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by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 13

Welcome to the first 2019 installment of the What a Thing Chronicles! I’m not going to talk about resolutions after all, but this post might help you in staying the course. This chapter is all about persistence, persistence, persistence. Recently, I watched an old episode of A&E’s Biography series. It was about writer Stephen King who grew up extremely poor. His father abandoned the family early on but left behind rejection slips from publishers. It seems that at some point King’s father wanted to be a writer. King asked his mother, Ruth (who was working three jobs at the time...
Motivation, What a Thing Chronicles
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 12

2018 is about to take a bow, but don’t worry! I’m not going to get all mushy on you with resolutions and affirmations… yet. It’s the holiday season. Of course, that means driving by homes that are literally lit, Magic 95.5 playing Christmas music 24/7, sales, sales, sales on sales, overeating, and holiday movies! I like Christmas movies because there’s always some element of magic, the impossible or unexpected – overt or covert. Remember that part in Home Alone when we see the neighbor reconnecting with his estranged son? Didn’t your heart just melt a little? Okay, what about when...
Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
New
by Navid Ladha

Pathways to Tech in Austin

It’s no surprise that tech is the fastest growing industry sector in Austin, comprising 14.1% of all jobs in Austin. Nationally, high tech accounts for 7.0% of all jobs. We know there are well paying and in-demand tech jobs available in Austin. However, it’s not always clear where to get started or which education program to pursue that will lead to that great job. We also know the destination helps, and it’s equally important (and slightly more difficult) to know where we are in relationship to where we want to be.  Fortunately, Austin has a wealth of programs and organizations that have...
Resources, Updates
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 9

My dearest Pelotonians, it’s Ashley, one of your loyal CCAs, here with Chapter 9 of the What a Thing Chronicles. We have about a week left of September (also known as Recruitember). From our numbers, we can tell that you’re hard at work telling your friends, family and co-workers about PelotonU. Personally, I have had two dreams where I’ve told people about PelotonU. The first was Angelina Jolie and the second was this family I side-swiped (in my dream, not real life!); my brakes never work in my dreams. That’s how deeply embedded PelotonU is in my subconscious.  Confession. I’ve never...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 8

It’s Ashley! I’m back by “popular” demand writing Chapter 8 of What a Thing. Many times when I write, I write to the students who have been in the game a while in hopes that newbies will glean motivation from my words. This time I want to talk to the newbies, especially those who recently started AO a month ago or even yesterday. There’s a section in the orientation when we go in depth about why we request that students spend 12 hours in the office. My favorite reason is that we all need a sacred space. If you’ve ever...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 7

Yep, you guessed it. It’s Ashley writing Chapter 7 of What a Thing. As you may know, we have a degree celebration coming up next week on Thursday, August 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Central site. Of course, the anticipation of this celebration started me to thinking. Remember when you were a kid, and everything you did – every poem, every painting from art class, every ribbon from little league –  merited display or celebration? Perhaps that’s something you do with your own child. I can remember when my cousin, who’s now a twentysomething with a son of her...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Holly Boerner

The PelotonU Playbook: This Only Applies if You’re Human

A few years ago I moved rather abruptly from Boston to Austin. I was sorting through the pieces of a breakup so rough that I hadn’t even told most of the people in my life I’d left Massachusetts. – Oops. One of those people, my friend Darcy, wrote me a couple letters that summer (yes, people DO still send snail mail!).  She called and texted a few times, too. Apparently, I never responded.   A few months later, she texted again – this time to ask if I was mad at her. “Hey Holly, I haven’t heard from you in a...
Motivation, PelotonU Playbook
by Holly Boerner

The PelotonU Playbook: Faster, Farther, Together – with Data

Faster, farther, together.  A peloton is a group of cyclists that rides close together to save energy.  PelotonU exists for our students to journey faster and further to their goals and degrees together, with the support of our PelotonU community). Student input and feedback on the program is an invaluable puzzle piece for us to work faster together, so we can go further.  We seek student voices informally, including in conversations about upcoming events, office culture, and ideas on new resources/curriculum.  We also involve students in the hiring process for new staff and invite students to share their experiences with...
PelotonU Playbook, Updates
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 6

Ashley, here, with Chapter 6 of the What a Thing Chronicles. Have you ever known, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you weren’t cut out for a particular job? That was me a couple weeks ago in the office, when I remarked that I never could have hacked it in the military. I’m terrible at getting up on time and being coherent. I scare super easily. I didn’t check my mail for a week because I saw a snake near my mailbox. I don’t like the heat, and I don’t like anything that feels like camping. That’s why I’m...
Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 5

Ashley, here, with Chapter 5 of the What a Thing Chronicles. I hopped on the phone last week to talk with a PelotonU partner- and our conversation stayed with me longer than most. In addition to being gracious via phone and email, she thanked me for doing the Lord’s work. The Lord’s Work. The comment caught me off guard, but more than anything, the comment humbled me. We here at PelotonU know that we do important work, but I’ve never thought of it in that context. Earning an education is a transformative experience – what you gain is far beyond what...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Ashley Nash

What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 4

Ashley, here, writing Chapter 4 of the What a Thing Chronicles. It’s graduation season! I always get a little sentimental around this time of year because I think of my graduation day, and those moments I will never forget, like my mom wearing her pearls and lipstick. If my mom wears pearls AND lipstick, y’all it’s special!  Enrolling in college was one of the best decisions I ever made. Earning my degree allowed me to make amazing memories, meet awesome people and visit exciting places. I’ve worked in higher ed for about a decade, and I hit my stride teaching...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Holly Boerner

The What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 3

Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky at PelotonU… Angelice earned her Associate’s of General Studies with a concentration in Business from Southern New Hampshire University’s College for America program! Angelice lights up any room she enters with her joyful personality and always greets her mentor with, “Hello, Sunshine!”  You may remember Angelice from Chapter 2 of the What A Thing Chronicles for earning Employee of the Year at her company, but her hard work and grit also earned her an AA in under 10 months!  She will be starting her Bachelor’s on 5/1 and looks forward to the additional...
Motivation, Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles