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PROVO, Utah – Oct 14, 2020 – During this last summer, the Deans Office of the BYU Marriott School of Business decided to brainstorm ways for students to gain new experiences in a nontraditional way. The Deans Office wanted to give students the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills, and potentially win fun prizes. The solution? Teaming up with DaVita, a kidney-disease healthcare company, to put on a completely virtual case competition. The winners of this unique competition consisted of Katana Billingsley, a junior studying pre-business from Queen Creek, Arizona; Michael Harris, a senior majoring in statistics from Farmington, Utah; and Andre Marrey, a senior studying mechanical engineering from São Paulo, Brazil. "From conducting industry research to countless hours spent in Zoom meetings with my team, the DaVita Case Competition was an outstanding experience for BYU students this summer. It enabled us to hone our analytical skills and have a sense of what working in the healthcare industry is,” says Marrey. A total of ninety-six students from various majors across campus in teams of three to five set out to help DaVita for the chance to win cash prizes and gain a résumé-building opportunity. DaVita provided students with a prompt — an issue the company is currently facing—while the Deans Office would provide cash prizes. The week-long competition began with a virtual welcoming event where DaVita presented the prompt to the teams. Students immediately began working to solve the presented issue. Over the next three days, DaVita provided office hours via Zoom video conferencing when DaVita employees could answer any questions the BYU Marriott teams had. “I was worried about signing up for a case competition without any preselected teammates,” says Billingsley. While initially nervous to join the competition, Billingsley’s worries were calmed by her interaction with the other students assigned to her team. “I remembered that everyone at BYU Marriott is talented, and I knew that if students entered the case competition, they probably wanted to learn and grow like me,” she says. “The competition was fast and intense and required research into aspects of subjects I knew nothing about, but the experience helped me to learn new skills and better understand problems people face every day.” After working together in their groups for a few days, each of the twenty-three teams presented in a preliminary round of judging. Each team was given up to three minutes to present in front of members from DaVita on their group’s solution to the issue. “Due to the short timeline, my team met every day brainstorming solutions, designing PowerPoints, and practicing our presentation,” says Billingsley. “This competition helped me to realize the importance of listening to what a company needs and presenting a solution within those guidelines that reflect the company's values.” After some deliberation, DaVita selected the top five teams to advance to the final round. The final round required groups to delve into more detail about their solutions and offer more in-depth explanations than what they previously had revealed to judges. The top three teams were awarded cash prizes by the Deans Office to split between team members. Other participants were given prizes provided by DaVita. “After months of quarantine where I felt like I was not making an impact, this competition helped me feel like I was finally able to do something meaningful—not just for me but for others,” says Billingsley. “This experience helped me to expand my knowledge and gave me the opportunity to work alongside similarly dedicated people. The members of my team all had different majors, providing different perspectives and interests which I believe led to the overall success of the team.” Media Contact: Chad Little (801) 422-1512 Writer: Madi Wickham
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PROVO, Utah – Sep 30, 2020 – When asked what real estate is, most people will say the topic has to deal with something about the home-buying process. But BYU Marriott School of Business finance senior Dallin Curriden challenges that simple explanation. “Real estate is not just the home you live in but also the community in which you live and work,” he says. Curriden credits his love and interest for real estate in part to his service as a missionary in Johannesburg, South Africa, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was in Johannesburg that Curriden had the responsibility to manage the housing process of where missionaries lived as part of his day-to-day duties. “I was tasked with finding better, more suitable living situations for missionaries,” says Curriden. “After taking a strategic look at the location, quality, and safety of our mission apartments, I helped find twenty-five new living quarters that were better suited for the work missionaries were doing. That experience was a part of what sparked my initial interest in real estate.” With his attention focused on serving people and his fellow missionaries while in South Africa, Curriden explains that it wasn’t until after his mission that he realized how relevant real estate is to everyday lives. “Everyone interacts with real estate every day,” he says. “Real estate is where you live, work, attend school, visit the doctor, or interact with people in your everyday life. The more I learned about real estate, the more I realized real estate is an opportunity to help better the community around you, help businesses grow, and help people have a comfortable place to live in.” Curriden believes that BYU Marriott’s finance major and real estate have a lot in common. Curriden says his experience in the finance program has made him more marketable, not just for finance jobs but also in the real estate industry. “BYU Marriott offers a number of classes that teach finance principles that are a great foundation for anyone going into real estate,” says Curriden. “Classes that teach topics such as investments in equities and the stock market, how to project cash flows and calculate returns, and even how to become an expert in Microsoft Excel and crunch financial data.” When Curriden was first admitted to BYU Marriott, he wanted to maximize his learning experience and began looking at clubs to join. Because of his experiences on his mission, Curriden was drawn to the BYU Real Estate Association. Now, two years after returning home from South Africa, Curriden serves as the co-president of the BYU Real Estate Association. “BYU has one of the top real estate clubs in the country and is an untapped resource that a lot of undergrads at BYU could benefit from,” Curriden says. “The club has an open-door policy where anybody can come in and feel welcome, like I felt when I joined.” Curriden’s current responsibilities include helping current undergrad students and alumni find internships and full-time jobs, organizing networking trips, and preparing weekly technical trainings for the association meetings. Curriden also hopes to influence the BYU Real Estate Association post-graduation. His plan is to help other undergraduates wanting to pursue a career in real estate by working with future club leadership, assisting students with finding internships, and mentoring students as they pursue their own path to real estate. This last summer, Curriden completed an online internship with Greystar, a globally recognized real estate firm located in South Carolina. After a successful internship, Curriden accepted a full-time offer with the company and is excited to move to South Carolina after he graduates in April 2020 and begin the next stage of his career. For Curriden, his time at BYU Marriott has been one of growth and has helped him prepare to live out his dream career. “I am thankful for the amazing experiences I have had while attending BYU and I can’t wait to get to work full-time at Greystar,” says Curriden. “I’ve been preparing for this moment for years, and I know that I’ve been set up to succeed.” Media Contact: Chad Little (801) 422-1512 Writer: Madi Wickham Link
PROVO, Utah – Sep 24, 2020 – When Todd Manwaring first heard the term social impact, he had no clue how much those two words would change his life. It was 1996 and Manwaring was searching for his legacy vocation after a successful information technology career. Now looking back almost twenty-five years later as the founder, director, and professor-of-practice of the Melvin J. Ballard Center for Social Impact at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Manwaring says the change in career was one of the best decisions he made in his life. So how did Manwaring found a center devoted to social impact? Like most teenagers and young adults, Manwaring he wasn’t particularly focused on making a difference, only attending an occasional service project. He admits as a youth he did not understand the global issues he now works so intently on. All that changed, however, after he got married to his wife, Kristine. Kristine was passionate about, and shed light onto, different problems people around the world face, such as women’s rights issues in the Middle East. He credits her with getting him interested in social impact work. “She helped me recognize that these issues were currently affecting people globally. She helped open my eyes to see what was going on,” Manwaring says. His awareness continued to grow after attending a fundraising breakfast in 1996 with his wife, where he heard the words social impact for the first time. Speaking at the breakfast was then future Nobel Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and civil society leader. "That event gave me the perspective that not only were people working on social issues in a unique and innovative way, but they were also creating change in a way that could bring greater outcomes in the people's lives,” he says. Manwaring was so moved that he left his job at Sequent Computer Systems and began pursuing a master’s degree in organizational behavior from BYU Marriott. While pursuing his degree, Manwaring co-founded a group called Unitus, one of the first global impact investing firms, or a group dedicated to investing in organizations in order to generate both a beneficial social impact and financial return. Manwaring says that Unitus and its investments have touched the lives of more than fifty million people through the various programs and services it provides. Soon after Unitus turned four years old, Ned Hill, then dean of BYU Marriott, had a discussion with Manwaring about creating a center with a specific focus on social impact that could reach students all across campus; that conversation led to the founding of the Ballard Center. Hill and Manwaring discussed how the new center would contribute to BYU’s mission as well as one of the Aims of a BYU Education: lifelong learning and service. Manwaring felt a key component to the center should be providing students with the opportunity to not only become involved with the center but to actually lead it. Today, the Ballard Center operates with three full-time staff members, a handful of part time staff, and approximately ninety student employees. Manwaring says students are the Ballard Center’s secret sauce to success. “We put a group of students in charge of one of our programs, such as the Peery Film Festival,” he says. “Then they ask, ‘How do we change this? How can we do this better? How do we approach this innovatively?’ The center is far different than if I would have sat down and planned it all myself. The center has a tremendous team of students that help make this work.” The result? Last year over 3,000 students from over 120 different majors participated in classes, internships, competitions, and research. Another 6,000+ students participated in one-time events like TEDxBYU, the Peery Film Festival, clubs, and information sessions. The center is the largest university-focused effort on social impact worldwide. The students who work in the Ballard Center are more than simply employees to Manwaring, who speaks of them with endearment. While his responsibilities as the director of the Ballard Center include oversight of the center and raising money to fund the center, Manwaring’s favorite task is teaching classes. “I enjoy interacting with students and learning with them. The main class I teach is MSB 375: Social Innovation: Do Good. Better. This is the foundational course of the Ballard Center, where students learn a broad perspective of what social impact is and how to solve social problems,” Manwaring says. For Manwaring, teaching about social impact did not stop once he left his BYU Marriott office at the end of each day. As Manwaring raised his four children, he made sure to incorporate social impact principles into their daily lives as well. In addition to daily lessons from their father, each of Manwaring’s children had an opportunity to participate in trips facilitated by the Ballard Center to implement projects designed to benefit underserved people in countries such as Ghana and Paraguay. “The Ballard Center provides money to students who come up with social impact projects, domestic and abroad,” Manwaring said. “Sometimes it's an internship, sometimes it’s a team of people working on a project. From time to time, one of the leaders in the Ballard Center will go and participate with them. "I tried to teach my children that serving others and making a positive impact on the world around us is natural and needs to be part of what we do," Manwaring continues. "I encourage anyone who wants to do good to ask what role they can play in making that happen and what social impact looks like for them. The Ballard Center provides a wonderful base for any BYU student trying to become more aware of the current conditions in the world today and we’re here to help them make a real, positive difference.” Media Contact: Chad Little (801) 422-1512 Writer: Madi Wickham Link
PROVO, Utah – Sep 22, 2020 – Ariadna Mateu is no stranger to risk. In 2008, at the onset of the Great Recession, which affected economies across the world, she left her stable, well-paying job to travel internationally for a year. Now, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, she’s adjusting to her new position as the chief student experience officer in the Experience Design and Management (ExDM) program at the BYU Marriott School of Business, where she helps enhance, enrich and improve students’ outcomes during their time on campus. Born in Barcelona, Spain, Mateu studied and graduated from the University of Barcelona in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree and a master's degree in hotel management. After graduating and working in the industry, she decided hotel management wasn’t for her and felt the urge for a significant change. She moved to London in 2003, hoping to explore other options for her future path. “I got the bug for travelling,” she says. “Before moving, I said I wouldn’t work in hotel management. You know what they say about never say never? Well, they’re right.” As a professional in London, Mateu accepted an offer to be the purchasing manager for a five-star hotel, the Dorchester hotel in London. She enjoyed the job but ultimately decided it still wasn’t what she wanted to do. While working at the Dorchester, however, Mateu discovered a passion for encouraging her team and colleagues to grow. “When you become a manager and start working with people, and you care about them, you become more of a coach or a mentor,” Mateu says. “I realized how much I loved helping my staff grow personally and professionally.” When the 2008 recession hit, Mateu felt the pull of change again. Leaving the security of her job in the middle of uncertainty, Mateu decided to travel and gain new experiences. “I needed something more than just the professional life of earning money and spending it,” she says. “I decided to quit my job and went on an around-the-world trip for a whole year. I was either extremely brave or extremely crazy.” After her year of exploration, Mateu returned to Barcelona and managed executive education programs at IESE Business School. In that role, she acted as a liaison between the academic creators of the school and the executive leaders of businesses. “I created learning experiences and customized programs for companies that wanted to fill a gap in their executives’ education by using the curriculum that the IESE teachers created,” she explains. Mateu explored finding a better professional and personal life approach for herself while working at IESE. She studied mindfulness and even became a certified yoga teacher. During this time, she also met her husband, Ben Rabner, a Springville, Utah, native. “My husband and I met in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress. He was there for work. Ben works as the head of experiential marketing at Adobe, so when we met, we both spoke the experience-design language. Our passion to create experiences that transform lives and organizations was apparent from day one,” Mateu says. After Mateu and her husband decided to move to Utah, she found her current position at BYU Marriott. “When I read the description of the position, I knew the job would be right up my alley,” she says. Like many of her large life changes, the move to BYU Marriott came with a certain amount of uncertainty and risk. She began her job at BYU Marriott right before the coronavirus pandemic significantly impacted how classes were taught. “I started my job three weeks before everything was shut down,” Mateu says. “Here I was, supposed to create and manage experiences for ExDM students, and I had barely met 10 percent of the students before the pandemic changed things.” Despite the disruption in schedules and routine that characterized her first few weeks at BYU Marriott, Mateu finds the response of her coworkers and the students in the ExDM program impressive. “Our department, faculty, and students decided to make a good life during a disruptive situation,” she says. “Between adjusting to classes over webcam and working from home, we’ve been on top of things in an extraordinary way.” Mateu’s position at BYU Marriott encompasses much of her philosophy around learning and the ways people can best internalize lessons. Her goal while working in the ExDM department is to enhance the long-term outcomes for students who go through the program. “There is a human component to what we teach that is unique to the ExDM department,” she says. “I aim to create strategies that make this program not just professionally beneficial for students who graduate but beneficial in personal ways also. Our goal is for students to be able to say that this program was one of the best experiences of their lives.” Media Contact: Chad Little: (801) 422-1512 Writer: Madi Wickham thirdhour.org/blog/life/mormon-culture/working-moms/
Women in the Church have it hard. I remember being told in Young Women’s that we should follow the prophet’s counsel and pursue an education, but there were parameters. We needed to find a career that we would not only love but also one with a flexible schedule so that we could be working moms if needed. To this day, I still struggle with myself over career versus romantic relationships. As a single, young adult woman, both marriage and career are important to me. But while I do have some control over the fate of my career, there is no guarantee I will get married. There is a chance that for the rest of my life, I will rely on my career and finances alone. So I focus on my career and education, pursuing internships and opportunities one after another. But do I stop dating? No. I continue to try my luck with dating, doing what I can to work towards marriage. While a relationship requires two individuals to both mutually agree to be there together, my career is dependent on me, myself, and I—no one else. The World We Live In Pew Research Center recently conducted a survey on Marriage and Cohabitation in the U.S. and the results were shocking. The survey found that most Americans do not believe marriage is essential to living a fulfilled life. While only 16% of men and 17% of women said being married was essential, 57% of men and 46% of women said having a job or career they enjoy was essential to a fulfilled life. In today’s society, the family has slowly become less and less important. The rise of feminism and the rise in the cost of living have led more and more women to work. Focusing on the family has become less important, as our world has become more materially focused. So what can we do when we are deciding whether to work or not as mothers? We want to make sure our families are taken care of, but we also might need to work. Looking to Our Leaders We currently have wonderful women who lead and guide our Relief Society. These women are examples to me of what I should strive to be in my life. Four of the ten women hold graduate degrees. Four of the ten are stay-at-home moms. Nine of the ten work outside of the home. Many of these women have not only been wives and mothers but also have impressive resumes. Before becoming a director in the Publishing Services Department of the Church, Sister Browning previously worked at Morgan Stanley, a global investment bank. Sister Draper earned a master’s degree from Fordham University and currently works for LDS Family Services. Sister Mullen serves on the Relief Society board but continues to teach at Brigham Young University. Each of these women has a different background. Each of them has taken a different path to get to be where they are now. I believe they are stellar examples of wonderful wives and working moms whom we can look up to and strive to be like. Between You and the Lord While The Family: A Proclamation to the World specifies roles for fathers and mothers, it does NOT state that earning money is specific to one gender. I believe that as long as each of the responsibilities detailed in the Proclamation is being fulfilled, the Lord does not care WHO takes care of what responsibility. In fact, the Proclamation says that fathers and mothers should work together as equal partners, so why can’t both parents work? “Fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. ” – The Family: A Proclamation to the World Related: Members of the Church Need to STOP Saying These 6 Things The War Between Women Seeking for my own guidance, I turned to three women who chose different paths for their lives: a full-time working mother, a part-time working mother, and a full-time stay-at-home mother. What I found was that all women experience guilt of some kind regardless of which career path they chose. Working moms say they feel guilty for leaving their children day after day to return to work, guilt for having another person raise their children, guilt for missing out on their child’s life. They feel like the world judges them for leaving their family behind. Stay-at-home mothers feel guilty when they are asked, “What do you do for work?” and they respond, “I am a stay-at-home mom.” They feel like the world judges them for not contributing to society when in reality, the work that is done in the home is some of the most important work in the world. Their hard work isn’t rewarded with promotions or recognition. Rather than have a war between women, we should look at one another with less judgment and more love. You are a daughter of a king and nothing you do can diminish your worth. The only opinion that really matters is that of our Heavenly Father. Our feedback to others should be out of love and understanding. A Mother’s Decision to Work Regardless of your opinion on this issue, I believe we can all agree that parenting should be the most important job an adult with children has. Kids deserve to live in a home where they are loved and taken care of. The way that each household makes that work is a personal decision, one that may take lots of prayer and fasting. While most Americans may not think marriage is essential to a fulfilling life, a Pew survey from 2018 found that 69% of people were likely to mention family when describing what provides them with a sense of meaning. I believe we all need to be more accepting of one another’s decisions and to stop judging. Stop judging women who break the traditional mold and decide to become working moms, and stop judging women who decide to stay home and be full-time moms. We should let each husband and wife decide what is best for their own family. That decision is between the couple and the Lord. If the woman wants to be a stay-at-home mom, wonderful! Motherhood is a dying and an underappreciated career path. If the woman wants to work, wonderful! Women are needed and valuable in the workplace. Whatever you, your spouse, and the Lord decide is best for you, your family, and your life is what you should pursue. Only you can receive revelation on the path for your life. thirdhour.org/blog/life/holidays/thanksgiving/7-ways-to-be-thankful/
For some, the Thanksgiving season evokes feelings of happiness and love, but for others, Thanksgiving can be a harsh reminder of the empty chairs, both literally and symbolically, that are present in our lives. During certain seasons of our lives, it can be hard to feel grateful for what little we feel like we have. To help us find gratefulness in our hearts, let’s look at 7 ways to be thankful when you feel like you can’t be. 1. Serve Others I have found that serving others helps me put my own trials into perspective. It doesn’t feel like it makes sense, but I promise it does. When you take the time to look around you and notice the struggles of others, you realize you are not the only one who has trials. In 2017, Time published an article titled The Secret to Happiness Is Helping Otherswhich explains that there is scientific evidence that supports the idea that giving is a gateway to both personal growth and long-lasting happiness. Service takes on many forms. Service can be done by simply giving a genuine compliment or offering a smile to a stranger, or something that requires more preparation, such as serving a meal at a hospital or giving out bagged meals to the homeless. Another one of my favorite past-times during the Thanksgiving season is to handwrite thank-you notes. Writing thank-you notes helps me remember all of the wonderful people in my life and all they have done for me. 2. Surround Yourself With Others When you do not have immediate family nearby to celebrate with, it is easy to think you are alone. Don’t let yourself believe this! Invite over your friends who feel like family for your Thanksgiving feast. Or, look around your community and see if there are others who are in need of a family to spend the holiday with. Help them realize they too are not alone. 3. Find the Joy in the Little Things Although you may feel like there are not big things in your life that you can be thankful for, I would encourage you to be thankful for the tender mercies we see every day of our lives. Taking time to be grateful for the simple things, which are often overlooked, such as modern technology, running water, and clothing will help remind us how many simple things we have to be thankful for. For me, I find joy in the small moments like when I shuffle my music and one of my favorite songs comes on, or when I randomly pick out a blue Sour Patch Kid (my favorite), or when I see a dog enjoying a walk. Recognizing the small moments which bring us joy is a simple way to remind ourselves of all of the good we are surrounded by. Pro Tip: During the month of November, I like to write down a list of things I am grateful for each night in a gratitude journal. Writing in a gratitude journal helps me recognize every day all of the things I have to be grateful for. It helps me focus each day on recognizing the good, instead of focusing on my trials. 4. Be Thankful for You This can be a tough tip to want to follow, especially in times of trial, but hear me out. Regardless of your infirmities, you have a body. You are able to experience life in this body. The spirit that inhabits this body is constantly learning, developing, and growing. Be grateful for what your body can do, rather than looking at things we wish we could change. As we learn in Matthew 25, God has blessed each of us with various talents. It is important to recognize what these talents are and continue to develop them. Take a moment to sit down and ask God to remind you of your many gifts. Then, list out these God-given talents and your favorite things about yourself. Start with five things. Take that list and continue to grow it. Hang it up somewhere you will see it every day. Remind yourself of the many qualities you have been blessed with and chose to be thankful for them. 5. Read Uplifting Material There are countless talks out there about being grateful. To help prepare myself for the Thanksgiving season, I try and read a talk a day about gratitude. One of my favorite talks is called Grateful in Any Circumstances by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. One of my favorite things which he said was: “Those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding.” How beautiful is that! By being thankful, we can find relief from our trials. Some countless other talks and forums also focus on gratefulness and offer more wisdom on this topic. Related: 10 Reasons to Be Grateful Right Now 6. Celebrate Your Victories, Big or Small Every day, we accomplish things, big or small. Some days we need to celebrate the tiniest of things that took a lot of motivation, such as getting out of bed, brushing your hair, or eating a meal. While this may seem silly, it is important to recognize what you have accomplished. Not everyone can see or will understand how certain days, doing the seemingly basic things is actually a huge victory. Be gentle with yourself. This is also a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all you have accomplished thus far in this lifetime. Take the time to be thankful for previous trials that have made you the person you are now and for the lessons learned. 7. Pray for a Thankful Heart I have found that one of the biggest things that has helped me when I find it hard to be thankful is to turn to God. We can pray for a grateful heart, hoping to find more things that we can be thankful for. Pray for the eyes to see the good things in our lives. We can also pray to be His hands. Pray for opportunities to serve those around you. We are instructed to become like Jesus Christ as we progress on this earth. Jesus constantly served others, specifically those who couldn’t serve Him back. We should look for opportunities to lift others and bring them closer to Christ. There is a story that tells about a statue of Jesus Christ which was damaged during a bombing in World War II. When the townspeople found the statue, they realized the hands of the statue had been so severely damaged, they could not be restored. Some wanted to hire a sculptor to make new hands, but they ultimately left the statue as is. A small adjustment was made the base of the statue – a sign was added with the words: “You are my hands.” Let us ask and pray to be His hands. Sometimes it feels as though we can’t shut out our problems to focus on what we can be thankful for. Having gratitude during the Thanksgiving season is sometimes hard, but it is not impossible. www.cubic.com/news-events/blogs/my-summer-cubic
A Reflection of My Summer with Cubic When I first applied for an internship with Cubic, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I knew I wanted to spend my summer working on a communications team for a large company in sunny San Diego, CA, but beyond that, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. Once I was hired by Cubic, I thought my internship would consist of attending meetings, going on coffee runs, and writing a few blogs. Boy was I wrong! Cubic has provided me with an exceptional summer full of learning and growing, both as a businesswoman and as a person. Cubic offers a unique environment because it is comprised of three different business units – Cubic Global Defense (CGD), Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), and Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS). While interning at Cubic, I worked on the Corporate Communications team which is considered a corporate function that serves all three of the businesses. While some interns only focus on a single project in a dedicated business unit throughout their internship, I was fortunate enough to work on many different assignments within all three sectors of Cubic. For example, one hour I would be interviewing CGD’s Senior Business Development Manager, Kevin O’Rourke, for The Circuit (Cubic’s internal magazine); the next hour I would be writing a blog about CMS’s GATR systems, followed by a trip to CTS to pick up equipment for a tradeshow. I loved being able to see how each of the different businesses worked under the One Cubic umbrella making the communications aspect more challenging and exciting. Summer of Cubes This summer I have had several projects and memorable experiences, but there are a few that stand out. One of my favorite projects that I was assigned was overseeing the social posts for CGD’s Twitter and LinkedIn channels during the Paris Air Show. I worked with my manager to craft clever messages to post with interesting photos that received good engagement. The best part was learning how to use Social Sprout, a social media tool that allowed me to schedule posts in Paris during prime time, without needing to wake up in the middle of the night and log in. My second favorite assignment was not only working on a committee to plan and prepare for the first Annual Cubic Awards Banquet, but presenting a budget pitch and logistics plan to the entire executive management committee. This was a surreal moment for me, because I never thought I would ever see the infamous Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Brad Feldmann, after I began my internship. I can’t express how extremely thankful I felt that my direct supervisor trusted me to connect with all of Cubic’s best and brightest leaders. I have kept a list of the many things I have worked on this summer on a piece of paper at my desk. The single sheet of 8 x 11 inch paper has been filled, front and back. Cubic has provided me with many wonderful experiences, connections, and resume equity. Although I am excited to go back to school and pursue my educational dreams, saying goodbye to Cubic feels bittersweet. I know I walk away a stronger communicator and employee, but I will miss the people I have worked with and the projects I have worked on. Cubic really has become a family to me – and I am forever grateful for the experiences I have had. www.cubic.com/news-events/blogs/cubes-action-recognizing-our-volunteers
At Cubic, we believe in making a positive difference in people’s lives. Giving back to the community is one of the many ways our Cubes help cultivate a sense of well-being in our society. Our employees graciously donate their time to company and non-company sponsored charitable organizations and are encouraged to find philanthropic causes that they are passionate about. Cubes in Action. After the destruction left behind by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria a few of our Cubes traveled to areas in Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist those in need. They packed much needed supplies including our GATR antennas, which provide high-speed telecommunication connectivity that helped locals create dispatch centers for first responders and allowed families to connect with loved ones. Not only do we love using our inventions to help others – we love inspiring young minds. Recently, a team of Cubes volunteered at the San Diego STEAM Maker festival as judges and mentors to help thousands of local children learn about engineering, art, math, and science. We sponsored two challenges: the Thinkbox challenge, where students were prompted to take random items from a box and turn them into an invention; and the Hydrobot challenge, where future engineers were challenged to raise a lever over a specific target using only the parts in a pre-packaged kit. Volunteerism is a global effort. Across the globe, our UK Cubes spent a spring day cleaning up an abandoned field overrun by weeds and junk and turned it into a play space for local, underprivileged children; while in Australia, Cubic proudly aided nearby businesses, provided shelters from Cubic’s deployable Combat Centers and rescued kids using Cubic's high axled IVECO trucks after major flooding devastated Townsville. Additionally, Cubic donated $10,000 to the recovery efforts. Cubic also encourages its employees to look outside of the box (or should I say the Cube) to find opportunities to serve. One of our Principal Systems Test Engineer, Mark, found his passion for donating his time at Love on a Leash, a nonprofit which gives pets and their owners the opportunity to provide emotional support animal therapy. Years ago, Mark realized his chocolate, miniature schnauzer, Kona, had a special talent for making others feel loved - Now, Mark and Kona spend their weekends at hospitals and recovery centers providing pet therapy to seniors. When Mark started helping at Love on a Leash, he had no idea he would enjoy volunteering as much as he does. Mark wishes he and Kona could bring more smiles to those in need by volunteering more often during the week. We believe all Cubes who donate their time and efforts would agree with you, Mark! Volunteerism is a big part of our company and gives Cubes an outlet for discovering new hobbies and developing old ones. You can learn more at: https://www.cubic.com/volunteerism. www.cubic.com/news-events/news/cubic-showcase-multi-domain-lvc-advanced-training-environment-fighter-pilots
Cubic Global Defense’s breakthrough live, virtual and constructive capabilities enhance training for today’s warfighter SAN DIEGO – June 16, 2019 – Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced its Cubic Global Defense (CGD) business division will exhibit its advanced air combat training systems at this year’s International Paris Air Show from June 17–23 at the Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France. The 53rd International Paris Air Show will bring together key players in the aerospace industry from around the world for a weeklong event consisting of the latest technological innovations, product demonstrations and commercial opportunities. “For nearly five decades, Cubic has continued to revolutionize air combat training to benefit the United States and our allied nations. Today, we are the only provider of fourth and fifth generation fielded interoperable Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) and Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training solutions,” said Mike Knowles, president of Cubic Global Defense. “In fact, Cubic stands alone as the only company that has flown Secure/Joint ACMI/LVC and built a true multi-domain hardware and software infrastructure that has been tested and proven in operational fighter cockpits. Our Multi-Domain Advanced Training Environment is a must see this year at Le Bourget,” added Knowles. Cubic will highlight the following solutions at the Le Bourget Airport in the U.S. Partnership Pavilion Hall 3, stand #3-E161:
For more information, please visit Cubic’s event page or follow Cubic Global Defense on Twitter at @CubicDefense. Join the social conversation surrounding the International Paris Air Show with #PAS19. www.ecocaters.com/tips-switching-vegan-lifestyle/
So you’ve decided to become a vegan. Whether by choice or by dietary restraints, a vegan diet, which is low in saturated fats and high in nutrients, can certainly have many health benefits. But where do you start? Fear not, you’ve come to the right place. Starting any new diet can feel daunting so we’ve compiled a few vegan diet tips that will see you living the vegan lifestyle in no time. STARTING A VEGAN LIFESTYLE The first step for those transitioning to successful vegan diets is to understand the ins and outs of the diet and wider reaching lifestyle. What can a vegan eat? The foundation of a vegan diet itself is the avoidance of all animal products and byproducts by maintaining a plant-based diet. In addition, there are a host of ways to practice veganism beyond the plate. For example, you may choose to buy leather substitutes in place of real leather because, as you know, it’s a byproduct of a cow. This commitment to eliminating animal products from your life extends beyond the food you consume. Next, you need to find your “why” behind the diet. The “why” helps keep you on track, even when you’re faced with a juicy steak or a gallon of delicious ice cream. Need more inspiration? Here are a few great reasons to go vegan:
A vegan diet can also help improve blood sugar levels. By eating vitamin-rich plants, grains, nuts and seeds you’ll increase your iron and magnesium levels while lowering cholesterol and saturated fats. Veganism helps you find balance within your body.
According to the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, there has been an “eight percent increase in methane from digestion in cattle and a 37 percent increase in methane via management of manure, compared to the previous estimates”. Intensive livestock farming not only contributes to global warming but also pollution, deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity and species extinction. By choosing a vegan diet you’ll play your part in decreasing the production of meat and animal products, thereby lowering emissions. LIVING A VEGAN LIFESTYLE Now you have a better understanding of veganism in general and have committed to your “why”, it’s time to get started. For most of us, adopting a vegan lifestyle is a big transition. Enthusiasm is a beautiful thing but instead of diving in headfirst, give yourself time to adapt by starting slowly. Week by week, eliminate items from your diet. Perhaps on your first week you could remove dairy products. The following week, try eliminating eggs. Pace yourself. Or why not start off by turning vegetarian and sticking to fruits and vegetables? After a few successful weeks eating a vegetarian diet start avoiding animal byproducts and eating a plant-based diet. A sudden transition from your existing diet to a vegan diet eating only vegan products can be demanding since you’ll need to learn to create new dishes and experiment with unfamiliar ingredients and combinations. You may slip up from time to time as you expand your repertoire and knowledge so it’s easy to feel discouraged. Our advice is to take plenty of time to make that switch. Be kind to yourself! Search for vegan-friendly recipes–there’s a wealth of inspiration out there. Bookmark a few favorite blogs full of delicious, vegan recipes. Try a gluten-free, kale, black bean, and avocado bowl from Cookie and Kate, or a mushroom quinoa burger from Good Housekeeping. These days, vegan ingredients are easy to find, and recipes more accessible and easier to follow than ever. However, before you head out to the grocery store, educate yourself on the vegan lifestyle. Find replacements for dairy and protein, and learn the symbols for vegan-friendly items. Certain products will specify whether they fit into the vegan diet, such as plant-based protein, to make it easy to identify them. Also, learn what items from your favorite restaurants are vegan approved. Some restaurants even have specific menu icons to help you choose vegan options. ADVICE FROM A PRO Our very own Kitchen Assistant, Danny Giron, has been successfully living the vegan lifestyle for eight years. His decision to become vegan was based both on the health benefits and his love for animals. We asked him what it feels like to be vegan and he told us, “My body feels a lot lighter after eating because animal fat takes longer to burn off. Eating natural, plant based products makes you feel healthier.” YOU CAN DO IT! Starting a vegan lifestyle can be daunting but it is possible. Remember to focus on your “why”. Instead of thinking about what you’re giving up, think about what you’re gaining. When you become vegan, you join a community of like-minded people; a growing community at that. Veganism is gathering pace as more and more people realize the great side effects of going vegan. Look to group sites for advice, new recipes and activities. Think about the added health benefits and how you’re doing your part to help the planet and its inhabitants. |