Janel Drozd grew up wanting to be a nurse. Circumstances when she was younger diverted her toward a career in transportation, so when she got the chance to go back to school for nursing, Drozd, of Griffith, got right on it. She proudly counted herself among some 300 candidates who crossed the dais Saturday during Purdue Northwest’s Fall graduation ceremony December 14. On Monday, she started the first day of her new career as a neuro nurse at a local hospital. “My grandmother who raised me had several health issues, so I was always interested in working in healthcare because of her,” Drozd said. “My grandmother was epileptic, and my great-grandmother passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm, so anything neuro really interests me.” Soon-to-be graduates file into Purdue Northwest’s afternoon commencement ceremony in Hammond on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) Keynote speaker Wayne Breitzke, a 2009 graduate and founder of Valparaiso-based marketing firm WeCreate Media, told the graduates that rather than give them questionable advice, he wanted to share three mindset shifts that propelled him to where he is today. One was that asking what you’re getting from a job is not the right question. “‘What are the salary perks? Will there be free coffee? Can we wear sweatpants? Do we even need pants?’ Yes, you need pants,” he said. “But what I’m getting at is instead of asking what I’m getting, you should be asking ‘What am I becoming?’ No plan has you being average, so be above-average. Have an intensity to win and above-average kindness.” Graduates also can’t predict the future, and that’s true, but the future also looks a lot like the past in a lot of ways, so you can plan for it, according to Breitzke. “Think of the Chicago Bears: ‘This is our year!’ typically becomes, ‘There’s always next year.’ You can’t control the seasons, but you can prepare how to react,” he said. Purdue University Northwest alumnus and founder and CEO of WeCreate Media, Wade Breitzke, performs the keynote speech during the school’s Fall commencement ceremony in Hammond on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) Finally, everyone has a gift, and your imagination is a preview to what’s possible. “You know how you tell someone a great idea, and they kind of tell you, ‘I don’t see it?’ That’s because it just wasn’t planted in their brain,” he said. “Your dreams are meant to guide you. Life is going to test your imagination, but life isn’t what happens to you; it’s how you respond.” Since Drozd already graduated from PNW once, she had an idea what school was going to be like, and her nursing program was as tough as she expected. She loved it anyway. “It was also such a wonderful and supportive environment. I can’t say enough good things about it,” she said. Purdue University Northwest chancellor Kenneth C. Holford applauds for students during the school’s afternoon commencement ceremony in Hammond on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) Terra Morgan, of Park Forest, Illinois, was having fun striking poses with her family after the ceremony. Morgan went back to school to get her bachelor’s in Marketing, digital marketing and sales after serving a stint in the U.S. Navy. “The Navy helped me with structure and being around other people. I had some great teachers,” she said. “I’m going to miss a lot of people.” There were 650 candidates who received degrees this fall, including 463 baccalaureate degrees, 184 master’s degrees and three earning Nursing doctorates, PNW spokesman Kale Wilk said in a release. College of Technology graduate Anthony Vazquez is presented a chancellor medallion by his father, Jose Vazquez, during Purdue Northwest’s afternoon commencement ceremony in Hammond on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
CLAYTON — A St. Louis County contractor is suing businessman David Hoffmann after he allegedly failed to pay for more than $130,000 worth of work at a Clayton office building. Creve Coeur-based Color Art Construction says in a lawsuit filed Monday that Hoffmann personally guaranteed he would make four payments totaling $131,458 for work at Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate's building on Maryland Avenue in Clayton. But after repeated attempts for payment, neither Hoffmann nor the real estate company responded to Color Art, according to the lawsuit . It's not clear what work Color Art performed for Hoffmann. The company focuses on construction, remodeling and technology services. Hoffmann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Hoffmann Family of Cos. has faced several lawsuits this year over various projects in the St. Louis area, including its effort to turn Augusta into a national winery destination. This isn't the first problem at the Maryland Avenue building, where the lender is seeking to foreclose on the property. Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate also faces a $329,448 lien from C&R Mechanical for unpaid work at the property. Still, the Hoffmanns have made several big deals this past year, including buying Oberweis Dairy out of bankruptcy and acquiring the Pierre Laclede Buildings in Clayton. The Hoffmanns also have bought shares in Iowa-based Lee Enterprises Inc., the parent company of the Post-Dispatch and other newspapers. The company owns 8.71% of Lee, making it the second-largest shareholder, according to financial filings. On Friday, the company said it upped its shares in Lee to 9.74%, though, as of Monday, that wasn't reflected in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Hoffmanns also own shares in DallasNews Corp., which owns the Dallas Morning News in Texas.DENVER , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TTEC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEC ), a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enhanced CX with solutions from TTEC Engage and TTEC Digital , today announced that TTEC Digital has been recognized as the Cisco Reimagine Customer Experiences Partner of the Year – Americas. "In collaboration with Cisco, TTEC Digital is helping industry leaders in banking, healthcare, insurance, government services, and more improve their customer experiences with a strong mix of CX strategy and technology. We are honored to be recognized by Cisco for our shared success and look forward to continued partnership," said John Wolf , global Cisco lead at TTEC Digital. In FY24, TTEC Digital achieved significant milestones with Cisco including a 44% year-over-year growth in bookings. Cisco also recognized TTEC Digital for providing targeted training and certifications, expanding into the Cisco commercial space with a focus on Webex Enterprise Contact Center solutions, and developing new services such as WxCC Jet and InteractionSync for Cisco Webex Contact Center. Announced at WebexOne , the Cisco Reimagine Customer Experiences Partner of the Year award recognizes the partner who has had the most success selling and implementing Webex Contact Center solutions to help clients deliver best-in-class customer experiences. TTEC Digital has partnered with Cisco for more than 20 years and was the first partner to take Cisco Contact Center to the cloud. As a five-time Cisco partner of the year winner, TTEC Digital has a strong track record of continuously delivering innovation, leadership and best practices to clients in conjunction with Cisco. To learn more, visit https://ttecdigital.com/partners/cisco . About TTEC TTEC (pronounced T-TEC) Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEC) is a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled digital CX solutions. Serving iconic and disruptive brands, TTEC's outcome-based solutions span the entire enterprise, touch every virtual interaction channel, and improve each step of the customer journey. Leveraging next-gen digital technology, the Company's TTEC Digital business designs, builds, and operates omnichannel contact center technology, CRM, AI and analytics solutions. The Company's TTEC Engage business delivers AI-enhanced customer engagement, customer acquisition and growth, tech support, back office, and fraud prevention services. Founded in 1982, the Company's singular obsession with CX excellence has earned it leading client, customer, and employee satisfaction scores across the globe. The Company's employees operate on six continents and bring technology and humanity together to deliver happy customers and differentiated business results. To learn more visit us at https://www.ttec.com . Media Contact: Meredith Matthews meredith.matthews@ttec.com +1 281-770-2566 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ttec-digital-wins-cisco-reimagine-customer-experiences-partner-of-the-year--americas-302332643.html SOURCE TTEC Holdings, Inc.