Dress To Impress - Lessons learned from Jonathan Kernion

Last week we were honored to be joined by Mr. Jonathan Kernion, President of Cycle Construction for dinner and a wonderful evening of storytelling and inspiration. MSBA student Victoria Capozucca recounts the evening in her blog post Dress To Impress... Yourself. Take it away, Victoria!

Dress To Impress... Yourself.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to have dinner and listen to one of the most inspirational people I have ever met, Mr. Jonathan Kernion, the President of Cycle Construction.  The dinner was filled with questions, laughter, encouraging advice, motivational words and even a few tears from touching stories. This is the first business dinner I have ever attended and I can honestly say it went above and beyond my expectations.  It was nerve-racking knowing I was going to be in the presence of such accomplished people, but their welcoming personalities and intriguing stories helped me become comfortable and made the night flow smoothly.  I knew it was an exceptional night when I realized there was never any complete silence in the conversation.

One particular story that stood out to me was when Mr. Kernion spoke about the importance of looking good for yourself.  This story took place during a time in his life when was doing construction at Tulane University in New Orleans.  Curious of the financial side of the construction business, Mr. Kernion, dressed in a suit and tie, strolled into the Business School to ask about enrolling in some business courses.  The man asked if Mr. Kernioin would be interested in pursuing his MBA. With a smile, Mr. Kernion replied that he did not have a college degree.  Surprised by his answer, the man responded,“Well you look pretty smart.”

Mr. Kernion still had a smile on his face as he proceeded to explain the meaning of the story.  He put his suit on that morning because he wanted to.  Mr. Kernion had previously struggled with his self-identification and had encountered difficult situations throughout his life.  He decided that the only way to persevere through the hard times was to work on his self-esteem.  One step he integrated into his life was wearing a suit, so when he looked in the mirror he saw a confident man that deserved success. Simply speaking, Mr. Kernion felt good because he physically looked good.

A few years prior to this "dress to impress... yourself," mentality, Mr. Kernion felt broken and unsure of his capability of success. This small change has been very beneficial for him.

This story, to me, showed the importance of inner confidence. It doesn't matter what people think of you. What does matter is what you think about yourself. If you do not believe in yourself, how can you expect other people to?

As I continue on my journey in the MSBA program, I realize that I have developed a new found confidence because of my business attire. I am enrolled in this program to grow as a businesswoman, and the change in attire makes me feel like a businesswoman.

I'm so grateful for the chance to hear the fascinating stories Mr. Kernion shared. He has inspired me and has helped me figure out that in order to grow I need to believe in myself because if I believe in myself and I know I can accomplish a goal, I will accomplish it.

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MSBA Student Guest Blog Post

We are excited to have one of our new MSBA students guest post on our blog today. Everyone, meet Kendall and make sure to check out her blog!

Hi everyone, my name is Kendall Swenson and I am a student here at The Catholic University of America. I recently graduated from CUA in May 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and minor in Philosophy. Currently, I am a proud student in the Master of Science in Business Analysis program. I have recently started a blog titled Swenson MSBA 2015. It is about my journey through the MSBA program and I will update it often with different postings about my experiences inside and outside the classroom and my internship. I hope you enjoy it!

Swenson MSBA 2015: September 2, 2014: The Catholic University of America’s Master of Science in Business Analysis is a unique program for students who have not yet had the opportunity to study business in such an in-depth approach. For me, this program is giving me essential tools to use for my future career in business and better marketing myself in the competitive job market. One of my favorite things about the program is that, as a student, I can tell that the professors and staff have put in an extreme effort to make this experience as full as possible. They set up our classes, activities, and everything in between like it would be in a real world business setting. From teaching us how to interview well, to becoming experts in excel, to learning how to think critically and strategically… the staff has put a lot of thought into how to make us into the best versions of ourselves so that we become great business professionals. Fortunately, since the class is small, students get enough attention they need to help with class work and really be heard in the classroom. The class size also helps foster the crucial principles in teamwork and management like we are learning in the program. In just the first week, this is only a summary of the great advantages I know I am getting from being apart of the MSBA program.

 
We will be featuring more guest posts from the MSBA class of 2015 throughout the year, so be sure to check back regularly for more!

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MSBA Class of 2015 hits the ground running

It's hard to believe we have already ushered in a new school year! We welcomed our largest  class to date, MSBA class of 2015, totaling 27 bright and promising students. Orientation week was packed with fun-filled and team building events (as well as a little work, of course).
 

MSBA 2015 Orientation Meet and Greet

The Meet-and-Greet on held in our graduate lounge on Wednesday evening was a great success and students got the chance to get to know each other before the rest of the week's events and the start of classes. Thursday morning began bright and early with a case study workshop, where students worked in groups before giving a presentation on a case study created by faculty member Harvey Seegers that they were given prior to Orientation week.

More fun was had by all on Friday at Go-Adventures in Darnestown, MD, where everyone completed a variety of team-building and problem solving activities.

It is clear the MSBA class of 2015 is full of promise and talent. The year is off to a great start and we can't wait to see what you all have in store.

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Dean Abela Presents A Catechism for Business to Pope Francis

On Saturday May 10, 2014,  Andrew Abela, Dean of the School of Business and Economics, presented a copy of his new book, A Catechism for Business, co-edited with Dr. Joseph Capizzi of the School of Theology and Religious Studies, to Pope Francis. Dean Abela was in Rome attending the annual conference of the Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice, a Vatican organization established by Pope St. John Paul II for the promotion of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Dean Abela presenting his book A Catechism for Business to Pope Francis.
Photo @ L'Observatore Romano

The conference was focused on whether solidarity and fraternity can be factors in business decisions. Explicitly stated was the knowledge that“corporate responsibility,” as it is commonly understood, is not enough to address the economic problems of our age. Rather, the conference brought together prominent business leaders and members of the academic community to discuss the need for a “more dynamic”understanding of fraternity in economics and the practical implications it would have on the business world. Dean Abela led an interview of five business executives who discussed the application of Catholic solidarity in business decisions.

A Catechism for Business draws together the Church’s Social Doctrine on business, organized by topic and question. It serves as a reference guide for Catholic business leaders who wish to deepen their faith and grow in their understanding of Catholic Social Doctrine as applied to business.

To learn more about A Catechism for Business, please visit the book’s webpage at http://catechismforbusiness.com/

Stewart McHie, Director-Master of Science in Business Analysis

mchie@cua.edu

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National Catholic Register report on Dean's New Book

The National Catholic Register was in attendance for the launch of Dean Andrew Abela, and Dr. Joseph Capizzi's new book, A Catechism for Business: Tough Ethical Questions and Insights from Catholic Teaching. The launch was held at the Catholic Information Center and was a huge success.

The event brought together members of the University family including current student Matthew Patella, Master of Science in Business Analysis alum Samantha Donohue, and adviser to the School of Business William Bowman who are quoted in The National Catholic Register article.

The book, which provides extracts from various teachings of the Catholic faith and serves as a reference guide for ethical business questions, is currently available at CUA Press.

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National Review and Washington Post report on Dean's new book

Dean Andrew Abela

Collaborating with Dr. Joseph Capizzi of the School of Theology and Religious Studies, Dean Andrew Abela published his most recent book, A Catechism for Business: Tough Ethical Questions and Insights from Catholic Teaching, which is available for pre-order now.

The book is not an interpretation of Catholic social teaching on business. Rather, the catechism provides exact excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Papal encyclicals, and the like, that directly address specific ethical questions within business. This serves as a reference guide to business leaders, allowing them to consult the book and then prayerfully apply the principles to his or her specific situation.

A Catechism for Business provides business leaders with sources of Catholic social teaching so they are better prepared to apply those principles in business and articulate them to colleagues.
Both National Review and The Washington Post reviewed the book and interviewed Dr. Abela and Dr. Capizzi. To read the full stories, please click the links above.

To learn more about the book and to meet the editors, all are welcome to attend the book launch event at 6:00pm on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. The event will be held at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C.

Stewart McHie
Director, Master of Science in Business Analysis
mchie@cua.edu

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The MSBA program will be attending the:

The MSBA program will be attending the: 

March 26th Lecture and Reception at the CIC 

You are welcome to join as well.

Join us for a lecture and reception celebrating the newly released work, A Catechism for Business. This book launch event will feature remarks by editors Andrew Abela and Joseph Capizzi. A Catechism for Business collects the Church’s teaching on a wide range of topics, including advertising, hiring and firing, investing, outsourcing, wages, working conditions, and unions.  For more information visit catechismforbusiness.com

Details:

BOOK LAUNCH
Wednesday, March 26

6:00 pm
Catholic InformationCenter (CIC)

1501 K Street NW, Suite 175 

Washington, DC 20005

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Businessmen and theologians are like distant cousins, and often they’re just not on speaking terms. If anything can bring them into conversation, it’s this superb catechism, which achieves the minor miracle of being both erudite and readable.

-John L. Allen Jr, Boston Globe 

This is a fantastic repository! It should be mandatory reading for any Catholic in business, and recommended reading for any non-Catholic interested in what the Church really teaches.

-Patrick Lencioni, author of the Advantage and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

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