journey

Your Alumni Magazine | Spring 2016 

PhoenixFocus.com 

The science of 

personality 

Coping with 

entitled co-workers 

So long 

9 to 5 

A remarkable 

journey 

Nat’e Guyton, DM ’15 

Chief Operating Officer, Society of Hospital Medicine 

Philadelphia

contents 

Features 

6 

The science of personality 

10 

So long 9 to 5 

How to become a solopreneur 

Your career 

14 

18 

36 

35 

Quiz 

How productive are you? 

Entitlement at work 

Careers 101 

Overcoming interview 

roadblocks 

Skills Sharpener 

Analytical thinking 

Meet fellow alumni 

Your career isn’t 

going to plan itself. 

22 

Nat’e Gyuton, DM ’15 

Alumna Nat’e Guyton leaves 

her humble beginnings 

behind. 

26 

Anne Marie Lutrick, MSN ’09 

Through hard work and 

education, this College of 

Humanities alumnus 

ignites a new career. 

30 

Melissa Melendez, MBA ’08 

Jim Cooper, BSM ’98 

Isadore Hall, BSB ’99 

Mike Gipson, BSB ’07 

34 

Alumni Business 

Leroy Reynolds, MBA ’13 

Wish you had a career resource that could help you navigate each and every step of your 

journey? As an alum of University of Phoenix, you do. 

Industry spotlight: Technology 

38 

The Phoenix Career Guidance System TM features innovative tools and time-tested tips to 

Information Systems and Technology 

help you with every step along the way — from setting goals to prepping for interviews 

to growing in your current position. Think of it as a customized GPS for your career. 

Ready to give your dreams a plan? Visit careers.phoenix.edu/alumni to get started. 

Your university 

4 Letter from the president 

17 ID Card 

42 University news 

Opportunities 

2 Phoenix Career Guidance System 

21 University Marketplace 

35 Alumni Business Directory 

41 Congratulations, graduates! 

On the cover: 

Nat’e Guyton 

DM ’15 

See story, pg. 22 

The University’s Central Administration is located at 1625 W. Fountainhead Pkwy., Tempe, AZ 85282. Online Campus: 3157 E. Elwood St., Phoenix, AZ 85034. 

© 2015 University of Phoenix, Inc. All rights reserved. | PCS-3648 

alumni.phoenix.edu 3

Letter from the president 

PHOENIX FOCUS 

is produced quarterly 

by The University of Phoenix 

Alumni Association. 

Letter from 

the president 

Dear Alumni, 

When I look back at 2015—as with my entire tenure as President—it 

is my interaction with our students and alumni that has given 

me the most satisfaction. None of my duties is more gratifying 

than having the privilege to address our newest graduates during 

commencement. 

I said to our new graduates something that applies equally to all of 

our alumni: “Meeting you and your colleagues around the country, 

and hearing your stories, I know what perseverance looks like and 

I know it can create transformation, and a whole new chapter, a 

whole new beginning, with new doors and new opportunities for 

you, your family and the next generation.” 

This year we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 

founding of University of Phoenix and welcome our one 

millionth graduate, an unprecedented achievement in 

higher education. As we begin a new year and continue 

the journey toward becoming the most trusted provider 

of career-relevant higher education for working adults, 

we will move forward with our focus where it’s always 

been—on you, our students and alumni. Your voices and 

concerns have been, and will remain, the key guiding 

force as we accomplish our vision of being recognized 

as the most trusted provider of career-relevant higher 

education for working adults. 

Senior Director 

Jenifer King, MBA ’11 

Senior Editor 

Sally Benford 

Senior Writer 

Julie Wilson 

Design 

ps:studios 

University of Phoenix 

Alumni Association 

1625 W. Fountainhead 

Parkway 

Tempe, AZ 85282 

Contact us at 

alumni@phoenix.edu 

T 800.795.2586 

F 602.643.0552 

Or visit us at 

alumni.phoenix.edu 

© 2016 University of Phoenix Inc. 

All rights reserved. 

When negative press stories gave voice to critics who questioned 

the quality of a University of Phoenix education, those seeking 

the truth needed only look to our alumni to see the value of your 

degree demonstrated every day. I want to thank you for serving as 

a living testament to the value of accessible higher education for 

diverse working adults. I know from conversations with many of 

you that your success is the result of determination, perseverance 

and hard work. 

Sincerely, 

Timothy P. Slottow 

President 


Email: president@phoenix.edu 

Twitter: @TimSlottow 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/pub/timothy-p-slottow/ 

b8/852/293 

4 PHOENIX FOCUS | Spring 2016 


PHOENIX FOCUS | The science of personality 

The 

science of 

personality 

You know all those personality tests you see on 

Facebook? There may be more to the science of 

personality than you think. 

By Keridwen Cornelius 

People like personality tests so much they sometimes 

get carried away: “Which Enneagram Personality Type 

Are You Based on Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type?” 

“What Does Your Phone Battery Percentage Say about 

Your Personality?” “Which Love Actually Turtleneck 

Are You Based on Your Star Sign?” (Yes, those are real.) 

But understanding personality in scientific ways can 

shine a light on your individual motivation and in the 

shadowy corners of other people’s behavior. It can 

improve your communication with your boss, partner or 

child. It can help you make wiser career choices, predict 

who you’ll fall in love with and strengthen your lasting 

relationships. Plus, it’s as fun as the Love Actually 

turtleneck test. 

What’s your temperament type? 

For decades, psychologists have tried to untangle the 

mysteries of attraction. Dr. Helen Fisher, a Rutgers 

University research professor and author of Anatomy of 

Love, developed a personality test that offers a revealing 

window into interpersonal relationships. It’s been taken 

on Chemistry.com by more than 14 million people, and 

it’s the only personality questionnaire in the world that 

arose from brain chemistry studies and was proven by 

putting test-takers in brain scanners. 

She’s identified four temperament types: 

• Explorers express traits associated with the 

dopamine system. They’re curious, creative, 

adventurous, optimistic and flexible. 

• Builders have elevated activity in the serotonin 

system. They’re dependable, loyal, popular, and 

respect authority and social norms. 

• Directors express testosterone. They’re analytical, 

self-confident, forthright, not particularly 

empathetic, and have deep but narrow interests. 

• Negotiators express characteristics related to 

estrogen, such as empathy, imagination, nurturing 

and intuition. 

Mutual or fatal attractions? 

Explorers are attracted to Explorers. Builders fall for 

Builders. Directors and Negotiators are drawn to their 

opposite. “Every one of these combinations is going to 

have great joys and great problems,” Fisher says. “The 

more you know about who you are and about who the 

other person is, the more you can anticipate the great 

joys in the relationship and know more about how to 

please that person. And you’re going to know more 

about what the bumps in the road are going to be, and 

how to get around those bumps.” 



PHOENIX FOCUS | The science of personality 

For example, Fisher, an Explorer and Negotiator, is 

single and enjoys spending time with a certain Builder. 

But, she says, “I just kept it a friendship because I knew 

that he expressed the traits of the serotonin system, 

and down the road I’d get bored.” (That doesn’t mean 

an Explorer and Builder can’t make a great couple. 

But it’s important to ask yourself about your personal 

priorities.) 

Fisher tells the story of a married couple who had a 

fight and realized the husband’s serotonin personality 

was clashing with the wife’s estrogen style. “They were 

never going to resolve the estrogen-serotonin issue 

because they see the world differently,” Fisher explains. 

“So the couple—who are also both Explorers—said, ‘Let’s 

forget about this argument and just go hiking.’” 

Each characteristic has positives and negatives. 

Agreeable people are popular, Little says, but “it’s very 

difficult for them to stand up within a very oppressive 

ecosystem. Disagreeable people ... can stand up to 

tyranny.” 

Know thyself 

Familiarizing yourself with your traits can help 

you make better decisions. If you’re introverted or 

disagreeable, it’s probably not a good idea to take a 

job in PR, even if you admire the company. If you’re 

highly conscientious, (detail-oriented and fastidious) 

you might make a superb accountant but a lousy 

improvisational jazz musician. If you’re exceedingly 

open to new experiences, you might consider moving to 

New York rather than Fargo. 

Personality in the workplace 

Being personality-savvy can also help at work. Fisher 

counseled a Negotiator woman whose boss was a 

walking vial of testosterone. “I said to her, ‘Fight back. 

When he becomes aggressive and tough-minded, turn 

around and tell him what you think.’ She did it, and 

she’s the only person in the office who made friends 

with him.” 

“I don’t believe in the Golden Rule,” Fisher adds. “I 

believe in the Platinum Rule, which is ‘Do unto others as 

they would have done unto them.’ Understand who they 

are so you can reach into their brain and give them your 

perspective in a way they can hear it.” 

Another useful and scientifically supported personality 

metric is the Big Five. Dr. Brian Little, a Cambridge 

University research professor and author of Me, Myself, 

and Us, recommends the online NEO PI-R Big Five 

test. It measures five traits: Openness to experience, 

Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and 

Neuroticism. 

However, Little counsels against using the Big Five as 

a rigid guideline for decision-making or to pigeonhole 

people: “I challenge whether those relatively fixed 

traits are sufficient to help explain some of the more 

interesting and nuanced aspects of our everyday 

behavior.” 

Rather, he says, people can temporarily act out of 

character to be successful at something they’re 

passionate about or to cope with a challenging situation. 

Little—a natural introvert—turns into a charismatic 

extravert when he’s teaching because he wants to excite 

his students. A disagreeable man might act agreeable 

when meeting his fiancé’s parents. A normally careless 

cancer patient might choose to be conscientious about 

her doctor’s instructions to save her own life. 

Change for the better? 

Though it’s a cliché to say that people can’t change, they 

actually can, Little says. However, “it’s unwise to change 

your global personality in one big step. It’s better to 

do it on a smaller scale.” But be aware that even when 

you make small, situation-specific changes, there’s a cost. “If you 

protractedly act out of character, you may run the risk of burning 

out,” he says. “One way of mitigating the potential cost is to find 

restorative niches.” 

After acting extraverted, an introvert might take a solo walk or—as 

Little did after his classes—hide in the bathroom. An extravert who’s 

had to be reserved requires a wild night out. An introvert-extravert 

couple needs breaks from each other. 

Getting in tune with your natural and temporary personality traits 

can help you take care of yourself and those close to you, as well as 

allow you to be more adaptable to the situations life throws at you. 

“You’re able to see aspects of your life become more clarified,” Little 

says. “You gain perspective, and it helps you reflect better.” 



PHOENIX FOCUS | So long 9-to-5 

So Long 

9-to-5 

Do you want more freedom in your career? It may 

be time to think outside the cubicle. 

Lori K. Baker 

As employees, we’ve all been struck by wanderlust—the 

feeling of being shackled to our desk when the weather 

outside is gorgeous. As we curse our long commutes or 

roll our eyes at the latest bureaucratic snafu, we can’t 

help but think: “If I were my own boss, I wouldn’t have 

these problems.” Or, “If only I could work from home and 

have a more flexible schedule.” 

Thinking outside the cubicle 

It’s no wonder more than one in three 

U.S. workers—an estimated 53.7 million 

Americans—now think outside the 

cubicle. That’s the number of freelance 

business owners, independent contractors, 

moonlighters, temporary employees 

and “diversified portfolio” workers with 

different income streams in the U.S. today, 

according to a recent study. This study, 

conducted by the independent research 

firm Edelman Berland and commissioned 

by the Freelancers Union and Upwork, 

also reveals approximately 700,000 more 

workers joined the ranks of freelancers 

between 2014 and 2015. “Freelancing 

is the new normal,” says Sara Horowitz, 

founder and executive director of 

Freelancers Union. 

A greater demand for flexible work hours 

drives the trend. The study shows the 

majority of workers freelance by choice— 

with 50 percent reporting they wouldn’t 

trade freelancing for a traditional 9-to-5 

job, even for better pay. In fact, 60 percent 

of freelancers discovered higher earnings 

after saying so long to 9-to-5. Of those 

who earned more, 78 percent said they 

accomplished the feat within a year or less. 

The new commute 

Today, several factors make becoming 

your own boss a more attainable goal than 

ever before. First, it’s now affordable to 

tout your skills (or wares) on a website and 

connect with potential clients around the 

globe via social media. 

“Videoconferencing in particular has been 

a real game changer for people who want to 

work independently because you literally 

can work from anywhere,” says Katy 

Tynan, professional speaker and author of 

Free Agent: The Independent Professional’s 

Roadmap to Self-Employment Success. 

“Companies have also latched onto the idea 

that they can look for talent outside the 20- 

mile radius of the city they’re in,” she says. 

Through low-cost, high-bandwidth 

Internet access, remote team members 

can collaborate on multimedia projects, 

videos, documents and spreadsheets from 

a variety of locations. 



PHOENIX FOCUS | So long 9-to-5 

Going the way of the Edsel 

These high-tech changes in how we work make the 40-hour workweek look, 

well, antiquated. About a century ago, Henry Ford cemented the 40-hour 

workweek as a labor norm, and some think the tradition should go the way 

of Ford’s Edsel. Recent research reveals the 9-to-5 routine is a poor fit for the 

natural sleep/wake cycle of many workers. 

Till Roenneberg, PhD, a researcher with the Institute of Medical Psychology 

at the University of Munich coined the term “social jetlag” to describe the 

mental fog that results when you skimp on sleep or set your alarm clock an 

hour or two earlier to get to work. Other sleep experts, such as Kevin Wright, 

PhD, a researcher with the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the 

University of Colorado at Boulder, use the term “sleep inertia” to describe the 

grogginess or gradual awakening of our brain each morning. It’s easy to see 

why members of the chronically fatigued workforce are considering taking 

the leap to self-employment. 

Look before you leap 

If you have a salaried position or were recently laid off, how can you decide if 

now is the right time to pursue self-employment? 

“One of the common mistakes that people make is jumping into freelancing 

all at once,” says Caitlin Pearce, Freelancers Union director of member 

engagement. “We always advise that you do it gradually. A hard and fast 

rule is make sure you have between three and six months’ living expenses 

before you quit your job. You should definitely have enough clients to keep 

you going.” To build up your client list, you’ll need to moonlight on projects 

outside your normal work schedule. 

Next, take an honest look at what tasks you enjoy. Keep in mind that once 

you’re self-employed you’ll have to handle all aspects of the business—from 

secretarial and accounting duties to chasing overdue payments like a bill 

collector. 

“The people I know who are really successful like the variety self-employment 

brings,” Tynan says. “The people who are less successful are the people who 

really, really love the work they do, but don’t like the rest of it. These are 

people who typically prefer to be employees.” 

Once you’ve built a list of long-term clients and work keeps rolling in, never 

stop marketing. “Allocate at least a couple of days per month to business 

building—to find new leads, get to know folks in your industry, find mentors 

and industry groups to keep you on top of trends, and to develop yourself and 

your skills,” Pearce says. 

Expect to devote long hours to your enterprise, but keep your eye on the prize, 

says Barbara Winter, author of Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways 

for Creating Work That You Love. She says, “If you don’t follow your dream, 

what will be missing from the world?” 

“Once you’ve built 

a list of long-term 

clients and work keeps 

rolling in, never stop 

marketing.” 

1 

Don’t 

go it alone. 

“I almost never recommend that freelancers 

work from home full-time,” says Katy Tynan, 

professional speaker and author of Free Agent: The 

Independent Professional’s Roadmap to Self-Employment 

Success. Instead, she recommends “co-working,” spending 

a portion of your week toiling away with fellow small and 

independent operators in a shared office space. There are 

now approximately 800 commercial co-working facilities in 

the U.S., creating plenty of camaraderie—plus interactions 

that can lead to new ideas, new projects and new clients. 

2 

Set 

4Tips 

for working 

efficiently at home 

up a professional home office. 

“There’s nothing more unprofessional than being 

on a videoconference with a dog barking in 

the background or piles of laundry hanging off 

chairs,” Tynan says. She recommends setting up a dedicated 

work space “that will maintain your professional image— 

even if someone Skypes you when you least expect it.” 

3 

Use the best time 

management tricks. 

Figure out how and when you do your best 

work, and always set your schedule around it, 

advises Barbara Winter, author of Making a Living Without 

a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love. Also, 

let family and friends know it’s important for you to be 

uninterrupted when you’re in your office or studio. 

4 

Invest in the right technology— 

and know how to use it. 

As a solopreneur, you now head your IT 

department, so it’s important to learn how to fix 

basic software or hardware glitches and to have a computer 

backup system. “You never want to lose all your work 

because the computer crashed,” Tynan says. 



PHOENIX FOCUS | How Productive Are You? 

1 | When working or doing household 

projects, I generally: 

How Productive 

Are You? 

A. Keep an organized list of tasks that I check off when I 

finish them. 

B. Will create a list, but often I don’t use it. 

C. Just go with what’s in my head when completing 

tasks. I don’t write anything down. 

Take our quiz and find out if you’re 

up to the task when it comes to being 

productive. 

2 | When I’m engaged in something that I 

need to concentrate on for a few hours in 

order to finish, I: 

A. Only check emails at a designated time, when I know 

I can respond to them. I don’t let anything interrupt me 

when I’m working. 

By Jenny Jedeikin 

B. Work for an hour without checking emails, but then I 

interrupt whatever I’m doing to check email. 

Iconic American novelist Ernest Hemingway 

once quipped, “Never mistake motion for 

action.” Indeed, if you want to be more 

productive, don’t just get busy putting in 

more hours. Instead take a look at how much 

you actually accomplish in a day, and try to 

improve your ability to focus on tasks through 

completion. 

C. Check and read emails as they come in, no matter 

what I’m doing. I’m obsessed with reading new emails. I 

don’t mind distractions. 

3 | When I need to find an important 

document, like a birth certificate or a 

computer document that’s more than a 

year old, I: 

4 | When I start something, like a book or a 

home project, I: 

5 | If I’m in the middle of a project and I suddenly 

remember an unrelated task I need to do, I: 

Whether you’re working on a website redesign, 

filing your income taxes or redecorating your home, 

by becoming more aware of your productivity and 

understanding your habits, you’ll find ways to enhance 

your process. 

Our quiz helps you discover your productivity quotient. 

A. Know where things are filed. I can always find what 

I need. 

B. Can locate it sometimes. Some items are organized, 

while others are not. 

C. Have to give myself at least an hour or two—my 

information isn’t very organized. 

A. Always finish what I start. 

B. Will finish it, although it may take me several weeks 

or months. 

C. Don’t finish it because I’m often distracted by 

something else. 

A. Jot it down briefly and go back to the task at hand. 

B. Might take a few minutes to work on the new task, but I’ll get 

back to what I was doing a bit later. 

C. Will likely shift gears entirely and start working on the new task. 

Multitasking is how I work—I have a hard time sticking to just one 

thing. 



6 | If I’m working on a task at my desk, 

for a break, I: 

A. Walk or stretch every 90 minutes. 

B. Don’t pay attention to breaks. I keep going until I 

burn out. 

C. Can’t concentrate for longer than 20-30 minutes at a 

time, so I’m always taking breaks to check Facebook or 

social media. 

10 | Whenever I have a firm deadline for an 

important project at work or home, I: 

A. Am organized to meet it. I schedule tasks in a way that 

allows me to complete them on schedule. 

B. Procrastinate—I don’t worry about deadlines because I 

know I can get it done at the last minute, before it’s due. 

C. Have a hard time meeting deadlines—everyone knows 

that about me. 

Get carded, 

alum. 

7 | Although it varies, when my day is over, 

I generally: 

A. Feel relaxed and satisfied with how I’ve managed my 

day. 

B. Am glad to be done, but worried that I wasn’t 

productive enough. 

C. Feel burned out and frustrated—like I need a martini. 

8 | When I sit down to work on a project, I: 

A. Get right to work. 

B. Read the day’s news or social media for at least 15 

minutes first. 

C. Usually just putter for an hour or more. I need windup 

time. 

9 | When I’m faced with a long task 

involving paperwork and digesting many 

documents, I: 

A. Use techniques such as skimming and note-taking to 

identify key points. 

B. Start at the beginning and read every word from 

start to finish. 

C. Stare at the wall for a while before I get started, and 

then start over a few times. 

TALLY YOUR SCORE 

Time to assess your productivity. Count up your answers 

by giving yourself 10 points for each A answer; 5 for each 

B; and 0 for each C. 

65–100 Super Producer 

Excellent! You’re probably very productive already. 

But every process—even yours—can be improved. Have 

you ever thought about batching similar types of work 

activities together? The brain can sometimes focus better 

when engaging in the same activity repeatedly, such as 

making phone calls or replying to emails. You also might 

benefit from seeing which time of day you work best, 

and then schedule more challenging tasks during that 

timeframe. 

30–60 Room for Improvement 

Adequate. You’re good at getting some things done, 

but you can likely do much better to increase your 

productivity. It may be helpful to realize that when you 

interrupt yourself to start another activity, it can take 

23 minutes, on average, to get back to the same level of 

concentration that you had before you shifted gears. 

Although many people think multi-tasking is helpful for 

productivity, many experts say the reverse is actually 

true. Consider sticking to one project at a time to see if 

you achieve better results. 

0–25 Stuck in a Rut 

Whoa! Your low score indicates you may be struggling to 

focus on your objectives to achieve effective outcomes. 

Perhaps you need to reexamine your goals. People who 

take the time to organize and plan their work days are 

more productive. Think about sitting down to make a list 

of daily goals—you may be surprised at your results. 

Need to show proof of your alumni status? 

Get your own ID card now at alumni.phoenix.edu 



PHOENIX FOCUS | Entitlement at work 

Entitlement 

at work 

Dr. John Townsend, author of The 

Entitlement Cure, explains how to get 

over yourself and get to work. 

By Julie Wilson 

If you’re like millions of other working 

professionals, chances are you’ve already 

joined the ultimate professional networking 

website, LinkedIn®. 

Have you ever encountered someone who cut to the 

head of the line or parked in the fire lane because they 

didn’t think the rules applied to them? This entitled 

mindset is what Dr. John Townsend, psychologist 

and bestselling author, explores in his latest book, 

The Entitlement Cure: Finding Success in Doing Hard 

Things the Right Way. Phoenix Focus caught up with 

him to learn more about what makes people who feel 

entitled tick. 

PHOENIX FOCUS: The term “entitlement” gets tossed 

around in casual conversation and makes the occasional 

headline about spoiled children or government 

spending, but what exactly is it? 

Dr. John Townsend: It comes down to two attributes, 

really. The first attribute is that I am not responsible for 

my behavior or the implications of it. The second is that 

I deserve to be special. I don’t have to wait in the back 

of the line. I know people in their twenties and people 

in their mid-eighties who are entitled. It has nothing 

to do with generation. It’s a human condition, not a 

generational condition. 

PF: Why do people develop a sense of entitlement? 

JT: At a psychological level, what happens—in layman 

terms—is we have two buckets inside us. One we call the 

real self and the other we call the false self. A person has 

passions, desires, strengths and weaknesses. The false 

self is also grandiose, self-absorbed and narcissistic. 

When a parent praises a child for being pretty, they 

didn’t do anything [to be pretty]. When a parent says 

you work really hard, love your friends, did a good 

job, that is the real self. It took effort. Entitlement is 

when there is an overfeeding of the false self and an 

underfeeding of the real self. 

The same thing happens in the workplace. You have 

people now who feel like because they got to work on 

time there is supposed to be a party. When bosses do 

that, they are feeding the false self. 

Both parents and bosses should reserve praise for two 

things. One is expended effort—for staying up late, 

focusing and working really hard. You praise that, and 

you praise success—when someone got the account or 

won the game. 

PF: Why do parents offer so much praise in the absence 

of accomplishment? 

JT: Because they think making a child feel good about 

themselves all the time is going to win. They get that 

wrong. We are finding out now that the self-images of 

entitled children are very low. When you dig into their 

psyches, you find they are terribly insecure, terribly 

afraid of taking on challenges and terribly afraid of 

failing, so it’s not working. 

PF: How does entitlement impact people’s professional 

and personal lives? 

JT: They are unable to get and keep the jobs that 

could be helping them reach their potential, and they 

are having awful relationship conflicts. Entitlement 

basically creates a sense that since you are special, you 

shouldn’t have to get your hands dirty. This attitude 

sabotages success. 

PF: So what creates success and reduces entitlement? 

JT: When you look at studies on what builds successful 

people, one of the things they are very good at is doing 

difficult things. And the idea is that to do great business 

or to have a great relationship, you have to do difficult 

things and roll up your sleeves. That is the cure to 

entitlement. The habit of doing what is best rather than 

what is convenient to achieve a worthwhile outcome. 

That means failing and struggling and doing things you 

don’t have a passion for. 

You have to stop saying, ‘I deserve’ and start saying, 

‘I am responsible.’ I deserve a great marriage and a 

great job—deserve is a very disempowering word. 

I am responsible to do whatever it takes to have a 

great marriage, a great job, to be happy. Now that’s 

empowering. The choice is mine and I can do something 

about it. 

PF: What does choosing to do the difficult thing 

look like? 



JT: What you find in very successful people is that they 

routinely start the day doing the hard thing first. Do 

you know any mom who says eat your ice cream first? 

No. That’s just the way life works. You learn to do the 

next difficult thing first so life is better later. 

What really motivates people is what kind of life they 

want to have. I divide life into what I call the three Ps. 

The personal part is healthy emotions and healthy 

behaviors. I want to be happy and self-disciplined. The 

second P is people. I want to have great relationships 

with people I love. The third P is performance. I want a 

great car and a great job. I want to use my gifts to help 

the world. Entitlement creates problems in all three of 

these areas. 

PF: So how do you deal with friends, family members 

or coworkers who act entitled? 

JT: First, you have to disconnect from the need for 

them to be healthy. You have to accept them as they are. 

Second, you have to be a little careful about narcissistic 

injury, meaning that entitled people are very sensitive 

to being embarrassed or humiliated. They can go into 

rages or tantrums sometimes. They can’t handle the 

real self. It has got to be that false self. Be careful of 

making them feel embarrassed or ashamed because 

they tend to react in unpleasant ways. And do what 

healthy people do. When they do something nice, tell 

them. 

PF: What are the benefits of pursuing the more difficult 

path in life? 

JT: Life is in our relationships, in our internal world 

and in our work. The benefit is that you have selfcontrolled 

behavior and heathy feelings. You have great 

friends and people you love to be with. You’re doing 

something meaningful that you are good at. That’s a 

pretty good life. 

Meet Dr. Townsend 

Dr. John Townsend is a New York Times bestselling 

author, business consultant, leadership coach and 

psychologist. He has written or co-written 27 books, 

selling 8 million copies, including the Boundaries 

series; Leadership Beyond Reason and his newest 

bestseller, The Entitlement Cure. 

For more than 20 years, Dr. Townsend has engaged 

with leaders, organizations and individuals around 

the globe, offering them life-changing solutions 

to their problems. He is a co-host of the nationally 

syndicated talk show “New Life Live,” which is heard 

in 180 markets with 3 million listeners. 

He is the founder of the Townsend Institute for 

Leadership and Counseling, which offers graduate 

degrees and credentialing in organizational 

leadership, executive coaching and counseling. 

Shop the new 

University Marketplace 

Featuring: 

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shopuniversitymarketplace.com 



PHOENIX FOCUS | Nat’e Guyton 

School of Advanced Studies 

A remarkable 

journey 

By Marilyn Hawkes 

Photographs by Jeff Wojtaszek 

Alumna Nat’e Guyton uses her innate 

leadership skills and strong support system 

to leave her humble beginnings behind. 

As an 8-year-old girl, Nat’e Guyton went to live with her 

grandmother in inner city Philadelphia. “My parents were 

teenagers when they had me. They were young and uneducated 

and they went off to live their tumultuous lives,” she says. 


Nat’e Gyuton, DM ’15 

Chief Operating Officer, Society of Hospital Medicine 

Philadelphia, PA 


PHOENIX FOCUS | Nat’e Guyton 

School of Advanced Studies 

“Instead of dwelling on her situation, Guyton says it 

gave her more resolve and determination to seek a 

better life. 

“It caused me to be laser focused on what I needed 

to do for myself and my family, my career and my 

community. Nobody in my community had education 

and many people were laid off and on welfare.” 

Overcoming the odds 

Despite a lack of money and scarcity of educational 

role models, Guyton found the inner strength to 

transcend the obstacles. “I say it was God’s will. I didn’t 

have a road map, but I had a vision in my head early 

on,” she says. 

Because of that vision, Guyton graduated in 2015 with 

a Doctor of Management from University of Phoenix. 

She recently landed the position of Chief Operating 

Officer of the Society of Hospital Medicine, a nonprofit 

organization based in Philadelphia that represents 

more than 14,000 practicing hospitalists in the U.S. 

“I speak to young ladies about 

developmental opportunities and 

career pathways, getting their 

resumes together and getting 

into college.” 

Nat’e Guyton 

Before earning her doctoral degree, Guyton obtained 

a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree 

in nursing education from Widener University, got 

married and raised two boys, now 7 and 14. 

Guyton credits her husband, Sean, whom she met at 

15, with helping her succeed. While Guyton attended 

school, he took care of the children and helped 

maintain their home. He shuttled them to sports 

practices, went grocery shopping and made dinner 

when Guyton was at school, studying or working late. 

He continues to do the same today while working a full 

time job. 

“My husband is awesome. … He’s also been a constant 

in my life outside of my grandmother. He’s seen the 

struggle and he has always been a part of helping me 

get where I needed to go.” 

A generation of role models 

Earning the advanced degree was a tremendous 

personal accomplishment for Guyton, and she’s 

provided a strong role model for her children. “It was 

a blessing to go through the program and allow them 

to see the process and work ethic needed to succeed,” 

she says. “My oldest son said, ‘Mom, you set the bar 

high for us.’” Both boys are talking about becoming 

physicians. 

Guyton developed her strong work ethic from watching her grandmother 

work the 3-11 p.m. shift as a hospital unit clerk. Every day after school, 

Guyton went to the hospital and did her homework there because she wasn’t 

allowed to be home alone. She remembers spending Christmas with the 

hospital Santa. “I grew up in the hospital. It was all I really knew.” 

That early exposure sparked Guyton’s interest in a health-care career. While 

in high school, she took advanced science and math classes and decided on 

nursing. After graduating at 17, she enrolled at Widener University while 

working as a file clerk in a law firm and as a nursing assistant. 

“Between me and my grandmother, we paid for school, but it wasn’t easy,” 

she says. 

Patient advocate 

While in nursing school, Guyton excelled academically, but it wasn’t until 

she worked as a student nurse in the hospital and treated a young man who 

had sustained massive injuries in a car accident that she fully grasped the 

humanitarian aspect of nursing. “He was literally in pieces—arms broken, 

legs broken, neck broken. I was on that clinical (rotation) for about six 

months and I watched him get better every day and walk out of 

the hospital,” she says. “I knew then I wanted to be a part of that. 

Being a patient advocate as a nurse really aligned with what I was 

purposed to do.” 

Guyton has always seen her role in life as one of an advocate. “My 

purpose is to be a voice for the people,” she says. “I was the voice 

for patients when I was a staff nurse. I was able to represent nurses 

at the technology table. I’m a voice for my professional community 

when I’m sitting at the table as a COO at 39,” she says. 

Serving her community 

But equally important to her is advocating for young women in 

the African-American community. She serves as a mentor to 

many through Widener University’s Black Student Union as well 

as through her high school alma mater and local Boys and Girls 

Clubs. “I speak to young ladies about developmental opportunities 

and career pathways, getting their resumes together and getting 

into college,” she says. 

As she settles in to her new job at the Society of 

Hospital Medicine, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia 

that represents 14,000 hospitals in the United 

States, Guyton says she’s been blessed to have many 

opportunities in her career. 

“The one thing I hold on to is my purpose and my 

destiny. That is what propelled me where I am today 

and wherever I will be going in the future.” 

For information on this program, including on-time 

completion rates, the median debt incurred by students 

who completed the program and other important 

information, please visit phoenix.edu/programs/gainfulemployment.html. 



PHOENIX FOCUS | Anne Marie Lutrick 

School of Nursing 

A Top-Flight 

Nurse 

By Lori K. Baker 

Photographs by David Zickl 

Alumna Anne Marie Lutrick finds rich 

reward in a challenging nursing career. 

Anne Marie Lutrick relishes her high-flying nursing career aboard 

a medical transport helicopter, where she’s a member of a threeperson 

crew—a pilot, paramedic and flight nurse—who performs 

missions when every minute counts to save a life. 

Anne Marie Lutrick, MSN ’09 

Nursing supervisor, Mayo Clinic 

Phoenix, AZ 



PHOENIX FOCUS | Anne Marie Lutrick 

School of Nursing 

“University of Phoenix made it convenient for me as 

an adult learner—and not all institutions do that.” 

Anne Marie Lutrick 

The first time she heard the whop-whop-whop of a helicopter’s 

spinning rotors as it touched down on an emergency helipad at 

Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, her pulse quickened. She 

thought, ‘Someday I’m going to do that.’ 

From dramatic helicopter rescues to delivering patients to 

hospitals—and all the life-or-death decisions in between—flight 

nursing appeals to the highly skilled registered nurse’s sense 

of adventure. “This job forced me to move out of my comfort 

zone,” says Lutrick, a 44-year-old single mother of two teenaged 

daughters who lives in Glendale, Arizona. 

Preparing to takeoff 

Inspired by her mother, who worked as a nurse, Lutrick began 

volunteering as a candy striper at a Phoenix nursing home at age 

15. Wearing a pink-and-white striped uniform and white shoes, she 

worked with the elderly during social activities. “I really enjoyed 

the one-on-one interaction with the patients, even though it was 

definitely not something I wanted to do long term,” she says. 

A year later, the career-minded 16-year-old landed a position at 

John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix, where she received on-the-job 

training as an electrocardiogram (EKG) technician. 

She worked in this role on weekends and school breaks 

for two years, until she graduated from high school. 

Later, she worked in the telemetry unit at the hospital, 

where she monitored patients for heart rate, rhythm 

and breathing. During this time, she began her nursing 

education at GateWay Community College, where she 

earned an associate nursing degree. 

A golden opportunity 

In 1998, the acclaimed Mayo Clinic opened a hospital 

in Phoenix, and Lutrick received a ground-floor 

opportunity to work there two months before the 

hospital opened. Widely regarded as one of the world’s 

greatest hospitals, Mayo specializes in treating difficult 

cases and spends more than $500 million a year on 

groundbreaking research. For Lutrick, her job at Mayo 

made it possible to work and advance her nursing 

education under a tuition reimbursement plan. She 

eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from 

Grand Canyon University and later a Master of Science 

in Nursing (MSN) from University of Phoenix. 

“When I was in nursing school, I had two daughters under the age 

of 5, and it was a very challenging time. As I worked through my 

bachelor’s and master’s programs, it meant a lot of time at work or 

behind a computer, away from my kids,” she recalls. Despite the 

pangs of mother’s guilt, she says, “It showed my daughters how 

important your education is—that you need to pursue your goals 

and never stop.” 

She credits the University of Phoenix MSN program and Mayo 

Clinic Hospital for making it possible for her to earn an advanced 

degree. “University of Phoenix made it convenient for me as an 

adult learner—and not all institutions do that,” she says. “To be 

with my peers here on the hospital’s campus made it a lot easier to 

deal with the hardship of being away from my family.” 

Flying high 

Today, Lutrick does double duty as a per diem flight nurse with 

Air Methods Native Air Ambulance and as a nursing supervisor at 

Mayo Clinic Hospital’s Solid Organ Transplant Center in Phoenix, 

where she oversees 30 registered nurse coordinators. She enjoys 

being “a change agent to improve process and workflows.” 

With transplant centers in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo 

Clinic performs more transplants than any other medical center 

in the world. “It’s a very rewarding profession because you get to 

see patients who are not well receive an organ and start to feel 

better and recover,” Lutrick says. “But it’s also a very challenging 

profession because it doesn’t always go well. There are challenges 

that arise before transplant and after transplant. But I 

always like a challenge—and finding creative solutions 

to problems. Working in transplant has all those pieces 

of the puzzle.” 

Off duty from Mayo, the sky is the limit for the per 

diem flight nurse who works as part of an emergency 

and critical care transport team aboard a helicopter. 

She recalls one of her most rewarding missions, when 

the team rescued a stroke victim in a rural region of 

Arizona. They flew him to Mayo Clinic in time to deliver 

a life-saving drug called tissue plasminogen activator 

(tPA), which can dissolve blood clots and restore blood 

flow to the brain if administered within three hours of 

the onset of stroke symptoms. “He made a full recovery, 

and his wife was very grateful that we were able to save 

his life,” she says. 

Looking back on her rewarding career, she offers this 

advice to her daughters—or anyone following their 

career path: “Don’t ever give up on your dreams and 

goals, even if they seem impossible!” 

For information on this program, including on-time 

completion rates, the median debt incurred by students 

who completed the program and other important 

information, please visit phoenix.edu/programs/ 

gainful-employment.html. 



PHOENIX FOCUS 

| School of Business 

A Passion for 

Politics 

By Jenny Jedeikin 

Photographs by Fred Greaves 

After receiving their education, four University 

of Phoenix alumni find meaningful careers in 

California State Legislature. 

(Left to right) 

Jim Cooper, BSM ’98 

Isadore Hall, BSB ’99 

Melissa Melendez, MBA ’08 

Mike Gipson, BSB/M ’07 

Sacramento, CA 

How do you plan to make your mark on the world? For these four 

University of Phoenix graduates, receiving an education was an 

important factor into building a purposeful and meaningful career 

in California state government. 



PHOENIX FOCUS 

| School of Business 

“I think the best way to teach children how to be 

leaders is to be the real-life example for them.” 

Melissa Melendez, University of Phoenix alumna and California state assemblywoman 

Although their backgrounds are diverse—including 

the military, law enforcement and local campaign 

advocacy—these alumni have one thing in common. 

Each recognized the critical need to achieve a higher 

education in order to reach their goals, and then went 

on to win elected roles to serve their communities in 

the California State Legislature. 

We caught up with Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, 

Assemblyman Jim Cooper, State Senator Isadore 

Hall and Assemblyman Mike Gipson to find out why 

they got involved in politics, and how they view the 

important work they’re doing every day. 

Phoenix Focus: What led you to go into politics? 

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez: My five 

children. It was never my dream to be a politician. But 

I do think the best way to teach children how to be 

leaders is to be the real-life example for them. The way 

I see it, my job is to do what I can to improve the world 

they live in, and their job is to keep it that way. 

Assemblyman Jim Cooper: After I retired as a captain 

with 30 years in the Sacramento County Sheriff’s 

Department, I felt like I could make a difference. 

Having worked for the sheriff, I was able to see how 

decisions were made and how they impacted others. 

Law enforcement gives you a tremendous amount of 

experience because you deal with everything from 

good to bad. 

State Senator Isadore Hall: My mother always 

pressed upon my five siblings and me to give back to 

the community. I was always volunteering in a senior 

center home or at the community center, and that 

allowed me to look into the political component. When 

my godfather became the first African-American 

mayor in the city of Lynwood, California, I worked on 

his campaign. 

Assemblyman Mike Gipson: My cousin was killed 

coming out of a liquor store in South Central Los 

Angeles because he was at the wrong place at the 

wrong time. When my family put up a $5,000 

reward, we asked the city of Los Angeles, through a 

city councilmember, to do likewise, and they did. I 

started working for that city councilmember, Robert 

Farrell, and that’s what caused me to get involved in 

community action and activism. 

PF: What’s the most important aspect of your role in 

the legislature? 

MM: Representing every constituent well, regardless of 

his or her political party. I think everyone has the right 

to be heard. I read every email and letter sent to me. I 

think that’s the most important aspect, making sure 

that I am connected with the people I represent. 

JC: Improving the economy and creating jobs. The 

middle class has been hurt quite a bit and they’re still 

having a hard time with employment and the economy. 

I want to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and 

represented in the legislature. 

IH: Being a consensus maker. You can’t do anything 

when you have a polarized government. When 

you’re able to bring both sides to the table, you move 

government forward. 

MG: Creating laws that help advance a better standard 

of living for people in my community and outside 

my community. Being able to stand up for those that 

society has labeled invisible, and to let them know that 

they have a strong advocate who is going to work on 

their behalf. 

PF: What makes you most proud? 

MM: I’ve had 11 bills signed by the governor, which 

is no small feat when you are in the minority party. 

And they’re wide ranging—from helping our military 

members to helping the kids in schools. 

JC: Long before I got involved in politics, I spent a lot of 

time mentoring youth. I coached youth sports, served 

on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club, 

(Left to right) Jim Cooper, Isadore Hall, Melissa Melendez, Mike Gipson, members of the California State Legislature 

Big Brother and Big Sisters, and worked with homeless teens. Kids 

have come up to me many times during my life and told me I had a 

positive effect on their lives. 

IH: Being able to step up to the challenge of making right some 

social wrongs. Homelessness has grown to over 12 percent 

in Los Angeles and the highest demographic is females with 

children. Being able to address that by putting hundreds of 

millions of dollars in our state budget to combat that issue, I 

think that’s important. 

MG: I wrote a law to close the state loophole when it comes to 

vehicular manslaughter. My son was killed at the age of three 

by vehicular manslaughter. Previously, there was a statute of 

limitations of three years, so that if you killed someone with your 

vehicle in a hit-and-run, you could get away with it after three 

years passes. But since I wrote law AB835 and the governor of 

California signed my bill, now individuals in California who kill 

someone in a hit-and-run homicide will be brought to justice 

whenever they are found. 

PF: How did your education help you realize your goals? 

MM: When I decided to get my MBA, I had just had my fifth child, 

and it was a now or never moment. Go back to school, and do it 

well, no matter how tired you are. That was really the beginning 

of that epiphany that life is not going to wait for you to get a good 

night sleep before you’re expected to live up to the potential that 

God gave you. 

JC: At the time I earned my degree, I was working full-time, had 

kids, and I was the sheriff department spokesperson. Sometimes 

I had to leave the classroom to take a call about a homicide, and 

without the flexibility of University of Phoenix, I never would have 

been able to complete my degree. 

IH: I was working and taking care of my mother, so I didn’t have 

the time to go through traditional education. University of 

Phoenix not only gave me an opportunity to earn my degree, but 

it also fast-tracked me into an environment where I was dealing 

with professionals. I could sit at the table of the city council and 

negotiate a budget, and know what a business plan is. 

MG: Getting my degree increased my confidence level and 

prepared me for the challenges that awaited me in terms of public 

policy. It also allowed a door to be opened where I could be a model 

for others who think they can’t get a four-year degree. Now I am 

able to say, “I can and I have, because I did.” 

For information on this program, including on-time completion rates, 

the median debt incurred by students who completed the program 

and other important information, please visit phoenix.edu/programs/ 

gainful-employment.html. 



PHOENIX FOCUS 

| Alumni Business 

Sweet 

success 

In the movie Forrest Gump, Gump’s mother 

offers him this sage advice: “Life is like a box of 

chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna 

get.” In Leroy Reynolds’ case, that’s exactly 

what life gave him. 

By Keri Ruiz 

Reynolds is the owner of Choicolate Artisan Chocolates in San 

Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Krastina, a Bulgarian native, 

bought the established store in 2014 after researching new 

business opportunities. A U.S. Army veteran who served 22 years, 

Reynolds spent most of his military career in Europe, primarily 

in Germany. He says that upon his military retirement, he and 

Krastina explored the possibility of opening a small European café 

in the states, similar to those they frequented overseas. 

Perfect fit 

“We settled in San Antonio, and I worked on the civilian side 

as inspector general for the Army’s Southern Regional Medical 

Command for a few years while we researched franchise and 

licensing opportunities,” Reynolds says. “But, we decided that 

wasn’t for us; we wanted more control over our business than a 

franchise would give us. Then, this chocolate shop opportunity 

presented itself, and we thought, ‘Why not?’ It seemed like a 

perfect fit for us.” 

The Reynolds bought the business from a South Korean couple. 

Ironically, South Korea is where Leroy and Krastina met and 

married several years before when Leroy was stationed there and 

Krastina was working as an English tutor. The name, Choicolate 

(pronounced Choy-co-LAHT) is a play on the former owner and 

wife’s maiden name, Choi—a common Korean surname. 

The Reynolds liked the name and kept it when they took over 

the business. 

Improved business acumen 

Reynolds handles all aspects of business operations and 

marketing. He says that while he already had a bachelor’s degree 

in management and years of operations and marketing experience 

from his time in the military, it was the University of Phoenix 

MBA he earned in 2013 that improved his business acumen and 

“gave me the science to enhance the art of experience.” 

“I use the knowledge I gained through my MBA education every 

single day—things like finance, process improvement, marketing 

and correct pricing model development,” he says. “Krastina 

handles the creative side of the business and has become the 

chocolatier, mastering the handcrafting techniques, creating 

recipes and designs and shaping the manufacturing operations.” 

The business is thriving thanks to Reynolds’ due diligence and 

early research into the San Antonio market for the product. 

“We’re the only artisan chocolate shop in the San Antonio area, 

and have found a niche among baby boomers—our primary buyers 

because of their disposal income—for our high-end truffles, toffee 

and other items made with natural ingredients and premium 

European chocolate,” Reynolds notes. 

Overcoming challenges 

He adds that with any small business start-up, there are challenges 

to be expected. The main challenges Reynolds faced when 

launching the business operations were “regulatory entities 

and taxes—those two things are always going to be the most 

challenging for a small business because they vary by city and 

state. You’re on a learning curve, so you have to decide how to 

set up your business for what works best for you. We established 

ourselves as an LLC—limited liability company.” 

Pursue your dream 

And while there are other complexities to becoming an 

entrepreneur and owning your own business, Reynolds’ best 

advice to others considering it comes down to one word, “Dream!” 

“Dream it and you can do it,” he emphasizes. “Every little success 

you have gives you confidence to take that next step. It shows you 

that your dreams are important and achievable. Your desire for 

success will lead you to success.” 

Get noticed. 

Alumni, promote your business in the 2016 Alumni Business Directory. 

alumni.phoenix.edu/business-directory.html 



YOUR CAREER | Careers 101 

CAREERS 101 


experts answer your questions. 

How to overcome interview roadblocks: 

Communicating your ability to learn 

SKILLS 

SHARPENER 

How to improve the skills 

employers need now 

Analyze this: How to become a better thinker 

“I think making analytical decisions when you can is 

increasingly going to be a criterion for being hired in a 

lot of different types of jobs,” says Davenport. 

How do you get better at it? 

Get yourself in the habit of approaching business 

decisions analytically. Here’s how: 

• Frame the problem. This involves identifying the 

problem, asking questions, assessing the available 

information and determining additional information 

you need. This is also a good time for a history lesson. 

“See how other people have solved this problem in 

the past,” advises Davenport. “Most problems are not 

unique.” 

By Kathryn Scahill 

Q: I was recently in a job interview and was told that I did not 

have enough relevant experience. I was really interested in the 

position, but at that point I felt very discouraged. I don’t have 

much experience in my field, so would like to know how to address 

this concern in future interviews. 

A: It is important not to overlook the point of the interview, which 

is to market yourself as a potential employee. This will require a 

bit of a sales pitch on your part. Job seekers are often discouraged 

when asked difficult questions. It’s very common for an employer 

to point out a lack of skills, education or experience during an 

interview. This does not, however, mean you are not a viable 

candidate. 

After all, the employer requested an interview with you. He or she 

saw your resumé, read your qualifications, before speaking with 

you. It is highly unlikely the employer assumed you had skills 

that were not listed on your resumé. When you are told during 

an interview that you don’t seem to have the qualifications or 

experience the company is looking for, you should convey that you 

can learn what it takes to succeed in the role. A lack of relevant 

experience does not signal the end of the interview. 

Employers are looking for you to articulate that you 

are ready for the challenge. It’s important to be honest 

about your skills and experience; don’t exaggerate or 

embellish in an attempt to meet their needs. Instead, 

focus on what you do have to offer, and convey the 

reasons they should hire you. Here are a few talking 

points: 

• Although I do not have a lot of experience in 

marketing, I’m a very fast learner. I have already 

begun research on your products and target 

markets, and I know I can hit the ground running. 

• I excelled in my finance and accounting classes, 

and am ready to put that knowledge to use. 

• I believe that my past jobs in sales will translate 

really well to this position, and I will be able to 

catch up quickly so I can be an asset to your team. 

The key is to focus on your strengths and your desire 

to learn and succeed. If you are truly interested in 

the job, it is essential that you make that interest clear 

to the employer. Remember, you are your own best 

advocate, so use the interview to market yourself as 

the best candidate. 


What is it? 

Thomas H. Davenport, who teaches analytics and big data in 

executive programs at Babson College, Harvard Business School, 

MIT Sloan School and Boston University, explains analytical 

thinking this way: “It’s critical thinking using data and analysis to 

inform and hopefully support better decisions.” 

That is, when you approach a challenge from the framework of 

analytical thinking, you collect data related to the issue so you can 

assess it and formulate a plan of action based on fact. 

Davenport, who is the author of Keeping Up with the Quants: Your 

Guide to Understanding and Using Analytics, says, “Analytical 

decisions are more likely to be accurate and precise” when 

compared with those based on experience and intuition alone. 

Why is it important? 

Analytical skills are valued in the business world where 

information is coming in a mile a minute. Analytical thinking 

skills enable employees to process critical information, organize 

it and then draw conclusions in order to make better decisions 

efficiently and quickly. Not everyone is going to be a datacrunching 

expert, but it’s important to have a basic understanding 

of the process. 

• Solve the problem. This is where data comes 

in. Collect it and then create a model in order to 

analyze it and understand the issues. Then use 

that analysis to develop a solution. If you work in 

a larger organization, there’s a good chance one of 

your colleagues can crunch the numbers. “You can 

find experts to help you do that,” assures Davenport. 

“That’s what hardcore quantitative analysts do.” 

• Communicate the results and their implications. 

Don’t be dry about it, though. You have to be able to 

engage leaders and help them understand the data 

in a meaningful way. “Most people are not very good 

telling stories with data,” says Davenport, “but it’s an 

important skill, as well.” It’s worth taking the time to 

learn how to do it right. 

Learn more 

Continue to sharpen your creative problem-solving 

skills with these resources: 

• Read: Keeping Up with the Quants: Your Guide to 

Understanding and Using Analytics by Thomas H. 

Davenport 

• Watch: Analytical Thinking by GRASP the Solution 

• Attend: The American Management Association’s 

range of analytical thinking workshops. 



PHOENIX FOCUS | Industry spotlight 

Industry spotlight 

Information Systems 

and Technology 

Chances are that the latest advances in your 

industry—whatever it is—have something to do 

with technology. 

“Data will be one of the biggest 

pushes in the next three to 

five years.” 

Kirsten E. Hoyt, Ed.D. 

careers should make it their business to be prepared. Most hot 

technology jobs in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational 

Outlook Handbook require a bachelor’s degree-level education or 

higher, and many specialized roles require industry certifications 

and continuing education so candidates stay up-to-date on the 

latest technology. 

In addition to degree programs and IT certifications, good 

old-fashioned soft skills are still necessary for success, too. 

“Things like attention to detail and common courtesy often are 

overlooked,” reminds Hoyt. “Communication, the ability to work 

in teams—we hear employers asking for a lot of those skills.” 

Roller agrees. “You can’t have a straight IT mentality,” she says, 

affirming that soft skills are crucial moving forward. 


What’s new in your job? Chances are that the latest advances 

in your industry—whatever it is—have something to do with 

technology. Just as innovations in technology impact the way jobs 

are done, the way employees should prepare for those jobs has 

changed. 

There are plenty of opportunities for job candidates who make it 

their business to stay even or ahead of the technology curve. The 

Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in computer 

and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 

percent from 2014 to 2024. That’s faster than the average for all 

occupations. Here’s a look at the trends behind these jobs and how 

to prepare for them. 

A little thing called big data 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a corner of the world that hasn’t 

become reliant upon technology—and the data these tools amass. 

Those smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearable devices we’ve 

become so dependent upon spend their lives collecting byte-sized 

pieces of information. According to tech-giant IBM, 2.5 quintillion 

bytes of data are collected each day, with 90 percent of the world’s 

data coming into existence over the course of the last few years 

alone. 

This jaw-dropping statistic raises the question, just what do we do 

with all this information? 

Forward-thinking organizations are strategizing how to use 

it. A forecast by market research company International Data 

Corporation (IDC) shows that the market for big data technology 

and services will grow at a 26.4 percent compound annual growth 

rate to $41.5 billion by the end of 2018. That’s six times faster than 

the overall information technology market. 

According to Kirsten E. Hoyt, Ed.D., academic dean for University 

of Phoenix’s College of Information Systems and Technology, 

“Data will be one of the biggest pushes in the next three to five 

years.” 

Where there’s growth, there are opportunities for individuals 

and organizations willing and able to create solutions to meet the 

demand. The anticipated boom in data-related jobs will include 

data operations managers, database administrators, data analysts, 

software engineers, computer and information research scientists 

and chief data officers. 

Under lock and key 

In the modern age, there’s a trail of zeros and ones that leads 

back to just about every individual on the planet. Whenever we 

click “purchase” on a retail website, check our bank balance on a 

smartphone or pre-register online for a doctor’s appointment, we 

leave behind identifying information about ourselves. 

New innovations have created a standard of click-of-the-mouse 

convenience that consumers are growing to expect from 

businesses great and small. The problem is that modern-day 

crooks also are tech-savvy, and the price of their crimes is steep. 

According to the 2014 McAfee Report on the Global Cost of 

Cybercrime, cybercrime costs the global economy more than $445 

billion each year. 

Dawn M. Roller, MBA, vice president of University of Phoenix’s 

College of Information Systems & Technology’s strategic 

partnerships, has met with leading cyber companies who predict 

that two sectors will be hit especially hard by cyber crime in the 

coming year: hospitals and education. Many of those organizations 

have adopted electronic records management technologies, but 

some of those are ancient technology systems, while others have a 

technology system with cyber security tools in place. 

Additionally, the devices consumers rely on to conduct their 

day-to-day business, such as smartphones and tablets, leave 

consumers even more vulnerable to identity theft than before, as 

does readily available code-it-yourself software. “If an average Joe 

can make your smartphone app, then an average Joe can hack your 

smartphone app,” cautions Roller. 

Jobs in cybersecurity include information security analysts, 

computer systems analysts, computer systems engineers and 

systems software developers. The study by Burning Glass 

Technologies revealed that there is a demand for cybersecurity 

professionals with a background in finance, health care and retail 

trade, too. 

Coding knowledge 

With strong job growth expected in the field of information 

systems and technology, job seekers who are serious about their 

The ability to code is no longer enough. The most eligible 

job candidates have a broad skill set that includes emotional 

intelligence coupled with an array of technical capabilities and 

strategic insight. “The people who are really successful in the IT 

industry are those who can put the technology in your hands, 

protect it and advance it,” Roller asserts. 

A college degree in Information Systems & Technology can 

help professionals hone specialized expertise, as can certificate 

programs like the University of Phoenix Advanced Networking 

Certificate. “We stay very close with industry experts,” says Hoyt 

of the University’s program and certificate offerings. “It’s the best 

way to keep our curriculum current and relevant.” 

For more information on the University of Phoenix information 

systems and technology-related certificates, visit phoenix.edu/ 

programs/continuing-education/certificate-programs.html. Learn 

more about IT industry certifications at http://www.phoenix.edu/ 

colleges_divisions/technology/it-certifications.html. 

Hoyt sums up the appeal of the IT field for individuals looking 

for open-ended career opportunities. “Whether you’re working 

the register at a fast food restaurant or have a corporate job, 

technology is prevalent everywhere. It needs to be serviced, 

operated, managed, maintained and supported. For me, IS&T is a 

great place to be.” 



By the numbers: 

Security and Cybercrime 

PHOENIX FOCUS | Industry spotlight 

YOUR CAREER | Career planning, simplified 

79% 

PwC’s 2015 State of 

U.S. Cybercrime Survey 

respondents who said they 

detected a security incident in 

the past 12 months 

294 

billion 

Number of 

emails sent 

every day 

$19 Billion 

Amount of stimulus funds in the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

set aside to assist health-care providers to 

purchase and implement Electronic Medical 

Record (EMR) systems by 2015 

Do you know 

someone on 

this list? 

1.3 million 

Number of 

new global 

cybersecurity 

jobs between 

2015 and 2019 

$79,390 

Median annual wage for computer 

and information technology 

occupations in May 2014 

35% 

Cybersecurity jobs that call 

for an industry certification 

800 Million 

Individual personal 

information records that 

were reported stolen in 2013 

Each month, approximately 8,000 dedicated 

students earn their degrees and become proud 

University of Phoenix graduates. 

Phoenix Focus magazine celebrates the newest members of 

the growing alumni community—now more than 878,000 strong—with 

an online list of recent graduates. 

To see the list of graduates from July 1–September 30, 2015, 

visit the Phoenix Focus home page. 

alumni.phoenix.edu/phoenix-focus 



University news 

PHOENIX FOCUS | Your University 


Shop the new University Marketplace 

It’s official! The new University Marketplace is now live and better than ever at 

shopuniversitymarketplace.com. 

As a University Marketplace member, you’ll be able to: 

• Shop online and earn cash back from thousands of stores 

• Access special sales 

• Access print-at-home grocery coupons—select the coupons you want, and print 

• Whether you’re a University of Phoenix, Western International University or CFFP 

student, alumnus, faculty or employee; Apollo Education Group employee; or more 

than one of the above, now you can access all your Marketplace deals with just one 

website and one login 

• Redeem your cash-back reward by check or PayPal, or choose from a wide selection 

of gift cards (Don’t worry—any unredeemed reward you’ve previously 

earned through the Marketplace will transfer to the new site) 

• Check the University Marketplace blog for interesting articles, retail insight, helpful 

shopping tips, life hacks and more 

To access the new website, sign in with your existing password or register as a new member at 

shopuniversitymarketplace.com, and start shopping! 

We Rise 

Your unstoppable Phoenix spirit is evident every day in your 

workplace and in your home. And now the world will see it too, 

thanks to our new “We Rise” brand platform highlighting your 

inspiring stories. This is just the beginning, and we’ll showcase this 

new direction with several new videos and promotional materials. 

You’ll see the following in traditional, digital and social media: 

• A new TV spot airing nationwide (Watch at bit.ly/we-rise-tv) 

• A video profile of Muriel Duncan, an inspiring member of 

the University’s first graduating class in 1979 

(Watch at bit.ly/uopx-duncan.) 

• Alumni United videos, where our proud alums Bill Warren 

(bit.ly/uopx-warren) and Suzanne Morse Buhrow 

(bit.ly/uopx-suzanne) dispel some myths about the University 

• A video about what it means to rise 

(Watch at bit.ly/uopx-we-rise) 

Scholarship opportunity 

University of Phoenix is excited to announce the Forever 

A Phoenix® Scholarship program. University of Phoenix 

understands the importance of making higher education 

accessible for students of all ages and backgrounds. As 

the largest private university in North America, we take 

very seriously our social responsibility to our students 

and the communities we serve. University of Phoenix 

is particularly adept at aiding nontraditional students 

complete their education by providing programs around 

their busy lives. 

Together with the University of Phoenix Alumni 

Association, University of Phoenix is providing a 

scholarship opportunity to its alumni to continue 

their education. Alumni who have graduated from any 

University of Phoenix degree program, are eligible 

to apply to receive a full-tuition scholarship toward 

a bachelor’s or master’s degree program of their 

choice. Through this program, forty (40) full-tuition 

scholarships will be awarded. Recipients may choose to 

attend a University of Phoenix on-ground campus or 

may attend University of Phoenix online. 

The scholarship application period opens Saturday, April 

23 at 8 am Eastern Time and closes at 11:30 pm Eastern 

Time. Only the first 250 qualified applications that meet 

the defined eligibility criteria will be considered. For 

scholarship details and eligibility, visit 

alumni.phoenix.edu/benefits-discounts/scholarshipinformation/forever-a-phoenix.html

journey

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