Off The Clock Archives — ľ��AV

Off the Clock: Sheila Farthing on Wellness and Giving Back

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 12:00:33 +0000

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

In It for the Joy

In this installment, we interview Sheila Farthing, marketing operations manager at ľ��AV and vice-chair of the Wellness Employee Resource Group (ERG). She has a passion for health and fitness and advocates for emotional, mental, and spiritual health as critical components of wellness. She is also the co-founder of a nonprofit engaged in infrastructure and agricultural projects and child nutrition in the bush areas around Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Sheila Farthing

Marketing Operations Manager
Vice-Chair, Wellness Employee Resource Group

Q: What got you started pursuing a health-conscious lifestyle?

I’ve always been an active person. I played sports in high school, intramural sports in college, and have played on several softball teams since I was in my 20s. My family has a history of health issues and I wanted to do whatever I could to avoid those, so I started running in my 30s. For me, running is great mental therapy — and it’s free!

Q: You’re the vice-chair of the ľ��AV Wellness ERG. Most people think of wellness as extending beyond just exercise and fitness to encompass a person’s whole being (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual). How do you live that out, and how does the Wellness ERG help ľ��AV employees live that out?

The ľ��AV Wellness ERG focuses on five wellness pillars: emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and family. It also provides a safe space for employees to learn and talk about issues that are often avoided in a traditional corporate or public setting, like mental health issues. As a side note, for those employees interested in joining the Wellness ERG, you can go to the ľ��AV Connect ERG page and click join. We would love to have you!

When it comes to living out wellness, I believe emotional, spiritual, and social health are all intertwined. I try to have daily quiet time where I talk with God, read scripture, and focus on how I will be a positive light during the day and show love to my family, friends, co-workers, and others.

I think acts of service are critical to emotional and spiritual wellness. I visited Zimbabwe many years ago on a church trip and was so deeply affected by the poverty and despair in the areas we visited that I felt called to do something. I went back for a couple of years, and in 2011, my friend and I started a nonprofit working in the bush areas around Victoria Falls. We’ve built or refurbished 16 school blocks (buildings that hold 2-4 classrooms), built a clinic, started a food program that now feeds 10,000 children in the bush one meal a day, started an agriculture program that sets up gardens at schools in the bush, and drilled several wells for schools and villages. Working to help those in need plays a huge role in my emotional and spiritual wellness, which ultimately results in a happier, healthier me.

Q: You recently completed the Big Sur International Marathon. Is there any overlap between the mentality you develop when training for a marathon and the mentality needed to bring your best self to work every day?

I trained for six months for the marathon. Lots of time running during the week and really long runs on Saturdays. I struggled with a couple of pretty bad muscle strains that knocked my training off schedule and made me almost lose hope, but I kept plugging along. I think it’s a lot like trying to be your best at work. Sometimes you kill it, other times you’re frustrated because it just isn’t working. In those moments, all you can do is pick yourself back up and persevere.

My big takeaway from Big Sur is that I can do hard things. Often, I’m afraid to try hard things because I don’t want to be a failure. There were a lot of failures for me during my training, but each one taught me something and made me better. So, I’ll keep trying hard things because I think it makes me better.

Exercise and fitness training require you to not only be disciplined and organized, but to be able to recognize when it’s time to shift priorities. Training can be grueling and there are times when it’s not fun, which, for me, is a sign that it’s time to shift, turn off the watch, unplug the headphones, and just run for the joy of it. You need the same kind of skill in the workplace. Know when it’s time to shift. If you’re working hard but no longer having fun, it may be time to reevaluate.

Q: Everyone is extremely busy these days. Often, it seems to be a major obstacle for those who would like to live healthier but haven’t found a way to incorporate that into their daily routine in a way that sticks. Any advice or insight into how you make it work?

When I have trouble getting my training runs in during the week, I put them on my schedule as a task. If I can’t get it in before or after work, I make sure that I get out at lunch. Even if I can’t get my entire run in, I try to get out for a walk around the block with my dog. I think anything you do, no matter how small, is better than nothing.

Q: In addition to everything we’ve talked about thus far, you also serve as the ľ��AV philanthropy coordinator managing ľ��AV Cares and ľ��AV Engage. How does the company’s involvement with various charitable causes and volunteering impact your work fulfillment and satisfaction?

With the roles that I have taken on during my time at ľ��AV, it makes a huge impact obviously. When ľ��AV says that philanthropy and volunteering are central to the company’s culture, those aren’t just words – they really mean it. Between ľ��AV Cares, which sponsors volunteer activities and fundraises throughout the year, and ľ��AV Engage, which allows full-time employees to apply for grants supporting a charity organization of their choice, there are so many ways to get involved. And that, again, ties back to acts of service and helping build not just a culture of giving back, but a community of ľ��AVers who have more opportunities to nourish their emotional and spiritual wellness.

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off the Clock: Sheila Farthing on Wellness and Giving Back appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off the Clock: Arthur Croswell on Art, Commitment, and Perseverance

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:28 +0000

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Occasionally, on a Saturday or Sunday morning in the summer, people walking through Charlottesville, Virginia’s historic downtown mall may discover a striking chalk mural that has appeared overnight, as if by magic.

Charlottesville’s First Amendment Monument (aka Freedom of Speech Wall) is a huge slate wall that anyone is welcome to write or draw on with chalk. It’s also the occasional midnight canvas of the artist Arthur Croswell.

Arthur is a senior Oracle database administrator who helps ľ��AV support the U.S. Army’s National Ground Intelligence Center. He’s also a lifelong artist who draws, sculpts, carves, paints, photographs, and writes.

Drawing on a community chalk wall has its challenges. Passersby will sometimes draw over Arthur’s work shortly after he finishes it, or a rainstorm may wash it away. But he enjoys the challenge of investing himself in artwork bound to not last.

“You still have to commit to doing good work,” says Arthur. “And I love that. I love the lesson in it.”

Senior Oracle Database Administrator

Q: How and when did you start drawing on Charlottesville’s chalk wall, and why do you work in the middle of the night?

A: When I moved to Charlottesville, around 2010, I learned about this big chalk wall in the walking mall. I’d become more adventurous with expressing myself by then and thought I’d give it a shot. Artwork with chalk was new to me then.

Working at night allows me to focus on the work with fewer interruptions. In the day, when people see how things are coming along, they’ll say, “Oh, that’s great!” It’s nice of them, and I want to be appropriate and thank them, but it takes time and pulls my focus from the work.

So, I go out at about 10:30 at night. I take my music and headphones and a bag of supplies, and I usually already have an idea for the piece by then. It takes me about three hours.

I’ve worked during the day too. During COVID and all the unrest around the George Floyd situation, no one was out there but a police officer. I wrote a big sign that was like graffiti. It said, “Heal Together,” and it struck up a conversation with that officer that we probably couldn’t have had at any other moment. We talked about how the community was doing and how we were doing.

Q: Does your artwork overlap with your ľ��AV work in any way?

A: Yes, troubleshooting in the computer world allows for creative expression. When you’re solving problems, thinking creatively allows you to consider the problem from all angles. If you’re a creative problem solver, you give yourself more options to entertain as you look for a solution.

But not every job allows you to embrace creative expression. Before I became a programmer, I was a bomb loader in the Air Force. If there’s one thing you cannot do when loading bombs, it’s creative expression. There’s just one right way to load a bomb!

Q: Of all the art you’ve done, do you have a favorite piece?

��:��Yes. I call it Georgia. It’s a recent piece I did with pastels on paper, and it’s my favorite because of the difficulty I had while drawing it. Things went wrong early on, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to finish it. But I kept trying different techniques and eventually learned that I could erase pastel, which I’d never done before. I thought, “I can erase pastel!” And that opened up a whole world for me. I was able to draw what I wanted. Now I look at that piece and think, “this was almost me giving up.”

��Done with pastels on paper, “Georgia” hangs on a wall in the artist’s home.

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

The post Off the Clock: Arthur Croswell on Art, Commitment, and Perseverance appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off the Clock: Mick Perry on Making Flying Dreams Real

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:00:53 +0000

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Mick Perry has been an IT leader for decades. As a U.S. Marine, he directed IT operations for a department serving 270,000 Marines worldwide. He oversaw a $100M-plus portfolio of federal, Department of Defense (DoD), and commercial business as an executive vice president at InfoReliance (acquired by ľ��AV). And as ľ��AV’ vice president of Defense Solutions, Mick is now responsible for the growth and delivery of an array of cybersecurity, software engineering, and IT support services and solutions for the DoD. Before his career in IT, however, Mick was in aviation.

During his time in the Marine Corps, he served as a helicopter pilot, accruing more than 2,100 flight hours, including time in combat operations in the Middle East, Somalia, and East Timor. Since the end of his Marine aviation days, Mick has held onto his passions for flying and mentoring others by preparing fellow Marine pilots and other veterans for commercial aviation careers.

We recently talked with Mick about his flying and his teaching. Read on to learn more about our vice president of Defense Solutions, Mick Perry.

Mick Perry

Vice President of Defense Solutions

Q: What attracted you to the role of flight instructor, and how did you get started teaching military veterans?

A: In the Marines, pilots are trained as fixed-wing pilots first and then rotary wing, so I have a background in both planes and helicopters. About seven years ago, I decided I’d like to do something productive with it, so I got all my certifications. I’m a certified flight instructor in both single and multi-engine aircraft for one of the largest aviation schools in Virginia.

Military veterans are used to a certain style of instruction. I understand their background and where they come from, so they gravitate toward me. I can quickly assess where they are and get them to where they need to be without wasting a lot of time. I use the same language they use and help them understand the civilian world of aviation. My students have found me mostly through word of mouth, and I’ve been able to help a lot of them reach their goals.

Q: Could you tell us about the presidential pilots you’ve taught?

A: I’m located near Quantico, where the presidential is based. It’s a pretty large squadron and quite a few of those pilots have reached out to me when they were ready to move on. I’ve taught quite a few of them in multi-engines.

They come to me with thousands of helicopter flight hours, but the airlines want multi-engine fixed-wing time and ratings. So it’s a matter of getting those certificates, or ratings, and then accumulating the necessary flight hours. I’ve helped these guys get what they need to work for the airlines.

One very experienced Marine One pilot I taught wanted to move back to Texas to be near his family. He got a great job flying corporate multi-engines for a large organization down there. It felt good to help a Marine achieve his goals.

Q: Have you also taught veterans who’ve never served as pilots?

A: Yes, I’ve taught veterans with no flying experience, some of them wounded. I taught an exceptional student who became an amputee after being wounded in Iraq. It’s quite a process for a student pilot to get the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a waiver for flying with a prosthetic. But he had a passion for aviation and the tenacity to jump through all the hoops, to persist.

He was impressive, and he became a very good pilot. He flew better than most of my students without the physical challenges, and he went on to get his instructor certification.

U.S. Army veteran Steven Curry (left) received his instrument rating after training with Mick (right).

U.S. Army veteran Steven Curry (right) who became an amputee after being wounded in Iraq, had to follow a special FAA process to fly with a prosthetic.

Q: What do you most enjoy about teaching people to become commercial pilots?

Flight instructing is about helping people reach their life goals and dreams. My students put their hearts, time, and a lot of their finances into this goal. Some of my students have dreamed of being a pilot ever since they were kids. While many of the veterans I fly with have a lot of great aviation experience, their goals after the military depend on getting the right certifications. It’s a serious long-term commitment with my students and you must have what I call a “mission mindset” to partner with them to reach their goals.

My job satisfaction in my current ľ��AV role is very much the same. It comes from seeing customers and our employees achieve their goals. I have the privilege of helping customers achieve their mission objectives by delivering a wide portfolio of advanced technologies and services. I also have the responsibility of leading and mentoring a large group of incredibly smart people, and I take away a tremendous amount of job satisfaction by helping people achieve their professional goals.

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off the Clock: Mick Perry on Making Flying Dreams Real appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock: James Dieteman, DEF CON Game Creator

ľ��AV PR — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 22:06:01 +0000

“Off The Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

James Dieteman is a man of many talents. He is a cybersecurity expert, AI product developer, blacksmith, gamer, and adventurer (he recently returned from a trip to Antarctica and a treacherous crossing of the Drake Passage).

He is also a four-time winner of DEF CON’s Black Badge. DEF CON is the world’s largest and longest-running hacker convention, drawing the best cybersecurity experts, researchers, and programmers in the world. In DEF CON’s own words, the “Black Badge is a powerful talisman, awarded only to those who have emerged unbeaten from the crucible of elite DEF CON competition.” Winners get free entry to the conference for life.

In the last few years, James has hung up the keyboard and shifted from competing to game development. Now, he crafts challenges for others to test their mettle and compete for coveted badges. We sat down with James to discuss his history of competition, his thoughts behind game development, and how competition influences his work as a cybersecurity director.

James Dieteman
Director of Cyber Analytics Products at ľ��AV

Q: What’s special about DEF CON for you? What draws you to return year after year?

I’ve been going to DEF CON for a very long time, since DEF CON 17 and I think they’re up to DEF CON 30 now. When I first started going, I was always fascinated by the contest space, but I didn’t have a team to compete with. Eventually, I ran into a friend of mine who was competing with a bunch of his co-workers. He invited me to sit with them and see if it was any fun. I was immediately hooked. A dark room with thumping music, everyone huddled around puzzles, bouncing ideas off each other and worrying about people looking over your shoulder trying to steal answers. It’s intense in a way that you don’t find in many other places.

Q: After such a successful run in the DEF CON games, what’s it like transitioning from competitor to game creator?

It’s really interesting and very different. The hardest part, in my experience, is tuning the difficulty and quantity of the challenges. In our first year, we really overestimated how quickly people were going to burn through challenges! Since we were trying to do a story-based game, which is unusual at these events, we wanted the challenges to be completed in order. But by the end of Day 1 and going into Day 2, there were so many teams still stuck on early challenges. So instead, we opened all the challenges for people to work on. That first year was definitely a learning experience.

When making a game, I’m always trying to think outside the box and find puzzles that are interesting. That challenges you to find styles of data encoding that nobody has run into before. Last year, we tapped into the musical notation used to mark up Gregorian chants. Cracking that code informed competitors on the encoding style of a later puzzle. Other past examples include making up an alien base-8numbering and musical system to go along with it.

The goal is to find the most obscure things you can, but not so obscure that nobody will ever be able to figure it out!

Q: Alien numbering systems, musical notation, Gregorian chants: Where do you draw inspiration for your games?

I mean, a lot of it comes back to 80s hacker culture. So much of the feeling of DEF CON comes back to that — people in dark rooms with loud electronic music, skateboards, and ridiculous stuff like that. Watching Hackers, and movies like that, can help you get in the mood.

On top of that, we draw a lot of inspiration from escape rooms. Escape rooms are not a one-to-one comparison to hacker competitions. The former tend to be more physical in nature with fairly straightforward arcs. However, escape rooms often give you new ways of looking at things, as well as the framework for ideas you can roll into coding challenges.

Q: For so many people there’s a bright line between their work and their passions, but for you it sounds like there is significant overlap when it comes to cybersecurity. How do these competitions influence your day-to-day work?

I always come away from these challenges having learned something new. And anytime you’re learning anything new, it adds to that repertoire in your mind: things you can draw on, things you can go back to, or an association you wouldn’t necessarily make otherwise. That’s one thing I found very helpful, especially when mentoring other security folks in the field. Having a broad background will help you so much in cybersecurity because it offers new ways of thinking about security that are not just academic.

For example, if you do lockpicking, it helps you understand the interactions of manufacturing and system flaws when it comes to security. If you understand history, then you may have a better understanding of attackers’ motivations as opposed to�� “Oh, it’s just the hackers.” Instead, you analyze their geopolitical motivations, their socio-economic motivations, etc. All of this knowledge helps build a better, more robust picture of what you’re trying to do in cybersecurity and why.

Q: Can we get a little preview of this year’s storyline?

This year is an extension of last year’s storyline. The evil mega organization, Mayhem Industries, is still up to its nefarious ways. This time they’ve moved into a new headquarters. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the different arms of their building, each with different characters, themes, challenges, and more. As you move through the levels, you learn more about the sinister plot and make your way towards sabotaging their plan.

It’s going to be a lot of fun.

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off The Clock: James Dieteman, DEF CON Game Creator appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock: Jason Figley on Rugby and the Importance of Grit

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:39:00 +0000

“Off The Clock” is a blog series exploring the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Jason Figley

Vice President of Cybersecurity Operations

Jason Figley loves to play rugby. He also loves the lessons rugby teaches, the traits it instills, and the opportunities it can open. He sees rugby and work as profoundly intertwined.

The ľ��AV vice president of cybersecurity operations first played rugby in high school, then made the George Mason University team, eventually becoming its captain. After college, he played at the semi-pro level with the Northern Virginia Rugby Club. Two of his sons have played for the division-one rugby powerhouse University of Arizona. And Jason still plays. Not long before this writer spoke with him, he’d been sprinting up and down the pitch in the thin air of Aspen, Colorado.

“I think I’ve got one more in me,” he says of the annual “Aspen Ruggerfest” ― a world-class invitational tournament.

Over the years, Jason has held positions such as network systems specialist, network manager, lead engineer, IT manager, and chief information security officer — in both private and public sectors. In 2008, he cofounded Iron Vine Security with Bill Geimer and Brent Duckworth (now also an ľ��AV vice president). Iron Vine served commercial and federal customers for more than 14 years before ľ��AV acquired it in late 2022.

Q: What’s special about rugby for you? What drew you to it, and what keeps you playing?

It’s such a great game. You can run and hit, and it’s physical. Also, when you start playing, you instantly become part of something so much bigger than you. These things drew me to it originally. But Rugby ended up teaching me so much. At George Mason, there were three rugby teams. Because I was captain, I had to select who was going to be on the first team, second team, and third. So, I learned how to talk to people and deliver tough news — how to tell them, ‘Hey, you played a great game, but this guy played better.’ This skill ended up being priceless for me.

Q: So, you’ve been a player and captain. Have you been a coach too?

I haven’t coached much. I was more of a player-leader than a teacher of technique. But I did give my kids guidance and mentorship. My youngest son is a second-year student at Arizona. He probably won’t make the first team until his fourth year. It’s tough to stick it out for three years ― playing for the second and third teams, training to get bigger, stronger, and faster, and learning the game better. I’ve helped the kids deal with the hard work and disappointment, and with understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

It’s incredible how closely university coaches critique the boys and their play. Everything’s on video now, and the players wear tracking chips while they practice and play. There’s no hiding. It’s the ultimate in accountability, and it works. It also dovetails so well into professional careers because it’s the same as being accountable in your job.

Q: You’re a benefactor of the sport. Could you talk about your giving to the University of Arizona and helping to start the Iron Vine/ľ��AV sponsorship of the pro team Old Glory DC?

Yeah, we helped to refurbish the University of Arizona rugby training center and created an endowment for scholarships that’ll help kids play ball there. The ultimate benefit for these guys is that they learn so much and then become rugby alumni. There are thousands of alumni across the country, and it’s very helpful, because it gives the kids a network. When they leave, they find all these alumni who are hiring and want to hire disciplined kids who know how to work hard. I love to give kids that opportunity.

One reason I want to see Old Glory DC grow is that it encourages young kids to play rugby and gain access to opportunities they might not otherwise have. Through the Old Glory Academy, players go into schools in at-risk communities and mentor young kids, giving them a pathway to rugby. That might not sound like much, but when you get a kid involved with rugby, you give them a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves. You also open pathways to relationships, opportunities, and jobs. There’s a lot of velocity to that, because that kid might talk to his three buddies, and they might join him on that pathway. It can drive a lot of change.

Q: You’ve touched on some ways your favorite sport and your profession are related. Can you say more about that overlap you see between rugby and your work?

In rugby, we have this concept of perfecting your teammates’ decisions. If your teammate is carrying the ball, they might choose to pass, kick it, or do something else. Whatever that decision is, it’s our job to perfect it. I like to take that concept to the professional world.

If you’re a threat hunter in the SoC, you’re faced with a lot of decisions. You’ve been trained, of course ― you’ve got processes and procedures ― but you still have to make decisions. It’s your job to improve the quality of those decisions.

Another great concept we take from rugby is legacy.
Before a game, we say, ‘Go out there and create a legacy.’
It’s like ľ��AV saying ‘make a difference.’
If you’re in that SoC chair, you should make it better for the next person to come along. You should document and refine your tactics, techniques, and procedures.

So those are two rugby ideas I draw on. Our ľ��AV mission and values express similar ideas. We talk about grit, meeting the challenge, and making a difference. Those are all powerful, basic concepts that I love.

OFF THE CLOCK” IS A BLOG SERIES EXPLORING THE INTERESTS AND CAUSES TO WHICH ľ��AV EMPLOYEES DEVOTE THEMSELVES OUTSIDE OF WORK.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off The Clock: Jason Figley on Rugby and the Importance of Grit appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock: Andrea Carter, A Passion for Service

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 12:52:42 +0000

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

In this installment, we interview Andrea Carter, subcontracts manager at ľ��AV. Andrea has dedicated much of her personal life to helping people, including homeless residents of Prince William County, Virginia. She has a passion for supporting our armed forces, inspired by the service of several family members in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Andrea also served on the ľ��AV Engage board in 2021.

Andrea Carter
Subcontracts Manager at ľ��AV

Q: What drives you to devote personal time to serving other people?

It’s always been hugely important to me to be aware of and help anyone I can. Growing up, my family did not have much. The assistance and kindness given to me and my family in our time of need fueled a passion in me to help others whenever and wherever I can. This includes supporting our armed forces. They sacrifice so much to protect our country and even other countries around the world. They deserve our support and appreciation 24/7.

Q: Tell us about some of the work you’ve done to help disadvantaged people in the area. Do you work with any specific organizations?��

Most of the support I’ve done has been independent or self-directed. You just see a need and move to address it. I’ve put together care packages over the years to help provide everyday necessities to the homeless population in the Northern VA, D.C., and Maryland areas.

I have also worked with my church and other churches to gather collections for the homeless, victims of domestic abuse, and the armed forces. That many people moving in unison towards a singular goal is a powerful thing.

Q: What about your work with the military?

I mentioned that I’ve had several family members serve in the armed forces. When you see that sacrifice up close, both for the service member and their families, you feel compelled to help, even in small ways. For me, that took the form of sending care packages to active duty deployed overseas. That included an effort we called “Valentines for Heroes,” which was just a simple way to let them know that they were appreciated while performing a duty that can be very demanding.

I also had the opportunity to visit the VA hospital one Christmas to deliver gifts, visit with, and sing carols for the patients. I believe simple gestures like that can have a huge impact that stays with people.

Working with the military carries over into my role at ľ��AV as well, managing a wide range of contract vehicles for customers supporting our national defense. Being able to support the armed forces in a professional capacity and help them accomplish their mission, even indirectly, is a big part of my work here.

Q: You don’t necessarily seem comfortable in taking credit for all the good work you’ve done. Is there a tendency to downplay or deflect when people try to recognize your efforts?��

[Laughs] I don’t do it for the recognition. I do it because I see a need and doing something to help is just the natural, right response. That instinct doesn’t require any forethought or calculation.

People have made sure to let me know I’m appreciated, though. Even for something as seemingly minor as decorating the office for holidays or acknowledging my teammates’ birthdays. Appreciation makes you smile even if it’s not your motivator, because it shows you’re making an impact and, hopefully, brightening someone’s day.

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off The Clock: Andrea Carter, A Passion for Service appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock: Arun Bhattarai on Mentoring Young Professionals

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:24:46 +0000

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

In this installment, we interview Arun Bhattarai, director of finance at ľ��AV. Since 2003, Arun has mentored students across the world as they apply to universities and programs within the United States. He is also the founder of Guru Global, which provides advising, guidance, and application support to students seeking higher education opportunities in the U.S.

Arun Bhattarai
Director of Finance at ľ��AV

Q: What drew you towards mentorship and education?

I grew up in a lower middle-class family in the hills of Nepal. My dad ran a small retail grocery shop. We didn’t have electricity until I left my village for higher education. My dad instilled in me the value of education early on in my life. He never got the chance to complete his college education, but he always believed that education was the ultimate tool to succeed in life and help the world at large. He’s the reason I got serious about my own studies. I eventually went to university in Kathmandu and later to George Mason University for a master’s in business administration (MBA).

Q: What inspired you to start Guru Global? What makes a U.S.-based education so highly sought after?

I started mentoring in Nepal even before I started my career in banking and finance. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and after graduating, a friend asked me to help mentor young students as they applied to higher education programs in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia. That business was eventually sold, but after moving to the U.S. for my MBA, I started mentoring again on the side. In 2017, I started Guru Global to expand our mentorship, career counselling, and study abroad assistance efforts and reach.

U.S. education is highly-rated all over the world. Students come from every part of the world to study here because of the opportunities an American education opens up. Even in my home of Nepal, a small landlocked country, many students express interest in getting an education in the States. I feel compelled to help them with their efforts, given the impact higher education has had on my own life.

Q: What kind of services and guidance does Guru Global provide?

I help students with all tasks related to the application process, from essay review to interview prep and visa advice. My mentees have applied to undergraduate and graduate programs, and even Fulbright Scholarships. One of my mentees recently started a master’s in engineering at Carnegie Mellon. Another is finishing up her doctoral degree at Tennessee State University.

Life has gotten busy with work and a new child, and in recent years I’ve shifted away from administrative work with Guru Global into a mentorship-focused role. My dad passed away last year. One of the ways I keep his legacy alive is by continuing my own development while also being of service to others as they seek higher education and better careers.

Q: You spoke about your passion for writing. How does writing influence the advice you give aspiring students?

Storytelling is such a huge part of the application process. You can be a good student, but creating a strong application is its own skillset. You need to craft a narrative in order to best tell your story and convince admissions officers of your talents and capabilities. I use storytelling to help students communicate their background, their experiences, and their struggles so they can present their strongest selves to the universities where they are applying. The work is my way of paying forward the opportunities given to me and carrying on the lessons that my dad instilled in me.

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off The Clock: Arun Bhattarai on Mentoring Young Professionals appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock: Raeeq Osman Helps Spark Success

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 18:33:34 +0000

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

In this installment, we interview Raeeq Osman, project manager at ľ��AV. Raeeq volunteers as a student mentor for , a non-profit that provides one-to-one mentoring to low-income students in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as college and career success programming. The organization awarded Raeeq 2022 Mentor of the Year.

Raeeq Osman
Project Manager at ľ��AV

Q: How did you get involved with Spark the Journey? What compelled you to become a mentor for students?

After finishing grad school (M.S. in Information Systems Technology from George Washington University), I benefitted hugely from a series of professional mentors. I felt like I could make that same impact on a younger student. I’ve always believed in giving back to your community in some measure, but I really wanted to be that person for someone who perhaps didn’t have access to the same resources I’d had.

Q: What are the biggest challenges and rewards of mentoring students?

One significant challenge I faced was impostor syndrome or the fear that my mentee wouldn’t listen or be engaged due to our age gap. Thankfully, those fears turned out to be baseless. This program also requires a strong, long-term commitment (meeting biweekly for two years), which was further complicated by COVID-19.

The best reward is seeing the tangible benefits of your work. There were positive developments in the mentee’s life and school/career progression that I had the privilege of playing a real part in. He wants to pursue a career in IT consulting, which is near and dear to my heart obviously.

Q: Does anyone in your life support your involvement or provide inspiration?

I have a previous manager who developed into both a significant mentor in my life and a real friend. He is someone I still keep in touch with. Having positive figures in your life is critical, because they give you a concrete example to follow. I’ve also drawn inspiration from the other mentors I work with who have similar backgrounds and have faced much of the same adversity I have.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering volunteering for the first time?

Before you volunteer for the first time, consider your own experience and struggles. If you can tie a personal connection to a volunteer opportunity, that will help fuel a real, lasting commitment. That connection also makes the work even more rewarding, because you can identify with the people you’re helping on a more personal level.

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

The post Off The Clock: Raeeq Osman Helps Spark Success appeared first on ľ��AV.

Off The Clock Archives — ľ��AV

Off the Clock: Sheila Farthing on Wellness and Giving Back

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

In It for the Joy

Sheila Farthing

Marketing Operations Manager Vice-Chair, Wellness Employee Resource Group

Q: What got you started pursuing a health-conscious lifestyle?

Q: You recently completed the Big Sur International Marathon. Is there any overlap between the mentality you develop when training for a marathon and the mentality needed to bring your best self to work every day?

Q: Everyone is extremely busy these days. Often, it seems to be a major obstacle for those who would like to live healthier but haven’t found a way to incorporate that into their daily routine in a way that sticks. Any advice or insight into how you make it work?

Q: In addition to everything we’ve talked about thus far, you also serve as the ľ��AV philanthropy coordinator managing ľ��AV Cares and ľ��AV Engage. How does the company’s involvement with various charitable causes and volunteering impact your work fulfillment and satisfaction?

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

Off the Clock: Arthur Croswell on Art, Commitment, and Perseverance

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Senior Oracle Database Administrator

Q: How and when did you start drawing on Charlottesville’s chalk wall, and why do you work in the middle of the night?

Q: Does your artwork overlap with your ľ��AV work in any way?

Q: Of all the art you’ve done, do you have a favorite piece?

��Done with pastels on paper, “Georgia” hangs on a wall in the artist’s home.

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

Off the Clock: Mick Perry on Making Flying Dreams Real

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Mick Perry

Vice President of Defense Solutions

Q: What attracted you to the role of flight instructor, and how did you get started teaching military veterans?

Q: Could you tell us about the presidential pilots you’ve taught?

Q: Have you also taught veterans who’ve never served as pilots?

U.S. Army veteran Steven Curry (left) received his instrument rating after training with Mick (right).

U.S. Army veteran Steven Curry (right) who became an amputee after being wounded in Iraq, had to follow a special FAA process to fly with a prosthetic.

Q: What do you most enjoy about teaching people to become commercial pilots?

“Off the Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

Off The Clock: James Dieteman, DEF CON Game Creator

“Off The Clock” is a blog series that explores the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside of work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

James Dieteman Director of Cyber Analytics Products at ľ��AV

Q: What’s special about DEF CON for you? What draws you to return year after year?

Q: After such a successful run in the DEF CON games, what’s it like transitioning from competitor to game creator?

Q: Alien numbering systems, musical notation, Gregorian chants: Where do you draw inspiration for your games?

Q: For so many people there’s a bright line between their work and their passions, but for you it sounds like there is significant overlap when it comes to cybersecurity. How do these competitions influence your day-to-day work?

Q: Can we get a little preview of this year’s storyline?

It’s going to be a lot of fun.

“Off The Clock” is a series in which we celebrate the many ways ľ��AV employees commit themselves to worthy causes outside of work.

Learn more about how philanthropy, volunteering, and giving back are central to ľ��AV’ culture.

Off The Clock: Jason Figley on Rugby and the Importance of Grit

“Off The Clock” is a blog series exploring the interests and causes to which ľ��AV employees devote themselves outside work.

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

EXCELLENCE. GRIT. DRIVE. COMMUNITY.��

Marketing Operations Manager
Vice-Chair, Wellness Employee Resource Group

James Dieteman
Director of Cyber Analytics Products at ľ��AV

Andrea Carter
Subcontracts Manager at ľ��AV

Arun Bhattarai
Director of Finance at ľ��AV

Raeeq Osman
Project Manager at ľ��AV