New ‘Brand of You’ Integrated Campaign Gives Hope, Resources

Cincinnati – More than half of recent college graduates do not have full-time jobs. This shocking statistic prompted The Curious Bank to ask “could a bank help recent graduates find jobs?” As a result, Fifth Third Bank is working with national reemployment company, NextJob, Inc., to help job seekers develop their personal brands and land employment that will put them on the path for long-term success.

Launching today, Fifth Third’s new Brand of You integrated campaign invites recent graduates, many of whom fall into the millennial generation, to enter for one of 1,000 job coaching scholarships during the campaign period (May 11, 2015-July 20, 2015). Interested participants can enter by Tweeting an answer to the following statement: “Tell us why you deserve free one-on-one job search coaching” with both the #BrandOfYou and #53Enter hashtags. The campaign’s website is www.53.com/BrandOfYou.

“Brand of You is a natural extension of Fifth Third’s commitment to be curious about new and different ways to improve people’s lives,” said Maria Veltre, senior vice president & chief marketing officer. “The statistics for millennial employment are compelling, if not a bit discouraging, for recent graduates and their parents. Their employment challenge is compounded further when you add in the pressures of student debt. This innovative campaign is focused on helping the next generation of the workforce.”

Fifth Third Bank has worked with NextJob since 2012 to help unemployed consumers gain meaningful employment—an effort which earned Fifth Third the BAI-Finacle Global Innovation Award for Societal and Community Impact in 2014.

Tweet this news: Can a bank help graduates promote themselves and find jobs? @FifthThird answers with new campaign: www.53.com/brandofyou. #BrandOfYou

Recent graduate job seekers who visit www.53.com/BrandofYou can access some of NextJob’s comprehensive job search training tools to help them develop a personal brand and learn valuable job search techniques. They can access tools to create a standout resume with free templates and utilize the site’s headshot creator with professional selfie tips from portrait photographer, Peter Hurley. Additionally, Fifth Third and NextJob are opening up full access to the Job Seeker’s Toolkit to any one interested during the campaign period

Developed by Fifth Third Bank and agency of record, Leo Burnett, the Brand of You campaign integrates television, radio, digital, public relations and social media. It features Gina, a real-life recent college graduate and current job seeker, to encourage other recent grads to apply for job coaching scholarships and demonstrate that anyone can gain the knowledge necessary to create and promote their own personal brand and find meaningful employment.

As part of Brand of You, Fifth Third will host a series of one-day Twitter events for recent graduates, Job Twitterviews and TwitterResumes. For Job Twitterviews, held on May 19 and June 23, Fifth Third will pose a single-question job interview on Twitter and challenge participants to answer with a 30-second video response. During TwitterResume events, job seekers will get to advertise their personal brands in a single Tweet. TwitterResume events will be held on June 2 and July 8. NextJob coaches will be providing feedback to Tweets from participants during the live events, and on all four event dates, Fifth Third will award 50 job coaching scholarships for the best responses.

“With this campaign, Fifth Third has once again attempted to find a solution to a very pressing real-life, real-world problem,” said John Courtney, CEO of NextJob. “This is a wonderful use of our talented and dedicated career coaches who get the opportunity to make an immediate and lasting impact on the millennial generation by helping them find and start their careers.”

The campaign operates from the online hub, www.53.com/BrandOfYou, where the job search training comes to life and the best submissions from the Twitterviews and TwitterResumes will be featured. The campaign also utilizes seeded video and pre-roll as well as flash and rich media banners across high-profile websites, networks, and social media, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Jon Wyville, executive vice president and executive creative director, Leo Burnett, said, “It’s inspiring to see the evolution of this program and Fifth Third’s commitment to helping people. Recent graduates will be impressed at the length our teams have gone to help them find jobs. But that’s who Fifth Third Bank is, a bank willing to invest in people to improve their lives.”

About Fifth Third:
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had $140 billion in assets and operated 15 affiliates with 1,303 full-service Banking Centers, including 101 Bank Mart® locations, most open seven days a week, inside select grocery stores and 2,637 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 22.8% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of March 31, 2015, had $308 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $27 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Member FDIC.

About Leo Burnett Company, Inc.:
Leo Burnett Worldwide believes in using creativity to drive dynamic business change for its clients. Through a HumanKind approach to marketing, the agency puts a brand’s purpose at the center of communications to transform human behavior. Part of the Publicis Groupe, Leo Burnett Worldwide is one of the world’s largest agency networks with 85 offices and more than 8,000 employees. The global agency works with some of the world’s most valued brands including Coca-Cola, Fiat, Kellogg’s, Kraft, McDonald’s, Nintendo, P&G, Samsung and Tata among others. For the past six years, Leo Burnett has been ranked #1 in “New World Thinking” by The Gunn Report and was named an Agency to Watch on Advertising Age’s 2015 A-List. In 2015, Leo Burnett was named “Network of the Year” at the International ANDY Awards and ADC Awards. To learn more about Leo Burnett Worldwide and its rich, 80-year history of creating iconic brands, visit our site, Facebook page and follow us via @leoburnett.

About NextJob:
Headquartered in Bend,Ore., NextJob is a nationwide outplacement firm focused on full employment in America. Centered on the Golden Rule, its mission is to provide creative reemployment solutions for employers, lenders, government and others to help job seekers land jobs and avoid the many impacts of unemployment. NextJob’s service provides high quality, one-on-one job coaching and multimedia online learning that is highly effective, affordable and accountable. To learn more, visit www.nextjob.com.

Copyright © 2015. Fifth Third Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, All Rights Reserved.

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Media Contact:
Stacie Haas
(513) 560-0286
stacie.haas@53.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROUTE PLAN PARIS brings maps and a Metro route planner to Android 
Dependable offline solution helps travelers easily navigate Paris and avoid roaming charges

May 5, 2015 - PARIS, FRANCE – Forge Factory has announced the release of Route Plan Paris onto Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The mobile app brings users a detailed city map of Paris and finds the best subway routes between stations and many of the city’s top attractions, all without internet connectivity. Route Plan Paris also injects some fun into the mix, with a Metro-themed trivia challenge designed to entertain users with interesting facts on the city.

Route Plan Paris allows on-the-go travelers to search for any Metro station, point-of-interest or previously saved address. The built-in route finder identifies their location, scans Paris Metro, RER and Tramway maps, then displays the optimal route to their desired destination. To lighten the traveler’s load even further, dozens of Paris’ top points-of-interest are already bookmarked within the app to allow for even quicker navigation – no internet required.

“In the past, visitors and new residents carried around a book of neighborhood maps, plus a separate metro map, to try and get the most out of Paris,” said Kevin Morris, Forge Factory’s Managing Director. “Today, that’s no longer necessary. Route Plan Paris delivers all of that and a whole lot more directly onto your phone.”

In addition to the app’s search functionality, Route Plan Paris also features three unique map view modes: street-only, metro-only, and street + metro. The street map modes allow users to quickly orient themselves by zooming in to any district. The app also allows for saving “favorite” places or street addresses, so users can access those locations later, perhaps while offline or underground.

Due to the global appeal of a city like Paris, the app was built with a wide array of users in mind, offering features that appeal to everyone from students and budget travelers to jet setters and residents of Paris. The app’s primary features work without internet connectivity to ensure users always have access to critical information while on-the-go.

Route Plan Paris is scheduled to be released on iOS later this year, followed by other popular travel destinations for both Android and iOS.
The app is now available on Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.
www.routeplanapp.com

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW9PwN8GN8I

About Forge Factory
Forge Factory is devoted to developing innovative and entertaining products for end-users. The Company is led by its Managing Director, Kevin Morris, who was previously a Product Manager at Macromedia in San Francisco (now part of Adobe) and has over 20 years experience in commercial software and internet development.
Forge Factory s.r.o. is located in Prague, Czech Republic.
http://www.forgefactory.eu

Contact
To learn more about Route Plan please contact:

Diana Awamlehova
Press Lead
press@forgefactory.eu

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“He’s really just about the best in the business.”—ALL Business, Dun & Bradstreet

“Classic winner . . . This is one of the most valuable career books on the market.” —Los Angeles Times

“Required reading.”—Library Journal

“The best book on job hunting.” —Financial Times

BOSTON, MA—May 5, 2015—Unemployment is down, and entry-level job openings are up for high school and college graduates—but competition for all jobs will remain high, and a fast start is critical to launching a successful career. These young professionals need proven strategies for getting their foot on the ladder of success now.

Martin Yate, the New York Times bestselling author of Knock ‘em Dead 2015: The Ultimate Job Search Guide (Adams Media, 2015), the 31st annual edition of this job search phenomenon, shares his cutting-edge approaches to job search and career management. He gives fresh grads, and professionals at all levels, a firm grasp of practical job search tactics that are critical for an effective job search, and seamlessly weaves in strategies for long-term career success.

With an approach continually refined over three decades, Yate has the rare ability to translate long-term strategy into practical action for today’s problems. Plus, he’s down to earth, friendly, and witty.

This new edition is revised to address the latest tricks for resumes, networking, job search, and the magic of turning job interviews into job offers.

In Knock ‘em Dead 2015 Martin Yate shows new graduates, and professionals at all levels, how:

• Alumni associations can play a pivotal role in a successful professional life

• Internships have become the new “first jobs”

• Successful, fulfilled lives are built on common sense and practicality, not “following your bliss”

• Resumes must be built to perform in today’s marketplace

• To maximize social networks to quadruple interviews

• To turn those job interviews into job offers

• To negotiate the best salary

As the Lord of late night radio Jordan Rich says, “His knowledge is beyond impressive and his enthusiasm and energy are infectious. There is no more cutting-edge guy on career building; he’s as sharp as they come and there is no one better on the subject.”

About the Author

Martin Yate, CPC, is one of the foremost experts in the field of job search and career management and acknowledged as the father of the new career management. For 30+ years the author of Knock ‘em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide, he has also written 16 other books on almost every conceivable aspect of job search and career management. Published collectively in 62 languages, his work has helped millions of people achieve success and millions more turn their careers and their lives around. For more job hunting resources and advice, visit www.knockemdead.com.

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Media Contact:
Bethany Carland-Adams
Adams Media
Phone: (508) 427-6726
Email: bethany.carland-adams@fwcommunity.com

The LMJ Scholarship Program will award up to $150,000 in scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. May 1, 2015 – Time is running out for law-school bound college students to submit an application for a chance at winning a $10,000 scholarship.

This year, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) LMJ Scholarship Program will award up to 15 scholarships of $10,000 each to students beginning their law school journey in fall 2015. The program is currently open and accepting online application submissions until May 15, 2015.

Established to nurture the academic and professional careers of outstanding law students, the LMJ Scholarship Program has provided financial assistance totaling over $2.7 million dollars to help more than 150 students pursue a law degree since its inception in 2004.

“The legal pipeline for minority students has become increasingly constricted. MCCA’s scholarship program is the centerpiece of our effort to address this issue,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA’s President and CEO.

To be eligible for this scholarship, students must:
• Have an interest in corporate law and diversity
• Be financially disadvantaged and have completed the FAFSA
• Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2
• Be accepted into an ABA-accredited U.S. law school for a full-time Juris Doctorate Program on or before the application deadline (to start in fall 2015)

Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, community involvement, financial need and essay responses. Recipients who maintain good academic standing may be eligible for additional scholarship monies for up to two additional years.

For more information on this program and instructions regarding the application process, please visit www.mcca.com.

About Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA)
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to mcca.com.

Media Contact
Carissa Miller
(615) 777-3735
cmiller@applyists.com

For the first time ever, live telecast of c2ollegiate eSports event aired on ESPN

IRVINE, Calif.—April 29, 2015—Thousands of student gamers from more than 460 schools across the U.S. and Canada entered the Nexus to take part in Heroes of the Dorm^™—a no-holds-barred tournament of epic proportions featuring Blizzard’s online team brawler, Heroes of the Storm^™.

After fighting their way through a formidable pool of challengers, four teams of college students took to the stage at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on their quest to become Heroes of the Storm collegiate champions. By defeating the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Mad Banners and weathering an epic five game onslaught from the Arizona State Dream Team, the UC Berkeley Golden Bears emerged victorious, earning the title of Heroes of the Dorm.

“Competing in the Heroes of the Dorm tournament has been an amazing experience for our team,” said Golden Bears team captain Richard ‘PandaJigu’ Xue. “We’ve been fans of Blizzard games for a long time and we still can’t believe that our passion for gaming has paid off in college tuition. College eSports is awesome, and we hope Blizzard and TeSPA bring back the tournament next year so we can defend our title! GO BEARS!”

The Golden Bears players will be receiving the tournament grand prize—tuition to cover the remainder of their college careers.

The Heroes of the Dorm Finals took the Twitter world by storm Sunday evening. Fans of eSports and newcomers alike tuned into the ESPN2 telecast thanks to the non-stop action on display during the back-and-forth series and commentary from the announcing team of Dan ‘Artosis’ Stemkoski, Nick ‘Tasteless’ Plott, Sean ‘Day9’ Plott, Manuel ‘Grubby’ Schenkhuizen, and Tim ‘Trikslyr’ Frazier. According to one Twitter user, “going HAM on this core!” is the front-runner for the “Down goes Frazier” sportscasting call of the century.

The Heroes of the Dorm tournament marked the first time that a collegiate eSports event has been telecast live on ESPN2. The “Heroic Four” semi-finals were delivered on ESPN3, followed by the championship match and closing ceremony in prime time on ESPN2. ESPN coverage of the event was also viewed online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Heroes of the Dorm also broke new ground for collegiate eSports by offering nearly half a million dollars in lucrative prizes to both student competitors and viewers—thousands of members of the Heroes of the Storm community filled out fantasy brackets with their predicted winners. In addition to $10,000 going to the viewer with the “best bracket,” the top 5 bracket predictions will receive the same epic gaming systems as those awarded to all twenty members of the “Heroic Four” teams, with many other prizes going out to randomly selected participants. 

“I’d like to congratulate our Heroes of the Dorm, the UC Berkeley Golden Bears, on their epic victory run,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Watching this tournament has been incredibly exciting for me—even if my bracket didn’t pan out as expected. We’re big fans of eSports at Blizzard and this event was just one example of our ongoing commitment to competitive gaming.”

Heroes of the Storm brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard’s far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® universes, and challenges them to compete in epic, adrenaline-charged battles. Every student who participated in the tournament received closed beta access to Heroes of the Storm, which will be officially launching on June 2, following an open beta testing period beginning May 19.

To learn more about Heroes of the Storm, head over the official website at www.heroesofthestorm.com. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net^®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players. *Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

About TeSPA
TeSPA is the premier college gaming network in North America, dedicated to creating a home for gamers on every campus. Recognized as the leader in collegiate gaming, TeSPA cultivates student communities, known as Local Chapters, which host epic gaming events on over 90 campuses in the United States and Canada. TeSPA supports its Local Chapters by connecting them to national partners for events, hosting cutting-edge competitions for college gaming athletes, facilitating collaboration between Local Chapters, and empowering student leaders to become entrepreneurs in the gaming industry.

Media Contacts

Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com

Emil Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949.955.1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com

Che’von Slaughter
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x14338
cslaughter@blizzard.com

The Best Success and Business Practices as Step by Step Actions

Carlsbad, CA, April 23, 2015-Brad McMurrey’s The Success Ladder will enable young professionals to stand out from the crowd with decades of extra experience at their fingertips. The book is a comprehensive 30 year collection of motivational, self-improvement, and work-related “how to” knowledge from hundreds of sources organized as more than 500 specific actions.

Readers are shown explicitly how to get motivated, assess and improve their characteristics, capabilities, and behavior, then set and achieve their goals. At work they’ll know step by step how to perform: Time Management, Weekly Planning, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Leadership, Public Speaking, Marketing, Project Planning and Execution, Negotiation, and many more work activities.

The Success Ladder is the perfect complement to a student’s classroom education and provides a detailed blueprint for personal and career success. “I’ve done the research to compile the best ideas and advice on these subjects so readers don’t have to,” said Brad. “They can save countless hours and avoid serious mistakes.”

“An outline for top rung success…definitely a book that would have benefited me and propelled my career upward…a real asset to anyone, especially those fresh out of college,” said R.T. Sedgwick, PhD., a retired research scientist and principal investigator.

Brad McMurrey is retired after years of managing the development of multi-million dollar computer systems. He has also written The Love Ladder, a collection of the great relationship ideas to find and grow love. The print books are $9.99 at Amazon; eBooks are $4.99. Read more with order links to Amazon and the iBookstore at http://www.loveandsuccessladders.com/

Contact: bradmcvv@gmail.com
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CONTACT:
Brad McMurrey, B.S., M.A., C. Phil.
7890 Paseo Almendro
Carlsbad CA 92009
bradmcvv@gmail.com
Phone: 760-942-6468
http://www.loveandsuccessladders.com/

Bethesda, Maryland, April 24, 2015 – Recent meningococcal meningitis outbreaks on U.S. college campuses illustrate the importance of vaccination against this devastating and potentially deadly infection. In recognition of World Meningitis Day, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) urges all students, their parents, and healthcare professionals, both on campuses and in the surrounding communities, to learn more about the disease and how to prevent it.

“College campuses are a focus of meningococcal disease prevention efforts because outbreaks are more likely to occur in these crowded living and learning environments,” says Carol J. Baker, MD, NFID past-president and professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. “But even for those not on college campuses, the risk of getting meningococcal meningitis increases during adolescence and young adult years.”

Although rare, the disease can progress rapidly, killing an otherwise healthy individual in less than 48 hours. It also leaves up to 20 percent of survivors with permanent and serious complications such as hearing loss, brain damage, and amputation. The disease is spread through air droplets and direct contact with an infected person, such as kissing, sharing beverages, etc.

Four of the five major strains of meningococcal bacteria: A, C, W and Y, have been included in the meningococcal vaccines giving in the U.S. for more than a decade, as part of the adolescent vaccination schedule. Routine vaccination against these strains is currently recommended for adolescents age 11- 12 years old, with a booster dose at age 16 years.

Two new vaccines to protect against a fifth strain, serogroup B, were recently approved (October 2014 and January 2015) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recent cases on U.S. college campuses were all caused by serogroup B, which is now the most common cause of meningococcal disease in U.S. adolescents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends the use of the newly-approved serogroup B vaccines only for those at increased risk of infection, including college students on campuses experiencing outbreaks caused by the serogroup B bacteria.

Need for Ongoing Education and Awareness
Even though meningococcal disease incidence is currently at an all-time low, its severity is alarming. Approximately one in 10 who get it, will die. And, according to a recent NFID report, meningococcal disease is characterized by its volatile and irregular epidemiology. No one can predict when, or to what extent, incidence will increase in the future.

In its report, NFID advised students, parents, healthcare professionals and administrators to be aware of the latest information about this infectious disease, with a focus on prevention.

• Rapid diagnosis is critical. Healthcare professionals and students need to recognize the symptoms. Meningococcal disease is often misdiagnosed as flu or other common viral illnesses. Symptoms may include some combination of high fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion and a purplish rash. If any of these symptoms are present and are unusually sudden, progressive, or severe, call a physician immediately.
• Be proactive and prepared. Colleges and universities should have plans in place and be prepared to manage cases or outbreaks, including prevention programs and educational resources that are readily available.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best way to protect against meningococcal disease. For more information and educational resources, visit the NFID website focused on adolescents: adolescentvaccination.org.

About NFID
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases across the lifespan. For more information, visit www.nfid.org.

Media Contact
Ellyn Terry
301-656-0003 ext 13
eterry@nfid.org

SILICON VALLEY, April 20, 2015: BlueLight, a tech company whose app provides safety tools and better emergency calling on campus, is commemorating Sexual Assault Awareness Month by adding ten new campuses nationwide to its network—each directly requested by students who attend the school.

The new campuses include six universities—Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Indiana Wesleyan University, Indiana University South Bend, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and University of Kentucky—and four colleges—Norco College, College of the Canyons, Concordia College, and Gustavus Adolphus College.

A mobile replacement for landline blue light towers, the BlueLight app connects students on campus directly to an emergency dispatcher at the school’s Public Safety or Police Department, along with the caller’s location and contact information (off campus, calls route to local law enforcement). The app also shares students’ location with friends and family and sends notifications when a user has safely arrived at a destination.

“Powering on these ten campuses covers over 137,000 students,” says Lauren Wilbanks, BlueLight’s Director of Communications, of the mass launch. “We see these ten campuses as a down payment on a promise to bring every school requested by a student into the BlueLight network. When you apply that math to the 450 schools where we’ve been requested so far, you start to see the impact we can make.”

Connor Regan, a student who requested Northwestern, is excited to see his request come to fruition. “I think BlueLight is an incredible technology that has the potential to make our campus and our community much safer,” he says. “From the late night walk home from a party to solo treks home after a night in University Library, students are constantly walking around campus and around Evanston alone when it’s not totally safe to do so. BlueLight lets you have safety right in the palm of your hand—plus you can share your route with a friend or roommate so they can make sure you get home safely.”

This move follows on the heels of a recent launch at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where a member of Public Safety staff led the charge. Another launch takes place this week at Kent State University: an effort spearheaded by Anhelica Rodriguez, the risk management chair of a Kent State sorority.

“I’m looking for ways to give [my sorority sisters] peace of mind,” says Rodriguez of her initiative, “to help them feel safer and take things into their own hands.”

The choice to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month has roots in BlueLight’s origin story. The company is the culmination of years of research around personal safety technology by Preet Anand, founder and CEO of BlueLight.

“I heard the statistic that one in five women would be victims of sexual assault before they graduated and I was blown away,” says Anand. “I applied that ratio to the important women in my life and it wasn’t okay—not then, not now. While sexual violence is a complicated problem and we can’t fix all pieces of it, any dent in the problem is still really impactful.”

BlueLight directs emergency calls according to location: on campus, the call reaches campus security; off campus, local 911. On My Way, a trip sharing feature, sends location updates to user-selected contacts. Designed for both students and the general public, BlueLight currently serves nearly 100 college campuses, corporate campuses and ski resorts.

New campuses can be added to the network in a matter of days with no integration required. Students, faculty or staff interested in bringing BlueLight technology to their campuses, large or small, can request that theirs be added to the network at support@getbluelight.com. Download the app by searching ‘bluelight safety’ on the App Store or Google Play.

BlueLight is located in San Mateo, CA. Founded in 2013, the company is focused on improving personal safety and providing enhanced emergency calling through mobile solutions. Learn more at https://getbluelight.com.

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Media Contact
Preet Anand
BlueLight
(858) 353-1276
support@getbluelight.com

- Program Introduces Two New Scholarships to Foster Greater Diversity in RIA Industry

- Scholarship and Grant Applications Accepted Now through June 1, 2015

Jersey City, N.J., April 14, 2015 – There just aren’t enough investment advisors to keep up with the growing demand for financial advice. That’s bad news for investors seeking professional guidance, but it’s good news for young people looking for a career with long-term growth potential. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of personal financial advisor jobs will grow three times as fast as for all other professions, making it one of the fastest-growing career fields through 2022.

“RIAs as a group are aging: roughly half are 55 years or older, and many of them will be looking to retire over the next decade,” said Tom Nally, president, TD Ameritrade Institutional. “Add that with the fact that fewer than 8 percent of advisors are under 35, and it’s clear our industry needs more young professionals to join us and help families better manage their finances.”

Through its NextGen Initiative, TD Ameritrade Institutional is working to bring younger talent and greater diversity to the registered investment advisor (RIA) industry. Including its annual scholarships, grants and a long-term sponsorship agreement with Texas A&M University, TD Ameritrade Institutional plans to invest $2 million toward helping attract next generation talent and raising awareness of the RIA industry on campuses across the country.

Scholarship program expands to include a focus on diversity

Now in its third year, the TD Ameritrade Institutional NextGen Financial Planning Scholarship & Grant Program for 2015 has been expanded to offer a total of 12 scholarships of $5,000 each to undergraduate students pursuing financial planning degrees.

Two new scholarships will recognize deserving scholars from demographic groups that are under-represented in the profession, including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska and Hawaiian natives, other Pacific islanders, Asians and women. Though students from all backgrounds have always been encouraged to apply, the new scholarships are designed to ensure the NextGen program’s winners represent a broader spectrum of talent.

Serving an increasingly diverse client base

The financial advisory industry is mostly white and male. Women comprise just 12 percent of all financial advisors and 10 percent of RIAs, according to Cerulli Associates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women represent 36 percent of personal financial advisors, compared with 47 percent of all employed Americans 16 and older. Similarly, black or African-Americans represent just 8 percent of all financial services employees, versus 11 percent across all industries, according to the BLS.

Yet the makeup of the U.S. population is changing. Census data show non-white minorities combined are expected to represent the majority of Americans by 2040, up from a third today. Likewise, millennials are projected to overtake Boomers as the largest generation segment in the U.S. this year.

“Our country is growing increasingly diverse and we, as an industry, should take measures to better reflect the communities we serve,” said Kate Healy, managing director of marketing at TD Ameritrade Institutional. “With these new scholarships, we want to reach more students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in the financial planning profession.”

Grants encourage universities to offer degrees in financial planning

TD Ameritrade Institutional will again provide two grants to universities and colleges – $50,000 for an established program and $25,000 for an emerging program – with the goal of increasing the number of graduates with bachelor’s degrees in financial planning emerging from U.S. schools. In addition to expanding their offerings, past winners have introduced innovative programs and approaches to help ensure their graduates are well prepared for the workplace.

Scholarship and university grant applications accepted Now through June 1.

Scholarship applicants:
• Should be a current college freshman, sophomore or junior with a satisfactory academic standing
• Must be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Planning at an accredited 4-year college or university
• Members of under-represented demographic groups may choose to apply instead for one of the two NextGen Diversity Scholarships.

Grant applicants should be accredited colleges or universities in the United States that either:

• Offer a Bachelor’s degree program in Financial Planning, or
• Plan to offer a Bachelor’s degree program in Financial Planning in the next academic year

To learn more about the program, and to submit an application, visit the TD Ameritrade Institutional NextGen Scholarship & Grant website at http://www.tdainstitutional.com/lp/nextgen-scholarship.page.

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About TD Ameritrade Institutional
TD Ameritrade Institutional is a leading provider of comprehensive brokerage and custody services to more than 4,500 fee-based, independent registered investment advisors and their clients. Our advanced technology platform, coupled with personal support from our dedicated service teams, allows investment advisors to run their practices more efficiently and effectively while optimizing time with clients. TD Ameritrade Institutional is a division of TD Ameritrade, Inc., a brokerage subsidiary of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation.

About TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
Millions of investors and independent registered investment advisors turn to TD Ameritrade’s (NYSE: AMTD) technology, people and education resources to help make investing and trading easier. Online or over the phone. In a branch or with an independent RIA. First-timer or sophisticated trader. Our clients want to take control, and we help them decide how – bringing Wall Street to Main Street for 40 years. An official sponsor of the 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, as well as an official sponsor of the National Football League for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, TD Ameritrade has time and again been recognized as a leader in investment services. Visit TD Ameritrade’s newsroom or amtd.com for more information.

Media Contact
Joseph Giannone
TD Ameritrade Institutional
(201) 369-8705
joseph.giannone@tdameritrade.com

Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA /SIPC

Source: TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation

With the end of the semester swiftly approaching, students everywhere are scrambling to get in last minute extra credit and finalize plans for the upcoming break. Fortunately, there are tools and resources available to help students make the most of this important time. Below we have compiled several of the most overlooked strategies to help get an end-of-semester boost.

1. Digital Learning Tools: utilizing digital resources is one of the easiest and most effective ways for students to step up classroom performance. Platforms, such as Cengage Learning’s MindTap, are specifically designed to customize to each student’s unique learning style helping improve time management, raise grades and increase student success. Digital learning tools use a combination of reading, multimedia, activities and assessments, to engage users and maximize understanding and retention. Students who have integrated digital tools into their learning have reported significant improvement in their grades and higher levels of engagement in their course work.

2. e-Portfolios: with the market for internships and jobs becoming more competitive, it is critical for students to differentiate themselves among other candidates and show potential employers tangible examples of the skills and knowledge they possess. To help students put their best foot forward, offerings like Pathbrite, a portfolio learning platform, can help students package their accomplishments in a seamless and organized way in order to best highlight their soft skills and practical experiences. Presenting potential employers with a comprehensive demonstration of skills and accomplishments will give students the competitive edge to secure the top positions in their fields. As a bonus, any students using Cengage Learning digital solutions have free access to Pathbrite’s complete online portfolio platform.

3. Top-Notch Study Materials: whether it is flashcards, study guides or pop quizzes, study materials are a key part to successful studying. Unfortunately, for many students note taking and developing study materials can be a major challenge. Luckily, online marketplaces like Flashnotes.com make it possible for students to access high quality, course-specific study materials written by their peers. This allows students to maximize engagement and understanding- with 94% of students reporting improved grades! Even better, Flashnotes works with faculty and institutions to be sure content is accurate and fits school guidelines.

4. Peer Tutors: Peer-to-peer learning is one of the most helpful ways to boost engagement and retention in the classroom. Oftentimes, another student can explain a challenging concept or idea in a different way from a professor that makes it easier to understand or retain. With most schools offering free peer tutoring resources, students have access to support and advice from students who have already mastered the material. Utilizing tutoring resources, even just once or twice, can have significant results. Even better, studying with another student can result in better study habits or sharing of best practices to increase success.

5. Career Center: more than ever, students are enrolling in college with the goal of securing a job after they graduate. With that in mind, getting practical, hands-on experience is crucial for landing a top job after graduation. Yet securing an internship can often feel like a daunting task especially with students today already juggling a myriad of other responsibilities. To help prepare and guide students through the process, many colleges have career centers to provide students with the resources and support to find internships that align with their skills and interests. Moreover these centers have knowledgeable staff who can help students practice interview skills, polish their resume and provide helpful advice about what to expect.

Being knowledgeable and taking advantage of different resources and tools that are available is one of the best ways for students to boost their grades, improve classroom performance or land the job or internship out of school. Leveraging one – or all!- of these tips can help students to make the most of the time left in the semester and get the last minute boost they need.