Creating Memorable Spring Break Experiences for the Past 30 Years

ANNAPOLIS, MD. – Aug. 29, 2016 – STSTravel.com is happy to announce that Spring Break 2017 bookings are off to a fast start! The top selling destinations for Spring Break 2017 are Cancun, Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Plata. The most popular hotels include the  Oasis Cancun, Gran Caribe in Cancun, Barceló Punta Cana and Occidental Grand in Punta Cana.

With its beautiful beaches, fantastic weather, turquoise water, variety of all-inclusive resorts, insane nightlife and easy access from all major airports in the US, Cancun continues to be the #1 most popular destination.   

The King of Spring Break is the Oasis Cancun, featuring over 1,500 rooms, the largest pool in Cancun, and a full schedule of daily entertainment.  This legendary party resort has brought spring breakers from around the world together for an epic celebration. The huge pool with multiple swim up bars allow guests to stay cool in the warm Caribbean sun. With several bars and a nightclub, students do not need to leave the property. During the day, the focal point is the large stage on the beach where daily parties, DJ’s and contest are hosted by the resort during spring break. In front of the stage, day beds and bottle service are available for an extra charge.

For Spring Breakers looking for a more upscale atmosphere with exceptional service, the Gran Caribe in Cancun is an excellent option. A variety of restaurants offer Mexican, Italian and Japanese cuisine. The pool deck is always full and staff is available to serve drinks all day. Gran Caribe’s beach bar and lobby bar are hot spots where music is playing and top shelf liquor is served!

The night life is legendary in the Party Zone featuring popular clubs like The City, Dady ‘O, Mandala, Mandala Beach, Palazzo, CoCo Bongo, Senor Frogs, Congo and La Vaquinta. The City is known as “the mecca” of spring break clubs in Cancun. Dos Equis sponsors massive foam parties where over 2,500 people can fit into this giant multiple floor stadium style venue. Major artists like Tiesto, Chainsmokers, Diplo and Nervo headlined parties in previous years. Mandala Beach Club is a Miami style club featuring a center stage and outdoor pool with surrounding daybeds. The Wednesday night party is always a hit. They host crowded beach parties with big-name spring break entertainers. Senor Frogs is known for their paint party, great music, entertaining staff and famous yard drinks. Palazzo is the most upscale club in Cancun with a roman-like architecture and giant chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. There are incredible acoustics and giant screens with amazing light shows and fog creating a sexy spring break atmosphere.

Spring breakers are flocking to Punta Cana because of its 21 miles of fine white sand beaches, massive all-inclusive resorts and incredible nightlife. Top selling Barcelo Punta Cana is full of action with daily poolside parties and beach activities. Featuring a casino, nightclub, 2 spectacular swimming pools, multiple restaurants, tennis courts and rock climbing wall; students do not even need to go off the property. Occidental Grand Punta Cana is another great option for Spring Break.

If students do happen to venture off the resort, there are popular nightclubs like Oro located in the well-known Hard Rock Hotel, CoCo Bongo and Imagine. Oro’s light and sound system rivals the hottest clubs in the world; setting the stage for the biggest names in DJ’s, celebrities and models! Imagine is an underground cave turned into a club with VIP rooms surrounding millenary stalactites. Fire shows, theme parties and different caves with different music make Imagine the most unique night-time experience in Punta Cana. Coco Bongo produces a Vegas style show and music that will keep you dancing all night.

Other rising spring break destinations include Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Plata. Puerto Vallarta all-inclusive resorts include Las Palmas and Krystal They are located just ten minutes from nightlife on the downtown Malecon. Popular nightlife include Mandala, Collage, Hilo and Zoo. Puerto Plata’s top all-inclusive resort is Casa Marina Beach & Reef Resort. Located right in the heart of Sosua, spring breakers can walk to bars, stores and one of the nicest beaches in the Dominican Republic. Multiple swimming pools and the cliff-side Jacuzzis are not to be missed. After 11pm students can party at the Calypso Disco until 3am or stroll into town for its popular nightlife.

STS Travel vacation packages are designed specifically for college students on Spring Break with staff onsite from start to finish. With large room blocks at the most popular hotels, STS can accommodate parties of 2 to 500 within the same hotel. Each Spring Break package includes round trip airfare, hotel transfers, hotel accommodations and a complete schedule of activities featuring daily parties, contests, DJ’s and events, optional side excursions and nightly parties. The optional STS VIP Party Package provides express access to nightly open bar parties and events at the most popular clubs. STS Travel agents can provide options to fit any group’s budget.

STS Travel President, Jeff Jacobsen said, “We realize that for many of our travelers, this is their first time traveling abroad without their parents. We provide customer service before, during and after their Spring Break trip to ensure a safe and fun-filled experience. This includes our onsite staff that is available at all times during the Spring Break trip.”

Address: 2431 Solomons Island Road Suite 302
Annapolis, MD 21401
Telephone: 800-648-4849
Email: info@ststravel.com
www.ststravel.com

STS Travel Spring Break Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsOEKFJSvzs

For Teresina Palumbo, the hours were too much.

She found herself working three retail jobs while earning a business degree at the University of Baltimore. Her ability to manage her time so that she did her best at both school and work became overwhelming.

In January of her senior year, Teresina found another solution: She became a leasing consultant, helping prospective apartment residents find new homes. “I loved the consistency and knew the schedule, and I was able to maintain it,” she said.

After graduation, Teresina launched a career in the burgeoning apartment industry, which contributes nearly $200 billion to the national economy. There are about 20 million apartment homes nationwide, supporting 469,000 jobs (and counting) managing these properties, according to research by the National Multifamily Housing Council, the National Apartment Association, and George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis.

For students looking to make ends meet in school, or for soon-to-be graduates searching for a career path, residential property management offers a promising option. The growing industry features opportunities for quick advancement, a team environment, and benefits such as reduced rent and tuition assistance.

Now Teresina is an assistant property manager with The Dolben Company in Odenton, Maryland. “I am making a difference, helping people find their homes,” she said. She excelled in Dolben’s management trainee program and has already moved up to help oversee a larger property. “You advance quickly,” she said. “There are so many growth opportunities.”

There’s a wide range of positions available across the industry — including community managers, leasing consultants, and maintenance technicians. They open doors to careers for students, like Teresina, graduating from four-year colleges and for those, like William Morales-Merino, who have completed two-year programs.

While working in commercial maintenance, William earned his provisional Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT) from Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. The National Apartment Association Education Institute partners with Montgomery College and other colleges and universities to create residential property management programs and connect graduates with industry jobs. That’s how William found his current position as a service technician with Gables Residential in Washington, D.C.

“Every day is different,” he said. “That’s one of the good things about the job. I fix A/C units, water heaters, floors, a hole in the wall. You learn every day.” He has even rescued a resident from a flooding dishwasher.

“It’s great hearing from the residents that they are thankful,” William said. “It makes you feel good.”

Teresina, too, is confident that she made the right move. “For me,” she said, “this was the best decision I could have made coming out of college.”

Interested in learning more about opportunities in residential property management? Visit the National Apartment Association Education Institute’s resource site, RPMcareers.org, featuring job listings, a career quiz, tips for launching your career, and more.

This football season, take your tailgate tech up a notch in a snap with Moto Mods

Fall 2016 – (CHICAGO, IL) – The cool autumn breeze, burgers sizzling on the grill and the sound of your school’s marching band can only mean one thing – it’s football season! College football season officially starts on August 26, and just in time for National Tailgating Day on September 3. Earlier this summer, Motorola reimagined the form and function of the smartphone, launching the new Moto Z Family of smartphones and Moto Mods that will improve your tailgating experience and make heading back to campus a little easier (and a lot more fun).

Much like football, tailgating requires preparation and a well-executed game plan. With the amount of equipment needed (not to mention food to prepare), it can be challenging to tailgate in style. With the Moto Z Family, you can transform your tailgate in a snap thanks to Moto Mods.

Gone are the days of lugging an oversized speaker with you to the parking lot, or using a plastic cup to amplify music from your phone. Instead, the JBL SoundBoost Mod snaps easily onto your Moto Z smartphone so you can instantly kick up the volume with powerful JBL-quality stereo sound – no bluetooth pairing, no hassle.

Want to catch the pregame commentary without leaving your tailgate? You can do it in a snap with the Moto Insta-Share Projector Mod, allowing you to project content on your smartphone onto any surface up to 70”, so you’ll never miss a minute of your favorite pregame show.

Worried that all this tailgate tech will drain your battery or that your phone won’t keep up if the game goes into overtime? Well, worry no more. Add 20 hours of extra battery life to your smartphone with the Incipio offGRID™ Power Pack Mod.

The Moto Z Family of smartphones and Moto Mods are available now at Verizon stores, retailers such as Best Buy and on moto.com. For more information, visit MotoMods.com.

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ABOUT LENOVO
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $45 billion global Fortune 500 company and a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology. Our portfolio of high-quality, secure products and services covers PCs (including the legendary Think and multimode YOGA brands), workstations, servers, storage, smart TVs and a family of mobile products like smartphones (including the Motorola brand), tablets and apps.

MEDIA CONTACT
Stephanie Simon
ssimon@webershandwick.com

OBERLIN, OH, August 24, 2016 – Despite the myth that the campus store is always the most expensive place to buy textbooks and course materials, student shoppers are heading to their local campus store to take advantage of the various money-saving options offered on textbooks and course materials. They know that today’s campus store offers competitive prices on course materials and a variety of choices such as rentals, used or electronic textbooks, custom course materials and low-cost print copies of open educational resources (OER). According to Student Watch™: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials 2015-2016 Report, 80% of students purchased one or more course materials at the campus store in fall 2015 while only 57% made a purchase at other retailers, including online sites.

Here are some of the advantages available to students through their campus store:

• Nearly all campus stores offer used and rental textbooks as well as digital course content at prices that are comparable to online vendors. These options are often one-third to half the price of buying a new textbook.

• Campus stores work with faculty to develop custom content—such as special editions with only the assigned chapters—so that students pay for only the information they need to succeed academically.

• More than 350 campus stores across the U.S. and Canada offer price-comparison apps or online software to help students make wise buying choices. These tools compare the store’s prices on course materials (new, used and rentals) to those of a variety of online sellers. According to Verba, a provider of comparison software, when students compare prices using Verba Compare, approximately 80% of all items sold through the app are purchased from the campus store.

• Some stores offer price matching, price guarantees, rebates, discounts for early reservations, and buy-now, pay-later options.

• Most stores have flexible return policies that mirror campus deadlines. Students avoid any hidden shipping and handling fees and the inconvenience of having to ship materials back to multiple online sellers (and remembering where they got each item).

For more information student spending and more visit the NACS media room.

About The National Association of College Stores
The National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association representing the $10 billion collegiate retailing industry. NACS represents nearly 4,000 campus retailers and approximately 1,000 industry-related companies that supply course materials and other merchandise and services to campus stores. NACS provides education and other resources that help its member stores support student success, the campus experience, and the academic missions of higher education institutions. NACS is headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio. Additional information can be found online at www.nacs.org.

Media Contact
Jennifer Libertowski
(440) 775-7777
jlibertowski@nacs.org

NEW YORK, NY, August 22, 2016—For most students, studying abroad is the time to expand horizons, learn a new language and experience varying cultures. What better way to do all three than stay in the home of a local? While school typically provides semester-long housing, weekend jaunts are best planned through Homestay.com. The cost-friendly accommodation marketplace, which is a growing competitor to Airbnb, has 150,000 rooms starting as low as $8 per night in over 50,000 countries.

With a Homestay, students get the best of both worlds—an adventure in a foreign land with all the comforts of home. To ensure the best match, students can easily read transparent host reviews penned by previous guests, or use Homestay’s videocall option. Plus, groups need not compromise on their size, as many homes offer multiple rooms for easy under-one-roof bunking.

While breakfasts are always free with a Homestay, these affordably priced, five-star Homestays in European hotspots promise college students even more added amenities from Italian cooking classes and watercolor lessons to free laundry and cleaning:

• Florence, Italy ($40 per night): With its great value and central location, this Homestay in the birthplace of the Renaissance checks off all the right boxes. Students can start their days with fresh, homemade jams and fruit, and for no extra charge, host Jeanne is happy to share dinners, which they describe as “famous Tuscan specialties.” Walk on foot next door to the famous David, Ponte Vecchio, and Cathedral, or head to a bus or train station 10 minutes away to escape for a daytrip to the seaside, trekking in Cinque Terre, or wine-tasting tours in the Tuscan hillsides. For an immersive experience, students can pick up a new skill including cooking classes, watercolor lessons, and Italian language classes. All rooms fit three people.

• Berlin, Germany ($16 per night): Get a glimpse into Germany’s glamorous yet gritty art scene by staying in the center at this spacious Homestay. The $16 per room, per night price includes pick-up service from the airport, washing machine usage, and Internet, so travelers can get truly get the most bang for their buck. Plus, those on a multi-stop European trip can keep their luggage stored in Anke’s home for several days. The Homestay is within walking distance of three train stations.

• Paris, France ($19 per night): In Paris, people-watch at sidewalk cafés, visit The Louvre, or practice the Language of Love with certified lessons from host Noemie for just 12 Euros. Apart from a free daily breakfast, which reviews say is always a variety and aplenty, Noemie also offers lunch and dinner for a reasonable additional cost. This Homestay has been reviewed 33 times!

• Dublin, Ireland ($50 per night): Enjoy the privacy of a studio with the facilities and warmth of a family home at Mairead’s abode, where guests get the entire third floor and an en-suite to themselves. Located minutes away from the heart of Dublin and near several colleges including University College of Dublin and Trinity College, this homestay also includes round-trip airport transfers and laundry for guests at no extra cost.

• Granada, Spain ($30 per night): Escape to Granada, one of the pearls of Spain, known for its grand Moorish architecture and Muslim influences. Here, with host Maria Teresa, students can brush up on their Spanish skills for 12 Euro per hour. Room rate also includes room cleaning, laundry, and Internet, while dinner and pickup service are available for a small additional fee.

• London, England ($26 per night): Described by former guests as “spotless, warm and inviting,” this sunshine-filled home in the quiet suburbs is two minutes away from public transportation and a quick ride away from the middle of London. Every Sunday, hosts Sue and Stuart welcome their guests to a special breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, tomatoes and toast.

About Homestay.com
Homestay.com is an accommodation marketplace dedicated to the homestay travel experience, where the host is present for every stay. With more than 50,000 hosts offering places to stay across some 150 countries, Homestay.com enables travelers to stay in the home of a local resident while they are there. Focused as much on people as it is on places, Homestay.com puts hosts at the heart of amazing travel experiences. The company was founded in 2013 by Tom Kennedy, co-founder of HostelWorld.com, and Debbie Flynn, a veteran of the education travel industry. Homestay.com is funded by Delta Partners Ltd.

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Contact: Spring O’Brien
Jil Krusemann: (212) 402-1675 / jilk@spring-obrien.com
Jennifer Reisfeld: (212) 402-1624 / jennifer@spring-obrien.com

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Launches New Educational Initiative Featuring “No Regrets” Public Service Announcement

Bethesda, MD (August 9, 2016) – As college campuses prepare for the start of the school year, the National Foundation for Infectious Disease (NFID) is launching a new educational effort aimed at increasing awareness among the college community about meningococcal disease prevention.

NFID’s new meningococcal disease college toolkit (http://www.nfid.org/meningitis-toolkit) features tools and resources to help raise awareness about the importance of meningococcal disease prevention among healthcare professionals, college health administrators, students and the public. The toolkit includes posters, infographics, survivor stories, frequently asked questions, outbreak response materials and an animated public service announcement (PSA) titled, #NoRegrets, which reminds adolescents and young adults that while there are some things they might regret, such as not studying for an exam or forgetting lines in the school play, they will not regret getting vaccinated.

Recent meningococcal outbreaks on U.S. college campuses illustrate the importance of vaccination against this devastating and potentially deadly infection. In recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month (August), NFID urges all students, parents and healthcare professionals, on campus and in the surrounding community, to learn more about meningococcal disease and how to prevent it.

“Vaccination continues to be a critical part of college health communications, particularly for meningococcal disease,” says William Schaffner, MD, NFID Medical Director. “When cases or outbreaks occur on a college campus, it can be devastating and the cause of much anxiety. NFID is working to increase awareness and education about the disease and vaccines available to help prevent it.”

Adolescents and young adults age 16-23 years old are at increased risk of contracting meningococcal disease. Routinely recommended vaccines available in the U.S. protect against four of the major strains of the disease, A, C, W and Y. In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine for serogroup B disease, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a permissive (Category B) recommendation for its use for in young adults age 16-23 years. Serogroup B meningococcal disease was responsible for recent outbreaks at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Clara University, Rutgers University, and other college campuses.

About Meningococcal Disease:
Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection that most often leads to severe swelling of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or infection of the bloodstream (meningococcemia). Even with antibiotic treatment, 10 to 15 out of 100 people infected with meningococcal disease will die; about 11 to 19 out of every 100 survivors will have long-term disabilities, such as loss of limb(s), deafness, nervous system problems, or brain damage. About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases 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.

This initiative was made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer Inc. and GSK. NFID policies restrict funders from controlling program content.

Media Contact
Joanna Colbourne
JColbourne@nfid.org
301-656-0003 x120

Issued: 5 August 2016, Philadelphia, PA

Parents, young adults urged to educate themselves about meningitis B, responsible for one-third of U.S. cases[1]

GSK (LSE: GSK) today launched an educational campaign to help raise awareness of meningitis, a rare but potentially deadly disease. Most teens and young adults have not received the vaccines needed to help protect against all five vaccine-preventable groups of meningitis.[2] The campaign, Take 5 for Meningitis, will use news media, social media and educational events to help educate parents and young adults about meningitis and urge them to talk to their healthcare provider about vaccination to help prevent it.

There are five vaccine-preventable groups of meningitis—A, B, C, W, and Y—and two types of vaccines to help protect against these groups.  While most young people (70 percent) have received the vaccine that helps protect against meningitis groups A, C, W and Y, less than 10 percent have received the vaccine to that helps prevent against meningitis B. Meningitis B causes approximately 30 percent of the cases of meningococcal disease in the U.S.[3] and meningitis B vaccination is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for young people ages 16-23 years.  The Take 5 campaign is intended to help increase immunization rates against meningitis B[4].

Jamie Schanbaum, a U.S. Paralympic cyclist and meningitis survivor, helped launch the campaign along with world-renowned photographer Anne Geddes and Dr. Len Friedland, Vice President, Director Scientific Affairs and Public Health, Vaccines North America for GSK, at BlogHer 2016 in Los Angeles, an annual conference of more than 3,500 bloggers and media.

“I was in my first semester at my dream college when I learned one of the hardest lessons of my life. What I first thought was the flu turned out to be meningitis and I ended up losing all of my fingers and both legs below the knees.” said Schanbaum.  “When it comes to meningitis, what you don’t know can hurt you. That’s why I have joined with GSK in this effort to educate others about meningitis. I urge everyone to take five minutes to learn the facts and what they can do to help prevent it.”

One in 10 people infected with meningitis B will die, while one in five survivors will suffer long-term disability, such as loss of limbs, brain damage, deafness and nervous system problems[5].

“While vaccines are the best way to help prevent this rare but potentially devastating disease, knowledge is power in this case,” said Dr. Friedland.  “Research shows that 88 percent of parents whose children have received a meningitis vaccine don’t know which serogroups of the disease their child is vaccinated against.[6]  We are working to build awareness and help prevent this terrible disease.”

Young people particularly are at risk because they live, work and play in places that put them in close contact with each other, such as schools, sports teams, clubs, camps, college dorms and military housing. Vaccines are the best protection against meningitis as it is often difficult to treat and can be fatal, sometimes within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, or can cause life-long disability.

Through the campaign, Schanbuam and Nick Springer, a U.S. Paralympian wheel chair rugby player and another meningitis survivor, will tell their own stories of survival to help educate on the importance of vaccination.

“Meningitis changed my entire life when I was just a kid. I lost most of my legs and arms and later learned that there was a vaccine that might have protected me against the disease,” said Springer. “No one should have to go through what I’ve gone through and that’s why I’m working with GSK to tell my story.”

GSK has launched a website where parents and young people can learn about meningococcal meningitis, the risk factors, how it can be spread, the symptoms, the impact of the disease, and how teens and young adults can help protect themselves. Visit www.meningitis.com for more information and additional resources.

Take 5 for Meningitis complements GSK’s larger effort—Win for Meningitis—a global campaign to build awareness about meningitis and the vaccines available to help prevent it.

GSK is the largest vaccines manufacturer in the world.

GSK – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information please visit www.gsk.com.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D ‘Risk factors’ in the company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2015.

Media Contacts
Hope Evans
(443) 614-5863
hope.evans@porternovelli.com

Robin Gaitens
919-271-6560
robin.c.gaitens@gsk.com

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[1] CDC. Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases: Chapter 8: Meningococcal Disease. April 2014. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt08-mening.html.  Page 1, Paragraph 3,   Line 2.

Fall 2016 – (MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA) – There’s so much to love about college. More independence. Roommates. Parties. Your college years can be some of the greatest years of your life. Its also the very best time to establish smart money habits that will help you be good with your money for a lifetime. Mint, a free iPhone and Android app, helps you spend smarter and save more and offers tips for college students to help keep your finances in check.

Student loans and basic necessities are unavoidable while you’re at school, but there are ways to budget from the start of the year and make choices that will set you up for long-term success. According to The College Board’s annual budget survey, tuition and fees constitute 39 percent of the total budget for in-state students living on campus at public four-year colleges and universities; and 20 percent of the budget for public two-year college students who pay for off-campus housing.

That’s not even the fun stuff like date night, going out with friends, or a spring break trip if you become a real pro at saving! Here are some helpful back-to-school tips to make sure you’re in the best financial shape no matter where you are in your college career:

- Start budgeting: Once you’re out on your own, the cost of living can skyrocket, so it’s good to get into the habit of keeping tabs on your finances now. Use a free personal finance app like Mint to track your money and determine what’s most important and what you’re willing to spend less on. Non-essential spending like dining out, entertainment and clothing are easy spending categories to cut back on.

- Don’t rack up credit card debt: The average college graduate leaves school with a $2,000 credit card balance, based on a Nellie Mae study. Keep the number of lines of credit you open to a minimum, the more you open the harder it is to keep on top of your payments. Once it is time to make payments, pay on time (Mint will send you bill reminders so you don’t forget!). Even one late payment can increase your interest rates and damage your credit score, so make sure to only charge what you know you can pay back in a month or two.

- Avoid the campus bookstore: Instead of buying textbooks at your university bookstore, where prices tend to be inflated, consider renting textbooks through Amazon or another service, at a fraction of the price. Visit a drugstore or office supply store to buy notebooks, pens, and other supplies where the prices tend to be college student-friendly. Better yet, borrow books and supplies when you can!

- Leave your car at home: If you can avoid bringing a car to school, then do so. Long-term parking can be costly, especially in big cities. Furthermore, the ever-rising price of gas is sure to put a dent in your pocket. Utilize public transportation and ride-shares instead.

- Eat a few nights at home: Cooking in college can be a challenge, especially if you live in a dorm or a small apartment with a lot of roommates. Yet, going out for pizza every night adds up fast. Create a weekly budget for your groceries and commit to cooking at least 3 meals a week. When you buy food, you’ll feel more inclined to use it, which is healthier for you and your wallet.

- Start preparing to pay down student loans: If you’re building up student loan debt, be prepared. Your loans will enter repayment within six to nine months after graduation and you’ll need to pay at least the minimum payment. When graduation time comes, use resources like the Federal Student Aid website for additional tips and tricks on paying off loans.

The best thing you can do for your post-college years is to establish good money habits now. Mint will help ease you into the world of budgeting, goal setting, bill paying and understanding loans. While it’s not a course worth credits, the lessons you teach yourself when it comes to money will be priceless.

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About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. creates business and financial management solutions that simplify the business of life for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services include QuickBooks® and TurboTax®, which make it easier to manage small businesses and tax preparation and filing. Mint.com provides a fresh, easy and intelligent way for people to manage their money, while Intuit’s ProConnect brand portfolio includes ProConnect Online, ProSeries® and Lacerte®, the company’s leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Founded in 1983, Intuit had revenue of $4.2 billion in its fiscal year 2015. The company has approximately 7,700 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

ZON’s Powersol at APPA 2016

July 11, 2016

NASHVILLE, TN – Colleges and universities continuously seek innovative sustainable products and practices which can be implemented as part of campus programs demonstrating their commitment to the environment. At this year’s APPA Annual Conference for Higher Education Facilities Managers in Nashville, ZON will be displaying the innovative and sustainable Powersol Umbrella Solar Powered Charging Station in booth 801. APPA campuses were many of the first to purchase the Powersol from prior conferences where the ZON Powersol was acclaimed by attendees as the most innovative new product. Over 100 campuses nationwide have purchased the Powersol in a little over one year revolutionizing how students charge their mobile devices by using clean solar energy under the comfort of an outdoor umbrella.

Powersol is a solar powered, mobile device charging station built into an extremely durable, affordable commercial grade outdoor patio umbrella. Powersol charges 3 USB devices simultaneously, as fast as a wall outlet, day or night.

Higher education institutions including UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill, USC and Emory are rapidly adopting the Powersol solar mobile charging solution for their campuses as it can blend in with existing umbrellas and be used on existing patio tables making it even more affordable. Campus planners are using the Powersol to bring students to underutilized areas of campus as it provides shade and unlimited charging capacity.

According to Charlie Egan, co-chair of the UNC Chapel Hill student government’s Renewable Energy Social Projects Committee which purchased 19 Powersols for the campus, “In today’s society, one thing we just can’t seem to live without is our phone. Wherever we are, our phones keep us connected. In desperate times of low battery, indoor outlets are traditionally the only place to turn. However, thanks to ZON’s Powersol solar umbrella, desperate times can now be enjoyed outdoors, in the warm sunlight, with the company of your friends. The Powersol solar umbrella offers innovative solar energy technology paired with a battery charging station to allow students the opportunity to charge their phones while sitting at a picnic table outside. Not only does this unique product meet the phone-charging needs of students, but it also serves as a great example of the practical application of solar energy to raise energy awareness on your university campu s.”

“ZON is thrilled to work with campuses,” stated Karina Fedasz, ZON’s COO. “The feedback and enthusiasm we receive from students and faculty regarding their love of Powersol is incredible and inspiring to our team. We will continue to innovate so that campuses have sustainable ways to keep all of their devices charged up!”

About APPA
Over 500 facilities officers, directors and managers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the world will convene in July 11-13, 2016 in Nashville, TN, where they will identify and discuss the most current and pressing challenges facing educational facilities, and determine the common path forward. Powersol will be on display and for people to charge up their device during the conference at Booth 801.
http://www.appa.org/index.cfm

About ZON®, Inc.
ZON has revolutionized the way people charge up their mobile devices by creating a product that is sustainable, convenient, powerful, and beautiful- the patented and award winning Powersol. ZON rebooted the application of traditional solar power usage by applying solar power to an everyday product that the entire world uses – a commercial grade patio umbrella. The Powersol provides sustainable and convenient mobile device charging ensuring that going green has never been easier. ZON continues to develop sustainable outdoor power solutions utilizing everyday life conveniences and turning them into charging powerhouses that are as attractive as they are effective and powerful.

ZON is women founded, women managed and made in America.

ZON’s Powersol has been issued over 24 design and utility patents in the United States and abroad. Powersol’s launch was well received earning the company multiple awards in just 12 months including “Best Product of the Year” from the Design Journal and Archinterious, “Innovation of the Year” from The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, competing with companies world-wide, “Best Technology of 2015” from Hospitality and Design and “Product of the Year” from BoardRoom Magazine, representing private golf and country clubs of America.
ZON headquarters are in El Segundo, California. For more information visit www.zon-technology.com. Charge Up!®

Contact
For ZON:
Cameron Welborn-Wilson
cameron@zon-technology.com

Education technology company surpasses donation goals, provides books for schools, libraries, and medical teaching facilities in Gambia

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 8, 2016 – Course Hero, an online learning platform that empowers millions of students and educators to succeed, today announced it has surpassed its goal of donating 250,000 books to Gambia, through a partnership with Books for Africa’s Knowledge Drive.

Through the Course Hero online learning platform, students and teachers can share and access course-specific study resources anytime, anywhere. The platform also provides expert tutors and course advice from other students on-demand, around the clock.

The Course Hero Knowledge Drive, in partnership with Books for Africa, was launched in 2010 in its mission to build a brighter academic future for students all over the world. Through this program, the company pledged to donate one book to a child abroad for every 10 academic documents contributed to Coursehero.com, allowing students and teachers to support the cause.

The Knowledge Drive is committed to working to build and provide books for a number of schools, libraries, and medical teaching facilities throughout Africa. Books have a powerful ability to open a student’s mind to new ideas and possibilities, and can lend support in struggling regions, which need its bright young minds to strengthen them from the inside out.

“Course Hero has become one of our most consistent and substantial donors over the past several years, and is the top donor for our 1 Million Books for Gambia project,” says Patrick Plonski, Books For Africa Executive Director, discussing the impact that Course Hero has had on BFA’s ongoing efforts to end the African book famine. “We truly appreciate their extremely generous support resulting in the shipment of over a quarter of a million books to Africa since the beginning of our partnership in 2010.”

“Being a part of the Course Hero Knowledge Drive has been such a rewarding experience for me. The Knowledge Drive program is a win-win for everyone since I get to study more effectively while supporting a great cause,” says Irene Lin, Texas A&M University student and Course Hero contributor. “It is gratifying to know that my contribution, along with the contributions of my friends and classmates, have made a positive impact to improving the literacy rates of children in Africa.”

About Course Hero | Master Your Classes^TM
Course Hero is an online learning platform that empowers millions of students and educators to succeed. Fueled by a passionate community of students and educators who share their course-specific knowledge and educational resources, Course Hero offers the biggest and best library of study documents, expert tutors, customizable flashcards, and course advice. Download the Course Hero app for iPhone or Android today or follow Course Hero on LinkedIn. Students wishing to get involved in the Knowledge Drive can find out more here: https://www.coursehero.com/KnowledgeDrive/

About Books For Africa
Books For Africa is the world’s largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping over 35 million books to 49 different countries since 1988. In 2015, BFA shipped 2.4 million books and large numbers of computers valued at over $33 million to 25 African countries.

For more information, contact:
Grayling PR
(415) 593-1400
coursehero@grayling.com