References

Hello everyone,  my name is Claude and I currently reside in Harlingen, TX. (Deep South Texas!)  I am an item manager in logistics for prosthetics responsible for 6 clinics in the Valley.  I was fortunate enough to serve in the US Marine Corps and had the opportunity to deploy to Iraq in 2004.

I’ve also completed an Associate’s degree in construction engineering.  Professionally, I have worked in several industries and before I started working for the VA I worked in big box retail for 14 years until I reached district manager and realized that my life was all consumed by work.  That is when I stepped out and took some time off and then began working at the VA in order to give back to my brothers and sisters in arms.  It was a pay cut but the satisfaction and reduced stress levels make up for it hand over fist.

I am hoping to be able to graduate this coming May with a BS in Labor and Employment Relations.  I wish you all the best of luck this semester!

Claude

Hello,

My name is Miranda Keefer and I reside in Corning, NY.  Corning is located in the Finger Lakes region in upstate NY.  People travel from all over the world to explore hiking trails, lakes, wineries and is known for its glass museum (The Corning Museum of Glass).   In my spare time I enjoy watching/traveling to hockey, baseball, basketball and football events.  I have attended the Stanley Cup for hockey and the World Series for baseball.  The degree that I’m pursuing is Organizational Leadership (back in the day it was Criminal Justice).  My goal is to succeed in this course and to learn something new that I did not know yesterday.  I look forward to talking with all of you.

-Miranda

Hello Classmates

My name is Jennifer Caron. I am a senior working part-time towards my Bachelor’s Degree in the Labor and Employment Relations program. I live in the south central part of Pennsylvania in the town of Waynesboro. I have worked in the Information Technology field for over 10 years. When I first decided to go back to school, I went with the thought to complete my degree in Information Technology but after a few years of perusing my degree in Information Technology I decided I was tired of this field and decided to change my major to Labor and Employment Relations. In my free time I like to be outdoors where I enjoy running and being active. I enjoy traveling and try to explore new places as much as possible.

I looking forward to working with everyone this semester.

Hi class,

My name is Jessica K. I am Editor of the Pennsylvania State World Campus Psychology Club’s newsletter called Mind over Matters. Here, I encourage students of all majors to write about psychology-related topics. I was able to bring back the newsletter from a two-year hiatus. If you would like to read a previous issue, please click here. Also if you are interested in possibly becoming a writer, please email me separately. I have a great love for neuroscience, psychology, nature, writing, research, and anything art-related. When I am not working on the newsletter/ doing homework, you can catch me outdoors!  Good luck this semester. I look forward to working with all of you!

Hello everyone,

My name is Erik and I am a full-time student and military spouse. I grew up in Michigan and met my wife in Ohio while I was visiting a friend for their birthday. We now live in Idaho currently but that will be changing very soon as her job requires that we move every two years. Luckily for me, I love traveling and seeing different parts of the world. In the United States alone I’ve visited probably twenty or so states. Outside of the U.S. I have been to Canada, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Malta, France, and England.

This will be my third semester with Penn State now, I was a part time student a while back at Akron University but once we moved from Ohio I needed a stable place to go to school while on the move. I look forward to learning about leadership on a much larger scale and getting to know you all along the way.

-Erik Micallef

Hello everyone,

My name is Katherine Salas Burke, but I go by Kathy. I am a native Texan and currently live in a suburb that is 30 miles northwest of Dallas. This semester is my third at Penn State World Campus, and if all goes as planned, I will graduate at the end of the summer semester this year. I’m a mother of two, a 22-year-old son, also in college, and a seven-year-old daughter in second grade. Quite the gap, I know. I’m married to a Sr. Art Director in the video game business, of which I met while working at Atari.

I resigned from my job as a Managing Director in the recruiting industry about a year ago, where I was employed for the last 15 years. I did so after deciding to return to school and finish an undergraduate degree. My career interests and aspirations have been all over the place. I graduated from a Business Magnet High School, which prompted my career in Human Resources and eventually in recruiting; however, I’ve always had a love for science and, more specifically, geology and paleontology because dinosaurs are cool.

I was close to completing a degree in Geoscience from the University of Texas at Dallas over 15 years ago but, unfortunate family medical issues that required my full attention aside from a full-time job made it difficult, if not impossible, to complete at the time. I was fortunate to have been selected for a paleontology internship with Florissant Fossil Beds in Colorado, which is the only other place I’ve ever lived. My hobbies include learning about almost anything, especially about things that start with “Did you know…?”, reading, dabbling in polymer clay sculpting, and hunting for fossils or cool rocks, minerals, and crystals are how I spend my time usually.

I look forward to working with everyone and learning from Dr. Redmond.

-Kathy

Hello Everyone

My name is Jamie and I live in Southern Maryland right next to Pax River Naval Base. I am currently employed as a full time Financial Manager and working towards my Bachelors in Labor Employment Relations. I will be graduating in the spring, which I for one am ready for. At the same time, I am also trying to decide whether or not I will go for my Masters.

One of my biggest interest is traveling. There is so much to see and who isn’t always ready for a vacation! I would love to visit Greece, which is my next vacation goal. My husband and I love to visit the Florida Keys and try to once a year. We are currently gearing up for a trip to Maui at the end of this month, we are pretty excited considering the countdown started 8 months ago.

Good Luck to everyone this semester and I look forward to working and getting to know everyone!

Jamie

Good afternoon all!

My name is Zach Jovanovich, I live in a small suburb of Seattle called Puyallup with my Wife of what will be 11 years and my almost 8 year old son. We are super active in our church, and try to take advantage of all the beautiful wilderness and oceans around us as much as we can by kayaking, dirt biking, and hiking.

I’m currently in what will be my 9th class as Penn State. I’m sloooooooooowwwwwwllllllly completing my program in Organizational Leadership. I’m also wrapping up a 4 year machinist apprenticeship with The Boeing Company and LOVE what I do! I have loved my experience at Penn State so far and I truly believe my coursework has been incredible in equipping me to interact with my peers in a large company. It’s also helped me to gain confidence to lead a diverse and incredibly sharp group of intelligent and highly technical individuals should the time come.

My favorite thing about distance learning has been getting the chance to interact with people from all around the world, from varying backgrounds, and with unique viewpoints that are sometimes missed in a traditional college setting. Looking forward to more of that this semester with you all!

-Zach