Serving others - not money or fame - focus of Benedictine Ph.D. graduates

LISLE, Ill., May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Not only do the world's most successful companies employ workers with desired skill sets, but also those who have a desire to change the world for the better.

This thought process has moved past surface-level, feel-good stories for positive, corporate press spin and now represents a shifting paradigm toward joint-ownership in doing what's right for others and the world, which in turn can lead to sustainable profits.

Such concepts lie at the heart of  the executive doctoral degrees offered through Benedictine University's Center for Values-Driven Leadership (CVDL). Lee DeRemer, a retired military officer who worked as a high-level consultant while earning his Ph.D. in Values-Driven Leadership in 2014, said his Benedictine education inspired a new career.

An avid cyclist, Lee founded Lifecycles, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization which helps teenage boys from challenging backgrounds develop educational, physical and personal skills through cycling.

The faith-based program provides at-risk youths with structure and positive influences to help improve their futures.

"Right now, we are focused on boys," DeRemer said. "But a year from now, we hope to have a girls chapter in place. What we are doing with the teens is trying to use a model with three main points: help them with their spiritual growth and values formation; practical life skills through mentoring; and physical outlet through bicycling."

Another Benedictine graduate who felt compelled to do something more with her education is Denise Lackey, founder of Step of Faith Comprehensive Health and Wellness. Step of Faith is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization that provides health and wellness programs regardless of an individual's ability to pay.

"Our clients receive emotional resilience training and a nursing assessment, and are referred to health care providers as necessary," Lackey said.

Established in 2008, the Center for Values-Driven Leadership at Benedictine University offers research, education and outreach opportunities to help business leaders forge new paths to profitability. It is a gathering place where top executives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders come together to innovate at the forefront of values-driven business practice.

Learn more at ben.edu/cvdlalumni about how a values-based higher education degree can improve the lives of graduates and the communities they serve.

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SOURCE Benedictine University

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