University Magazine Issue 3

TAKE ME OUT TO 

THE BALL GAME 

VIU STUDENTS ENJOY THE 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS GAME 

p. 36 

SELECTING THE 

BEST CAREER 

PATH p.10 

THE SUCCESS STRATEGY 

SUPERPOWER p.42 

WHY AMERICA IS STILL GREAT 

MISSION TO MARS p.58 

A ONE-WAY JOURNEY FOR HUMANKIND

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

VIU.EDU 

ONLINE.VIU.EDU 

TEST DRIVE A COURSE AT ONLINE.VIU.EDU 

HAVE LIMITED 

TIME TO STUDY? 

6 24 38 

THE MAN BEHIND THE VISION 

Dr. Isa Sarac is the man behind the success of Virginia 

International University which he founded 15 years 

ago, one in a series of successful establishments he 

has started. 

FEATURES 

BOOKS BILLIONAIRES READ 

We feature some of the seminal books that have 

impacted four billionaires of worldwide renown. The 

books themselves range in style from business and 

investment to military strategy, and even feature a novel. 

OPRAH: CREATE THE HIGHEST, 

GRANDEST VISION FOR YOUR LIFE 

GET YOUR DEGREE ONLINE. 

STUDY ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! 

As the world’s most powerful woman, and one of the 

most influential people of the 20th century, Oprah 

Winfrey left the Washington DC audience with tears of 

joy and powerful memories. 

FLEXIBLE 

8-WEEK 

SCHEDULE 

AFFORDABLE 

TUITION 

SCHOLARSHIP 

OPPORTUNITIES 

MOST TEXTBOOKS 

FOR NO ADDITIONAL 

CHARGE 

WEB: ONLINE.VIU.EDU 

EMAIL: INFO@ONLINE.VIU.EDU 

PHONE: +1.800.514.6848 

9 

10 

12 

VIU NAMED TOP 

WORKPLACE BY THE 

WASHINGTON POST 

FEATURED FACULTY 

SEMESTER AT SEA 

28 

32 

44 

EDUCATION DOES NOT 

HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE 

UNIVERSITY NEWS 

GREEN BUSINESS 

50 

52 

56 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF 

MOBILE COMPUTING 

2014 FIFA WORLD CUP 

GESTURES & 

BODY LANGUAGE 

VIU is accredited by ACICS and certified to operate in Virginia by the SCHEV. 

22 

TED TALKS 

THAT INSPIRE 

48 

SURVEILLANCE 

IN BUSINESS 

70 

HOW TO BE 

FINANCIALLY FEARLESS 

2 University Magazine, VIU Fall 2014 

Fall 2014 University Magazine, VIU 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR 

VIU.EDU 

30 35 

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 

Issue 3, 2014 

PRESIDENT 

Dr. Isa Sarac 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Katherine Magalif 

MANAGING DIRECTORS 

Ariunaa Dashtsogt 

Hilary Kozikowski 

Lucky to be free... 

64 

66 

AN AMERICAN DREAM 

Kelly, one of VIU’s Brazilian students, had her 

lifelong dream come true when she met with 

Guns N’ Roses. 

VIU FOSTERS GLOBAL ACADEMIC 

COLLABORATIONS 

To fulfill its educational mission, VIU fosters 

academic collaborations with universities all over 

the world: in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, 

and the Americas. 

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 

Emily Leighty 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Dr. Stephen Onu Camilla Nunes 

Dr. Joseph Huber Ying Prinyaruk 

Dr. Klara Bilgin 

D. Khishigdelger 

Dr. Andy Yao 

Ibrahim Elnems 

Dr. Jillian Wendt Quazi Tushar 

Dr. Michael Ross Faria Islam 

Dr. Marietta Bradinova Christina L. Koonts 

Dr. Mark Robinson Ana Serrano 

Dr. Ahmed Alwani Ertem Mutlu 

Amit Gambhir 

Stephan Shelley 

Anne Thomas 

Prashish Shrestha 

DESIGNER 

Jessica Michael 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Mahesh Rednam 

Piyawut Kidmungtangdee 

Ariunaa Dashtsogt 

Melanie Ng 

EDITORIAL OFFICE 

4401 Village Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 

Phone: 703-591-7042 | Fax: 703-591-7048 

For advertising and distribution, please 

contact magazine@viu.edu 

Dear Readers, 

Recently, I had the privilege of traveling to France, Germany, and Canada. As I talked 

to young people there, what struck me most was that so many of them shared the same 

dream of studying in America. Here at VIU we are so lucky. Lucky to be getting a great 

education. Lucky to be meeting peers, professors, and staff from over 100 countries. Lucky 

to be free to share our cultures and express our views. We have so many opportunities to 

study, build our careers, have new experiences, and, in the process, to discover ourselves 

and change the world. 

In every issue of University Magazine, we feature stories that are relevant to you - about our 

society, business, education and technology. And, of course, we highlight our students. In 

this issue, our regular “Day in the Life” series (p. 16) got a special upgrade: four students 

shared their experience of life with an American family. We examined the history of the 

most cutting edge technology (“Mobile Computing,” p. 30). We even explored the next great 

leap for humankind – plans for a potential settlement on Mars (p. 58). I hope you get the 

chance to read one of my favorite stories, an in-depth interview with VIU’s president to get a 

glimpse of the real man behind the vision (p. 6). And, finally, if there is only one article you 

read in this entire issue, let it be, “Lessons from Oprah’s The Life You Want” (p. 38) to learn 

the most important lesson of all – your being here matters. 

Happy reading! 

ONLINE LEARNING 

Get the latest tips and tricks for success in the 

online classroom. 

UK VS USA 

What’s the difference between a European and 

American Education? Find out from VIU’s own 

Mahesh Rednam. 

A NOTE TO READERS 

The views expressed in the articles are 

the authors’ and not necessarily those of 

University Magazine or Virginia International 

University. No part of this publication may 

be reproduced or transmitted in any form 

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, 

including photo copy, recording, or any 

information storage and retrieval system, 

without written permission. 

Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. 

Virginia International University. 

Printed in the USA. 

Katherine Magalif 

Editor-in-Chief 


Fall 2014 University Magazine, VIU 

5

VIU.EDU 

KATHERINE MAGALIF 

escribed as a visionary by 

D 

his peers, Dr. Isa Sarac is 

the man behind the success 

of Virginia International 

University which he 

founded 15 years ago, one 

in a series of successful 

establishments he has 

started. What began as a tiny university 

with one building, one degree program, and 

a handful of students in Fairfax, Virginia has 

now expanded to over twenty-five cutting 

edge programs, including an online school, 

offering graduate and undergraduate degrees 

and certificates to thousands of students 

from every continent. But beyond his strong 

leadership and unwavering dedication 

to promoting education to students from 

around the globe, who is Dr. Isa Sarac? We 

had a chance to sit down with him to get the 

real picture of the passionate personality of 

VIU’s president. 

UM: VIU IS NOT THE FIRST 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION YOU 

FOUNDED. WHAT MADE YOU WANT 

TO ESTABLISH UNIVERSITIES? 

My interest began in my sophomore year 

at university. In order to enter a university 

[in Turkey], you need to pass national 

university entrance exams, which are quite 

difficult and require long-term preparation. 

When you review all your high school 

knowledge at the same time, you need to 

perfect your test techniques and problemsolving 

skills. So, a few of my roommates 

and I started helping the neighborhood 

kids prepare for their exams – teaching 

them, advising, providing extra tutoring. 

My major was mathematics, so I tutored 

the kids in math. The number of students 

got bigger and bigger, so we opened a small 

test prep center – like what we have here 

in the US for GMAT or GRE. This was 

my first step into the education business. 

Initially, the center was just a few rooms 

under a mosque. After a couple of years, 

we rented a whole floor and soon after, an 

entire building. In six months at the center, 

the students learned more than in three 

years of high school! Shortly thereafter I 

served as a visiting scholar at the University 

of Warwick in the United Kingdom, and 

after completing my tenure I moved to 

London and started a language school and 

two year college. The college quickly grew 

and we wanted to expand it into a four year 

institution, but there was just too much “red 

tape” in those days for private educational 

institutions in the UK. My colleagues and 

I decided instead to open an institution in 

the United States. After research on the best 

locations and educational environment, 

VIU was born in the Washington, DC 

area of the US, where we continue to serve 

students, both American and international. 

UM: WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE 

WHEN YOU GREW UP? 

When I was growing up, the most popular 

and prestigious profession was that of a 

medical doctor. Especially when friends or 

loved ones would get sick, I always wanted 

to help, and, at the time, it was my dream 

to become a doctor. But in school, I started 

studying math, loved it, and eventually 

became a math professor and businessman. 

UM: WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST CAREER 

INSPIRATION AND WHY? 

I have many great role models in business, 

in education, and in faith. But they are 

all equally important to me – I would 

the best charity is to educate and 

share your knowledge with others 

not be able to choose among them. 

My first inspiration came from my 

mathematical analysis professor, Fahrettin 

Akbulut, who always advised me to 

set high goals and work towards them. 

My other inspiration is a religious leader, 

Fethullah Gülen, who always spoke of the 

importance of altruism and thinking of 

others, giving to others before yourself. 

He said that teaching someone and giving 

your time is the best way to help. Therefore, 

the best charity is to educate, to share your 

knowledge with others. 

UM: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE 

YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? 

One of my teachers said to me, “If you can 

do something, promise, but be sure you 

can keep your promises. Do not promise 

anything unless you are sure you can 

deliver on it.” 

UM: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER 

SOMEONE WHO IS STARTING A NEW 

BUSINESS VENTURE? 

You have to be charismatic, to have people 

follow you, be sure of your vision, and be 

sure they are behind you. You must work 

more than others, think more than others, 

and truly lead your team. There will be many 

things to complete before you start your 

venture, but do not wait for your whole list 

to be checked off before starting. There is 

no completely perfect time to start. Once 

you have set your mind on something, 

take that risk. After all, no risk means no 

reward! Another important thing is to 

follow your interests. I see many young 

people doing something just because it is 

considered profitable or important, but if 

you do not actually care about what you are 

doing, you are not succeeding. So choose 

something you love. Finally, if you don’t 

find the right core team, don’t start your 

business. You cannot be good at everything, 

and the people who will be starting the 

business with you should complement your 

strengths and weaknesses and be dedicated 

to the venture. 

UM: SO, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR 

ADVICE TO YOUNG ADULTS, 

ESPECIALLY STUDENTS? 

First, prioritize your duties based on their 

importance to your studies and career. 

Second, manage your time and evaluate 

your results. Without seeing them, you 

cannot accurately measure productivity. 

Sometimes, we hesitate to spend just 

a small amount of money or time on 

something we don’t consider necessary, 

but then spend valuable hours doing 

unimportant tasks. Remember that your 

time is just as important. 


7

PEOPLE WE LOVE 

VIU.EDU 

UM: WHAT ARE SOME NEW 

DEVELOPMENTS AT VIU AND WHERE 

DO YOU SEE THE UNIVERSITY IN 10 

YEARS? 

You can see through our new building 

that there are many new advances: 

physical facilities, classrooms, offices, and 

labs. We have successfully held a major 

international conference on education, 

future careers. And we can see all these 

efforts paying off, with VIU alumni taking 

on leadership roles in many prominent 

companies and international institutions 

such as IBM, Apple, Google, Ernst & Young, 

the World Bank, the International Monetary 

Fund, and so many others. In 10 years, I 

see VIU having 15,000 students from 150 

countries, 15 different schools, and 1,000 

employees. Does that sound reasonable? 

to share best practices in curriculum and 

management. Therefore, we visit several 

institutions and invite partner institutions 

to visit us here at VIU, every year. 

UM: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? 

Good question! I immediately think of 

VIU. If the students and the staff are 

happy, then I am happy, too. We all share 

one mission. We believe in our mission. 

DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS 

DAVAADULAM KHISHIGDELGER 

The dedicated staff and the students and alumni from 

over 100 different countries. They are the reason for 

our growth, our success – it is that simple. 

which has now become an annual event 

hosted by VIU’s School of Education. The 

School of Business, the School of Computer 

Information Systems, and the School of 

Public and International Affairs will also 

be hosting major conferences in the next 

year. As we continue our exponential 

growth, we are better able to give back 

to our community, providing more 

scholarships to our students, collaborating 

with several multinational organizations 

and government institutions to place our 

students in internships valuable to their 

UM: YOU VISITED SEVERAL 

ASIAN COUNTRIES LAST YEAR 

AND SEVERAL CITIES IN BRAZIL 

THIS YEAR. IS THIS PART OF VIU’S 

GROWTH STRATEGY? 

As VIU continues its rapid growth, many 

international universities are interested in 

collaboration with us, and we are trying to 

respond to them as quickly as we can. 

Meeting with the Deans and Rectors of 

universities abroad allows us to discuss 

student and faculty exchange, as well as 

DR. ISA SARAC ENJOYS A WALK THROUGH WASHINGTON, DC WITH SOME OF HIS EXECUTIVES 

As a non-profit institution in higher 

learning, we believe that education must 

be affordable for all those who wish to 

study. VIU is a university committed to 

its students and its quality of education, 

which brings us success year after year. 

UM: AS VIU CELEBRATES ITS 15- 

YEAR ANNIVERSARY, WHAT DO 

YOU THINK IS VIU’S BIGGEST 

ACCOMPLISHMENT? 

The dedicated staff, students, and alumni 

from over 100 different countries. They are 

the reason for our growth, our success – it 

is that simple. Also, the local community 

in America – the business leaders, 

government officials, and neighbors who 

welcomed VIU from its beginning and 

continue to support it today. I am also 

thankful to family, friends, and America 

for making this vision into a reality. 

Dr. Sarac truly cares about people, especially 

those closest to him: his team, his staff and 

faculty, and students. He is not concerned 

with leaving his name for posterity or 

achieving greatness. And that care shows 

through in all of VIU. 

DR. SARAC WITH H.E. AMBASSADOR HEM HENG OF CAMBODIA 

In order to promote intercultural 

educational cooperation, Virginia 

International University’s president, 

deans, and staff have been visiting 

the embassies in Washington, DC. 

So far, they have visited with 35 

countries’ representatives, meeting 

with their ambassadors and cultural 

and educational attachés. The goals 

of these visits are to introduce VIU 

to foreign countries, to establish 

educational relations with them, to 

create awareness about what VIU 

can offer to those countries, to seek 

collaboration options with them, 

and to invite their ambassadors 

and embassy staff to speak at VIU. 

Recently, Dr. Sarac paid visits 

to the embassies of Bosnia and 

Herzegovina, the Kingdom of 

Cambodia, the Republic of Lithuania, 

the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, 

the Slovak Republic, and Ukraine 

to meet with their ambassadors. 

Furthermore, some of the VIU 

faculty and staff have met with 

ambassadors and attachés of the 

embassies of the Commonwealth 

of Australia, Canada, the Czech 

Republic, the Republic of Ecuador, 

the Republic of Finland, the Italian 

Republic, Japan, the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the 

Republic of Malta, the Republic 

of Moldova, New Zealand, the 

Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of 

Poland, the Russian Federation, the 

Republic of Slovenia, the Kingdom 

of Spain, the Democratic Republic 

of Timor-Leste, and the Socialist 

Republic of Vietnam. 

VIRGINIA 

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 

NAMED TOP WORKPLACE 

BY THE WASHINGTON POST 

CHRISTINA KOONTS 

On June 22, 2014, The Washington Post 

published their list of Best Workplaces. This 

list is published annually in the Washington, 

DC metropolitan area and is based on 

many factors, emphasizing surveys of the 

employees within an organization. Virginia 

International University was ranked #48 

overall among the top workplaces of 2014, 

and was one of only two institutions of 

higher education in the rankings. 

Some of the contributing factors to VIU’s 

success in achieving recognition among the 

Top Workplaces and the Best Workplaces 

for Commuters awards are the flexible 

employee schedules, generous benefits, and 

diversity among staff. At VIU, alternative work 

schedules are permitted to accommodate the 

traffic patterns around the DC metro area. 

Additionally, VIU offers an excellent 

benefits package to employees, covering 

the bulk of the cost of health, dental, and 

vision insurance along with a generous 

portion of time-off throughout the year. 

What makes the institution unique is the 

diversity among staff and students, where 

you can speak to individuals from over 100 

countries and six continents! 



PEOPLE WE LOVE 

VIU.EDU 

FEATURED 

FACULTY 

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS 

SALMAN QURESHI 

“Although I have taught at many international universities, the kind of diversity I come across 

here at VIU is amazing. To teach online students with such diversified backgrounds and 

values has been a challenginging and rewarding experience. Distance learning requires a lot 

of emotional intelligence on the part of the instructor. Online instructors must always have 

empathy for the students and, at the same time, be flexible enough to adjust to the needs and 

requirements of students within the framework. I am humbled and honored to be part of this 

diverse community.” 

Professor Qureshi is an IT and supply chain professional with more than 24 years of experience in 

both teaching and managing technology in multinationals and the federal government. He is a 

certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Informational Technology Infrastructure Library 

(ITIL) Professional, and Six Sigma Professional. 

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 

BEATA McBRIDE 

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 

DR. JOHN KORNACKI 

“I am delighted to join the faculty and to share my experience with and 

understanding of domestic political and governmental institutions with the 

international community of students at VIU. My goal is to help students 

examine and explore the policy processes and decision-making structures 

shaping the direction of communities, states, and nations. I believe students 

need this understanding to be effective public sector and nonprofit leaders 

as well as scholars. VIU ensures a world-wide perspective given its mission, 

its diverse faculty, and its global student body.” 

Over his 30 year career, Dr. Kornacki has worked in both the public and private 

non-profit sectors, having served as a professional staff member in the United 

States Congress, a director for a private research center, and a program officer 

for an international philanthropic foundation. 

SCHOOL OF 

EDUCATION 

DR. GRACIA 

GOTHARD 

HOLMAN 

“I have explored 

the global world of 

learning communities 

and researched online 

education as the future 

of how education will 

be. When I was offered the opportunity to create online 

courses for the School of Education and the new Master of 

Education program at Virginia International University, 

I was more than thrilled. The university offered me a 

diversified learning community, a means to interact 

with students across 100 countries. This also allowed 

me to pursue my philosophy that learning should not 

be confined to the formal instruction of the tradition 

classroom. Thank you, VIU, for this amazing opportunity.” 

Dr. Holman has lived, studied, and worked abroad in Costa Rica 

and Honduras and has taught at all levels, including K-12 and at 

the university level. She was nominated to “Who’s Who Among 

America’s Teachers” and has led staff development courses, presented 

at the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG), 

and served as Volunteer Liaison, New Teacher Mentor, and Language 

Arts Support Strategist. 

“The reason I’ve been at VIU for over four years is the students and my colleagues. To 

begin with, the students have the singular inner drive and determination to reach their 

ambitious educational and professional goals. And, even more importantly, their plans 

encompass a vision not only to better themselves, but also to benefit their communities 

upon their return to their home countries. How not to get inspired by that? Another 

reason I love working here is having a wonderfully supportive group of colleagues. 

They’re here to share their expertise, offer support, and collaborate, always with an eye 

to doing the best by our students. I could not ask for more!” 

Beata McBride holds a master’s degree in TESOL from Seattle Pacific University. Her teaching experience 

includes teaching TOEFL test preparation, academic English, and business English in the US and 

in the Netherlands. She is passionate about helping her students reach their goals. 

SCHOOL OF ONLINE 

EDUCATION 

MANUEL MEDRANO 

“VIU is a unique place to teach because it is such 

a diverse campus that not only allows instructors 

to teach but also to learn from students and their 

different traditions. I believe this brings extra 

energy to the classroom. Having been a parttime 

faculty for almost 10 years, my teaching 

styles include hands on activities and emphasize project management to meet the 

workforce needs.” 

Manuel Medrano is an Information Technology (IT) professional with more than five years of 

experience using various technologies like Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, Hyper-V, Windows 

Server 2003 and 2008, project management, and implementing and managing enterprise systems. 

He has served in many industries including state, city, and federal government agencies. 

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 

DR. JOSEPH HUBER 

“I am a strong advocate of bringing the real 

world to the classroom. I accomplish that 

by relating business theories and concepts 

to current global developments. I like to 

challenge my students by encouraging 

them to participate in classroom discussion 

and allowing them to express their opinions 

on the issues. People are a sum of all of their 

experiences, and I encourage students to 

share their personal stories so the entire 

classroom can learn as a whole. My goal is 

to facilitate learning that enables students 

the opportunities to effectively compete and 

excel in the global business environment.” 

Dr. Huber holds a Doctor of Philosophy in 

Education with an emphasis on Training and 

Performance Improvement from Capella 

University. He has served over 29 years in the 

US Army and currently serves on active duty as 

a Lieutenant Colonel on the Department of the 

Army Headquarters staff at the Pentagon. 



FACULTY SPOTLIGHT 

VIU.EDU 

n a cloudy afternoon 

in January 2014, 600 

college students from 

around the world 

gathered near the port 

of Santiago, Chile to 

embark on the journey 

of a lifetime. These 

students were about to step foot aboard 

the MV Explorer, a 590 foot, 25,000 ton 

ship for the next 120 days. This ship would 

serve as their resident hall and classroom 

as they set out to complete an academic 

semester entirely on board a ship while 

traveling around the world. VIU’s very 

own School of Business professor Dr. 

Chandra Ranade was an integral part 

of the team, serving as an economics 

professor aboard the ship. “We taught 

economics, religion, politics, and how 

each of these aspects help shape a country. 

What’s fascinating was the fact that as we 

were giving lectures about it, our ship was 

actually traveling to that country. The 

experience of being able to look at that 

country not through a map in the confines 

of a classroom, but to actually be near that 

country and move around amongst the 

region’s people and to mix with the culture 

was such a dramatic experience,” said Dr. 

Ranade. Over a span of four months, the 

ship sailed from Japan, through the dense 

forest of the Amazon River, around the 

coast of India and across the gigantic 

Pacific, to Iceland and then Mauritius, 

circumnavigating the globe, fulfilling the 

purpose of building the insight necessary 

for understanding our increasingly 

complex and interdependent world. Most 

often the students aboard the ship could 

be found on the decks or staring out cabin 

windows awestruck, as they often awoke 

to new countries and new experiences. 

The ship, which holds up to 836 passengers, 

is one of the fastest of its kind. “One 

morning students woke to find the ship had 

docked in a small coconut port in the Ivory 

Coast. The previous morning the ship was 

near the sand dunes of Liberia almost 270 

miles away!” Dr. Ranade recalled. 

While he was teaching classes at VIU the 

semester prior to his trip, Dr. Ranade 

learned a lot about different countries and 

most often the students aboard the ship could be found on the decks 

or staring out cabin windows awestruck, as they often awoke to 

new countries and new experiences 

Like the students, Dr. Ranade was also 

fascinated by the sights. However, his 

classroom experiences with VIU students 

prepared him for the sights he would see. 

their cultures through the diversified range 

of nationalities of VIU students. “Weeks 

before the trip, VIU students kept coming 

to me with such interesting insights about 

their own countries. I was 

amazed and while I and 

a pack of 600 American 

students visited those places 

for ourselves, I could easily 

identify things I had heard 

and things they told me 

that I would see. One of 

my Burmese students at 

VIU talked about pagodas. 

In Burma, and when I was 

actually there, I was amazed 

at the details she provided 

about myriads of pagodas 

A student body across the 

globe helped me realize 

that we now truly live in a 

universal community.” 

Virginia international UniVersity 

The idea which 

kepT many 

philosophers, 

Theologians, 

and scienTisTs 

awake aT nighT 

for cenTuries 

was To discover 

The relaTionship 

beTween religion 

and The naTural and 

social sciences. 

Join us for the distinguished 

scholars monthly lecture series. 

starting fall 2014. 

4401 Village Drive, 

Fairfax, VA 22030 

iis.viu.edu 

1-800-514-6848 info@viu.edu 


HIGHER EDUCATION 

VIU.EDU 

SELECTING 

THE BEST 

CAREER 

PATH: 

Many years ago, when attempting to decide the exact area in which 

I would invest my financial resources, efforts, and time, I remember 

consulting with several experts, professors, and human resource 

officers in my efforts to determine the best degree and career choice. 

After spending a great deal of time searching for the answer to this 

very old but very important question, I stumbled onto a phenomenal 

resource known as the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Published 

by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Occupational Outlook 

Handbook provides detailed information for hundreds of jobs 

regarding the nature of the work, working conditions, the training 

and education requirements, potential earnings, and career outlook 

in terms of growth and demand. The detailed contents found in 

this resource ultimately assisted me in making the correct career 

decision. 

In its 2014 assessment of occupations with the most future job 

growth, the Occupational Outlook Handbook ranks the careers 

in the following areas as the most likely to experience significant 

growth: medical field, service industry, sales, management analyst, 

book keeping and auditors, childcare and elementary school teachers, 

building and construction industries, and domestic and food services. 

THE SUCCESS 

STRATEGY 

THERE ARE MORE DEGREES, 

JOB TITLES, AND POSITIONS 

THROUGHOUT ALL INDUSTRIES 

NOW THAN EVER BEFORE... 

DR. MICHAEL ROSS 

s careers come and go and 

A 

trends realize peaks and 

valleys, it can be difficult 

to determine exactly what 

career or occupation is the 

best option for the long haul. 

As an educator, university professor, and 

now dean, I am constantly being asked by 

students, “How should I decide in what 

field or major to pursue a degree?” In my 

efforts to assist students with this critical 

decision, I have developed the following 

five questions which I recommend each 

person ask him or herself while going 

through this process: 

1. What do I enjoy? 

2. What are my natural gifts and 

talents? 

3. What quality of life am I 

interested in living? 

4. How long do I plan on working 

in this particular career? 

5. How far am I willing to go to 

earn the career of my choice? 

I believe these are five critical questions 

questions each individual must answer. 

As we examine each of these questions 

individually, it is possible to realize the 

importance of each question and how 

they must be considered independently as 

well as collaboratively. For example, when 

you ask many young people what they 

enjoy doing, their responses often include 

“hanging out with friends or socializing,” 

activities which people typically don’t get 

paid for performing. However, when you 

ask them question three (what quality of 

life they are interested in living), their 

responses may consist of “living 

ARIUNAA DASHTSOGT 

large, having a big home, fancy cars, and expensive designer 

clothing.” 

These two questions viewed independently may work, but, 

when viewed collectively, there is little, if any, possibility of this 

being a viable career path – unless the answer to question two 

(What are my natural gifts and talents?), reflects something 

similar to “I am an excellent people person, I know how to 

ask great questions, I am intuitive and know what issues are 

important to people, I understand branding and how to create 

a name for myself.” The person who has these types of natural 

gifts and talents and recognizes these gifts and has others who 

recognize these gifts and talents might have what it takes to 

be the next Oprah Winfrey. This may definitely be the case 

depending on their answer to question five! 

Additional advice I offer to those exploring their career options is to 

consider any career choice they make as temporary or short-term and 

not as a lifetime commitment. Choose a career you could be happy 

with for the next five years. Careers today have proven to be more 

fluid than ever. The average length of time a person spends on any one 

job is 48 months as opposed to 30 years prior when the average career 

typically spanned over 20-30 years. Ours is now a time where we are 

changing jobs and career paths more than ever. Perhaps even more 

interesting as well as unpredictable are the unique academic and work 

experience backgrounds employers are seeking in many areas. There 

are more degrees, job titles, and positions throughout all industries 

now than ever before and the path to many of these positions is often 

not as direct as one might think, expect, or even prefer. So be prepared 

for change in your career path no matter what path you choose. 

In closing, I feel the most important advice I can offer anyone on 

the topic of choosing a career is probably the same advice I would 

offer anyone on making any major decision, which is, any decision 

you make is only as good as the information you have to make that 

decision. As you attempt to select the best career for you, research 

the position, the companies which offer the positions, the educational 

institutions training for the positions, the people who teach in the 

educational programs, the people currently working in the positions, 

the career track itself, and everything related to that position. When 

choosing your career path no amount of information is too much. After 

all, we are only talking about your career. 


VIU.EDU 

A Day in the Life 

of V IU Students 

HILARY KOZIKOWSKI 

Despite coming from different countries, Ahmed, Ankush, 

Adriana, and Bulgantamir became not just classmates but also 

friends. A few months back, they all packed their bags in order 

to fulfill a lifelong dream of earning an American education at 

VIU. Saudi Arabia, India, Columbia, and Mongolia are their 

home countries. In attempting to display how our students 

spend their days together, we had a chance to join them for a 

day in their lives. It was beyond anything we could imagine, 

full of fun and surprises. 



17

A DAY DAY IN IN THE THE LIFE LIFE 

VIU.EDU 

AMERICAN FAMILY 

EXPERIENCE: 

“This is what I really wanted.” 

In an effort to help students adapt to 

American culture, VIU immersed them 

in the life of an average American family. 

Spending one day at local homes with 

their peers, our students gain a deeper 

understanding of American culture and 

values. While visiting American families, 

students share their own cultures and 

discover new things about themselves. 

The families, too, offer guidance in 

helping international students transition 

to life in the United States, the main goal 

of our project. 

Kathi Awajan, one of the loveliest and 

kindest people on earth, is the hostess 

that welcomed our students into her 

home. She is a full-time homemaker, 

great-grandmother, gardener, wife, and 

cook. When we visited her home, which is 

located only a few miles away from VIU’s 

main campus, Kathi had already prepared 

American food with ingredients straight 

from her garden. She excels in gardening; 

her townhouse is surrounded by beautiful 

flowers, and she also grows vegetables. 

There is almost no space in her back yard; 

we could see many vegetables and fruits, 

such as melons, tomatoes, strawberries, 

and cucumbers, growing. Kathi shared 

with students how she takes care of her 

garden, and they were excited to learn and 

experience this with an American family. 

“This is what I really wanted when I came 

to America,” Adrianna said. 

FOND MEMORIES: 

FIRST ARRIVAL IN 

THE USA 

One of the funniest things we heard 

was our students’ first memories of 

coming to America. We couldn’t hold 

in our laughter while listening to each 

other’s stories of the beginning of our 

American dreams. 

For Ahmed Abdulwahab Almalki, the 

weather in the US was the biggest surprise. “I 

came from Saudi Arabia to Washington, DC 

in January when the weather was -20° Celsius. 

I walked outside of the airport to breathe my 

first breath of American air and I immediately 

cringed and walked right back inside. I had 

never experienced such cold temperatures in 

my life!” 

Adriana Buenaventura Martinez from 

Colombia also had never encountered such 

cold temperatures. “My country is located on 

the equator, so we only have one season. I like 

living in Virginia because I get to experience 

all four seasons with all different kinds of 

weather.” 

Ankush Kanhyalal Agrawal also had a similar 

experience arriving in New York in the bitter 

cold of winter. He celebrated New Year’s 

Eve on his flight to America and landed on 

New Year’s Day. “Coming from India, I had 

never seen snow. I got to experience my first 

snowfall when I came to the US. I posted 

pictures on my Facebook, and all my friends 

back in India thought I was crazy for moving 

somewhere so cold.” 

Bulgantamir Ikhbayar however, was used to the 

cold weather coming from Mongolia, where 

the average temperature is -20 degrees Celsius 

around the winter season. She was shocked to 

learn about how unprepared Americans are 

for snowstorms. “In Virginia if it snows one or 

two inches the schools close, but in Mongolia 

we still walk to school during blizzards with 

more than a foot of snow. I learned this the 

hard way when I walked from my apartment 

to VIU’s campus in the snow during my first 

week of classes. When I arrived I discovered 

the classes were cancelled due to the snow, and 

I was the only one who showed up!” 

“THIS WAS MY 

FIRST TIME VISITING 

AN AMERICAN 

FAMILY AND 

MY FIRST BITE 

OF HOMEMADE 

AMERICAN FOOD. 

I AM GRATEFUL 

FOR THE 

EXPERIENCE.” 

SKY-DIVING AT 67: 

“If President George H. Bush did in his 80s, why not?” 

One of the most exciting and surprising things Kathi shared was 

a video of her recent sky-diving adventure. She is 67, and, again, a 

great-grandmother, which completely shocked our students! The 

dive took place in Phoenix, Arizona while Kathi was visiting her 

close friend. Some of the students were excited to hear of Kathi’s 

experience flying 10,000 feet in the air; in contrast, some of them 

were not sure if they could do what she did. 

Kathi said her husband, who is from Jordan, and her greatgrandson 

were the ones who encouraged her to take the dive. “I 

figured if President George H. Bush did it in his 80s, why not? If 

he can do it, so can I,” joked Kathi. She says that sky diving was 

one of the best experiences of her life and she is ready to do it 

again. 

In addition to American cooking and gardening, Kathi introduced 

the students to her family’s four cats. Her cats range in age from 

two to 19 years old and it is clear that they are her babies. Kathi 

spoils one of them by feeding her baby food on a spoon. 

At the end of the day, our students left with a greater 

understanding of and appreciation for American life. 

“This was my first time visiting an American family 

and my first bite of homemade American food. I am 

grateful for the experience,” says Ahmed. Students 

weren’t the only ones who benefited from the day’s 

events. “What I love about living in the Washington, DC 

area is I am able to gain international experience without leaving 

America! I have close neighbors from Thailand, Korea, and 

Nepal. And today, I learned about so many new cultures from 

these students. It was an invaluable experience,” Kathi added. 

A TYPICAL DAY: 

STUDIES & LAUGHTER 

Besides visiting Kathi, the four friends showed us a typical day 

in their lives, from studying outside on a nice day, to grabbing a quick 

coffee at Starbucks and even shopping for new phones. The four 

embody the typical VIU student – funny, interesting, kind, and 

always interested in learning about new cultures. 



PEOPLE & PLACES 

VIU.EDU 

“VIU IS ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS BECAUSE IT IS WHERE 

OUR STORY BEGAN AND WHERE WE FOUND THE LOVE 

OF OUR LIVES IN EACH OTHER. AFTER GRADUATING 

Astana [in 1999] as a small provincial town 

FROM VIU, WE MOVED TO BRAZIL AND OPENED AN 

BY EMILY LEIGHTY 

ONLINE STORE. VIU DEFINITELY HELPED US PREPARE 

TO TAKE ON THIS ROLE. WE OWE MUCH TO OUR 

PROFESSORS, ESPECIALLY DR. ONU, WHO HAS INSPIRED 

US A LOT! WE MADE BEST FRIENDS FROM ALL AROUND 

THE WORLD AND STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM!” 

Astana [in 2014] as a sprawling financial capital 

KONSTANTIN MIN 

hen I first came to the US and 

especially VIU, I was a totally 

different person. For the first 

three months, I missed my 

home, parents, and friends. 

This is my last year at VIU, and when I look 

back, I can see how the university became 

part of me, and the wonderful memories of 

VIU will stay with me no matter where I go. 

Originally, I am from Kazakhstan in 

Central Asia. My background is Korean 

and my native languages are Kazakh and 

Russian. Kazakhstan is a very multinational 

country: you can see Kazakhs, Russians, 

Germans, Uyghurs, Chechens, Ukrainians, 

and Koreans sitting next to each other 

at a wedding or any other event. That is 

why for me it was very easy to accept and 

understand different cultures in the US. 

Although Kazakhstan’s population is only 

17 million people, it is the ninth largest 

country by territory. We are still developing, 

but even now, because of the natural 

resources, the country is able to take a 

meaningful part in regional development. 

Our pride is our capital city, Astana. 

Our president has built the city from 

scratch. Before, the capital was a 

different city, but the government 

decided that we have to build a new 

city, the symbol of a young, prosperous, 

and independent country. You can see 

the amazing change in just over a decade. 

Kazakhstan received independence in 

1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

The capital was changed in 1999. 

Originally from Russia and Brazil, Kris and Felipe found each 

other in 2009 while studying at VIU. After graduation, they 

moved to Brazil and had their wedding right before the World 

Cup 2014. Prior to founding their private business, Kris worked 

in a mining software company as a marketing manager, and 

Felipe works for Tenco as a strategic financial planner. 

“Even though we come from different cultures, we 

have a lot in common. As time goes by, we 

learn more from each other,” Felipe says. 



Life Lessons: 

that Inspire. 

FARIA ISLAM 

echnology, Education, Design (TED) is a non-profit devoted to spreading 

ideas in the form of short, powerful talks of 18 minutes or less by some of the 

most successful people in their fields. The talks range in topic from molecular 

biology to education, technology, and happiness. TED has now grown into a 

movement that has provided countless people around the world with inspiration 

and guidance, and I want to share some lessons I learned with my fellow contemporaries. 

As a MBA student myself, I think these lessons will be especially helpful to people in their 20’s. 

You may find all these talks and more on the TED websites. 

1. BE HONEST 

We learn best by being honest with 

ourselves and in our relationships. Dan 

Gilbert explained the topic when he gave 

a speech about “The Surprising Secret of 

Happiness.” Being honest supports us by 

enabling our abilities to see our positions in 

society and can develop a unique sense of 

freedom. 

2. STOP COMPLAINING 

If you see something wrong, take 

responsibility instead of complaining. Your 

new attitude can change society as well as 

your life. Nowhere is this truer than in the 

story of artist Willard Wigan, 

who, in his “Hold Your Breath 

for Microsculpture” talk speaks 

of being called “nothing” as a 

child. Instead of complaining, 

Wigan turned his talent for 

seeing the little things into 

something that is now called 

the eighth wonder of the world, 

as his magnificent sculptures fit 

inside the eye of a needle! 

3. TAKE CHANCES 

Pushing the boundaries of what’s 

familiar and comfortable and 

taking a chance on something new leads 

to life-changing experiences which can 

then change other people’s lives for the 

better, says Ethan Nguyen in his TEDx Talk 

“On Taking Chances and Pushing Back 

Against Poverty.” He uses his own story as 

an example, overcoming a poor immigrant 

background to attend a great college and 

then going on to help other communities 

overcome poverty. 

4. FACE YOUR FEARS 

If you’re afraid of public speaking, join 

the Toastmasters Club; if you’re scared of 

heights, try skydiving. Facing small fears 

will make you a bolder and braver person 

in all other aspects of your life. Several of 

the speakers talked about the importance of 

tackling their fears head-on and discovering 

their own power in the process. 

5. DO WHAT YOU LOVE 

If you spend your time doing things you’re 

not good at, it’ll lead to frustration and 

cause you to feel defeated and unsuccessful. 

Bestselling author of Eat. Pray. Love., 

Elizabeth Gilbert, spoke about finding 

one’s passion in “Nurturing Your Creative 

Genius,” where she advised that instead of 

feeling defeated, we should do something 

of our own choice. 

6. BE VULNERABLE 

Research professor Brené Brown speaks about 

“The Power of Vulnerability.” According to 

her investigation, vulnerable people tend 

to be more courageous in accepting their 

imperfections and compassionate and kinder 

to themselves and others. Being vulnerable 

means being strong in showing emotion, 

taking responsibility spontaneously, and 

loving unconditionally. 

7. CHOOSE FRIENDS WISELY 

Our friend circle defines who we are, as 

they have a huge influence in our life. Be 

friends with those who support your selfimage, 

your values, and help you grow as 

human beings. Psycho-economist Sheena 

Iyengar talks about how we make decisions 

and how those choices affect our lives in 

“The Art of Choosing.” 

8. FOCUS ON GESTURES 

Our personalities are being judged based 

on our gestures and body language. 

Make your presence remembered by 

showing confidence, being enthusiastic, 

and captivating others’ attention. Awardwinning 

social psychologist Amy Cuddy, 

in her talk “Your Body Language Shapes 

Who You Are,” shares the science behind the 

power pose – how standing in a posture of 

confidence even when we don’t feel it 

affects our testosterone and cortisol levels, 

leading to actual feelings of confidence. 

So, fake it until you make it, and you will 

accomplish your goals! 

9. STOP MULTITASKING 

Our generation has the highest tendency 

to multitask. It is impossible for us to work 

on our assignments without chatting on 

Facebook. There have been academic studies 

that found the brain gets more exhausted due 

to multitasking. Instead, product designer 

Paolo Cardini tells audiences to “Forget 

Multitasking: Try Monotasking.” 

10. VALUE MONEY 

Money doesn’t buy happiness, 

but it certainly makes our 

lives comfortable. As we are 

spending our time and energy 

to earn this, we need to value 

money and spend wisely. 

While several TED talks 

focus on the many aspects of 

money, one presenter, social 

science researcher Michael 

Norton, speaks about his 

fascinating research on “How 

to Buy Happiness” – provided, 

that is, you spend your money on worthy 

causes. 

11. STAY CREATIVE 

Picasso said “All children are born artists, 

but the challenge is to remain artists as we 

grow up.” Sir Ken Robinson mentioned 

in his talk “Schools Kill Creativity” that 

most of us are focusing more on careeroriented 

subjects and missing out on 

an important thing called creativity. 

Creativity is as important in education as 

literacy, and we should treat it so. 

12. ENJOY YOUR LIFE 

There are so many TED talks on happiness, 

yet most of them have a similar conclusion. 

Many of us assume that to enjoy our lives, 

we need to make radical changes to our 

habits, routines or bank balances. However, 

in reality, often we already have everything 

we need to enjoy life. 

22 University Magazine, VIU Fall 2014 Fall 2014 University Magazine, VIU 23

THE WRITTEN WORD 

VIU.EDU 

Bill Gates 

warren buffett 

jeff bezos 

Donald Trump 

Net Worth: $80.2 BILLION 

Company: MICROSOFT 

Net Worth: $63 BILLION 

Company: BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY 

Industry: INVESTMENT 

Book: THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR 

Net Worth: $33 BILLION 

Company: AMAZON 

Industry: INTERNET SALES 

Book: THE REMAINS OF THE DAY 

Net Worth: $3.9 BILLION 

Company: THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION 

Industry: REAL ESTATE 

Book: THE ART OF WAR 

Industry: TECHNOLOGY 

Book: BUSINESS ADVENTURES 

Bill’s Take: 

Warren’s Take: 

Jeff’s Take: 

Donald’s Take: 

ANNE THOMAS 

JESSICA MICHAEL 

In an effort to emulate the richest, we analyze 

everything about their businesses and lifestyles. 

While we may not be able to fully follow in their 

footsteps, we can read the same books. Here, 

we feature some of the seminal books that have 

impacted four billionaires of worldwide renown. 

The books themselves range in style from business 

and investment to military strategy, and even 

feature a novel. Give them a try and see if they 

put you on the path to financial success! 

“Today, more than two decades 

after Warren [Buffett] lent it to 

me—and more than four decades 

after it was first published— 

Business Adventures remains the 

best business book I’ve ever read. 

It’s certainly true that many of 

the particulars of business have 

changed. But the fundamentals 

have not. Brooks’s deeper insights 

about business are just as relevant 

today as they were back then.” 

John Brooks’s book, published 

in the late 1960s, describes in 

fascinating detail some of the 

iconic moments that shaped major 

American corporations. Divided into 

12 chapters that first appeared as 

articles in The New Yorker, to which 

Brooks was a longtime contributor, 

Business Adventures does not 

offer ready-made advice tidbits or 

how-to statements, so popular in 

current business books. Instead, it 

allows readers to draw their own 

conclusions while entertaining with 

captivating anecdotes. 

“To invest successfully over 

a lifetime does not require 

a stratospheric IQ, unusual 

business insights, or inside 

information. What’s needed is a 

sound intellectual framework for 

making decisions and the ability 

to keep emotions from corroding 

that framework. This book 

precisely and clearly prescribes 

the proper framework. You must 

provide the emotional discipline.” 

Buffett picked up this book as a 

19-year-old and says that it shaped his 

investment philosophy forever. The 

most “invaluable advice,” he claims, 

is found in the eighth chapter, “The 

Investor and Market Fluctuations” 

and 20th chapter “Margin of Safety as 

the Central Concept of Investment.” 

As opposed to books geared toward 

speculators or day traders, which 

focus on profit maximization, The 

Intelligent Investor’s philosophy 

focuses on loss minimization and 

requires a committed long-term 

approach to investment. 

“Before reading it, I didn’t think 

a perfect novel was possible. I’m 

always interested in things that 

seem to be impossible but are 

then achieved. I am entranced 

by that: the idea of the impossible 

achieved. What we’re doing [at 

Amazon] is unusual but nowhere 

in the same league as impossible.” 

The Remains of the Day is the story 

of a perfect English butler, Stevens, 

who looks back on the last 30 years 

of service as he takes a drive in the 

country. The story is at times poignant 

and ironic, as well as a great historical 

account of the attitudes and practices 

in postwar England. Although 

Stevens has dedicated his life to the 

concept of duty and responsibility, 

aiming for perfection in service 

through complete suppression of 

emotion, he realizes in looking back 

that he has never discovered the “key 

to human warmth.” 

“The great Chinese general and 

military strategist Sun Tzu wrote 

in The Art of War that ‘every battle 

is won before it’s ever fought.’ 

That’s also true for entrepreneurs. 

Most entrepreneurs fail. It’s not 

because they lack ideas, or energy 

or effort. It’s because they don’t 

get the coaching and training 

they need to succeed. They lose 

the battle before it even starts. It 

doesn’t have to be that way.” 

Written over 2,000 years ago by one 

of China’s most brilliant generals, The 

Art of War is a study of how to plan 

and conduct military operations. It 

includes economic and psychological 

commentary as a major component 

of military strategy. The three main 

ideas driving it are knowing yourself, 

knowing your enemy, and only 

fighting when you can win. Trump 

successfully applies this book to his 

business practices. After all, many 

business negotiations require the 

same strategic elements that Sun Tzu 

wrote down in his classic text. 

24 University Magazine, VIU Fall 2014 Fall 2014 University Magazine, VIU 25

MY STORY 

VIU.EDU 

Candis Murrain 

Candis Murrain is a student in the Master of Science in International Relations program at the VIU School of 

Public and International Affairs (SPIA). A successful computer engineer, she works full-time for a government 

contractor while studying online, and single-handedly raising her five-year-old daughter. University Magazine sat 

down with Candis to share her inspiring story with others who may be thinking of switching careers. 

UM: YOU ARE AN IT EXPERT. HOW DID 

YOU GO FROM THAT TO PURSUING A 

MS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? 

Yes, I am an Information Systems Security 

Engineer. As a child, I fell in love with 

Apple computers when my family first 

got one, and ever since then wanted 

to be a computer engineer. So I did my 

degree in computer science. But I was 

always interested in other cultures and 

in traveling. Seven years ago was the 

real turning point for me. At the time, I 

was working on a contract supporting 

the joint task force at Guantanamo Bay, 

meeting people from all over the world. 

I felt a real sense of pride in supporting 

the war effort, working beside people 

fighting for our country – it’s a great 

feeling when you’re part of a bigger 

mission. That’s when I started thinking 

about switching careers and working for 

the State Department. 

UM: IS THAT HOW YOU WANT TO USE 

YOUR MIR? 

Yes, I would love to work as a Foreign 

Service Economic Officer for the US 

Department of State one day. I’m a very 

goal-oriented person, and having a 

mission drives me. I feel that the State 

Department fulfills that greater mission 

and I definitely want to travel and 

represent my country around the world, 

promoting diplomacy and working on 

global issues. 

UM: HAS ANYONE BEEN A STRONG 

INFLUENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND IN 

GETTING YOUR NEW DEGREE? 

Both of my grandmothers were huge 

influences. One of them lived in Africa 

and did missionary work – she always 

encouraged me to travel the world. My 

other grandmother was always such a 

strong and independent woman. They 

were both big on education and proper 

etiquette, and now I find myself doing 

the same with my own daughter. So you 

could say it’s been a long time coming. 

UM: IF YOU COULD PICK YOUR 

DREAM POST, WHERE WOULD YOU 

TRAVEL FIRST? 

Somewhere in South America, maybe 

Peru. Or the United Kingdom or South 

Africa. I have a top 10 list, but, really, 

anywhere. [laughs] 

UM: WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE VIU? 

I did a lot of research on programs in my 

field which would give me flexibility and 

still be affordable. I also read a lot about 

VIU and about Dr. Sarac – I was impressed 

by his vision. Coming from a family of 

educators, that was really important to me. 

Also, the program is very active and hands 

on, with many events I can attend even as 

an online student. I like the idea of being 

able to take some on-campus classes in 

addition to the online ones, if I choose. 

UM: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST 

IMPRESSION OF ONLINE CLASSES? 

Overwhelming! I had been out of school 

for a long time, and I wondered, can I do 

this? I contacted Dr. Bilgin, Dean of the 

School of Public and International Affairs, 

my first week and she talked me through it 

until I felt more comfortable. It is definitely 

a rigorous program, so you need discipline 

to do all the work. The good thing about 

it is that it is so structured – it gives you a 

clear blueprint of what to do every week, 

so you can budget your time. And the 

flexibility VIU Online offers is a great asset 

with my busy work and family life. 

I am so thankful to VIU for 

taking a chance on me, just 

like I took a chance on VIU! 

UM: SPEAKING OF WORK AND 

FAMILY, THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH 

DISCUSSION RECENTLY IN THE 

NEWS ON WHETHER WOMEN CAN 

HAVE IT ALL. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

I think I would have to agree with 

former Secretary of State Madeleine 

Albright, who said that women can 

have it all, just not all at the same 

time. There is no perfect worklife 

balance. While you cannot do 

everything at once, you can start 

somewhere. I tell my daughter 

something similar – you do 

what you can. I study 

to set a good example 

for my daughter, to 

show her that even as 

a full-time working 

single parent, I can 

achieve my dreams 

and so can she. 

I STUDY TO SET A GOOD 

EXAMPLE FOR MY DAUGHTER” 

UM: HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME IN TAKING ONLINE 

CLASSES, WORKING FULL-TIME, AND TAKING CARE OF YOUR 

DAUGHTER? ARE THERE ANY TIPS YOU CAN SHARE? 

I don’t bring work home. Spending time with my daughter is crucial, and 

good planning plays a huge part in that. On a good week, I’ll prepare 

all my meals on Sunday so that I don’t have to spend time cooking 

something new every day. After work, I’ll pick her up and we come 

home, eat, and read together. Sometimes I’ll clean or read when she 

does something. Weekends are better – there’s more flexibility for us to 

play or do something special. I study and do my homework when she’s in 

bed. I think the most important thing to remember is that every week 

isn’t perfect, but that’s okay. Something has to give then – 

and it’s okay to get takeout or do something to 

make your life and your schedule easier. 

UM: YOU RECEIVED THE 

PRESTIGIOUS CAREER 

SCHOLARSHIP AT VIU. ANY ADVICE 

FOR OTHERS APPLYING FOR 

SCHOLARSHIPS? 

First of all, VIU’s Career Scholarship 

has been such a great help, not 

only in helping me to pay for 

my degree, but in terms of 

raising my confidence and 

inspiring me to keep going, 

to work hard and study 

and achieve my goals. 

I am so thankful to VIU 

for taking a chance on 

me, just like I took a 

chance on VIU! To 

other students, I 

would say that the 

most important 

thing is to go 

for it and apply. 

After all, if you 

don’t try, you’ll 

never know 

that you can 

succeed. 

26 University Magazine, VIU Fall 2014

DEAN’S SCHOLARSHIP 

VIU.EDU 

I was fortunate to be awarded the Dean’s Scholarship. It takes considerable effort, 

thoughtfulness, and generosity to support students like me. I believe that the Master 

of Science in International Relations (MIR) degree will help me not only to grow 

professionally, but it will enable me to help others and to serve the community. My 

main goal is to contribute and participate in bringing humanitarian relief to the 

people who struggle every day due to wars, conflicts, famine, hunger, poor sanitation, 

and natural disasters. 

DAVAADULAM KHISHIGDELGER, MONGOLIA 

CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT SCHOLARSHIP 

When I found out about the affordable tuition rates and flexible course schedules at 

VIU, I knew that I had to earn my undergraduate degree right away. Working on campus 

allows me to learn about the American workforce. In order to keep receiving the Campus 

Employment Scholarship, I need to maintain my GPA at a certain point. It motivates me 

to work hard and study even harder! 

AEYOUNG KIM, SOUTH KOREA 

STUDENT ACTIVITY SCHOLARSHIP 

VIU OFFERS 

MANY SCHOLARSHIP 

OPPORTUNITIES 

CAMILLA NUNES 

As a non-profit university, VIU supports its students in all aspects of their academic 

dreams, including through scholarships. There are many types of scholarships available 

at VIU and hundreds of students from all around the world have already benefited from 

VIU’s generosity. We asked some of our recent scholarship recipients to share their 

stories, goals, and advice with others looking to apply for scholarships. 

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ADVICE FROM VIU’S 

CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. 

VISIT HTTP://YOUTU.BE/GJZBQOHGTHW 

DEAN’S SCHOLARSHIP 

Prior to joining VIU, I was always involved in on-campus activities. The US is the land of 

opportunity, and here the sky is the limit. I have just one suggestion for students: look at the 

life you are living in America through the eyes of your parents, who sacrifice their dreams 

to give you an education abroad, and ask yourself, would they be happy by seeing your 

lifestyle? Keep looking for opportunities, and never forget that VIU will do its best to help 

students who deserve it. The reason my parents smile today is those gates of opportunity 

that VIU opened for me. Thank you, VIU! 

CHINTAN PUROHIT, INDIA 

The DC job market is very competitive, and if you want to move on, a master’s degree is 

almost a must! Thus, I decided to pursue mine at VIU where many great professors and 

staff are always ready to help students. And I am overwhelmed with my achievement 

of receiving the Dean’s Scholarship. To students applying for scholarships, most 

importantly: do not miss the deadline. Give yourself plenty of time to go through the 

necessary paperwork and focus on it until you have submitted everything. 

VERENA MARIANNE GOETZ, GERMANY 

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP 

At VIU, I applied for the Special Achievement Scholarship for my research work and 

journal publications in the field of Brain Computer Interface (BCI) and VIU recognized 

my talent with financial support! Companies are always looking for a better, more 

eligible job candidate. My Master of Science in Information Technology degree will 

help me be a step above others. Especially when the degree comes from a 15-year-old 

prestigious, non-profit institution like VIU, it adds more value to my career. 

VINAY KUMAR NANDAMURI, INDIA 



MY STORY 

VIU.EDU 


From São Paulo, Brazil, Kelly has been living in the US for 10 years. She loves teaching 

and has started the MA in TESOL program at VIU. Kelly loves her professors and her 

school and says that it’s been an amazing journey. “I have two more semesters to go and 

can’t wait to accomplish another goal. Being a college student in the US gave me the 

opportunity to learn and have many dreams come true,” Kelly says. Yes, she waited 15 

years for her dream to finally come true. 

I have been a huge Guns n’ Roses fan since I was 15 years old; I used to 

wear Axl’s bandana, buy magazines, watch VHS tapes of shows, wear 

t-shirts, etc. I absolutely loved everything about the band and used to 

translate their songs like “November Rain,” one of my favorite ones. I 

loved English ever since I was a little girl, and one of my dreams was 

to speak it fluently. I remember when I used to tell my mom: “I need 

to learn it because one day I’m going to meet Axl Rose and I need to 

be able to talk to him.” She always thought it was cute of me. Some 

people, on the other hand, used to laugh at me and say, “They are 

over!” or “You will never watch them or meet Axl, that’s so silly of 

you to even think about it.” However, deep in my heart, I always had 

faith that one day I would have my dream come true. Years passed 

and in 2001 they played at Rock in Rio. My dad didn’t let me go, and 

Keep on dreaming even if 

someone says your dream 

is over! — Kelly Matos 

IT WAS A DREAM COME 

TRUE! I HUGGED AXL ROSE 

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME 

I cried while watching the concert on TV. However, I told my mom 

I would watch Guns n’ Roses in NYC, in America, despite having 

missed the concert and feeling sad. 

I finished my bachelor’s degree in translation in 2003 and, in 2005, 

I came to the US as an au pair. In 2006, I could not believe when I 

found out Guns n’ Roses was going to play in NYC! I went to that 

concert by myself just like I said I would and that was the first of 

many to come. I have been to seven concerts so far! In 2012, they 

had a residency in Las Vegas, and I went with one of my friends 

whom I met through the Guns n’ Roses network. We watched two 

concerts and got VIP passes to go backstage and to a private party at 

the hotel room after the concert. It was a dream come true! I hugged 

Axl Rose for the very first time and saw Lisa Marie Presley, 

the daughter of Elvis Presley, along with the other group 

members. It was an amazing experience! 

This year, 2014, they were doing another residency in Las 

Vegas so my friends and I decided to go again. Once again, I 

was blessed to go backstage right before the concert. While 

waiting for the show, we took a picture with Nicholas Cage, 

one of my Hollywood favorites, and who is also a Guns n’ 

Roses fan. During the concert, I cried like a baby because I 

could not believe how blessed and lucky I was. I waited 15 

years for that moment to happen. It was a teenage dream 

come true. After the concert, I got to hug Axl Rose one more 

time, and went to their party. 

After this amazing experience, I can only tell people how 

important it is to pursue their dreams, no matter what they are. 

I believe that everything is possible if you work hard for it. I 

got encouraged to learn English because I believed in my heart 

that one day I would meet Axl Rose; it sounds silly, but through 

this dream I accomplished so many goals. I learned English 

and now I’m preparing myself to become an English instructor 

and I am very happy about being a VIU student. I have 

learned so much so far and highly recommend VIU because 

getting a good college education is very important to achieve 

your goals. I want my future students to believe in themselves 

and fight for their goals no matter how difficult they seem 

to be. I am very happy to share my experience, and I hope 

people get inspired because I came here to learn a language, 

met amazing friends through a mutual music passion, got 

to meet the rock stars I love, and also a Hollywood star! I 

could never imagine this would ever happen to me so I can 

definitely say: always believe in your dreams because, yes, 

they do come true no matter what people say! 

THE MAGIC OF 

FORWARD THINKING 

CHRISTINA KOONTS 

A self-fulfilling prophecy, by definition, is the belief that an 

individual can envision one thing so much that it happens to 

come true. Setting goals and having focus are the best ways 

to ensure that positive outcome. This is what I like to call the 

magic of forward thinking. 

Throughout your collegiate career, there will be many times 

where you simply do not want to study for an exam, or you 

find it difficult to sit down and write that big paper, but if you 

have a targeted goal in mind, it might just provide that extra 

push you need. Envision yourself on graduation day, walking 

across the stage in front of your proud family and friends. 

Knowing that it is within your reach will help you prioritize 

studying and paper writing. 

Setting goals and envisioning yourself in situations is only 

one piece of the puzzle. You cannot just sit back and imagine 

situations, waiting for them to fall into your lap. It takes work 

– a lot of work. Reaching the goals you set for yourself is not 

one small race, but rather a marathon. Twenty six point two 

long miles of hard work, dedication, and focus to bring you to 

your end goal. You will probably fall down along the way, but 

you have to get back up and make things happen. Having 

that end goal in mind at all times is hydration. It is what 

provides the drive to keep going for the duration. 

In my own career, I found that I could attain my lofty goals 

through focus, hard work, and dedication. Not liking my 

first job of answering phones and taking messages, I set 

my sights higher. I knew I could outperform some of the 

individuals in positions above mine, so I worked hard and 

envisioned myself in those positions. I over-achieved and 

did more than what was asked of me. Soon enough, I was 

supervising the individuals in my position while taking on a 

management position within the company. In the corporate 

world I am always forward-thinking; anticipating what my 

next challenge might be, or envisioning myself in that next 

coveted position. Not only does it keep me working hard at 

the tasks I have set for today, but it helps me to encourage 

my team to do the same. When we are all working together, 

moving forward as a unit, I find that this is when the real 

magic happens. 



31


VIU.EDU 

New Student 

Orientation 

VIU HOLDS 

ACADEMIC FAIR 

VIU’s Academic Fair provided new and 

future students the opportunity to 

socialize with the VIU community and 

to obtain information on academic 

programs, specializations, and VIU 

services such as the Career Center, 

scholarships, and the library. Each VIU 

school distributed handouts about 

their programs, and students had the 

chance to connect with academic 

advisors on campus. This fall, VIU was 

proud to host many members of the 

community, including a group of 

students from local language school 

LADO who are interested in pursuing 

their academic degrees at VIU. There 

was a delicious barbeque cookout 

and even an iPad giveaway – a new 

tradition at VIU’s Academic Fairs! 

All the students enjoyed the event 

and look forward to many excellent 

events to come. 

WELCOME TO VIU TOASTMASTERS! 

What do the following well-known people have in common: Chris Matthews, 

author, journalist, and host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews; Tom Peters, 

management expert and best-selling author; James Lovell, former NASA astronaut 

whose missions include Apollo 13; and Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies? 

At one time in their life, they were all afraid of speaking in public. Many students at 

VIU also have a fear of speaking in public, especially giving presentations during class. 

The best way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to join the Toastmasters club 

at VIU. The Toastmasters club at VIU meets on the 1 st and 3 rd Fridays of each month 

in Commonwealth Room 1 from 12 - 1 PM. During these meetings students learn to 

how to properly structure a speech, make eye contact with the audience, and learn 

leadership skills. 

VIU SUPPORTS 

THE TROOPS 

VIU hosted a fundraiser in support 

of Operation Shoebox, a non-profit 

organization that sends care packages 

to military men and women who are 

deployed overseas. Operation Shoebox 

started in 2002 after founder Mary 

Harper began sending care packages to 

her daughter and her daughter’s friends 

who were all deployed overseas. Now, 12 

years later, Operation Shoebox has sent over 992,000 care packages and over 50,000 Christmas 

stockings to deployed troops. Hilary Kozikowski, Public Relations Coordinator at VIU, organized 

the fundraiser at VIU. “This is a great way for our students to volunteer and get involved in 

supporting the community both locally and abroad,” she said. 

ANA SERRANO 

E 

very semester, VIU welcomes first-time students during New Student Orientation week. Introducing students to their 

new environment, programs, faculty, and staff as well as educating them about resources in the surrounding community 

and services is exciting and fun. Students’ favorite part of orientation is the tour of Washington, DC which is located 

just a few miles away from VIU. Our students visited not only the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, but also 

a variety of museums, the Smithsonian Castle, the National Mall, the Museum of Natural History, as well as many other historic 

landmarks. Student activities at VIU create lifelong memories and experiences for our diverse students. The department staff work 

alongside academic departments to create career oriented events that pertain to student interests and career goals. 

DONATIONS FOR FAMILIES 

IN NEED 

The Latin American Culture Club continues to 

be an active part of the VIU community. The 

club has already hosted a salsa dance class for 

students and faculty and collected donations 

of toys, clothes, and non-perishable goods 

for Northern Virginia Family Services, an 

organization helping children and families in need in the local community. The club 

is planning several more events to come, including Spanish classes on campus. 

VIU SPONSORS 

TURKISH OLYMPIAD 

VIU President Dr. Isa Sarac was presented with an award by the 

American Turkish Friendship Association in appreciation of VIU’s 

support of the Turkish Olympiad. The American Turkish Friendship 

Association (ATFA) is a non-profit and non-governmental 

organization with no political affiliation dedicated to addressing 

the social and cultural needs of Turkish and American friends living 

in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. 

TEACHER 

APPRECIATION LUNCH 

ESL students took the opportunity to say “thank you” to the 

ESL teachers and ESL department at VIU. The students threw 

an appreciation party with a delicious array of traditional 

foods including samosa and biryani, watermelon, and cake. 

The students also presented their teachers with traditional 

gifts from around the world. 



33


VIU.EDU 

FAIRFAX COUNTY HELPS VIU STUDENTS SUCCEED 

The VIU School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) launched a 

groundbreaking Fairfax County - VIU Public Policy Internship Program (PPIP), 

in an effort to immerse students in local governance. Three SPIA students will 

intern at the Fairfax County Health Department, the Fairfax County Office of 

Public Private Partnerships, and the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights 

and Equity Programs. Another SPIA student, Canan Aydin, interns at the 

Northern Virginia Regional Commission, working with Director Mark Gibb on 

a humanitarian project set to provide assistance to Syrian refugees residing in 

temporary camps in Turkey. 

VIU PRESENTS 

AT NAFSA 

The Association of 

International Educators 

(NAFSA) organizes an 

international conference 

and expo every year. This 

year it was held in San Diego, 

California and attracted over 

10 thousand educators from 

around the world. In an age 

where the internet is used widely in international recruitment, our Dean of the 

School of Online Education, Mr. Idris Ulas, shared his professional experience with 

fellow educators on using Google Analytics in conjunction with Google AdWords, 

two Google products used for web traffic tracking and search engine marketing. He 

was accompanied by Li Chang from World Education Services (WES). Subsequently, 

Mr. Ulas and his colleagues conducted a follow-up webinar on the topic. 

IT CLUB TRAINS STUDENTS FOR 

TECHNOLOGY CAREERS 

The IT Club at VIU is boosting student interest by promoting IT 

knowledge through seminars, workshops, and trainings to learn 

skills necessary to help members become more marketable in their 

rapidly changing field. The club serves as a place to discuss topics 

of professional interest, exchange experiences, and review current 

developments in the global IT job market. The club is associated with 

the VIU School of Computer Information Systems and is open to all 

VIU students. 

VIU PARTNERS WITH 

KAPPA DELTA PI 

INTERNATIONAL HONOR 

SOCIETY IN EDUCATION 

VIU is pleased to announce that a 

partnership has been established with 

Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society 

in Education. VIU will serve as a Liaison 

Chapter for Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), which is 

an internationally recognized, prestigious 

international honor society in education 

that has been in existence since 1911. 

KDP was established to foster excellence in 

education as well as to provide resources 

and promote fellowship among educators. 

As such, student membership in KDP is an 

honor and demonstrates devotion to and 

stellar performance in the field of education. 

Membership in KDP will assist in connecting 

students with other pre-service and inservice 

teachers internationally by providing 

resources for teaching, opportunities 

for professional development, and by 

recognizing students as members of an 

international honor society. Additionally, 

student membership in KDP will offer 

internship and volunteer opportunities 

to our students through the KDP network 

across the globe. 

BACK BY POPULAR 

DEMAND: 

NEW PROJECT 

MANAGEMENT 

PROGRAM 

One of the hottest new careers 

in the business and technology 

industries is Project Management. 

To satisfy growing demand, VIU 

has developed a new Master of 

Science in Project Management, 

featuring leading professionals 

teaching the most cuttingedge 

innovative practices and 

techniques to help VIU graduates 

succeed in their careers. Several 

current VIU alumni, with 

prominent careers in government 

agencies and multinational 

organizations are going back for 

their MS in Project Management. 

Additionally, VIU’s School of 

Continuing Education will also 

host several workshops and 

programs to help professionals 

obtain their PMP certifications. 

VIU FOSTERS ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS 

ALL AROUND THE WORLD 

ERTEM MUTLU & AMIT GAMBHIR 

VIU CAREER 

CENTER 

WELCOMES 

STUDENTS 

Are you a graduating 

student? Consider your 

internship opportunities. 

Employers are looking for 

people who have diverse 

backgrounds and experience 

and who are familiar with 

the workplace setting. The 

VIU Career Center helps 

students to set themselves 

apart from the competition 

by reviewing their résumés, 

giving valuable advice on 

the job market, and aiding 

in internship placement. 

VIU is committed to educating people from all around the world in our universally 

recognized on-campus and online degree programs. Our priority is providing students 

with a unique and unparalleled educational experience. Here at VIU, students build 

lifelong friendships with others from over 100 different countries. 

Our students collaborate on cutting-edge projects, have hands-on learning 

experiences and internships, and create a worldwide business network while studying 

in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. To fulfill its educational mission, VIU fosters 

academic collaborations with universities all over the world: in Asia, Europe, Africa, 

the Middle East, and the Americas. Our collaborations take an array of different 

forms, ranging from student exchange and teaching partnerships to joint research on 

global issues. These relationships enable students to study abroad and benefit from 

interaction with global peers, mentors, and faculty. VIU welcomes new collaboration 

opportunities. For further inquiries, please contact collaboration@viu.edu. 



FEATURES 

VIU.EDU 

TAKE ME 

out to the 

BALL GAME 

Meet the Students 

Our students were such great sports (another American expression!) about the new experience and really 

enjoyed the baseball game. To get to know them better, we asked them to briefly share their 10 favorites as 

the game was about to start. Among the things they cannot live without? Soccer, chocolate, and biking! 

ANNEMARIE GASPARIK 

OUMAR COLE 

BILGUUN BATBAATAR 

VIU STUDENTS CHEER ON THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS 

USA 

MS IN INTERNATIONAL 

RELATIONS (MIR) 

GAMBIA 

BBA IN INTERNATIONAL 

BUSINESS 

MONGOLIA 

MBA IN HUMAN RESOURCE 

MANAGEMENT 

EMILY LEIGHTY 

aybe you’ve heard 

this saying: “It’s as 

American as baseball 

and apple pie,” which 

just means that 

something is typically 

American. And if 

you happen to be in the Washington, DC 

metropolitan area, any talk of baseball 

will probably 

lead to talk of the 

local Washington 

Nationals Baseball 

Club. From April 

until the end of 

September, you are 

likely to see throngs 

of people “rockin’ 

the red” and 

supporting their 

baseball team. 

Recently, a group 

of VIU students – 

hailing from both 

the US and other 

countries – went 

out to support the 

Nats (as the team 

is sometimes called 

by fans). This trip 

was one of many VIU events to introduce 

students to American culture. Taking 

Metro’s Orange Line from Vienna into 

the city, the group of students eventually 

reached the Navy Yard-Ballpark stop on 

the Green Line. Along the way, the train 

steadily became more and more crowded 

with baseball fans wearing their festive red 

clothing in support of the local team. At 

the Ballpark Metro stop, the train emptied 

itself of fans who began the short (and 

excited!) walk to Nationals Park. 

AnneMarie Gasparik, from Maryland, 

Bilguun Batbaatar from Mongolia, and 

Oumar Cole from Gambia participated in 

the event. Some of them had never been 

to a baseball game before, and Nationals 

Park certainly does not disappoint when 

it comes to baseball stadiums. The park, 

whose doors opened in 2008, seats more 

than 40,000 fans positioned around a 

beautifully manicured, vividly green 

field of grass. From the stadium, you 

can look over the Anacostia River, see 

tall buildings of some of the metro 

area’s largest companies, or – if you find 

yourself standing (or sitting!) in the 

right place – you may catch a glimpse 

of some of Washington’s most famous 

sites, including the 

Washington Monument. 

On the day they visited the 

park, VIU students saw 

a matchup between the 

Nats and their National 

League East rivals the 

Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Nats managed a 4-0 

win over the Phillies, and 

fans got to see some of the 

team’s star players do what 

they do best, including 

great pitching from 

Stephen Strasburg and 

impressive base stealing 

from Denard Span. 

If you should ever find 

yourself in DC during 

baseball season, the Nats 

are worth checking out. Tickets can be 

purchased for as little as $5, and you’re 

guaranteed to have a good time. From 

the sights, to the food, to the athletes – 

Nationals Park can offer everything that 

makes baseball “America’s pastime!” 

STATS 

SPORT: SOCCER 

BOOK: THE LUCKY ONE 

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS 

MOVIE: HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS 

TV SHOW: TWO BROKE GIRLS 

ICE CREAM FLAVOR: CHOCOLATE 

COFFEE OR TEA? NEITHER 

HOBBIES: SOCCER, SWIMMING, 

READING, TRAVELING, HIKING 

VACATION SPOT: FLORIDA 

RESTAURANT: LEMONGRASS 

CAR: AUDI R8 SPYDER 

BASEBALL 101: 

THE ESSENTIAL RULES OF AMERICA’S PASTIME 

STEPHAN SHELLEY 

Baseball is considered to be one of the most in-depth knowledge 

based games of all time. The reason for this is because there are 

so many situations during a game that change from pitch to 

pitch and play to play. The first game ever played on record was 

in New York on June 19, 1845. Baseball is the national sport of 

the United States. 

STATS 

SPORT: SOCCER 

BOOK: CALVIN AND HOBBES 

MOVIE: MEET THE PARENTS 

TV SHOW: HELL’S KITCHEN 

ICE CREAM FLAVOR: CHOCOLATE 

COFFEE OR TEA? TEA 

HOBBIES: ROLLERBLADING, BIKE 

RIDING, DRAWING, 

VIDEO GAMES 

VACATION SPOT: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 

RESTAURANT: SUBWAY 

CAR: LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR 

STATS 

SPORT: VOLLEYBALL 

BOOK: LEAN IN BY SHERYL 

SANDBERG 

MOVIE: NO PREFERENCE 

TV SHOW: SHARK TANK 

ICE CREAM: MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP 

COFFEE OR TEA? TEA 

HOBBIES: DRAWING , READING, 

COOKING, BAKING 

VACATION SPOT: JAPAN 

RESTAURANT: OLIVE GARDEN 

CAR: MERCEDES BENZ 

1. Two teams of nine players each play against each other. 

2. The field is shaped like a diamond. 

3. The objective is for one team to score more runs than the other. 

4. A professional baseball game is nine innings in length. 

5. Each team consists of an offense and a defense. 

6. A team’s defense consists of nine positions on the field: pitcher, 

catcher, first baseman, left field, center field, and right field. Each 

fielder wears a leather glove with which to catch the baseball. 

7. A team’s offense consists of the batter. One player at a time will 

try to hit the ball thrown by the opposing team’s pitcher using the 

baseball bat. If a player hits the ball, he will run to first base, second 

base, third base, and then to home plate to score a run. 



37

FEATURES 

VIU.EDU 

“Create the highest, 

grandest vision 

for your life.” 

to talk to Oprah, I did have the opportunity to go backstage and 

meet Gayle King, co-anchor of CBS This Morning and editor-atlarge 

for O, The Oprah Magazine. Gayle is also known as Oprah 

Winfrey’s best friend, a relationship spanning since their early 

twenties. I felt I already knew her through hearing Oprah talk 

about her and from reading and watching interviews. She was 

incredibly endearing, holding my hand as we walked, talking about 

her magazine, patiently asking my name, and even autographing 

my tickets. 

One of TV’s favorite personalities, Oprah is the highest paid 

TV entertainer in the United States. Despite being born into 

rural poverty and raised by her grandmother in a poor urban 

neighborhood, Oprah built her empire, becoming a millionaire by 

age 32 when her show went national. She is the first black female 

billionaire in world history as well as the richest self-made woman 

in America, with a net worth of $2.9 billion. As a philanthropist, 

Oprah encourages education and has given away over $400 

million to educational causes and scholarships in both the US and 

internationally. 

This event was one of the most phenomenal of my life, and I want 

you to feel and experience it like I did. Below is the message that 

Oprah and Oprah’s The Life You Want tour delivered to attendees. 

or even a victim or a killer, they all ask after their interviews, ‘Was 

that okay? Was it good for you? Did you see me? Did you hear 

what I was saying to you?’ Yes, I listened. Because of that lesson, 

I can talk to anybody. My stage is my platform. Your stage is your 

home, work, and family. It’s all about ‘did you see me?’” 

“Your story is as important as my story,” she said. “Only thing 

different is my life and thoughts are on the air. 

“Create a new vision. 

Choose your language.” 

ON VISION: “I have done pretty well in my life. You want the 

same thing that I want. As a human being, every one of us is 

looking for the same thing – we want to know we matter. So, create 

the highest, grandest vision for your life. Then, let every step move 

you in that direction.” 

LESSONS FROM OPRAH’S THE LIFE YOU WANT 2014 TOUR 


prah’s The Life You Want Weekend is a wondrous two-day empowering and groundbreaking 

event which brought many spiritual and life-changing moments to Washington, DC 

in late September 2014. As the world’s most powerful woman, and one of the most 

influential people of the 20th century, Oprah Winfrey left the DC audience with tears 

of joy and powerful memories. It is obvious that Oprah wants listeners to fulfill their 

greatest potential and be reminded of how truly beautiful life is. 

“When I was a kid, I knew my life 

was bigger than my front yard.” 

Her name was supposed to be “Orpah,” but her mom misspelled 

it on her birth certificate. Raised by her grandmother in a home 

with no electricity or running water, Oprah came from humble 

beginnings. While washing clothes, her grandmother would say, 

“Oprah, you better watch this and learn, one day you will need 

to do this.” A little voice inside of her said, “I don’t think so.” But 

Oprah did not want to tell her grandma that. She felt that her life 

was bigger than her front yard. And that feeling brought her to 

where she is today. 

At three years old, Oprah started speaking at the church in her 

small Mississippi town. “I believed Jesus was my brother and God 

my father,” she said to the chuckling workshop audience, “but 

when you believe, things have a way of turning true.” 

Oprah brought her own trailblazers to 

the workshop. Guest speakers included 

international best-sellers Elizabeth Gilbert, 

author of Eat. Pray. Love., and Rob Bell, 

author of Love Wins and What We Talk 

About When We Talk About God (among 

others). Iyanla Vanzant, a spiritual life 

coach, was also included in the workshop. 

Each of the speakers shared touching and 

life-changing lessons based on their own 

life experiences, which included stories of a 

cancer survivor becoming one of the finest 

spiritual guides of our time and a housewife 

who became a role model for women across 

the world. And, of course, Oprah shared her 

own incredible story of how she made her 

way up from a poor Southern girl to a wellknown 

broadcasting journalist focused on 

helping to change others’ lives. 

As an international student at VIU, 

my experience at the workshop was 

unparalleled. I am happy I made the 

decision to reward my hard work this 

semester by purchasing a ticket to Oprah’s 

The Life You Want Weekend. I gained so 

much from her inspiring words, energy, 

and love of others. As an international 

journalist, meeting with Oprah has been 

one of my biggest dreams. I have always 

envisioned myself interviewing her and 

inviting her to my magnificent country, 

Mongolia. Though I didn’t get the chance 

Later, she won Nashville’s Miss Fire Prevention contest. “Nobody 

expected me to win. Especially other contestants, beautiful white 

girls, who were more shocked than I was. I won because of my 

answers. That morning, I was watching Barbara Walters, and when 

they asked me what I wanted to be I said, ‘I would like to become 

a broadcast journalist and make people’s lives change.’ Other girls 

were answering that they wanted to become doctors or volleyball 

players. At 16, I got my big chance when I was hired to work at a 

radio station.” 

Oprah went on to tell the audience, “I learn so much from 

everybody, everyday! Whether talking to the president, Beyoncé, 



FEATURES 

VIU.EDU 

ON LANGUAGE: 

“For years you have trained yourself to 

say negative things to yourself. You have 

been loyal to the dysfunction of your 

mind. But simply because you were born, 

you are worthy. My first waking thought 

is ‘Thank you.’ 

What is the new language you will use 

to love yourself into a healthy mind? 

Make it a new language of possibility: 

‘I feel energized. I have a mission. I am 

compassionate. I trust myself. I listen to 

my heart. I choose happiness. I can do 

this. I’m in charge of me. I am present. 

I’m ready. I’m making good choices. I’m 

connected to life. I’m blessed. I can change. 

I’m happy. I’m taking steps to be healthier. 

I’m beautiful. I’m loving my body more 

time. The only people who never tumble 

are those who never mount the high wire. 

This is your moment. Own it.” 

ON RELATIONSHIPS: 

“Lots of people want to ride with you in 

the limo, but what you want is someone 

who will take the bus with you when the 

limo breaks down. You have no power 

in somebody’s territory. You have a finite 

amount of time and energy to create the 

life you want. No one can do it for you: not 

your husband, children, or your work.” 

ON LOVE AND SECOND CHANCES: 

“Love does not hurt, hit, or disrespect 

you. When your friends let you down, 

you lose your job, people disappoint you, 

love has to work those issues out. There 

THERE ARE ALWAYS SECOND CHANCES. AS LONG AS YOU ARE BREATHING, THERE IS 

ANOTHER CHANCE. THE SUN IS COMING UP TOMORROW. THE SUN IS ALWAYS THERE, 

JUST WAITING FOR YOU, TO SEE YOU, TO RECOGNIZE YOUR SECOND CHANCE.” 

“I CAME TO VIU KNOWING ONLY THREE 

WORDS OF ENGLISH. AT VIU, I LEARNED 

EVERY ASPECT OF THE LANGUAGE 

– READING, WRITING, SPEAKING, 

LISTENING, PRONUNCIATION, AND 

EVEN CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 

WITH AMERICANS! I HOPE MORE 

STUDENTS FROM JAPAN AND AROUND 

THE WORLD WILL STUDY AT VIU. IT IS 

TRULY LIFE-CHANGING.” 

and more. I’m powerful. I won’t be taken 

for granted. My heart is open. I matter. 

I can do anything. I know my life has 

meaning.’ Speak gently to yourself. 

ON THINKING: 

“You have power over your mind. You are 

the master of your mind. Your mind is not 

the master of you. Your thinking doesn’t 

get to take you over, you have power over 

it. You get to decide which thoughts 

come and go. When a negative thought 

comes, you can stop it and replace it with 

something positive.” 

ON SPIRITUALITY: 

“I have meditation chair where I am 

surrounded by beautiful trees and where I 

can found a space that is only for me. I like 

being alone. Being with myself is fabulous. 

Seeing your thoughts and what you are 

doing. We are all spiritual human beings. 

There is no life without spiritual life.” 

ON COURAGE: 

“The only courage you ever need is the 

courage to live the life of your dreams. Do 

the one thing you think you cannot do. 

Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second 

are always second chances. As long as you 

are breathing, there is another chance. The 

sun is coming up tomorrow. The sun is 

always there, just waiting for you, to see 

you, to recognize your second chance.” 

ON MISERY: 

“Whatever you are doing right now 

that you don’t want to be doing, use 

it as information. Use it as fuel to get 

you to where you want to go. Change 

the paradigm and energy from ‘it’s a 

struggle’ to using it as a launching pad. 

The more miserable you are, the better, 

because the misery is there to tell you, 

‘You are in the wrong spot. You need 

to change.’ In order to have the life you 

want, you have to fill your own cup and 

give yourself the love you are willing to 

give away so freely to others.” 

ON GRATITUDE: 

“The more you praise and celebrate your 

life, the more there is in life to celebrate. 

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end 

up having more. If you concentrate on 

what you don’t have, you will never, ever 

have enough. It is really easy to blame 

somebody. We need to stop that. 

We need to make a shift, how we can be 

grateful instead of complaining. Good 

shower pressure, a safe flight, having clean 

sheets on my bed - everything is beautiful. 

Life is beautiful. I am here, I am breathing. 

I am alright. How amazing that life has 

given you this life. Think about it! I can 

have a network in my name. How and who 

would have believed that a small-town 

Mississippi black girl would get here? 

Your being here 

matters, on the planet.” 

I know you are frustrated, stuck, stalled, 

scared, tired, or disappointed. You get 

another chance as to how you walk 

through life. Doesn’t matter whether 

your friend let you down or you are 

not as pretty, as smart, or just not good 

enough. Whatever is happening to you is 

happening for you. Let this life you want 

help you to write a new story created for 

you to make that shift, and live the life you 

born to live. Most importantly, your being 

here matters, on the planet. God is ready to 

move you in another direction. Get ready 

to get your power. Together - we rise!” 

KOHEITA NAGAI is currently in Japan working for Nissin, a 

large international logistics corporation. Thanks to the English 

skills he gained at VIU, it was one of several lucrative offers that 

he received upon graduation. He recommends that students 

try to communicate as much as they can every day, make new 

friends, and try new experiences. Ko’s favorite moment at VIU, 

where he says it’s very easy to make friends, was being in a TV 

commercial for the university. 



41

FEATURES 

VIU.EDU 

W 

1. MILIT ARY MIGHT 

SUPERPOWER 

WHY AMERICA 

IS STILL GREAT 

ith the rapid decline of several key industries and waning power throughout the world, it may 

seem that the United States is losing its grip on world hegemony. And yet, it is still a major world 

leader whom the rapidly industrializing nations are unable to surpass. What are the main things 

that still make America great? 

Without question, America’s military is 

currently the greatest in the world. It is not 

only because the US spends on its military 

more than 200 other nations combined 

(roughly $640 billion in 2013), or that 

it has the latest and greatest equipment, 

weapons, technology, and training 

programs. It is also because of America’s 

particular military culture, where service 

is voluntary, honored, and comes with 

great perks like free education. Over the 

last two decades, America has created a 

cult of the military hero, especially strong 

since the fateful events of 9/11. Military 

service members are praised in the news, 

in community events, and in daily life, 

as are their spouses and children. Their 

sacrifices are justly recognized and their 

service celebrated. This honorary status 

and celebration in the media has proven 

very effective, especially in combination 

with official advertising campaigns (think 

“Army Strong”) in recruitment efforts. 

ANNE THOMAS 

Young men and women actually want to 

join the military, as opposed to in other 

countries, where there is mandatory service 

of one or two years. There is no shortage of 

willing troops, despite several wars, with 

a major contributing factor being that the 

wars America has entered have largely been 

“wars of choice” since it could potentially 

isolate itself and does not have as strong a 

tradition of the constant need to defend its 

own territory as, for instance, many of the 

European nations. 

2. INDUST RY 

China’s manufacturing is growing and 

India is growing, so where does America 

stand (for the answer to that question, 

pick up our last issue, University Magazine 

Issue, II)? Despite the growth and rapid 

industrialization of many other nations 

and the decline of much of American 

manufacturing, the US remains strong 

in many industries and has emerged as a 

definitive leader in several others. We may 

buy oil from abroad, but we produce just as 

much ourselves. The car industry has failed 

and required a bailout by the government, 

you say? Despite that failure, around 3 

million cars are produced here every year. 

The chemical production field remains 

strong, as well. And if we turn to the 

technology field the US is a definite world 

leader in computers and technology parts 

as well as biotechnology. 

3. ECONOMY 

The US economy remains strong, even in 

the face of economic downturns, with the 

world’s highest GDP of over $16 trillion, 

almost twice its next leading competitor’s 

(China’s was around $9 trillion in 2013). 

It is a leader in high technology, has a first 

world trade profile (defined by large exports 

of consumer and technology goods and 

imports of natural resources), and a strong 

stock market. The United States also leads the 

world with the most Global 500 companies 

(128 as reported by Fortune in 2014). 

AMERICA CONT INUES 

TO RECEIVE MORE 

IMMIGRANTS T HAN 

ANY OT HER NAT ION 

IN T HE WORLD. 

4. EDUCAT ION 

Much is often said about American education around the 

world – our school systems are often criticized for not 

preparing our students well in key areas like mathematics, 

science, and geography. And while it’s true that the average 

American may not know exactly where Belarus is on a 

map (Remember that isolationism we mentioned? It’s a 

major contributor!) the American higher education system 

is the best in the world for two major reasons. The first is 

based on several prestigious international rankings of 

universities which consistently places 17 US universities on 

the 20 best universities list. The second has to do with the 

vast availability of higher education to almost anyone who 

wants it, overcoming financial and even merit obstacles. 

In America, a student who may not have done well in 

school and does not have much money can still attend a 

community college, do well, earn a scholarship to a four year 

university, and even end up going to graduate school. The 

sheer number and variety of educational institutions makes 

education possible for all. 

5. FREEDOM 

The United States of America was founded on an idea: the idea 

of freedom of expression, religious freedom, a democratic 

society, a free market economy. That idea continues to hold 

a fascination for the rest of the world. Because of that idea, 

America still continues to receive more immigrants than 

any other nation in the world - around 1 million every year. 

Here, we enjoy great freedom of the press and of expression, 

and while it may not always be comfortable (after all, the 

neo-Nazi skinhead around the corner has the same right to 

self-expression as does the peace-loving hippie next door) 

it is empowering. It is an amazing feeling to be safe in the 

knowledge that I can stand on a bench in the middle of a 

crowded square and loudly criticize my president, and no 

one will throw me in prison nor will I quietly disappear, as 

would happen in many other nations. Our freedom fuels 

imaginations, drives us to succeed, and allows us to achieve 

that American dream. 

WE ASKED OUR STUDENTS WHAT MAKES AMERICA 

A STRONG ACTOR ON THE WORLD STAGE; 

BESIDES THE TOP FIVE REASONS ON WHICH THEY 

AGREED, THEY ADDED SOME MORE INTERESTING 

PERSPECTIVES. HERE IS WHAT THEY SAID: 

MELTING POT: 

The most unique aspect of 

America is its diversity and 

the fact that immigrants 

are not only tolerated but 

welcomed, and intercultural 

marriages are popular. 

LAW: 

The American legal system 

offers equal treatment 

to everyone despite any 

differences in religion, age, 

gender – everyone from a 

college student to a senator 

can still be called in court! 

That, and the faith in the 

rule of law, make the US 

stand out from the masses. 

HOLLYWOOD: 

The iconic location and its 

movies attract billions of 

viewers around the world, 

many of whom intend 

to pursue that American 

dream originally created by 

Hollywood filmmakers. 

GOD: 

While propagating freedom 

of religion (or even lack 

thereof) America is, 

actually, quite religious and 

even names a deity on its 

currency. 


43

BUSINESS 

WHY IT MATTERS 

DR. STEPHEN ONU 

BUSINESSES PURSUE GREEN POLICIES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. SOME WANT TO SAVE ON ENERGY 

COSTS OR AVOID BURDENSOME REGULATIONS. SOME WANT TO WIN NEW CUSTOMERS OR KEEP UP WITH 

COMPETITORS. SOME WANT TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL, FEDERAL, AND STATE LAWS. FOR 

OTHERS, THE DECISION IS MORE PHILOSOPHICAL AND MIGHT INVOLVE A DESIRE TO REDUCE POLLUTION, 

ACHIEVE SOME MEASURE OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, AND BE A GOOD STEWARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES. 

he ozone layer issue 

took prime stage in 

global politics with the 

1987 Montreal Protocol 

on Substances That 

Deplete the Ozone Layer 

to control CFC emissions. 

Before the Montreal Protocol, 

Americans and most of the world were 

informed through media sources of the 

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) induced ozone 

depletion theory, and consumers responded 

out of concern by avoiding the purchase of 

products that contained CFCs; resulting was 

a two-thirds drop in spray can purchases in 

the United States. The consequence is that 

Americans and consumers across the globe 

have become frighteningly aware that what 

they purchase can have a harmful impact 

on their health and on the environment. By 

Earth Day in 1990, businesses realized that 

consumers were demanding products that 

are earth-friendly and became increasingly 

aware that the environmental performance 

(both real and perceived) of their products 

was becoming a competitive issue. This 

marked the beginning of what is known as 

“green consumerism.” Green consumerism, 

also known as environmental consumerism, 

is the purchase and consumption of products 

that are environmentally benign. Green 

consumers are concerned about the entire 

production process of a product. They want 

to know what resources are consumed to 

develop a product or the product’s packaging, 

as well as its disposability (i.e., is it recyclable). 

Companies are beginning to realize that the 

most environmentally active consumers are 

young, affluent, and well-educated. They 

represent a market segment whose influence 

has been, and will continue to be, strong. 

An even more lucrative market is the large 

number of environmentally-concerned, yet 

passive, consumers who can be motivated 

to purchase green products by cost-effective 

environmental solutions. Studies suggest that 

environmentally concerned consumers are 

demanding green products and are focusing 

their strong buying power on businesses 

to meet this demand. As businesses that 

provide environmentally sound products 

gain competitive momentum, others that 

continue their traditional practices are 

losing ground. With this growing concern 

for green products, there is an emergence of 

businesses that are tailoring their products 

and production methods to meet these 

green demands. For business, providing 

environmentally sound products - produced 

in a manner that recognizes the limits of Earth 

- to a concerned population marks more than a 

business opportunity; it represents a business 

necessity. There are several factors pressuring 

businesses to become concerned about 

green consumerism and the implementation 

of green marketing strategies. Led by an 

unprecedented boom in the economy in the 

late 1990s, Americans have become more 

affluent and are purchasing products that are 

consistent with their values. 

There is a noticeable increase in a novel 

and growing investment practice known 

as Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), 

which is the integration of personal values 

and societal concerns with investment 

decisions. The Dow Jones Industrial 

Average has been driven to a long string 

of successive highs, and a significant 

portion of this is attributed to SRIs. Co-op 

America reports that social investing has 

grown from $639 billion to $1.2 trillion. A 

Kaagen Research Associates survey (2006) 

identified at least 50 million Americans as 

“socially responsible” in their purchasing 

and investing activities. 

With the advent of the information 

age and the accessibility of a world of 

information being just a mouse-click away, 

more Americans are getting involved in 

boycotts and protests by activists. Co-op 

America, an organization with nearly 50,000 

members and countless liaisons to other 

grassroots organizations, regularly releases 

the Boycott Action News that informs and 

encourages consumers to boycott products 

from such companies as Nike, Mitsubishi, 

Gap, Inc., Pepsi, etc. for their socially and 

environmentally harmful practices. Also, 

college students from campuses around 

the world are communicating their views 

through mass electronic mail campaigns. 

Business has been able to realize considerable 

benefits through resource recovery strategies. 

Companies have been able to cut internal 

VIU.EDU 

costs by either reusing recycled products 

or resources that have been returned to 

them or by selling the byproducts to other 

companies to be used as inputs (a process 

known as “industrial ecology”). Through 

waste minimization and resource recovery, 

businesses have drastically cut increasing 

disposal costs of collection, transportation, 

and landfilling. 

For example, in response to growing 

public pressure regarding the wastefulness 

of disposable products, Xerox in 1987 

implemented a “take-back” procedure 

called “Asset Recycle Management” (ARM) 

for retrieving and recycling their facsimile 

machines, photocopiers, printers, and other 

products. With rapidly changing technology 

upgrading the capabilities of their products, 

Xerox realized that its customers were 

continually renewing their machines, and 

machines that were leased or returned would 

eventually be thrown out when newer models 

were released, resulting in lost revenues. 

Through the ARM program, Xerox set up a 

remanufacturing process that got maximum 

usage out each product “by designing them 

with parts that can easily be reused in other 

machines, or replaced with upgraded versions 

FOR BUSINESS, PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRODUCTS, 

PRODUCED IN A MANNER THAT RECOGNIZES THE LIMITS OF EARTH, 

TO A CONCERNED POPULATION MARKS MORE THAN A BUSINESS 

OPPORTUNITY; IT REPRESENTS A BUSINESS NECESSITY. 

to keep current machines running longer.” 

The remanufacturing program, along 

with their pollution prevention goal of 

waste-free production, has saved Xerox 

several hundred million dollars annually 

through reusing recovered equipment, 

cutting landfill costs, and reducing the 

purchase of virgin raw materials. Xerox 

is able to reduce the costs of material 

inputs, which means it is able to lower 

simultaneously the price of the products 

and reduce the environmental impacts of 

waste disposal; thus creating a “win-winwin” 

outcome. Lowering the product’s 

price and creating machines that can be 

easily recovered and upgraded provides 

consumers a product with the highest 

quality. The bottom line is that green 

business is good for the customers and 

therefore, good for the companies. 



VIU.EDU 

The Schools of 

Education and Public & International Affairs present 

The summit seeks to explore and accurately represent the realities of the Common Core, from its intended 

goals to its development and implementation across the United States. With a multiplicity of competing 

voices in the public discourse surrounding several states’ decisions to repeal or not adopt the Common 

Core, it can be difficult for community stakeholders at all levels to evaluate the realities of the standards. 

From the creation of the goals and policy development to the eventual implementation of the Common 

Core, what has emerged is a set of standards that has far more questions than answers. The goal of this 

summit is to work toward demystifying the Common Core State Standards and to come to a common 

understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of this initiative and how to move forward. 

1 November 2014 (9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) 

Hosted at the Fairfax Government Center 

12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035 

BALANCED PERSPECTIVES 

Policy Makers 

Distinguished panelists will speak about the development of the policy and 

ramifications for the implementation. 

Administrators 

Amid the implementation process, the administrative concerns of a school need to 

be considered. Panelists will speak on issues regarding implementation of the 

Common Core and provide unique perspectives on best practices and areas for 

improvement. 

Teachers 

Exploring the perspective of teachers is a must for successful implementation of any 

initiative. Panelists will provide their perspectives on implementation of the 

Common Core at the level of the K-12 classroom including concerns, areas for 

improvement, and suggestions for meeting the requirements. 

For more information, contact Kevin Martin at kevin@viu.edu or visit our website at summit.viu.edu 

www.viu.edu/sed 

SPIA 

www.viu.edu/spia 

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 

11200 Waples Mill Road, #360, Fairfax, VA 22030 

VIRGINIA 

INTERNATIONAL 

UNIVERSITY 

THE NATIONAL SUMMIT ON THE COMMON CORE: 

Demystifying and Finding Common Ground 

The Personalized Approach: 

Moving Away from 

ave you noticed Coke 

bottles sporting names 

H 

instead of the regular 

logo? The multinational 

beverage giant Coca- 

Cola has recently 

launched a personalized 

marketing campaign 

called “Share a Coke.” The campaign 

features the sale of bottles whose logos 

have been replaced with popular names 

among teens and Millennials. 

As part of the campaign, 250 of the 

most popular names among young 

people, like Emily, Chris, or Jennifer, 

are taking the place of Coke’s iconic 

logo for sale in select stores. Customers 

with less-common names are able to 

get a mini-can customized with their 

name at one of the brand’s 500 stores 

across the country or go online to 

personalize a virtual bottle and post it 

on social media. Coke says that more 

than 353,000 virtual bottles have been 

shared on the “Share a Coke” campaign’s 

website. And the campaign is paying 

off: despite declining overall profits, 

Coca-Cola’s soft drinks sales to young 

people have risen by over 7% within the 

first few months of the campaign. 

Mass Marketing 

DR. MARK ROBINSON 

Personalized marketing appears to be 

the best way to connect with the fastestgrowing 

consumer demographic. It 

is the most extreme form of target 

marketing. Instead of creating a product 

designed to appeal to many people or to 

the whole population, the target market 

is one specific customer. Some forms of 

personalized marketing will appear to 

a slightly wider audience than just one 

person, but the market segment is still 

very small. Overall, marketing teaches 

students the art and science of targeting 

a group of consumers – called market 

segmentation – and creating awareness 

of the product and its attributes. 

Personalized marketing, on the other 

hand, refers to targeting a product or 

service to an individual customer. It can 

be achieved only by collecting data and 

information about a particular customer, 

or small group of customers, and then 

creating products and/or advertisements 

of special interest to that individual. It 

is distinct from mass marketing, which 

creates a product designed to appeal to as 

wide an audience as possible, and from 

niche marketing in which a product is 

created designed to appeal to a group or 

segment of the population. 

When a product is created, it has a target 

market. The target market refers to all the 

people who may be potential customers 

interested in purchasing that product. 

Some companies strive to create the 

largest target market possible, while 

others establish smaller segments of the 

market they wish to aim their product at. 

More recently, personalized marketing 

has become practical for bricks and 

mortar retailers. The market size, an 

order of magnitude greater than that 

of the internet, demanded a different 

technological approach now available 

and in use. Many retailers attract 

customers to the physical store by 

offering discounted items which are 

automatically selected to appeal to the 

individual recipient. The interactivity 

occurs through the offer redemptions 

recorded by the point of sale systems, 

which can then update each transaction 

of the individual shopper. 

Personalization can be more accurate 

when based solely upon individual 

purchasing records because of the 

simplified and repetitive nature of some 

bricks and mortar retail purchasing, for 

example grocery stores. So, next time 

you check out at the grocery store, don’t 

be surprised to get a coupon for the 

same product or brand that you already 

purchased. And, based on the Coke 

results, consumers are receptive; expect 

to see more personalized marketing in 

the next few years. 



BUSINESS 

VIU.EDU 

BOSSES WHO ARE DOING FULLSCALE 

CAPTURES OF EVERYTHING THEIR 

EMPLOYEES ARE DOING ARE 

PROBABLY RARE 

BIG BROTHER: 

SURVEILLANCE 

IN BUSINESS 

fullscale captures of everything their employees are doing are 

probably rare. In actuality, bosses who do this would spend 

more time monitoring than managing. 

MONITORING CONSUMERS 

Businesses also use surveillance to monitor their premises and 

even their customers. This is done for several reasons; to deter 

crime, to monitor their customer and employee interaction 

for training, for protection from lawsuits, and for better 

service. Have you ever wondered how popular fast food drivethru 

restaurants get the correct order to the right customers 

so quickly? They actually snap a picture of their customers 

as they place their orders. Other businesses use surveillance 

footage in productivity and service studies to improve their 

efficiency and increase revenues. 

DR. JOSEPH A. HUBER 

Did you ever stop to wonder if the phone call you were making was being monitored by your 

boss? Or how about the email you are sending, or the websites you visit? What about the 

information you share on social media? 

According to Forbes Magazine, it’s not unusual for employers 

to monitor employees’ computers and even their smart phones, 

but many employees don’t think about this in the course of their 

work day. The fact is that surveillance is used in our personal lives 

and business for various reasons. Some purposes of surveillance 

include collecting data, deterring crime, ensuring safety, training, 

and tracking employee productivity. 

COLLECTING DATA FROM E-MAIL, 

TELEPHONE, & INTERNET USAGE 

Merriam-Webster defines metadata as data that provides 

information about other data. For the most part, this data is 

claimed to be collected to identify suspicious or even criminal 

activity. In the wake of the Edward Snowden controversy, it was 

revealed that governments engage in the surveillance of cell phone 

calls, email, and internet activity. Snowden revealed a program 

that focused on individual surveillance of cell phones and the 

collection of metadata. 

Businesses can also conduct surveillance of this activity remotely and 

collect metadata on any employee they wish. Employers often advise 

employees in the employee handbook or computer usage agreement 

that their computer activity could be monitored. But then there’s 

the question of whether employers are actually abusing this right. 

Employees often spend time looking at potentially-sensitive personal 

email, having sexy chats, scrolling through social media photo 

albums, or maybe even checking out job listings elsewhere. But in 

most cases, an employer can only monitor the activity of an employee. 

According to a computer forensics expert, Michael Robinson, 

employers can see what websites employees are going to (for example, 

how many employees went to Monster.com that month); but if they 

want to actually see more granular activity, they have to put monitoring 

software on the computer itself. Some employees mistakenly think 

that if they’re on Gmail or if their communications are encrypted no 

one can read them. Employees must understand that even secure 

transmissions are susceptible to monitoring. If you’re on a corporate 

network, all non-https communication is visible to whoever controls 

the network, and if the software is on your computer there definitely 

is no protection. According to Robinson, bosses who are doing 

IF THE SOFTWARE IS ON YOUR 

COMPUTER THERE DEFINITELY IS NO 

PROTECTION 

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE 

INFORMATION PRIVATE, DO NOT 

TRANSMIT IT IN ANY TYPE OF 

ELECTRONIC FORM 

The problem with surveillance is that we as employees or even 

consumers have no real control over what is used and for what 

purpose. For that reason, we must be diligent in curbing what 

we want others to see. Otherwise our actions or the actions of 

others we are closely associated with can lead to unexpected 

or even adverse consequences. Remaining cautious about what 

is being said about your employer, your political views, your 

associations is critical; even questionable photographs can lead 

to dismissal. The basic rule of thumb for users remains - “if 

you want to keep the information private, do not transmit it in 

any type of electronic form.” This includes texts, emails, phone 

calls, and social media. While you cannot control security 

camera footage in stores, you can control your electronic 

communication at work. After all, you never know when you 

are being watched! 



TECHNOLOGY 

rom the user’s point of view, the buzzwords relevant 

to mobile computing are “anywhere”, “anytime”, and 

“any device”. From the technological perspective, 

mobile computing means mobile hardware, mobile 

software, and wireless connection to cyberspace. 

The business interpretation, thus, is “the decline in 

desktop computers serves as the hard evidence that transition 

to mobile computing is inevitable.” Just as the introduction 

of personal computers became the mainstream in businesses 

and households in the 1980s, mobile computers are becoming 

necessities in modern daily business operations, as well as 

personal routines. Some even say and believe that the future of 

computing is mobile-centered. 

How old is mobile computing? Mobile computing originated 

within the mobile telephony when analog cellular technology, 

the first generation (1G), was introduced in 1981. For at least 

a decade, an equal sign was put between the mobile computing 

and the cellular telephone network which, in a nutshell, uses 

a set of transceivers, termed as base stations or cell sites, and 

mobile switching centers to facilitate signal transmission. A cell 

site or base station covers an area, known as cell – hence, cellular 

technology – and transmits signals through mobile switching 

centers. Mobile computing did not become a technology 

buzzword until the introduction of fourth generation (4G) 

technology in 2009. But, the truth is that mobile computing is as 

old as personal computers. 

Started in 1981, a new mobile generation has been introduced in every decade 

– 1G in 1981, 2G in 1991, 3G in 2001, and 4G in 2009. The next generation (5G) 

of mobile technology is expected to be realized around 2020 or maybe sooner, 

considering the pace at which innovations are happening around the world. 

The key difference between these generations has been the increase of channel 

bandwidth, namely from 30 KHz to 200 KHz, to 20MHz in 3G, and to 100 MHz 

in 4G. The most talked-about bandwidth for 5G is between 3.4 GHz and 3.6 

GHz – 100 times faster than 4G. 

Other expectations for 5G include a lower cost, a data access speed up to 10 

gigabites per second, and larger storage capacity. Several 5G projects have 

been initiated around the world, including NYU Wireless (www.nyuwireless. 

com), funded by National Science Foundation, and METIS Consortium (www. 

metis2020.com). Yet, there is no standard or concrete expectation for 5G as of 

July 2014. 

A mobile computer is any computer that enables communication and data 

transmission over the wireless network. Examples include the laptop, notebook, 

netbook, tablet, GPS, e-book reader, pocket-size media player, and smartphone. 

To support the operation of mobile computers, mobile operating systems are 

needed and include Android, Bada, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Symbian, webOS, and 

Windows Mobile OS. The mobile operating system determines the software 

development relevant capabilities, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the 

underlying programming language used to develop mobile applications 

(mobile apps). Mobile app development languages include Java, Objective-C, 

C# (C-sharp), and PHP. 

For instance, Objective-C and Swift are used to develop mobile apps for iPhone 

which runs iOS; apps running on Android are developed in Java; and C# is used 

to develop apps for Windows mobile computers. No new mobile operating 

systems or programming languages are expected or needed in relation to the 

realization of 5G, despite the fact that mobile apps work with smaller size userinterfaces, 

and require additional design efforts and considerations. Rather, the 

utilization or embedding of cloud computing in mobile technology tends to 

be an architecture that may provide solutions to the 5G expectations – hence, 

MCC (Mobile/Cloud Computing). 

Because of the nomadic nature of mobile computers and the use of wireless 

networks, security controls and management in mobile computing may require 

additional attention. On the top of the list for mobile computing related threats 

are proximity hacking, data loss caused by lost or stolen mobile devices, mobile 

malware, and unsecure Wi-Fi access. For example, Defense Information Systems 

Agency (DISA), a DoD agency, publishes 12 security requirement guides on its 

Information Assurance Support Environment (ISAE) website (www.iase.disa. 

mil/srgs). Three out of these 12 security requirement guides directly address 

the security requirements for mobile computing. Such a ratio confirms the 

significance of security controls in mobile computing. 

In January 2014, Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com), an information technology 

research and advisory company, reported the worldwide shipment for deskbased 

computers was 299 million units; whereas the shipment for mobile 

computers was 1,983 million units – 5.6 times more than that of desk-based 

computers. In the same report, Gartner, Inc. projected these numbers to be 

263 million units for desk-based computers and 2,156 million units for mobile 

computers. These figures confirm that mobile computing has been and will 

continue to be the contemporary trend of information technology. 

are you behind 

the times? 

With mobile computing on the rise and even set 

to take over the more traditional computing in 

Asia, mobile applications - or “apps” - are more 

important than ever. Thousands of new apps are 

appearing daily. Are you behind the times if you do 

not have them all? Have no fear! Just use the ones 

you find most comfortable. Here are our reviews of 

a few useful apps that you may want to try: 

TALK: You’re probably already on 

Skype, which lets you talk for free 

to other users around the world, 

but have you heard of Tango? It 

lets you send texts, share pictures, 

play games, and, of course, video 

and voice call for free. 

MONEY: Do you already have 

Mint to help you budget? Another 

great free app to try is Manilla, 

which lets you put all your bills in 

one place and reminds you when 

payments are due. Another pro? 

It’s available in over 25 languages! 

DIRECTIONS: Have you tried 

Waze? It’s a free app that helps 

you navigate real-time traffic. In 

fact, it’s so good, Google recently 

bought it! 

TAXI: This is a tough one, since 

both apps are great. Why not try 

both? Hailo and Uber both let you 

get around a city with ease, hailing a 

car at the touch of a button. Uber is 

more upscale, with black limousine 

cars coming to get you, while Hailo 

gets a city cab to come to you ASAP. 

KIDS: Okay, so we all know the 

Disney and the Angry Bird game 

apps (are the Angry Birds really 

there for the kids or is it just an 

excuse for us to play?) but here 

is another educational game 

app. Gus on the Go offers a great 

easy way for kids to learn some 

basic vocabulary. Available in 16 

languages and counting! 



51

OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

OVER 1 BILLION 

PEOPLE WATCHED 

GERMANY TAKE THE 2014 

FIFA WORLD CUP 

IBRAHIM ELNEMS 

THIS IS THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY VIEWED SPORTING EVENT. 

THE COMPETITION HAS BEEN PLAYED ALMOST EVERY FOUR 

YEARS SINCE THE INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT IN 1930. 

SIX OF THE 20 EDITIONS OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP HAVE BEEN WON BY THE HOST TEAM. 

THE NEXT FIFA WORLD CUPS WILL BE HOSTED BY RUSSIA IN 2018 AND QATAR IN 2022. 

WATCH WHAT VIU STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY 

ABOUT THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP! 

VISIT HTTP://YOUTU.BE/PNP4Q3XXMYO 

THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP WAS THE 20TH FIFA WORLD CUP, THE TOURNAMENT 

FOR THE SOCCER ASSOCIATION WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH TOOK PLACE 

AT SEVERAL VENUES ACROSS BRAZIL. GERMANY WON THE TOURNAMENT AND 

TOOK ITS FOURTH TITLE BY DEFEATING ARGENTINA 1–0 IN THE FINAL. HERE AT 

VIU, TENSIONS RAN HIGH AS STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CHEERED 

ON THEIR HOME TEAMS. WE ASKED THEM EACH ABOUT THE TEAMS THEY 

SUPPORTED, ABOUT SOCCER, AND THEIR OVERALL EXPERIENCES. 

GERMANY 

I really enjoyed the World Cup in 2014, not just because Germany 

won the Cup but also because I experienced some great energy in the 

USA, and I was impressed by how many Germans and others came 

together to cheer for the team. 

Soccer is the most popular sport in Germany. People watch the 

"Bundesliga" during the year and the World Cup every four years. 

Germans go crazy over soccer, and with that comes some good beer 

and some good company. Fans like to watch with friends at home, in 

bars, or outdoors in arranged public viewing areas. Everyone dresses 

up in fan-gear and cheers for our country during the World Cup. 

People just come together for the love of soccer and it brings the 

entire country closer together and it feels great to cheer for our team 

and feel the energy and excitement with everyone around. 

JANA LACHMANN, 

BBA IN MARKETING 



OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

BRAZIL 

NIGERIA 

GREECE 

GHANA 

EZRA KASULE, 

MBA IN HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT 

Soccer is mainly important because it brings people together; it has 

the power to create unity out of division and joy from sadness. Soccer 

is much more than pleasure in Africa, for the lucky few it is also an 

escape from the problems that hold millions across the continent 

within its grasp. According to Abedi Pele, soccer “really makes a lot 

of difference in Africa when it comes to political decisions.” 

I think the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil was the best tournament 

ever. Brazil being the host further established the claim to being 

soccer’s spiritual home and they produced a World Cup worthy of 

that honor. When else has there been a World Cup in which the 

holders were thrashed 5-1 in the opening match and failed to get 

through the group stage, as happened to Spain? When else has there 

been a World Cup in which a nation such as Costa Rica would top 

a group that included three previous winners in England, Italy, 

and Uruguay? When else has there been a World Cup with the 

extraordinary, sad, painful, dramatic encounter that unfolded in 

Belo Horizonte as the hosts Brazil were eviscerated 7-1 by Germany. 

It was a piece of history which will resonate through the decades. 

VIU SOCCER CLUB 

PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY TYPE 

OF SOCCER FAN — WHETHER YOU LIKE 

PLAYING ON THE FIELD, WATCHING THE 

PROFESSIONALS, PLAYING FIFA, OR JUST 

WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME GOOD 

OLD-FASHIONED TEAM RIVALRIES. 

PURPOSE OF THE CLUB: 

To promote extra-curriculum 

activities at Virginia International 

University and to formulate a strong, 

professional soccer team that can 

compete in Nothern Virginia. 

COLUMBIA 

ARGENTINA 

GREECE 

ELENI MATHIANKI, 

MA IN TESOL 

My friends watched the games in Brazil, which made me so jealous! 

They enjoyed the World Cup and the country as it offers stunning 

views. Greece has played in three World Cups. The appearances 

were in 1994, 2010, and 2014. For me, this is my favorite World Cup 

year because the Greek team qualified to round 16, which is a huge 

accomplishment. 

Why Join Us? 

• Scholarships 

• Keep fit and healthy 

• Make friends 

• Practices & try-outs 

BRAZIL 

NATALIA CRISTINA, 

MBA IN GLOBAL LOGISTICS 

What can I say about soccer in Brazil? Obviously, this is the sport 

that everyone loves. The championships start in January and finish 

in December. We have two national championships, Copa do 

Brasil and Brasileirão, two international, Libertadores da America 

and Sul Americana, and one state. 

The World Cup to Brazilians is when everyone is a patriot, paints 

his face, and puts the national flag on his house. It is a moment 

when all the families get along really well, having barbecues and 

eating popcorn. The country stops when the Brazil national team 

is playing. We are crazy about the World Cup! Germany won with 

class, mastery, and talent. They deserved to win since their first 

game against Portugal. And the Brazilians were amazing hosts, 

friendly, happy, and organized. 

GHANA 

COLOMBIA 

MARIA GARCES, 

MBA IN MARKETINGMANAGEMENT 

For us it doesn’t simply mean watching a soccer match. It is the 

heartbeat of the entire country. It means tears of joy and emotion. 

Colombian fans support the team until the end. The national team 

was greeted by thousands of Colombians in the capital city of 

Bogotá, Colombia, welcoming them back as heroes. In the history 

of the World Cup Colombia has had remarkable players like Rene 

Higuita, creator of the Scorpion kick, Carlos Valderrama, the 

most capped player in history, Leonel Alvarez, Faustino Asprilla, 

Mario Yepes, and Radamel Falca, the second top scorer of all 

time. But my favorite soccer player is James Rodriguez. At only 

22 years old, he was the star of FIFA World Cup 2014. Their six 

goals in Brazil brought him to win the Golden Boot World. He 

is now enjoying belonging to one of the greatest teams in the 

world, Real Madrid. Grande, James! 

ARGENTINA 

SARVAR SIDIKKHODJAEV, 

MBA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS 

Soccer is like a religion in Argentina! People live and breathe soccer. 

They watch it in the stadiums, restaurants, on the beach, and in the 

parks. I was expecting a lot from the Brazilian national team, but 

they didn’t play as well as a host nation. My favorite World Cup year 

was Mexico, 1986, when Argentina won and Maradona scored the 

goal of the century against England! 

NIGERIA 

SEPRIBO TAYLOR-HARRY, 

MS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE 

It was entertaining, full of highlights (7-1 humiliating defeat by the 

host team Brazil to Germany), surprises (the advancement of the 

Costa Rican team into the quarter finals), and rising superstars like 

James Rodriguez of Colombia outperforming superstars such as 

Ronaldo, Messi, and Nehmar. My favorite World Cup year was USA 

1994 because my country, Nigeria, advanced to the next round for the 

first time playing great football! 

COMING SOON: 

• University soccer competition 

• Female soccer team 

• The Suarez PS Competition 

• Winter Indoor Tournament 

• Official VIU Soccer Team 

For more information: 

Email us at soccer@campus.viu.edu 



OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

GESTURES & 

BODY LANGUAGE 

Around the World 

DR. MARIETTA BRADINOVA 

JESSICA MICHAEL 

You are planning a trip overseas or hosting an international 

visitor. When it comes to communications via gestures and 

body language, how can you separate right from rude and rude 

from crude? Here is a list of some of the gestures and examples 

of body language most commonly used by North Americans. To 

avoid misunderstandings, the single best piece of advice is to be 

observant and sensitive to what’s going on around you. And don’t 

be afraid to ask! 

SHAKING HANDS 

In North America: When greeting one another, North Americans 

shake hands, and from an early age they are taught to do so with a 

firm, solid grip. 

Around the World: While hand-clasping as a greeting has 

generally been adopted around the world, the Japanese prefer to 

greet one another by bowing. Southeast Asians press their own 

palms together in a praying motion. And when Middle Easterners 

and many Asians shake hands, they favor a gentle grip. That is 

because in their cultures a firm grip suggests aggressiveness. 

EYE CONTACT 

In North America: When greeting and conversing with others, 

North American children are taught to look others directly in the 

eyes. To do otherwise is often regarded as a sign of shyness, a lack of 

warmth, or, even worse, as weakness. 

Around the World: Japanese and Korean parents train their children 

to do just the opposite: avert the eyes and avoid direct eye contact. 

Direct eye contact is, to them, considered intimidating or may 

indicate sexual overtones. 

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS 

In North America: In normal social situations, North Americans 

generally stand about 30 inches apart from one another. That’s 

considered the personal comfort zone and is equal to about an arm’s 

length. 

Around the World: Asians, however, stand farther apart. In contrast, 

Latinos and Middle Easterners stand much closer, sometimes even 

toe-to-toe, or side-to-side, brushing elbows. As a result, North 

Americans need to steel themselves for such close encounters 

because to move away sends an unfriendly message. 

NODDING & SHAKING THE HEAD 

In North America: Throughout most of the world, nodding the 

head up and down signifies “yes” and shaking it back and forth 

means “no.” 

Around the World: In Bulgaria, however, the custom is just the 

opposite, especially among the older generation. There, to signal 

“no” they nod the head up and down, and to indicate “yes,” they 

shake the head back and forth. 

KISSING 

In North America: Among North Americans, kissing is usually 

reserved for sweethearts, one’s mother, and among close female 

relatives, but rarely between two men. 

Around the World: Among Latins, southern Europeans, and 

Russians, both male and female acquaintances will commonly greet 

one another with busses to the cheeks. These are more feigned 

kisses to one cheek, sometimes both cheeks, and maybe even 

a “triple play’: one check, the other cheek, and then back to the 

first cheek again. Incidentally, the continental practice of kissing a 

lady’s hand has almost disappeared, except among a few pockets of 

gallants in Italy and other Romance-language cultures. 

THE “OKAY” GESTURE 

In North America: This is probably the best-known gesture in 

the United States with almost 100 percent recognition. North 

Americans flash this gesture frequently and enthusiastically: it’s 

done by forming a circle with the thumb and forefinger with the 

other three fingers splayed upward. 

Around the World: However, take care in France where this means 

“zero” or “worthless,” or in Japan where it can mean “money,” as if 

making the shape of a coin. In places like Brazil, Russia and Germany, 

it is the signal for a very private bodily orifice. So in those countries, 

the American signal for “OKAY” is definitely not. 

“V” FOR VICTORY 

In North America: Display the index and middle fingers in the 

shape of a V and virtually all over the world it is understood to 

mean “victory” or “peace.” 

Around the World: Be careful, however in England and 

Australia. There, when this same gesture is done with the 

palm facing inward toward the face, it is tantamount to 

signaling “Up yours!” 

THUMBS-UP 

In North America: North Americans and many other cultures 

flash this nearly ubiquitous gesture when they want to silently 

say “Good job!” or “OKAY”, or “Great!” or a dozen other 

expressions, all of which demonstrate support and approval. 

Around the World: In certain locales, however, it can carry 

completely different meanings. In Australia, if the thumb is 

pumped up and down it is the equivalent of saying “Up yours!” 

Also, where North Americans may use the upright thumb 

when hitchhiking, in countries like Nigeria it is considered a 

rude gesture and should be avoided. In Japan and Germany, the 

upraised thumb is also used when counting: in Japan it signals 

“five,” but in Germany it is the signal for “one.” 

WAVING 

In North America: Whether North Americans are signaling 

“hello” or “good bye,” or simply trying to get the attention of 

some distant person, they raise the arm and waggle the open 

hand back and forth. 

Around the World: Throughout much of Europe this action 

signals “No!” When bidding a greeting or farewell, Europeans 

customarily raise the arm and bob the hand up and down at the 

wrist, similar to the wrist action when dribbling a basketball. 

waving 

“V” for victory 

shaking hands 

eye contact 

nodding & 

shaking head 

“OK” gesture 


spacial relationships 

kissing 

thumbs up

OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

MISSION 

TO MARS: 

A ONE-WAY 

JOURNEY FOR 

HUMANKIND 

AVERAGE DISTANCE 

FROM SUN 

AVERAGE SPEED IN 

ORBITING SUN 

93 million miles 142 million miles 

18.5 miles per second 14.5 miles per second 

DIAMETER 7,926 miles 4,220 miles 

TILT OF AXIS 23.5 degrees 25 degrees 

LENGTH OF YEAR 365.25 days 687 Earth days 

LENGTH OF DAY 23 hours 56 minutes 24 hours 37 minutes 


GRAVITY 2.66 times that of Mars 0.375 that of Earth 

TEMPERATURE Average 57 degrees F Average -81 degrees F 

ATMOSPHERE 

nitrogen, oxygen, 

argon, others 

mostly carbon dioxide, 

some water vapor 

NUMBER OF MOONS 1 2 



OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

n the last year, news of the Mars One 

I 

mission has sprung up in media outlets 

all over the world, receiving commentary 

from astronauts and everyday people alike. 

But what is the driving force behind the 

mission? How would this private sector 

mission differ from government sponsored 

ones, which have previously dominated 

the space sector. And, more importantly, what kind of people, 

psychologically, volunteer to go on this potentially suicidal mission, 

for which they would have to train more than for anything else in 

their lives and where they would be leaving everyone and everything 

they knew behind to go to a very uncertain future? Finally, what kind 

of potential benefit for humankind is likely to come out of it, whether 

it’s successful or not? 

THE MISSION IN A NUTSHELL 

The Mars One mission is to establish a permanent human settlement 

on Mars. Basically, communications technology is first sent to Mars. 

Then, a rover will land and prepare the landing units as well as living 

quarters and life support units to 

prepare for the arrival of the first 

astronauts. The first astronauts will 

land, along with extra living quarters 

and life support units, so that they 

can prepare for the arrival of the next 

crew of astronauts. There is a lot of 

redundancy built into the mission 

to make sure that it has the greatest 

chance of success and the astronauts 

of survival, since, unlike astronauts 

at our International Space Station, 

they cannot return to Earth in the 

event of a malfunction. The mission 

is well thought out, with its plans 

approved by several high-ranking 

members of the scientific and space communities, a feasibility study 

positively completed, and major aerospace companies as suppliers. 

Another interesting component of this mission is that there is no need 

for any new technology to be created – the mission is planned using 

only the technologies already available today. Currently, the plans are 

to launch an unmanned mission in 2018 and then for crews of four 

people to depart every two years, starting in 2024. 

GOVERNMENT VS. PRIVATE 

What differentiates this mission is that it is sponsored entirely by 

the private sector, as opposed to a government agency or even 

an international collaboration between several countries’ space 

agencies. Mars One is a Netherlands-based non-profit foundation, 

so all investment in the mission is voluntary. Several funding 

sources are anticipated, with merchandise sales and a crowdfunding 

campaign already successful. Mars One does have a daughter forprofit 

media company, which will raise funds for the foundation by 

selling broadcasting rights, sponsorships, exclusive partnerships, 

revenues from any intellectual property created as well as continued 

LANDING ON MARS IN 

AN INTERNATIONAL 

MISSION IS A VICTORY 

FOR THE HUMAN RACE. 

crowdfunding and donations from high net worth individuals. 

Because the mission crosses international borders, its advisors, like 

its potential astronauts, are sourced from around the world and 

include leading world scientists and experts in areas from aerospace 

engineering to air and space law. Many respected space authorities 

have spoken positively of the project, among them, US astronaut 

Buzz Aldrin, who was among the first to land on the moon. “Why are 

we so sympathetically attached to people who want to be pioneers 

and who want to leave their family behind?” he asks in an interview 

with LA Times. “The hardest people to ever bring back are the first 

people to land.” 

SELECTING THE SETTLERS 

How do you choose who goes on a potentially suicidal mission which 

may be the next great leap for humankind? You hold a worldwide 

competition! More than 200,000 people from around the world 

responded to the first call for applicants. Applications were open to 

citizens of all nations, and they will be selected based on their physical, 

intellectual, and psychological stamina. Astronauts will be selected 

based on five key characteristics: resiliency, adaptability, curiosity, 

ability to trust, and creativity/ 

resourcefulness. After going 

through several rounds of selection, 

those selected will train for eight 

years, often in simulated Martian 

environments, away from everyone 

but the other potential astronauts 

for months at a time. The mission 

will be incredibly difficult, not only 

physically, with spending months at 

a time in small, cramped quarters 

with just three other people, but also 

psychologically, as it is a one-way 

mission. The astronauts will not get a 

chance to come back to Earth. While 

most people would sacrifice a lot to 

only be allowed to live out their days among their family and friends, 

these people will be leaving everyone they love behind. However, they 

get to do something few have done before them – be true explorers, 

like the seafarers of old, performing cutting-edge scientific research 

and blazing a trail for humanity. 

BLAZING A TRAIL 

Whether the mission is ultimately successful or not may not be its 

most significant aspect. Of course, a successful Martian colony on 

the first attempt would be a huge victory for humankind. However, 

this mission is focusing the world’s waning attention on the next 

goal of space exploration and pushing the space agencies to keep up. 

Whatever its actual outcome, it will connect humanity in a way that 

has never been seen, for even the moon landing, watched with baited 

breath by countless Americans, was only a victory for one nation, 

whereas landing on Mars in an international mission is a victory for 

the human race. If the mission is successful, then the settlement will 

continue to expand – if not, it will spur on other missions until we, 

eventually, do have an actual human settlement beyond Earth. 

HOPE VS. REALITY 

We had the chance to speak with Michael Slage, currently 

a successful healthcare entrepreneur, who has worked on 

advanced technology programs at NASA and other space and 

technology organizations. 

UM: DO YOU THINK THE MISSION IS ACTUALLY 

VIABLE? 

Their intentions are admirable and I hope they do 

succeed, but so far they haven’t been able to hit their 

milestones whether it is with crowdfunding or the 

number of applicants they wanted, so it doesn’t look very 

likely. Getting to Mars is viable but entails a great deal of 

technical and business expertise which they have yet to 

demonstrate. 

UM: WILL THIS PRIVATE MISSION LEAD TO 

MORE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED SPACE 

EXPLORATION? 

Probably not. NASA already has plans but without the 

support of Congress and the President nothing can be 

done. If this mission is successful some may say government 

funded space exploration is unnecessary, so it may 

have the opposite effect. Alternatively if the mission 

fails and there are civilian deaths, Congress may act to 

restrict space exploration only to government sponsored 

projects which would be catastrophic to future private 

missions. 

UM: DO YOU THINK A PERMANENT HUMAN 

SETTLEMENT AT THIS TIME (IN THE NEXT 10-20 

YEARS) ANYWHERE OUTSIDE EARTH CAN BE 

SUCCESSFUL? 

Without significant reductions in launch and development 

costs along with key technological breakthroughs 

(such as lighter more efficient batteries, more powerful 

engines, closed loop life support, etc.) it is unlikely. A 

better approach for these organizations, and NASA in 

general, would be to focus on these roadblock technologies 

which are the main things holding back exploration, 

UM: IF THE MISSION IS A SUCCESS AND 

EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, 

WHAT KIND OF HEALTH CHALLENGES WILL THE 

SETTLERS FACE DUE TO LIVING ON MARS AS 

OPPOSED TO EARTH? 

Mars has extreme cold, radiation, storms, and unknown 

dangers which we can’t even begin to guess. It’s not a 

friendly environment and a lot more study and preparation 

is necessary to ensure humans can live beyond a few 

months there. 

IF YOU WEIGHED 100 POUNDS ON EARTH, 

YOU WOULD WEIGH 38 POUNDS ON MARS! 

DATA FROM MARS.NASA.GOV 



61

OUR WORLD 

VIU.EDU 

“VIU FOR ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN A 

UNIVERSITY THAT GIVES FULL ATTENTION 


TO EACH AND EVERY STUDENT. THAT 

n March 2012 the 

Earth welcomed its 

7 billionth person. 

At this point, the 

population of our 

planet is at its highest, 

7.1 billion people. 

With anywhere between two to four births 

happening every second, population 

projections are staggering: by 2050, Earth’s 

population will reach 9 billion! 

The History 

Concerns about overpopulation have 

sprung out throughout history, with 

Plato, Aristotle, and Tertullian bringing 

up the “teeming masses” of people as 

concerns to the welfare of their cities. 

Over time, natural disasters, like 

earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes as 

well as diseases served to curb population 

growth. With the advent of modern 

medicine, better living conditions, and 

new technology, life expectancy has 

increased, as well as infant and mother 

survival rates, exacerbating the problem. 

The Dangers 

But why this worry about overpopulation 

at all? The problem is not the amount of 

people in itself, but the amount of people 

relative to the amount of natural resources 

available for consumption. The concerns 

are numerous and valid; inadequate fresh 

water, depletion of natural resources, 

deforestation and the loss of arable land, 

growing atmospheric pollution, and even 

starvation and malnutrition if there is not 

enough food to support the population. 

Overcrowding in urban environments 

also leads to health concerns of new 

diseases and epidemics (which, ironically, 

would combat overpopulation) as well 

as an elevated crime rate due to intense 

competition for already scarce resources. 

The Reality 

However, not everything is as dismal as 

it seems and we do not have to resort to 

settling the asteroid belt and enforcing a 

worldwide one-child policy just yet. In 

fact, several studies have pointed out that 

while time between each extra billion of 

population has consistently decreased, the 

latest billion showed a slight slowdown 

in the rate of population growth. Other 

demographers are actually now predicting 

the opposite of overpopulation and saying 

that overall human population growth 

rates are likely to decrease even further 

over time due to declining fertility rates. 

IS THE REASON WE GET BETTER JOBS 

AND OPPORTUNITIES. I WAS ABLE TO 

DO WELL IN MY INTERVIEWS BECAUSE 

OF MY EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSORS, 

AND TODAY I HAVE A SUCCESSFUL 

INTERNATIONAL CAREER.” 

2.5 BILLION 7.3 BILLION 9.6 BILLION 

DATA ON NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON EARTH FROM POPULATIONPYRAMID.NET 

Having graduated from VIU with an 

MBA in Finance, Sadiksha Banskota 

is currently based in Australia. She 

worked as a Finance Officer for the 

American Bar Association and later 

joined another international NGO, 

Avocats Sans Frontieres. She remembers 

her time at VIU as the best in her life because of the 

amazing friendships she built with peers from all 

around the world. 



ONLINE EDUCATION 

VIU.EDU 

online learners at the VIU School of Online Education are highly encouraged to pick the most convenient time 

in their busy schedules to pursue their American degrees from all around the world. Whether they are working 

professionals, stay at home parents, or simply want to earn their American degrees, the VIU School of Online 

Education is always there for its students. Online education is easier to balance with a career as opposed to oncampus 

classes; indeed, the satisfaction, affordability, and flexibility of this type of education are unparalleled. Here, our 

experts at the School of Online Education name the simplest key steps for success in online learning. 

1. Learn at your own pace 

One of the biggest advantages of online learning is that students can 

study anywhere, anytime. Unlike the traditional classroom, students 

can choose the most convenient time in their busy schedules to learn. 

Students can study in their own favorite learning environment and 

don’t have to sit for long periods of time; in contrast, they can manage 

the flexibility for their assignments or take exam when they are ready. 

With the advantage of 24/7 online learning, take the time to pause 

and refresh your brain so you get the most out of your experience. 

2. Interact with your instructor 

Your online instructor is not only a source of knowledge, but also 

a source of information and support. Students can enjoy learning 

with a subject matter expert with a lot of real world experience. 

The instructors are available to help throughout the courses and 

welcome any appointment by phone, chat, or email at any time. If 

you face any difficulties in your class, the best way to resolve issues 

is by contacting the instructor. 

3. Take advantage of online resources 

Students at VIU Online are given names of people for emergency 

matters. Most issues can be resolved immediately when reported 

to the right person. It is also important for students to give 

feedback to their professors and administrators about the courses 

they are taking and online education in general. That helps our 

school to address the issues quickly and improve learners’ benefits 

on every level. The School of Online Education has a variety 

resources available for students, including academic consultants, 

IT support, e-library, the Writing, Research and Media Center, the 

Career Center, scholarships, and many more. These free learning 

resources enhance students’ chances of success. 

4. Know your learning style 

Everyone has his own learning style. There are a number of 

research studies about invaluable learning techniques that can be 

used to learn effectively in each discipline. It is important for the 

learners to know their learning styles and apply those techniques 

that best fit to help themselves. Understanding how online study 

works will make you feel in control and help you keep track of 

your own study. 

At the VIU School of Online Education, every course has 

instructional lecture videos that students can re-watch to review 

the lectures. E-textbooks are provided in the classes. Our students 

can learn to use the aids that are available in many textbooks 

such as chapter summaries, preview or review questions, and 

keywords in order to help organize the information learned 

and understand the key concepts of each chapter. The grading 

rubrics are provided for every class, so you should make sure 

that you understand in advance how the assignments, exams, or 

discussions will be assessed. 

online learners study in every 

corner of the world and have 

a wide range of knowledge 

5. Build a global business network 

Participate, participate, participate! It is very important to 

participate in online discussions. Online learners study in every 

corner of the world and have a wide range of knowledge. Use 

this opportunity to create relationships, share common goals, 

and enhance your knowledge of a variety of subject matter. Many 

online students build meaningful friendships with their peers 

that can be developed into professional networks across the 

continents and even lead to global business opportunities later. 

It is amazing that sometimes these friendships last for a lifetime! 

6. Reward yourself for success 

Do you want an American degree to boost your career? Do 

you want to increase your skills? How about making new 

friends from across the world? No matter what your goals are, 

set clear goals and stay motivated to achieve those goals. If 

you already decided to study with us at the VIU School of 

Online Education, take your courses seriously and make a 

commitment to yourself. You can set many small goals toward 

the big goals. Then, reward yourself every time you have 

achieved a goal. It can be as simple as enjoying a delicious 

meal for getting through the weekly discussions or treating 

yourself to a nice spa day after your final exam. Be proud of 

yourself and achieve success with your online degree. Invite 

your family and friends to celebrate it and use this degree as a 

key to open many doors for your future. 

The School of Business at VIU held a successful pilot 

study of the new Major Fields Testing (MFT), an 

international testing standard for business students, 

which will now be implemented school-wide. Students 

in the school will be piloting new CAPSIM business 

simulations, which are used by major corporations and 

universities around the world to practice real-world 

business scenarios. 



STUDENT LIFE 

VIU.EDU 

MAHESH REDNAM 

Life 

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES 

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 

Living in the US, just miles away from the capital, to pursue my 

master’s degree is like a dream come true. People here have very busy 

lifestyles, especially if you see people in DC or New York. Here, I 

am especially focused on achieving my goals. The US is the land of 

opportunity for all young students around the world, because they 

have the best universities to pursue an education. 

Living expenses in the UK are higher than in the US. I lived in a small 

city in Scotland for two years, and average monthly expenses for me 

were between £400 to £500 (British Pounds) – that’s around $650 to 

$800 (US Dollars). In US, my average monthly expenses are around 

$500 to $600. 

Education & Career 

In Scotland, I completed my Bachelor of Engineering with Honors in 

Aircraft Engineering at the University of Highlands and Islands. I had 

the opportunity to learn from professors who had years of experience 

in the aircraft industry and who had served in the Royal Air Force. 

But it was not enough for me – or my friends who are international 

students – to find a career in the UK with the degrees we had earned. 

There, international students are allowed to work only 10 hours (or 

less) per week off-campus in stores or restaurants like McDonalds 

and KFC. With changes in immigration rules, it’s now much harder 

for international students to find employment after graduation, even 

though the tuition fees and living expenses continue increasing from 

year to year. International students in the UK don’t get work permits 

(similar to CPT or OPT like we have in the US) during or after 

their studies. A student has to leave the country if they don’t find 

a job after graduation. 

Education fees have also exponentially increased in the UK in 

the last few years due to its economic situation, which forced 

the government to increase tuition fees even for local students. 

I was one among thousands who were marching in the streets 

of London to protest against FEE cuts in 2011. Personally, I like 

the education system in the US more than the education system 

in the UK. For example, here students can take courses as per 

their convenience and have the option to change courses in the 

initial days of the semester, whereas in Scotland there is a specific 

schedule allocated for the program which students must follow. 

Why VIU? 

Due to lack of opportunities for international students and 

graduates in UK, I started to look for universities in the US where 

I could pursue my master’s degree and where opportunities are 

endless. I chose VIU because of so many reasons. From day one, 

I have been supported in every way by my peers and faculty. 

They have guided me every step of the way, from course selection 

to finding accommodation and have even driven me around to 

all the new places until I got used to this place! VIU is a school 

where they are very flexible with admission throughout the year. 

Another reason I chose VIU is its communication system with 

international applicants. I got immediate replies from all the 

staff and students I corresponded with at VIU; other schools 

took weeks to respond. The Writing, Research, & Media Center 

(WRMC) is another thing I like at VIU. It has helped me and 

many other students to improve my writing. The best thing about 

VIU, however, is that it recognizes students' talents by providing 

scholarships in various ways. I am one of these students. I 

received the Dean’s Academic Scholarship in the 2014-2015 

academic year. Even now I am working on campus as a student 

support representative which gives me the chance to improve my 

experience and enhance my network. 

BECAUSE OF VIU, I AM NOW MORE 

CONFIDENT ABOUT MY FUTURE 

I would not have been in such a good position if I had not made 

the choice to study at VIU. Because of VIU, because of my 

experience, because of the US, I am now confident to say that 

I could find a job in less than two months after my graduation 

in my area of interest. Five years from now, I can see myself 

working as a software professional in the aviation industry for 

a company like Boeing. Another big dream of mine, apart from 

my education, is to make my parents proud after my graduation. 

My mom loves traveling, so I want to take my parents on a world 

tour. I want to see the happiness on their faces when they can 

proudly talk about their son to the world. 

At the VIU School of Continuing Education, we not 

only discover your learning DNA – we design and 

deliver programs to boost your workplace immunity! 

The School 

of conTinuing 

educaTion: 

Individualized Learning for Your DNA 

www.viu.edu/sce 

sce@viu.edu 

11200 Waples Mill Rd. Suite 360 

Fairfax,VA 22030 USA 

(703) 591-7042 



ROAD MAP 

VIU.EDU 

SAN 

FRANCISCO, 

CA 

I love traveling, and I have been to amazing places in the 

USA. My best trips were all in this country. My favorite places 

to travel in the US are on the west coast. I think for my next 

trip, I’ll visit Yosemite National Park in California. I went to 

California twice, but I didn’t get the chance to visit the park, 

and I’m crazy about nature! I caught a plane to San Francisco 

and rented a car with four more girls, and we drove all the 

way down to San Diego! It was just beautiful. We went to 

Santa Monica Beach, Santa Barbara, LA Hills, Venice Beach, 

Los Angeles, and other amazing places. We spent the nights 

at hostels, which is cheaper and also a good way to make 

new friends from all over the world. I always tell my friends 

to make that trip, no regrets! 

BRUNA DE FIGUEIREDO SOUZA, MBA 

WINONA, 

MN 

My trip to Minnesota this summer was to spend time outdoors 

in nature. The lakes and bluffs in Winona are really pretty in the 

summer. I went canoeing and kayaking on the lakes in Winona, 

swimming on a little sandy beach along the Mississippi river, biking 

around town, and fishing with my host family. I also went to see 

a play at Great River Shakespeare Festival that’s usually held at 

Winona State every summer, visited Minnesota Marine Art Museum 

in Winona, and the Mall of America in Minneapolis. It’s definitely a 

place for people who like outdoor activities! 

NAJEEJARAS BOTHDAMRIH, MBA 

I travelled to Bar Harbor, Maine. 

Before I went there, I had heard a 

lot about whale watching. In Maine, 

I took a long cruise in the Atlantic 

Ocean. Unfortunately, for the first two 

hours, we did not see any whales. But 

then, in another half hour, we saw the 

most amazing animal life! More than 

20 whales of three different kinds, as 

well as seals, puffins, and sea birds. If 

you have a chance, go see whales in 

Maine while you’re in the USA! 

PIYAWUT KIDMUNGTANGDEE, MBA 

I went to New York City and New Jersey on 

vacation with some friends. New York City is 

one of my favorite places in the US. There is 

so much to see and do for everyone. Climb 

the Empire State Building and the Statue 

of Liberty, visit the Metropolitan Museum 

of Art, MOMA, or the Guggenheim, go for 

a stroll through Central Park, and check 

out the many ethnic neighborhoods like 

Chinatown, Brighton Beach, or Little Italy. 

If you’re into concerts and nightlife, there 

are many lounges and clubs with acts from 

the hottest bands. If you haven’t gone, it 

needs to be your next trip! 

NEW YORK 

CITY, NY 

BAR 

HARBOR, 

ME 

DALLAS, 

TX 

I went to Dallas, Texas to celebrate Eid, a religious festival, 

with my elder brother. While I was there, I spent time in 

downtown Dallas and also visited downtown Houston. 

They are both beautiful and bustling big cities with a lot 

to see and do. In Dallas, you can see the city from above 

on Reunion Tower, visit interesting museums, and even 

the zoo, or, if you’re into sports, go to American Airlines 

Center, the most technologically advanced sports arena in 

the nation. My favorite part of the trip was when I got to go 

to the beach in Galveston near Houston. For my next trip, I 

plan to go to California. 

MUHAMMAD JADOON, MBA 

SAVANNAH, 

GA 

SUNNY VIRANI, MIS 

I went on vacation with friends to explore the gorgeous state of Georgia 

and the islands (Savannah and St. Simons). The oldest city in the state, 

Savannah, has lovely tree-lined cobblestoned streets, interesting 

architecture, and delicious food. There are many art museums, historic 

homes, and pretty riverboats that cruise down the river. The city smells 

great, since it has so many blooming trees and plants like wisteria, 

dogwood, and jasmine. It was also my first time visiting an island, and it 

was beautiful. For my next trip I would like to visit Key West, Florida. 

SENA DIVYA, MCS 



69

STUDENT TIPS 

VIU.EDU 

EMILY LEIGHTY 

BUDGET 

Before you can get a realistic view of where 

you are financially, you have to be able 

to compare your money-in versus your 

money-out. A budget is the perfect way 

to monitor your personal cash-flow. Your 

budget can be as detailed or vague as you 

want it to be. Track your bills in categories as 

broad as “utilities” or as specific as “water” 

and “electricity.” It’s a good idea to budget 

your spending money, too! If you plan to see 

a movie every weekend, for example, don’t 

forget to include that on your budget. 

SAVE 

After you have created your budget, you 

will be able to determine how much 

extra money you have that can be saved 

each month. Savings are important for 

unplanned expenses and emergencies and 

for securing your future finances. Maybe 

you want to use some of your savings for 

investment. Another portion could be 

designated to your retirement savings. 

USE CREDIT 

CARDS WISELY 

Credit cards can be incredibly useful, 

but they can also be infinitely dangerous! 

Don’t get into the habit of spending more 

than you can pay for. Pay off statements in 

Starting out on my own after college, I was at first overwhelmed by my 

seemingly never-ending expenses and meager fresh-out-of-college salary. 

Over time, however, I found that I could make it by with the money I had 

if I was careful – and I even had enough money left over to have fun with 

my friends when I wanted to. Like me, I’m sure you can take steps toward 

becoming financially fearless by keeping a few things in mind. 

full as often as you can to avoid accumulating 

interest (and debt!) while also reaping the 

benefits of a credit card, like accumulating 

points or improving your credit score. 

SET A GOAL 

What are your financial goals? Do you want to 

buy a house or a car? Do you want to splurge 

on an exotic vacation? Do you want to pay 

off a loan? Set short-term and long-term 

goals so that you can remember why you’ve 

set up a budget to keep yourself on the right 

path. Keep monthly track of your progress 

so that you can stay excited about reaching 

your goals. 

BE DISCIPLINED 

After you have created your budget and set 

some goals, stick to your plan! Know how 

much spending money you have each month 

and work hard not to exceed your limits. A 

method that works for me is to give myself 

a spending allowance in cash every month; 

when I use cash, I can see how quickly I am 

spending my money (unlike a debit card, 

which lets me spend mindlessly). 

Getting your finances organized can 

be overwhelming at first, but if you are 

dedicated it becomes easier. There are also 

resources available to help you streamline 

the process. Try online tools like Mint or 

Budget Pulse to get started. Many banks 

will also provide personal finance resources 

to customers. Remember, when you equip 

yourself with the right strategies you can 

take all of the uncertainty out of your 

finances, keep more cash in your wallet, and 

become financially fearless. 

FINANCIAL 

WISDOM FROM 

WARREN BUFFETT: 

ON EARNINGS: “NEVER DEPEND ON A 

SINGLE INCOME. MAKE INVESTMENTS 

TO CREATE A SECOND SOURCE.” 

ON SPENDING: “IF YOU BUY THINGS YOU 

DON’T NEED, SOON YOU WILL 

HAVE TO SELL THINGS YOU NEED.” 

ON SAVINGS: “DO NOT SAVE WHAT 

IS LEFT AFTER SPENDING, BUT SPEND 

WHAT IS LEFT AFTER SAVING.” 

ON INVESTMENTS: “DON’T PUT ALL 

YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.” 

ON TAKING RISK: “NEVER TEST THE 

DEPTH OF A RIVER WITH BOTH FEET.” 

Programs o ffered 

School of computer 

InformatIon SyStemS (ScIS) 

MS in Computer Science (MCS) in: 

• Computer Animation & Gaming 

• Cybersecurity 

• Data Management 

• Intelligent Systems 

• Networking 

• Software Applications Development 

• Software Engineering 

MS in Information Systems (MIS) in: 

• Business Intelligence & Data Analytics 

• Cybersecurity 

• Data Management 

• Enterprise Project Management 

• Health Informatics 

• Information Assurance 

• Knowledge Management 

MS in Information Systems Management 

(MISM) 

MS in Information Technology (MIT) 

MS in Software Engineering (MSE) 

Graduate Certificate in Business 

Intelligence 

Graduate Certificate in Information 

Systems 


Systems Management 


Technology Audit & Compliance 

Bachelor of Science in 

Computer Science (BCS) 

2014-2015 ACAd EMIC y EAR 

SCHool of BuSINESS (SB) 

Master of Business Administration (MBA) 

• Accounting 

• Entrepreneurship 

• Global logistics 

• Health Care Management 

• Hospitality & Tourism Management 

• Human Resource Management 

• International Business Management 

• International finance 

• Marketing Management 

• Mass Media & Public Relations 

• Project Management 

MS in Accounting 

MS in Project Management 

Graduate Certificate in Project 

Management 

Bachelor of Science in Business 

Administration (BBA): 

• finance 

• International Business 

• Marketing 

Undergraduate Certificate in 

International Business 

Undergraduate Certificate in Small 

Business Management 

SCHool of PuBlIC & 

InternatIonal affaIrS (SpIa) 

Master of Public Administration (MPA): 

• Health Care Administration & Public 

Health 

• Information Systems 

• Public Management 

PROGRAMS ANd OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. 

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, PLEASE CHECK WWW.VIU.EdU. 

MS in International Relations (MIR): 

• International Business 

• International Economic Development 

SCHool of EDuCATIoN (SED) 

MA in TESOL (MATESOL) 

Master of Education (MEd): 

• English for Speakers of 

other languages 

Education 

• Math Education 

• Science Education 

MS in Applied Linguistics: 

• Educational Technology 

• Multilingual Education 

• Program Management 

Graduate Certification in TESOL 

Graduate Certificate in Education 

SCHool of lANGuAGE 

STuDIES (SlS) 

English as a Second Language (ESL) 

Intensive 

English as a Second Language (ESL) 

Non-Intensive 

SCHool of CoNTINuING 

EDuCATIoN (SCE) 

Non-degree courses and certificates in 

business, computers, education, and 

international affairs 

SCHool of oNlINE EDuCATIoN 

All VIU programs of study are also 

offered online. 



DREAM. 

DISCOVER. 

ACCOMPLISH. 

AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 

What is my favorite thing about VIU? 

The wonderful friends I have made here from every corner of the world! 

Overall, my experiences at VIU have been incredible—completely life 

changing. It changed how I look at the world and at myself. Of course, the 

expert faculty and great location near the US capital are also amazing! 

— ANASTASSIYA LAPIKHINA, MBA 

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSTY 

4401 Village Drive, 

Fairfax, VA 22030 

www.viu.edu 


1-800-514-6848 info@viu.edu

University Magazine Issue 3

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