Destiny Solutions offers $5,000 in scholarships for non-traditional students in the 2013-2014 academic year

Destiny Solutions, the leader in lifelong learning business solutions, announced today that Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship applications for the 2013-2014 academic year are now available.

Despite the yearly growth in adult student enrollments in North America, a very limited number of scholarships exist today for adults looking to continue their education. The Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship is unique in that it is specifically for non-traditional students. Two students who demonstrate a commitment to furthering their education will be selected to receive the award. Destiny Solutions looks forward to helping non-traditional students gain the confidence to reimagine their success and the ability to continue their pursuit of lifelong learning.

“We believe that dedicated adult learners actively pursuing an education should be recognized for their perseverance,” said Shaul Kuper, Founder and CEO of Destiny Solutions.

This perseverance is evident when looking at last year’s scholarship winners. Moon Soe, who plans to become a secondary school teacher upon graduation from the Metropolitan State University in Minnesota this spring, noted the challenge that comes with being a non-traditional student.

“It’s hard to work full-time and go to school full-time. The scholarship not only helped me financially, but has become part of my success story,” Soe said.

Virginia Wilson, who expects to graduate this spring from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Sociology, spoke to another element of challenge.

“I dared dream the impossible and was called a fool by many of my family and friends, here I was approaching my 50s and wanting to start a new career,” she said. “Receiving this scholarship is recognition for me.”

Awarded annually since 2008, the Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship is named in honor of the late Dr. Mary Cone Barrie, director of the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto. A whole-hearted supporter and innovator of non-traditional education, Dr. Mary Cone Barrie was a friend and mentor to Destiny Solutions.

The scholarship is open to any non-traditional student studying at an accredited institution in the United States or Canada. Applications can be found on the Destiny Solutions website, and are due back by July 12, 2013.

For scholarship applications and further information, please visit: http://www.destinysolutions.com/comany-2/scholarship

To view last year’s winning essays please
visit: www.evolllution.com/mary-cone-barrie-scholarship-winner-essays/

About Destiny Solutions

Destiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Our flagship product, Destiny One™, is the only business solution for non-traditional higher education that offers integrated constituent, enrollment and administrative management on a single software platform so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience and success, and improve operational efficiency.

Contact:        
Rachel Kuper
media@destinysolutions.com
(416) 480-0500 x214

Adoption of Destiny One Software Platform Plays Integral Part in Comprehensive Growth Plan

The University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education (USD PCE) is implementing a comprehensive growth plan, enabled by a partnership with leading software provider, Destiny Solutions.  A prestigious California university, USD PCE plans to expand market reach and increase student engagement. Destiny One, the business software solution by Destiny Solutions, was chosen to facilitate these aims as it will provide USD PCE with the business agility and process governance needed to fully tap market potential.

The University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education already offers hundreds of courses and numerous professional and certificate programs.Once Destiny One goes live in spring of 2013, USD PCE will be able to provide students with a richer online experience, while also automating routine administrative tasks enabling staff to increase productivity and focus on high-value differentiating tasks, such as new program development.

“In today’s competitive education landscape, every school is looking to do more with less,” said Jason Lemon, Dean of The University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education. “Destiny One provides the front-end capabilities needed to give students a rich online experience as well as the back-end functionality needed for us to manage our growth—all while increasing our staff’s productivity so that we can expand our offerings without expanding our staffing needs.”

The University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education offers a number of online and in-class programs as well as customized corporate training. The school’s legacy software platform was unable to provide the capabilities needed to expand in today’s competitive higher education market. As a software platform created exclusively for non-traditional education programs, Destiny One provides the flexibility and functionality needed to effectively manage these programs and students in an integrated and intuitive manner. Furthermore, with built-in automated workflows, strict governance controls and the highest industry security standard (PCI PA-DSS v2.0), Destiny One will allow USD PCE to increase revenue growth without compromising on quality.

“The University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education offers a number of sophisticated programs,” said Shaul Kuper, President and CEO of Destiny Solutions.  “Combined with the equally sophisticated business infrastructure provided by Destiny One, USD PCE will be able to entirely reimagine its market potential.”

About Destiny Solutions

Destiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Our flagship product, Destiny One™, is the only business solution for non-traditional higher education that offers integrated constituent, enrollment and administrative management on a single software platform so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience and success, and improve operational efficiency.

Please visit: www.destinysolutions.com

About University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education

The University of San Diego is committed to advancing academic excellence, expanding liberal and professional knowledge, creating a diverse and inclusive community, and preparing leaders dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service. The Division of Professional and Continuing Education shares this mission through academic outreach to adult and professional students.

Please visit: http://www.sandiego.edu/ce

UC Berkeley Extension partners with Destiny Solutions to implement leading business software solution

University of California Berkeley Extension is partnering with Destiny Solutions to grow its operations and increase its level of service.

A leading university, UC Berkeley needed an enterprise-wide software solution for its Extension school to manage current offerings and provide a platform for further growth. After a thorough selection process, Destiny Solutions is currently implementing its software solution, Destiny One, at the UC Berkeley Extension, with the first phase planned to go live in February 2013.

“Berkeley acknowledges the importance of expanding continuing education opportunities,” said Diana Wu, Dean of UC Berkeley Extension. “ Destiny One provides the capabilities Berkeley needs to efficiently grow our offerings while recognizing and responding to the demands of today’s student.”

Already operating 2,200 courses and enrolling 38,000 students each year, Destiny One positions UC Berkeley Extension for growth by providing a seamlessly integrated back and front-end infrastructure that unites numerous program areas and consolidates numerous data silos.

Certified with the highest level of security clearance by the Payment Card Industry (PCI PA-DSS V2.0), Destiny One provides UC Berkeley with a secure and unified data environment, allowing staff to focus their attention on program expansion and student experience.

Destiny One will equip UC Berkeley Extension with the tools needed to effectively manage all aspects of the learner relationship, from gathering and analyzing data profiles, to managing inquiries, to providing students with a personalized online experience. Furthermore, with real-time visibility and reporting, Destiny One puts a wealth of information and intelligence in the hands of decision makers in order to improve market and student responsiveness.

“Berkeley is a world class university with world class programming,” said Shaul Kuper, President and CEO of Destiny Solutions. “With Destiny One, Berkeley Extension will be able to provide a topnotch level of service to their students, both in terms of how they manage relationships with their learners and the programming they provide.”

About Destiny Solutions

Destiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Since 2001, Destiny Solutions has delivered breakthrough technology designed exclusively to meet the divergent needs of non-traditional higher education. Our flagship product, Destiny One™, is the only business solution that offers integrated constituent, enrollment and administrative management on a single software platform so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience and success, and improve operational efficiency.

For more information, please visit: www.destinysolutions.com

About University of California Berkeley Extension

Founded in 1891, UC Berkeley Extension is the continuing education branch of the University of California, Berkeley. Today, Extension offers 2,200 courses each year, including online courses, along with more than 75 professional certificates and specialized programs of study. Free and low-cost public events are also frequently held as part of Extension’s service to the local community.

For more information, please visit: www.extension.berkeley.edu

Software firm unites top higher education thought leaders in an online forum, provoking collaboration and community to progress higher education

TORONTO, January 17, 2011 – Destiny Solutions, the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions, today announced a grassroots initiative aimed at increasing discussion about lifelong learning and improving higher education.

First and foremost a means of uniting individuals, the initiative, called the EvoLLLution, is an online newspaper, written exclusively by higher education stakeholders. Its contributors come together to form the only community, devoted exclusively to exploring and improving non-traditional education.

Contributors Edward Abeyta, director of K-16 Program at UC San Diego, Rebecca Smith, vice president of San Diego Workforce Partnership and Terry Rawls, provost of Heald College, explain in a short documentary why the EvoLLLution is needed.

“Our profession of lifelong learning is so fragmented and so variant in approaches that having an entity like EvoLLLution pulling all these different mindsets and views into a vibrant and organic community … ultimately helps the profession of lifelong learning define itself,” Abeyta said in the documentary.

The EvoLLLution is the brainchild of Destiny Solutions Founder and CEO, Shaul Kuper. It was founded as a means of bringing together a community of thought leaders, who embrace non-traditional education and lifelong learning.

“In the 10 years that I’ve been a part of the education industry, I’ve seen some incredible innovations and ideas that stand to change higher education for the better,” Kuper said. “The problem is, there has never been a forum for all stakeholders to come together, discuss their challenges, leverage their successes and propel education into the 21^st century.”

Higher education has undergone substantial change over the last few decades. Today, only about 15 percent of higher education students still fit the traditional definition of young adults, age 18 to 22, who live on campus and go to school full time. Furthermore, the rapid pace of technological advancement has meant that education can no longer be a one-time experience and has instead turned into a lifelong pursuit.

Aiming to lead the transformative change in lifelong learning, the EvoLLLution brings the innovations founded in extension schools and continuing education divisions to the forefront of their institutions by provoking discussion among those who are already spearheading the requisite changes in higher education.

The EvoLLLution will be launching on January 30. For more information, please visit our website.

Business software solution firm helps fund education for two non-traditional students

Today, more than 40 percent of higher education students are over the age of 25, yet scholarships are still rarely available for this group.

Asta Becker, 34 and Joseph Puhak, 29, couldn’t contain their excitement when they found out that they had each won $2,500 to pay for their schooling as the 2011 recipients of the Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship Award.

The Scholarship is awarded by Destiny Solutions, the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions, to two non-traditional learners who are improving themselves and their communities by continuing their education.

“The Scholarship is given in honor of the late Dr. Mary Cone Barrie and her eternal love of learning,” said Shaul Kuper, president and CEO of Destiny Solutions. “Asta and Joseph are two lifelong learners who bring an incredible passion and commitment to their studies. I am overjoyed to present them with this year’s award.”

A detective from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, Puhak is enrolled in a Bachelor of Science, criminal justice program at Western Carolina University. He began his studies in 2009 after he found out he and his wife were expecting their first child.

“Our finances changed drastically,” he said “I decided that higher education was the answer to attaining a better quality of life for my family.”

Puhak was promoted in March 2011 to Detective Sergeant.

“Through a recent promotion with added stressors and responsibility I started to feel the effects of career and learning burn-out. Since I found out about the scholarship, my enthusiasm is much higher and I have found a new level of motivation,” Puhak said. “I thank Destiny Solutions and the Barrie Family. I have no choice but to repay both parties with good grades and my heartfelt pursuit of success.”

Becker, a human resources assistant in Charlotte, North Carolina, is enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce at Pfeiffer University. She plans to graduate next summer and pursue a career in international business, where she can use her knowledge of other languages.

“I grew up in Lithuania back when it was under communist rule,” she said. “As a student, I never felt like I was excelling at my studies. Schools forced pupils to study instead of teaching them … and I felt useless and insignificant.”

Becker moved to the United States in 2002 and enrolled in English classes in 2006 after finalizing her divorce.
“It was very scary because I hadn’t been to school for over 15 years but I didn’t see any other opportunities,” Becker said. “I always wanted more, it’s just that at the begining I didn’t know how to get there. I went step by step until I found out that education would let me take the path I wanted.”

About the Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship

The Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship is an annual prize awarded by Destiny Solutions each fall. It was launched as a tribute to a trusted friend and mentor, Dr. Mary Cone Barrie (1945-2009). She was the Director of the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto. The annual scholarship recognizes the efforts of adult learners who are improving their lives through continuing education and workforce development.

About Destiny Solutions

Destiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Since 2001, Destiny Solutions has delivered breakthrough technology designed exclusively to meet the divergent needs of non-traditional higher education. Our flagship product, Destiny One,TM is the only business solution that offers integrated constituent, enrollment and administrative management on a single software platform. Crafted with the lifelong learner in mind, Destiny One is the most complete, agile and trusted business solution. It transforms traditional administrative systems so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience and success, and improve operational efficiency.

Media Contact:
Rachel Kuper
Destiny Solutions
416 480 0500 x 214
media@destinysolutions.com

Seasoned enterprise software education technology veteran to join Destiny Solutions executive team

TORONTO, September 23, 2011 Destiny Solutions, the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions, today announced that Yancy Oshita has joined as Chief Marketing Officer. Oshita will lead strategic marketing, product marketing and marketing communications. He will also be responsible for the Destiny Solutions brand and for building a community of higher education stakeholders dedicated to non-traditional education. “Yancy is a strong leader and world-class marketer with proven experience in shaping brands, engaging customers and driving market share in the enterprise software business,” said Shaul Kuper, Destiny Solutions President and CEO. “His background in education technology makes him particularly attuned to the needs of our rapidly growing customers in lifelong learning business solutions.”

Oshita brings over 25 years of experience at venture-backed start-ups and some of the most well-known enterprise technology companies. Most recently, he served as Chief Marketing Officer of NIKSUN, a leading provider of enterprise network monitoring solutions, where he led product strategy, marketing, technical training and quality assurance. Previously, Oshita was Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing of EducationDynamics’ Enrollment and Retention Solutions Division, where he developed successful partnerships with senior educators at numerous public and private higher education institutions. Before that, Oshita was Chief Marketing Officer of Wimba, which was acquired by Blackboard. He successfully repositioned the Wimba Collaboration Suite and helped accelerate the company’s growth to nearly $20 million. Prior to Wimba, he held product strategy and marketing executive positions at INFONXX, Teradata and NCR.

“Destiny Solutions has quietly crafted the best business solution for non-traditional education, the most trusted software platform and a growing customer list of discerning higher education institutions,” Oshita said. “The company’s laser focus on understanding and automating non-traditional education business processes has provided a pathway for institutions that feel powerless in dealing with inflexible legacy systems. I am delighted to lead marketing and be a part of an all-star executive team through the company’s next phase of growth.”

Oshita joins a seasoned executive team with proven functional experience, rich expertise in enterprise software and education technology and a dedication to lifelong learning. Earlier this year, the company appointed Kevin O’Neill, who brings an extensive background of software development experience, as Vice President of Engineering. The experienced leadership team strengthens the company’s long term plans to expand into new markets and continue to grow sales.

About Destiny Solutions

Destiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Since 2001, Destiny Solutions has delivered breakthrough technology designed exclusively to meet the divergent needs of non-traditional higher education. Our flagship product, Destiny One,^TM is the only business solution that offers integrated constituent, enrollment and administrative management on a single software platform. Crafted with the lifelong learner in mind, Destiny One is the most complete, agile and trusted business solution. It transforms traditional administrative systems so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience and success, and improve operational efficiency.For more information, please visit: www.destinysolutions.com.