The Beacon: April 2024

April showers…..as the saying goes. We are showered with blessings and truly grateful for the two SkillBridge interns who chose to spend their time with Talents ASCEND. Thank you to Tatiana and Rachelle.​ ​ April is also the month to recognize and appreciate...

The Beacon: March 2024

March is Women’s History Month and inspiring/expanding young women in science and engineering. My 14-year-old granddaughter aspires to be an astronaut and go to Mars by way of the Naval Academy or MIT. It is with her future in mind that I am...

The Beacon: February 2024

February is one of my favorite months. First because it’s my birthday month and second because of “love” day which is what I refer to for Valentine’s Day. Not everyone has a “valentine”, but everyone can have someone to love or...

The Beacon: January 2024

January is the month of new. A new year and people making new resolutions, deciding to make new changes to hopefully better their lives. The sad news is that only 9% of people will actually keep their resolutions for the entire year. Why are we so resistant...

The Beacon: December 2023

December is a month of many things. Religious holidays, the remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, National Fruitcake Month and National Read a New Book Month. Universal Human Rights Month. The end of a past year and the wish for the new year to be merry and...

The Beacon: November 2023

November is National Military Family Month. Since its declaration in 1996, this special month has served as a reminder of the challenges that military families face every day. It wasn’t until many years after I served in the Navy and stationed in Keflavik,...

The Beacon: October 2023

October 30 – November 3 is National Veteran Owned Business Week. Did you know that there are two million veteran owned businesses in the US. Those businesses employ over five million Americans and represent $1.3 trillion in sales. ​ Veterans are 45% more likely to...

The Beacon: September 2023

It’s National Self-Care Awareness Month. That could mean different things to different people. Whatever it means to you, give yourself permission to do self-care this month and build a self-care habit to make it a routine.  The best self-care practice is the one...
The Beacon: August 2023

The Beacon: August 2023

August is back to school for many across the United States. It’s a great time to talk about my favorite subject: Skills! ​ ​ According to a study by McKinsey, 65% of people who left their jobs between 2020 and 2022 did not return to the industry they left....

The Beacon: April 2023

Work Life Balance: A Benefit for Employers and Employees By Nila Thompson We have all heard the term work life balance, but how are we really incorporating it into our day-to-day operations? Why is it even important? New research has proven that having a balanced...