What’s the “secret sauce” for student success? You may already have a hunch. Because it came up time and again during the first design thinking session facilitated by the Education Design Lab on April 30. About 30 faculty, staff, and administrators from the college (including Dr. Sandel) gathered in the Natural Science Center for a three-hour session to learn more about design thinking and how it relates to our G3 Healthcare Pathways Design Challenge (catch up on the backstory here). Our special guests for the day included Todd Estes, Director of Career Education Programs and Workforce Partnerships, who is overseeing the G3 initiative for the VCCS, as well as eight students in various healthcare programs. We were thrilled so many students were able to participate, as students are the heart of our mission and this design thinking process. Small groups of our faculty and staff interviewed each of the eight students, starting with these questions: Tell me about your decision to attend VWCC? Why?What has been your favorite experience at VWCC?What could have gone better?Tell me about your major and how you decided on that path.What are your goals after graduation? Tell me more about how you got to this… Continue Reading G3 update: What’s the ‘secret sauce’ for student success?Read More
I’m a collector of ideas. I read a crazy amount of books and reports and Twitter threads … and I’m always ready to share useful or inspirational tidbits. Here a few ideas that might bring our campus teams together (which gets the creative juices flowing …. and the grant projects popping). 1. Lunch clubs. I’m aware of at least one small group on this campus who occasionally meets for a potluck lunch and board games. I love this idea, and this recent NPR story gives some examples of coworkers delighting in cooking meals for each other. “These lunch clubs can range from a two-person swap to a five-person rotation. Sometimes people use a communal lunch as an excuse to sit down together during a busy day; others simply take their lunches whenever they have time, then thank the meal’s maker later via text message. Wherever there are people who want something more than their sad desk lunches or expensive to-go food, there are co-workers who have found a way to share a meal in a way that works for them.” 2. Join a choir. Seriously. Just as I noticed the fliers for the Virginia Western Singers events, I was reminded… Continue Reading How to have more fun with your coworkersRead More
Andrei Matorin moved me to tears during the Tom Tom Summit & Festival in Charlottesville. Photo by Daria Huxley / www.andreimatorin.com When I attend professional conferences — especially one focused on “entrepreneurial ecosystems” — I don’t expect to be moved to tears. But there I was, fighting back an ugly cry, in the middle of the Tom Tom Summit & Festival in Charlottesville last week. Even stranger, I wasn’t moved by anyone speaking. It was during a live performance by Andrei Matorin, a professional violinist and composer. Matorin accompanied the marquee keynote by Pamela Abalu and Chindeu Echeruo, who delivered a dramatic presentation about designing environments and organizations for love and happiness. But it was while listening to Matorin’s music when I made a powerful connection to another message I heard earlier in the conference. Just minutes before, I watched Jason Feifer, energetic editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, talk about how he defines entrepreneurs (“anyone who makes things happen”) … and three key entrepreneurial mindsets, all centered on the willingness to embrace change. Feifer emphasized true entrepreneurs never see themselves as finished … they are never one thing, always evolving. This has been referred to as being in “permanent beta.” I… Continue Reading What would your life’s work sound like?Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
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- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
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- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023