MARCH 2008                                                                       a monthly e-newsletter of the Young Professionals Network

 


YP PROFILES

Maggie Wurst

Employer
Press Ganey

Job Title
Lead Consultant

Hometown
Miami, FL

Degrees
Saint Mary's College
BBA, Management
Information Systems

Indiana University South Bend MBA (in progress)

Hobbies/Interests

Scrap booking, running, crafts, home improvement projects, traveling and politics.

Something most people don't know about
Maggie
“I studied abroad in Ireland during undergrad. I really enjoyed the experience and it helped develop my view of the world and different cultures. With my childhood experiences from the cultural melting pot of Miami, Florida, along with my experiences from Europe, I have been able to learn a lot about how others live and what they value. I have been back to visit Ireland several times since the study abroad experience - most recently in February 2008.”

Favorite YPN Event

“Since the last presidential election, I have become more interested in politics so I thought the Mayoral Candidates Forum that took place last year at the South Bend Civic Theatre was a great event! It was exciting to meet and talk with the candidates and to learn more about their platforms. Another educational event that I enjoyed was the Economic Update presentation given by Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman. Personally, I hope that all YPs get more involved in politics, not only at the local level, but also nationally - especially this year!”

 


YP Involvement With Partner Up! Creates a Positive Impact on Children

Partner Up! is offered through the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) in conjunction with The Chamber.

Read to a Child is one component of Partner Up!, matching volunteers with South Bend primary school students, grades K-4, who display difficulty with reading, vocabulary and comprehension. The program requires a commitment of 30 minutes each week for one school year, however volunteers are encouraged to work with their students until they reach the appropriate reading level.

“It takes such little time commitment to help these children improve an important aspect of their educational development,” said Ben Jonas, YP volunteer from Press Ganey. “Like most YPs, I travel for work, volunteer with other organizations and have an active social life, but at no point have I had a problem making sure that I take time every Wednesday to read.”

In addition to Read to a Child, Partner Up! includes a mentoring program where volunteers meet with their students one hour each week through high school. There is also a business component that allows local companies to “adopt” a school, providing volunteers and bookroom donations.

“Many businesses are encouraging their employees to volunteer and there’s no better way than helping a child,” said Connie Moore, SBCSC Read to a Child director. “With young professionals, it’s especially nice for the students to see someone young, close to their age coming in.”

If you are interested in any of the Partner Up! programs, contact Christine Pochert at 574.283.8044 or Connie Moore at 574.283.8182. Additional information is available on The Chamber Web site. All volunteers must first attend an orientation session.

 


 

COMMUNITY CORNER

Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka Now Accepting Applications

Each year, approximately 40 adults who live and/or work in South Bend and Mishawaka receive training in leadership skills from Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka, an initiative of The Chamber. The goal of Leadership is for the participants to recognize the leader within and commit to a life of personal stewardship in the community. Many of our YPs have graduated and benefited greatly from this program.

Leadership is currently accepting applications for Class 35. The Adult Leadership program commences in early September and continues until the graduation ceremonies in May. Candidates must have the full support of the business or organization they represent. Tuition is $1,700 and is the responsibility of the sponsoring company or program participant. Applications for the 2008-2009 Class are due by June 5, 2008. For additional information, contact the Leadership office at 574.234.0051, ext. 383 or go to the Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka Web page.

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks
Fans will receive a free t-shirt at the South Bend Silver Hawks’ exhibition game against Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m. Opening Day is Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. against the West Michigan Whitecaps. Get your tickets by calling 574.235.9988, online at www.silverhawks.com or at the Cove box office.

Dyngus Day at the Westside Democratic and Civic Club
Have lunch plans on March 24? The Westside Democratic and Civic
Club at 617 S. Warren Street in South Bend will hold its annual Dyngus Day/Solidarity Day celebration with elected officials, candidates and other special guests. Although the official speeches begin around noon, it is advised that attendees arrive by at least 10:30 a.m. to get in, get a Polish sausage and find a seat. It is rumored that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could visit South Bend on Dyngus Day 2008, due to the growing impact that the Indiana Primaries will likely have on this election cycle. Visit www.indems.org/page/event/detail/jrk to sign-up in advance.

Connecting YPs with the Community
The Community Connection Team is actively pursuing incentive offers for YPs. Please contact team chair Allison Sell at allison.sell@bakerd.com if you know of any businesses who may be willing to support YPN through discounts, group events, etc. The team is focusing on nonprofit or community organizations, local businesses and the cultural/arts scene.

Dance for the Homeless
Dance for the Homeless is a 24-hour dance marathon fundraiser for The Center For the Homeless, in partnership with the Student Government Association of Indiana University South Bend. Several hundred dancers from across Michiana are expected to participate in the event being held April 19 – 20. Click here to learn more.



READING CORNER

Career Match
By Shoya Zichy with Ann Bidou 

Shoya Zichy, world-renowned speaker and career coach, has been featured in Fortune Magazine, Barron’s, Newsday, the Chicago Sun-Times, and on CNN.  She presented her trademarked personality model, Color Q, at the February 13 YPN event which was attended by over 80 YPs.

Her book, Career Match, walks readers through the Color Q personality model and explains how, out of four-color types, each person has a primary and secondary color. Here they are at a glance:
 

Greens
Strategic thinkers, empathetic, calming, bridge builders, draw the best out of people.
 

Reds
Spontaneous, constantly in motion, typically have a messy desk, concrete vocabulary and casual manner.

 

Blues
Curious, witty, competitive, like talking about ideas of the future and disregard what others think of them.

 

Golds

Organized, always have clean desks, like to follow policies and procedures, no frills type, skeptical and need recognition.

Once you take the profile to learn your color types, found inside the book, Career Match explains how to:

  • Identify other types and how to best communicate

  • Learn what type of career suits you best

  • Learn what type of work environment suits you best

  • Learn what type of boss you work best with

Finally, Career Match concludes by helping the reader create a customized road map for career success, with tips on interviewing, resumes and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

 

EVENTS

 


Thursday, March 27
Lunch 'N Learn: Career Assessment & Growth
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Crowe Chizek

Are you working in a position that is the perfect fit for you?

Attend this month's Lunch 'N Learn with speaker JoAnn Wittenbach of Crowe Chizek and learn how to assess job fit, ways to accelerate career growth and the attributes top employers are looking for.
LEARN MORE/REGISTER


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