos, tal y como ella misma lo hizo

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Yehudis Appel graduates this year from Excelsior College with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Appel still lives there now with her parents and four siblings. She explains how much of a challenge school has been throughout her whole life and how she decided to become a nurse through seeing all the strengths in her life instead of the weaknesses. Appel plans on earning her master鈥檚 in nursing听education to become a nurse educator in the future. Appel will be attending Commencement this julio with her father and professor from nursing school. Appel sat down with Excelsior Life to discuss how she focused on all her strengths to overcome any challenges in earning her degree.

Excelsior Life: When did you decide to go back to school? Why did you want to secure a degree?
Appel: When I was in high school I decided that I wanted to do something with my life that was challenging and had a purpose. The job of a nurse is exactly that. A few weeks after graduating high school in junio 2009, I attended a community college where I started to take prerequisite classes to a nursing program. In agosto 2011, I started my nursing journey in nursing school at Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing. I attended that school from agosto 2011 through mayo 2013 where I obtained my associate degree in nursing. After obtaining my associate degree, I studied for the NCLEX-RN and researched which Bachelor of Science (BS) in nursing program to attend. Excelsior College was definitely the number one option for me. I wanted to go back to school for my BS in nursing and secure that degree because it allowed for me to advance my education and for me to research current evidence-based practice that I use today as a nurse. Furthermore, Excelsior College gave me the flexibility to be able to be a student while working, and that was a huge plus for me.

Excelsior Life: What programs and/or courses were most influential to you?
Appel: Although I learned a lot and took away lessons that I learned in each course I took at Excelsior College, two courses stood out to me. Death Dying and Bereavement was a course that was very influential to me because I worked mostly with the geriatric population at that time. And I also really enjoyed Holistic Health Care across the Lifespan because it gave me a new way of looking at patients, their families and what we do as nurses for them. This course also taught me how to look at the patient as a whole person and not just their illnesses.

Excelsior Life: Did you face any academic challenges along the way? How did you overcome?
Appel: Throughout elementary school, junior high, and high school I would not have called myself an independent learner. I always thought that I had too many barriers to overcome to becoming an independent learner and because of that, I did not always realize all of the opportunities I actually had. In elementary school and junior high, it was difficult for me to understand everything that was taught in class. It was also very hard for me to keep up with the fast pace of learning in a regular mainstream class. Because of my struggles as a student, I was always the student who had to leave the mainstream classroom and go to the resource room for tutoring. Over the years, I had tutors for many subjects and I had a reading comprehension setback as well. The reading comprehension problem was a huge obstacle for me throughout my entire life as I was not able to understand simple grade-appropriate reading material. However, during my high school years, I was in a self-contained class that was inside of a mainstream high school. I went to some of the mainstream classes that involved a lot of reading activities but I had much support for those subjects from my teachers who taught in the self-contained class.
Because of my reading comprehension issues throughout all of those school years, I did not think I had what it takes to become a college student. I thought that if I was to continue my education and go to college I would not understand what I would read in college-level textbooks and would fall behind in my studies without having a self-contained class to back me up. I always had felt that I needed someone to explain things to me and I did not think I could learn independently. I did not think that I would do well in college and I focused on all of my weaknesses instead of all of my strengths.
Ever since I was a little girl I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and I thought that I would not be able to become one because of the learning barriers I thought I had. Besides for being a teacher, I knew that when I grew up I would want to do something that would help others overcome their own barriers and realize all of the opportunities they have.
My decision to become a nurse happened during my senior year in high school. One day I just told myself I would not repeatedly tell myself that I have barriers that would prevent me from going to college, learning independently and pursuing a degree. That was the day that I realized that I wanted to become a nurse; so that I could help other people overcome barriers and help them recognize their strengths and achievements.
After passing the nursing board examination, I applied to the BS in the nursing program at Excelsior College as I decided that I wanted to pursue my nursing education even further. Excelsior courses are based in an online environment and I worked really hard learning independently. I had to read many scholarly articles and textbooks but that is what brought out many barriers for me to overcome as I had difficulties understanding what I was reading. I felt that the articles were written using high vocabulary words and that made what I was reading hard to comprehend. There were times when I had to read the same article 20 times to comprehend what it was saying. There were numerous times that I felt defeated by reading and learning independently but I realized that this was just an obstacle to overcome. With every ounce of strength I had in me, I completed my degree and I could not be more proud of myself.
My achievement in obtaining my BS in nursing from Excelsior College helped me outline my future plans of becoming a nurse educator. Now that I have completed my BS in nursing, I look forward to obtaining my Master of Science in nursing education (MSN-Ed) in the future so that I can teach the subject that I love. The art and science of nursing and teaching others how to overcome their boundaries and recognize positive opportunities of strengthening one鈥檚 self.

Excelsior Life: What does having this degree mean to you?
Appel: Having this degree means that I have accomplished my goal of earning my degree online while working. It may sound simple, but it is no easy feat. It was quite exhausting to come home from a long hectic day of work and sit down for numerous hours every day and do homework. Having this degree also means that I鈥檓 committed to learning, advancement, and implementing evidence based practice into my job as a nurse.

Excelsior Life: Any final thoughts you鈥檇 like to emphasize regarding your education at Excelsior College?
Appel: A final thought that I would like to emphasize regarding my educational experience at Excelsior College is that it really is all worth it in the end. It is a lot of hard work, and you may feel like quitting, but the reward you get when you are done is far better than all those times you told yourself that you just can鈥檛 do it anymore. It is worth the time, effort, and patience.

Cinco minutos con Alicia Audino, Subdirectora de Servicios de Carrera

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Alicia Audino hit the ground running at Excelsior College as the Assistant Director of Career Services! From her passion around higher education and the Career Center Alicia has such a positive energy geared towards impacting students. Join me in taking five minutes with Alicia today, learn more about her and what the Career Center has to offer!

Questions:

  1. What do you enjoy about working with students?

For me, the best part of working with students is that I have the potential to really make an impact on their educational and professional lives. As a student, my life was changed by my academic and extracurricular advisors, now I have the opportunity to impact our students in that same way.

2. What are your favorite resources in the ?

My favorite new resource on the Career Center is ! It is a career and educational planning tool that allows students and alumni to engage in self-assessments, explore a variety of career options and job market information, and set their goals in motion. I like it so much because it has something for everyone, no matter what part of the career development process you are in. I am also a huge assessment geek, so I love geeking out with students when I talk about it

3. How is utilizing a Career Center online different than going to a traditional Career Center?

The main difference is obvious, we don鈥檛 have a physical space filled with students and employers. What we do to compensate for that is really bolster our online presence. We have so many resources available through the that can help with , , , and more. We also provide for current students and alumni, and are always looking to new technology to improve our services. Many people may think that since we鈥檙e online we don鈥檛 have the same one-on-one services, but we do offer both and !

4. What are the benefits behind scheduling a career counseling appointment?

By scheduling a counseling appointment, you鈥檙e guaranteed one-on-one assistance with whatever career questions you may have. You will speak with either the director or one of the assistant directors who will ask you questions about your goals and figure out what we can do to help you meet them. We find that many times it is helpful to speak with an objective person when considering big decisions. Beyond that, we鈥檙e a fun group and thrive when working directly with our students!

5. How often should I update my resume and cover letter?

I recommend having a master resume that you update every time you have a new job responsibility or accomplishment. This resume will include information from all past job, volunteer, educational, etc. experiences and may be very long. This version of your resume would never be submitted to anyone, but will allow you to keep track of all the great work that you鈥檝e done over the years. When it comes time to apply for a job, you鈥檒l take the relevant information from that master document to target the resume you鈥檒l use for application. If you have been in a job for a while, I would revisit your resume at least 2-3 times a year to make sure you鈥檙e capturing all of your accomplishments, professional development, and any other relevant experience.

When it comes to the cover letter, you will write a new one for each job that you apply for. Employers can tell when you use the same generic letter for each job and those cover letters will almost always get you a quick trip to the 鈥榥o pile鈥�. Targeting your resume and cover letter to each job is crucial to a successful job search. Great news is, we can help you learn all of the skills necessary to accomplish this!

6. How do I search for jobs in the Career Center?

We have multiple ways to search for jobs on the Career Center!

  1. is our job search portal for current Excelsior students and alumni. Here you will find an average 2 million+ jobs all over the country and even internationally.
  2. Public can also be found on our website. Of these, I highly recommend Indeed, Vault, Glassdoor, and USAJobs.
  3. Our section includes career exploration, professional associations, and job search resources that are targeted for each Excelsior College school.
  4. Nursing students interested in working in hospitals will want to check out our Excelsior College micro site on !

7. What hot fields are trending right now?

This probably won鈥檛 shock anyone, but IT fields are really hot right now. Specifically, Cybersecurity is huge 鈥� there are currently 5,000 job openings on EC JobLinks that come up in the cybersecurity search and over 68,000 that include information technology!

Nursing is also a huge field right now, the Northeast US alone has over 2,600 RN jobs in hospitals currently.

8. What services do you provide to prepare for interviews?

For interview prep, students and alumni have some great resources and I recommend using all of them! They can begin by viewing the information we have on our website, then schedule a counseling appointment to talk through the process and some tips with one of us, and lastly we have a mock interview tool integrated within EC JobLinks. The mock interview tool allows students to practice interviewing in the comfort of their own homes. They select a collection of interview questions, or pre-existing industry specific interviews and are asked the questions via a pre-recorded video, they respond to the questions via a webcam. Once completed the student has a link to the recording so they can critique themselves or send it to someone for feedback. It is an AWESOME tool!

9. As a former student what is one piece of advice you would give to students?

Mi consejo n煤mero uno para los estudiantes es que aprovechen todos los recursos (, SSC, , centro de orientaci贸n profesional, etc.) usted a usted disposici贸n usted usted estudios. S茅 que muchos de nuestros estudiantes llevan una vida muy ajetreada con m煤ltiples prioridades, pero el tiempo que dediquen a explorar todo lo que Excelsior College tiene para ofrecer les reportar谩 grandes beneficios, tanto en su experiencia educativa como m谩s all谩 de ella. Yo ni siquiera sab铆a que mi trayectoria profesional exist铆a hasta que llegu茅 a la universidad y empec茅 a aprovechar lo que mi centro ofrec铆a, 隆as铆 que usted sabe lo impactantes que pueden llegar a ser estas experiencias!

Historias de graduaci贸n: Andrew Palm, enfermero y tres veces graduado de Excelsior, forma parte del 芦modelo de referencia禄

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

Andrew Palm is a 2016 Excelsior graduate earning his Master of Science in nursing education. Growing up in Cortland, New York, Palm currently lives there with his wife Terry, young son John and cat Santa. Earning his associate degree in business from Excelsior College in 1991 and a two time graduate in nursing education, Palm knew Excelsior is what worked for him.听 Also, as an Excelsior College academic partner student, Palm received his associate degree from Tompkins Cortland Community College in 2012. Palm now works as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Nursing. During his free time, Palm enjoys being a leader in both Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting as well as belonging to the New York State Nurses Association. Palm sat down with Excelsior Life to discuss his educational journey.

Excelsior Life: Where did you first hear about Excelsior?

Palm: I am a 1991 A.S. in Business graduate of Excelsior College back when it was known as Regents College. I had become aware of the College in the late 1980s. Naturally, when I started thinking about progressing my education in nursing, Excelsior was really the only choice which made sense to me. What I discovered is Excelsior had continued to position itself on the cutting edge of distance learning, as distance learning became the cutting edge of expanding nursing education.

 

Excelsior Life: What degree did you choose and why?

Palm: I started back at Excelsior College in the RN to BSN program as soon as I became a registered nurse. From there, I decided to enter into the Master of Science in nursing education program. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.

 

Excelsior Life: 驴Qu茅 programas o cursos han sido los m谩s influyentes para usted?

Palm: The RN to BSN program was influential because it really rounded up my nursing knowledge and gave me a much bigger perspective on the profession. The Master of Science in nursing education program has been the most significant influence because it opened doors which I didn鈥檛 know existed. My master鈥檚 degree capstone course was very influential because I had Dr. Mary Ann Theiss as my instructor and she is a great role model. My capstone mentor was Dr. Robin Dewald and she has been instrumental in role modeling, mentoring, teaching, and research for me.

 

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

Palm: Learning American Psychological Association (APA) style to write succinctly and with clarity, while applying the nuances of citation, has been a challenge for me as it seems to be for every nursing student. Creating time to read, research, and write while carrying a full time course load and working full time has been an ongoing challenge. Like everything in nursing, I managed by constantly re-prioritizing my work and keeping my academic work priority high.

Excelsior Life: 驴 usted un entorno de apoyo? En caso afirmativo, 驴de qu茅 manera le ayudaron?

Palm: My family was supportive and many of my nursing colleagues were also. My two older children were in graduate school at the same time I was so they really understood the intensity of effort I needed to put into learning. Then there are the friends I鈥檝e made with students I鈥檝e been in class with. The bonding and support from people you share classes with can turn into continuing friendships. They know how you feel, and what you need to hear, because they have been there with you in the work of learning.

Excelsior Life: Do you think you鈥檝e been able to apply what you鈥檝e learned toward your career?

Palm: My BSN opened the opportunity to take the full time position I currently have as a public health nurse and to become an adjunct clinical instructor of nursing. My master鈥檚 degree has given me the opportunity to teach community/public health nursing in the baccalaureate program at Excelsior College.

Excelsior Life: 驴Qu茅 significa para usted tener este t铆tulo?

Palm: There is a certain level of satisfaction from having earned each degree but my master鈥檚 degree in particular. I think the real meaning to me is the understanding of nursing I have and the ability that gives me to build my knowledge as a nurse and as a professional educator. It means my world will continue to expand.

 

Excelsior Life: Any final thoughts or other issues you鈥檇 like to emphasize regarding your education at Excelsior College?

Palm: I鈥檝e taken courses at a number of bricks and mortar schools, as well as distance learning schools, and I can say from experience that Excelsior College really is the gold standard in distance learning at the collegiate level. Now that I鈥檝e had the opportunity to participate in course revision as a graduate student, and to teach as an adjunct faculty member, my perception of Excelsior College as the gold standard is only reinforced.

 

Excelsior Life: Are you coming to Commencement? Anyone coming to Commencement with you?

Palm: I wouldn鈥檛 miss Commencement for the world. I came in 2014 to receive my baccalaureate degree and had a wonderful experience. My Capstone project resulted in continuing collaboration with a team of nurse educators and they will be there to share the Commencement experience too.

Historias de graduaci贸n: Keylla Capote, estudiante universitaria de primera generaci贸n, impulsa su pasi贸n por el aprendizaje en el 谩mbito de la enfermer铆a

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

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: 驴Qu茅 programas o cursos han sido los m谩s influyentes para usted?

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?听 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鈥檛 going to make it, especially at the beginning of every semester. My family鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.

 

El 8 de julio, cientos de graduados de todo el mundo se dar谩n cita en Albany, Nueva York, con motivo de la ceremonia de graduaci贸n de 2016 del Excelsior College, que tendr谩 lugar en el Empire State Plaza, en el centro de Albany, Nueva York.芦Historias degraduaci贸n禄 recoge las historias de algunos de los graduados m谩s destacados de este a帽o.

Historias de graduaci贸n: Megan Crouse, una graduada fuera de lo com煤n que persigue su pasi贸n por la psicolog铆a

Publicado el por Personal de Excelsior

听Excelsior College es una instituci贸n de educaci贸n a distancia que cuenta con m谩s de 40 000 estudiantes matriculados, cuya edad media es de 37 a帽os. Megan Crouse no encaja en este perfil demogr谩fico medio de Excelsior. Esta joven de 21 a帽os se grad煤a este a帽o en Excelsior College con una Licenciatura en 笔蝉颈肠辞濒辞驳铆补. Crouse, que creci贸 en Guilderland, Nueva York, se gradu贸 en el instituto en 2013. Actualmente vive en Eastlake, Ohio, con su madre y su perrita Glori. Como estudiante de un programa de colaboraci贸n acad茅mica de Excelsior College, Crouse obtuvo su t铆tulo de t茅cnico superior en Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC). Fue en el HVCC donde Crouse descubri贸 su profundo inter茅s por la psicolog铆a, junto con su pasi贸n por comunicarse con los dem谩s y ofrecerles asesoramiento. Vio la oportunidad de cursar su grado en 笔蝉颈肠辞濒辞驳铆补 en Excelsior tras interesarse por los cursos que se imparten. Crouse asistir谩 a la ceremonia de graduaci贸n este mes de julio junto a sus padres, su hermana, su cu帽ado y su mejor amiga. Crouse se sent贸 con Excelsior Life para hablar sobre su trayectoria educativa.

Excelsior Life: 驴Qu茅 programas o cursos han sido los m谩s influyentes para usted?

Crouse: La asignatura 芦笔蝉颈肠辞濒辞驳铆补 del aprendizaje禄 me pareci贸 fascinante, ya que abordaba los 芦尘别肠补苍颈蝉尘辞蝉禄鈥攑or usted 鈥� del funcionamiento de la mente. La asignatura 芦Historia y sistemas禄 tambi茅n fue interesante, ya que se centr贸 en c贸mo el estudio de la mente ha cambiado de forma tan significativa a lo largo del tiempo. La asignatura que m谩s me marc贸 fue 脡tica de la atenci贸n sanitaria. Me abri贸 mucho la mente en cuanto a c贸mo considerar siempre todos los aspectos de una situaci贸n, as铆 como todos los posibles efectos y resultados. Tambi茅n fue determinante por c贸mo los foros de debate nos impulsaron a todos a adoptar una postura firme y mantenerla a lo largo de todos los escenarios hipot茅ticos. Esto dio lugar a opiniones alternativas muy interesantes y propici贸 debates muy enriquecedores entre compa帽eros de clase.

Excelsior Life: usted ha usted alguna dificultad acad茅mica a lo largo de su trayectoria? 驴C贸mo las ha usted ?

Crouse: Hubo algunos temas dentro de los cursos que resultaron bastante complicados. Super茅 esos obst谩culos dedicando m谩s tiempo a esos contenidos y coment谩ndolos con mis compa帽eros de clase, as铆 como con mi familia y amigos. Esas conversaciones me ayudaron a aclarar las cosas cuando me resultaban confusas o muy subjetivas. En particular, todos los hilos de debate 鈥攖anto de otros compa帽eros como del profesor鈥� fueron fant谩sticos para ayudarme a comprender el tema con mayor claridad.

Excelsior Life: 驴 usted un entorno de apoyo? En caso afirmativo, 驴de qu茅 manera le ayudaron?

Crouse: 隆Contaba con un gran apoyo! Mis padres me animaron much铆simo a que me tomara el tiempo necesario para explorar mis intereses, con el fin de que pudiera sentirme segura a la hora de encontrar 芦esa materia禄 que quer铆a convertir en mi profesi贸n.

Excelsior Life: 驴C贸mo usted lo que ustedaprendido a su carrera profesional?

Crouse: Mi t铆tulo de Excelsior College me ayudar谩 a poner en pr谩ctica lo que he aprendido mientras cursa mi m谩ster en asesoramiento cl铆nico en salud mental.

Excelsior Life: 驴Qu茅 significa para usted tener este t铆tulo?

Crouse: Este t铆tulo lo es todo para m铆. Me sent铆 muy orgullosa de m铆 misma por haberme tomado el tiempo necesario para decidir realmente qu茅 quer铆a hacer con el resto de mi vida. Una vez que decid铆 que ser铆a la psicolog铆a, Excelsior result贸 ser la universidad perfecta para m铆, ya que contaba con un excelente programa, unas asignaturas magn铆ficas y se impart铆a a distancia.

El 8 de julio, cientos de graduados de todo el mundo se dar谩n cita en Albany, Nueva York, con motivo de la ceremonia de graduaci贸n de 2016 del Excelsior College, que tendr谩 lugar en el Empire State Plaza, en el centro de Albany, Nueva York.芦Historias degraduaci贸n禄 recoge las historias de algunos de los graduados m谩s destacados de este a帽o.