Techniques to Increase Student Enrolment

Techniques to Increase Student Enrolment International Student Recruitment at University of Wales (Positioning, Target Market, Services  and Advantages) ABSTRACT: The higher education market globally is becoming increasingly dynamic and competitive. Options for students have increased at a dramatic rate. The education industry is regarded no less then any other business, prospecting and attracting students from around the world. Consequently, we can say with utmost confidence that it is misleading to separate the word marketing from education industry. Students have been over loaded with information due to globalization, and realize that to survive in this competitive market, they need to equip themselves with the best knowledge. INTRODUCTION: The university once established can serve as an efficient self recruitment tool for students. Universities have been spending so much on recruitment activities but not on the right track. It is essential for universities to help, identify and clarify what their name in particular means and how it is different from other alternatives.  The role of a university is to widen horizons and challenge existing paradigms. This university will pursue these goals in their more traditional sense. However, the uniqueness of the institution means that special focus will be placed upon widening the horizons of its students and raising their own confidence to achieve their full potential.   The title of the University underscores our commitment to the region within which its campuses are located whilst reaffirming its responsibility, as a university, to the wider academic and international community. Mazarrol (1998) suggested that higher education is a considerable marketable service and it possess all the necessary characteristics of services identified earlier by Zeithaml et al (1985). Among the characteristics, difficulty in marketing intangibility of services prevails more in education industry as it is difficult to define (Mazzarol, 1998). Marketing of educational institutions in UK started in 1980’s (Brown and Oplatka, 2006) and due to increasing competitive environment, nationally and internationally, universities are sensing the need to market themselves aggressively and after careful situational analysis, they carefully need to adapt strategies to effectively position their in the mind of students (Ivy, 2001). Higher education has become a positional good in the sense that students, parents and employers view some institutions as offering better social life and future prospects and vice versa, institutes seek for the best students (Hirsch, 1976; Maringe, 2006).   University of Wales is already enormously diverse on any number of dimensions, including ethnicity and nationality. The University celebrates this diversity and looks further to widen its international reputation and appeal. Any firm, no matter which business they are in, works in vacuum. You need to observe actively which environment you are working in, considering all the external factors which might influence your business. Competitors, especially, have a massive impact on company’s profitability. Rivalry among existing competitors takes the familiar form of jockeying for a better position, pushing companies to adapt tactics such as price cuts, product innovation etc in order to have competitive advantage. All these devices one way or the other, affect the overall profitability of the firm. BACKGROUND: University of Wales is s a confederal  Pontypridd. It also accredits courses abroad and has over 100,000 students. The Chancellor of the University of Wales is  Archbishop of Wales, Dr. Barry Morgan. The Vice-Chancellor is Professor Marc Clement The University was composed of  Privy Council  to change its name to the University of Wales, Newpo Cardiff University and the University Of Wales College Of Medicine (UWCM) merged on  2005  to study other subjects are awarded Cardiff University degrees The University has a clear mission as a regional institution which aims to extend opportunity and widen participation in further and higher education and, to that end, commits itself primarily to teaching and learning rather than research. It is a relatively large institution, with some 31,000 registered students in 1996 97, of whom 65 per cent were studying part-time, 64 per cent were women and 59 per cent were aged over 25. 48 per cent of students described themselves as non-white. 11 per cent of students were from non-UK EU countries, and 22 per cent were from countries outside the EU. An important feature of the University is that some 22 per cent of its students are seeking further education qualifications, for which the University is not the awarding body, and for which it bears no formal responsibility for the standards of the awards. Similarly, many of the vocationally-based undergraduate and postgraduate programmed are accredited by professional or statutory bodies, whose standards and quality criteria the University is obliged to meet. In some of these cases, however, the University itself has been accredited by the awarding body (for BTEC courses, for example) and thus has effective sole control of quality and standards. A further important feature of the University is the strength of commitment of its staff to the institutional mission. We were constantly struck by the way in which this permeated many of our meetings with staff at all levels, from the Vice-Chancellor to the most junior support staff. The mission is ambitious: given the remarkable variety of the student body, the University has set itself a very demanding objective in seeking to provide higher and further educational opportunities which are comparable in standard of outcome, as well as quality of experience, with the generality of higher education institutions in the UK. It is a tribute to the Universitys staff that its mission remains a source of inspiration despite the difficulties that many of them have experienced in recent years. Briefs of Aims and Objectives: Research Aim: University of Wales  was established long time back providing services to facilitate students in attaining better education at different levels. It is facing fierce competition from other universities in London. Preliminary research has indicated that students fail to make associations about the positioning about key benefits of the University over its competitors and cannot identify a unified identity. Therefore, the University clearly needs to position itself against competitors in order to remain attractive in the domestic and international market. Research Objectives: In order to satisfy the aim for which this research is being undertaken, following objectives need to be accomplished which will lead to provide us the clear view of current position of  University of Wales. To systematically collect data from current students about perception of University in relation to their competitors. To identify the needs and expectations of students from the University. To identify the current positioning of  University of Wales. To critically analyze the findings about current positioning. Depending on the analysis, to reinforce the current image of its brand. OR, to re-position the  University of Wales  image. Finding developments necessary for university to make in order to meet gaps in provision. Key Words:  Positioning; Target Market, Service; Higher Education; Research Question: Q1) what are the perceptions of students about the  University of Wales  in relation to competitors? Q2) what is the current positioning of the  University of Wales? Hypothesis Perception HO1:  University of Wales  has no effect on perception of students. H11:  University of Wales  has positive effect on student’s perception. Positioning H02:  University of Wales  has no effect on to attracting students. H12:  University of Wales  has positive effects on attracting students. Research Methodology: In order to accomplish the end objectives for which this research is being conducted, both qualitative and quantitative techniques will be used, which are discussed further. Data collection, both primary and secondary has been divided into two phases. Phase 1 constitutes exploratory research aiming to look for secondary data from different sources as well as qualitative method of conducting focus groups in order to gather primary data necessary for the next step. Phase 2 accompanies quantitative techniques in the form of survey to gather finalized results to be analyzed. Data Collection (Phase 1): Exploratory research is investigation informal studies to provide background information. It is not intended to provide conclusive evidence from which to follow a concrete direction, rather it provides a basis that subsequent research will be a requirement to achieve final results. The basic purpose behind exploratory research is to exhaust inexpensive readily available data which may help to prevent mistakes like rushing into expensive detailed surveys (Zikmund, 1997). Exploratory research can be conducted using various techniques. For our research objectives, and considering the mind in limitations, the most suitable are secondary data and focus groups. Secondary Data:  Also termed as holistic data previously collected for some project other than the one at hand. It is relatively inexpensive and readily available, but we need to make sure it is consistent with the problem definition as they are not designed for the purpose to serve research needs (Zikmund, 1997). External sources where we can gather secondary data for this research includes Libraries (Huge source of information including databases, books and periodicals, journal articles) British Library,  University of Wales  library , EBSCO database, Emerald Management full text database, Athens DA Resources etc. The Internet (Provides secondary data, authenticity is a bit doubtful but in many cases huge information can be acquired). Focus Groups:  The second step of phase 1 is conducting focus group which is a qualitative method of data gathering. It is an unstructured, free flowing interview with a small group of people. Focus groups are not rigidly structured; rather they are of a flexible discussion format. The moderator introduces the topic to the participants who in turn carry out the discussion and as this discussion progresses, new topics emerge. It freely allows the participants to truly reflect their feelings and emotions in their own words (Zikmund, 1997). The role of the moderator is to ensure that all members participate in the session and none dominates it. Though focus groups are the least expensive ways of gathering information; it should be kept in mind that data gathered from focus groups only provide qualitative information. Another limitation to them is that since the members are not selected scientifically, they may not truly reflect the opinions of the whole population at large. However, t he exploratory information collected through focus groups can be a basis for further scientific research. We will be conducting two focus groups of 6 students each. One group will contain a random sample from the international students and other from the domestic students. The objective of the focus groups is to generate further insights about students and the factors they might feel important to them in their ultimate decision of selecting a University. We may or may not come up with factors other than discussed earlier. There is no scientific method to analyze qualitative data. Therefore recording of the whole focus group discussion will be carried out which will help to reduce any risk of biases. Face expressions is a short coming, and it solely based on moderators interpretation. Data Collection (Phase 2): The second phase of collecting data is by gathering quantitative data by asking respondents to fill in the finalized self administered questionnaire. We have selected a sample size of 200 students purely based on judgment and keeping in mind the limitations of the study. However, if further we might feel that the sample size is not justified; further alterations may be carried out. Non probability sampling technique is one in which sample is selected on personal judgment or experience and the probability of any member from the population is not known and within that framework, we will be using Quota Sampling (Zikmund, 1997). Quota sampling is a procedure which ensures that all the sub groups present in the population will represent the sample to the extent on the desire of investigator. A logical drawback of quota sample is it tends to select people which are easily available therefore careful supervision is required in order to gather a true representative sample of the population. Obviously, the logic for using quota sampling for questionnaires is that we want student representing  University of Wales  from different geographical backgrounds and level of education to be part of the sample. Quota allocation is explained below: Total Sample = 200 100 International Students 100 Domestic Students 50 Post Graduate Students 50 Graduate Students 50 Post Graduate Students 50 Graduate Students 10 Students from each geographic division America’s Asia Europe Australia Africa’s 10 Students from each geographic division America’s Asia Europe Australia Africa’s Data Analysis: The number of questions in the final questionnaire is not known as yet since they will depend on the findings from the primary data from focus groups. However, a few sample questions are listed below (not necessarily the part of final questionnaire): Q: The achievements of the institution for you? Q: The  University of Wales  avenues for religious practices? Q: Stable political economy of the host country is important? The most appropriate technique for measuring the attitude of students’ for this research is through Likert scale which is a type on an ordinal scale. It is a bipolar attitude measurement technique most widely used which allows respondents to rate how strongly they agree or disagree with these carefully constructed statement. Therefore, for our research we will construct a 5 point Likert Scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree and weights are assigned to answers accordingly. An example is shown below: Q: The achievements of the institution for you? Each dimension as mentioned will contain certain questions which will reflect the attitude towards the overall dimension. Therefore in order to achieve this, we will use the method of cross-tabulation. It is a technique for organizing data by groups, categories or classes facilitating comparison between them). For individual question, calculation of confidence interval will be conducted using the t distribution. This will help us in finding out attitude of students that how many respond favorably or unfavorably to a certain question. The results will be measured and analyzed with the help of most extensively used statistical software called SPSS. Once data is input, immediate reports are generated and there is no probability of human calculation error. Conclusion: The aspect of positioning university brands in students mind is an increasingly growing phenomenon and now a pre requisite for institutions to effectively compete in domestic and international markets. Options for students have proliferated at a progressive rate. Globalization and competitive employment environment at the same time have lead students to treat education as a return on investment in order to safeguard their careers. The research will help the  University of Wales  establish a unique position in relation to its competitor which is favorable to students. By doing so, it can develop an enhanced image and also attract more students for a higher market share. Also, as mentioned before there are not many studies providing positioning dimensions for universities. Therefore, our exploratory research might lead us to come up with additional dimensions which can be helpful for universities in future to use as a base for positioning strategy. Once a positioning strategy has been identified and adopted by  University of Wales  based on this research, future research may be conducted about its validity and may serve as a case study for future work. References: Aaker, D. A. Shansby, G. J (1982), ‘Positioning Your Product’  Business Horizon, May/Jun, 56-62. Blankson, C. and Kalafatis S. (1999), ‘Issues and challenges in the positioning of service brands: a review’,  Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 8, No 2, p 106 -118 Brown, J., Oplatka, I., (2006) ‘Universities in a competitive global marketplace: A systematic review of the literature on higher education marketing’, International Journal of Public Sector Management,  Vol. 19/4, 316-338 Cowell. D., (1989), ‘The Marketing of Services’, Heinemann, London. Gray. J, Fam. S, Llanes. A, (2003), ‘Branding Universities in Asian Markets’,  Journal of Product and Brand Management’, Vol. 12, No 2, p 108-120. Hirsch, R. (1976), ‘Social Limits to Growth, Harvard University Press’, Cambridge, MA Hooley, G.; Broderick, A.; Moller, K. (1998),  Ã¢â‚¬ËœCompetitive positioning and the resource-based view of the firm’,  Journal of Strategic Marketing, June, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p97-115 Ivy, J. (2001), â€Å"Higher education institution image: a correspondence analysis approach†,  International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 276-82 James, R., Baldwin, G. and McInnis. C, (1999), ‘Which University? The Factors Influencing Choices of Prospective  Undergraduates’, Evaluation and Investigations Programme, Higher Education Division, Australia. Kalafatis S., Tsogas M., and Blankson C., (2000), ‘Positioning Strategies in Business Markets’,  Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol. 5, No 6, p 416-437. Kotler, P. (2000), ‘Marketing management’, 10th ed., London: Prentice Hall Levitt T., (1981), ‘Marketing Intangible Products and Products Intangible’,  Harvard Business Review, May-June, p 94- 102 Maringe. F, (2006), ‘University and course choice Implications for positioning, recruitment and Marketing’,  International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 466-479 Mazzarol T., (1998), ‘Critical success factors for international education Marketing’,  International Journal of Educational Management, 12/4, 163–175 Naude P., and Ivy J., (1999) ‘The Marketing Strategies of Universities of in the United Kingdom’,  The International Journal of Educational Management, 13/3, p 126-134 Nguyen N. and Leblanc G. (2001), ‘Image and reputation of higher education institutions in students’ retention decisions’,  International Journal of Educational Management,  Volume 15, Issue 6, p 303 – 311 Porter, M. E. (1996), ‘What is Strategy?’  Harvard Business Review,  Nov-Dec, p61-78 Ries, A., Trout, J. (1986), ‘The Battle for your Mind’,  McGraw-Hill, Singapore Sekaran, U. (2003), ‘Research Methods for Business: A skill building approach’, John Wiley Sons, USA. University for Jobs (2007), extracted from University of Surrey Mission statement, available at: www.surrey.ac.uk (accessed 20 May 2007).

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Implemented plans to Inhalant and accelerate the turnaround of the Mix business in Europe. Their plans focused on enhancing the brand by improving product appeal. In order to do this the company made key appointments to the Mix Europe Holdings management team. Along with appointing a new interim CEO, they appointed John Moore as consulting Vice President. Mr.. Moore came with an extensive background. Mr.. Moore was an Important factor with Firebombed & Bitch's Hollister Co. Line and ModernAmusement for Moslem Inc. LIZ Collarbone Inc. Believed that the turnaround process was at a critical juncture and the enhancements, structural changes and new leadership were necessary to reinvigorate the brand and improve performance (Bloomberg. Com). Liz Collarbone Inc. Hired Thomas Grate in 2009 as their permanent CEO for the Mix chain. Grate headed up a plan to improve the chain by changing the business modes so that one manager would oversee all aspects of a product segment, Including design, p roduction, product management, and merchandise management. He called this â€Å"one-hand responsibility.Then there was an urgent need to have a new corporate brand identity focused on the core markets in Germany and the Benelux countries. He implemented sales productivity improvement by accenting a â€Å"consumer need-based merchandise planning approach† and placing an emphasis on e-commerce (Reuters. Com). Grate continued to focus on the right products for the targeted group, not making the Mix line too much Like casual American sportswear or too city oriented. Grate resigned as CEO In 2012. Shortly after this LIZ Collarbone Inc. Sold Mix to The Gores Group which has also implemented many changing in leadership.I think that you need to do whatever is necessary to keep the business thriving. In this case the leaders are very informed and knowledgeable in their industry. The execution has at least stopped the Mix line from its downward spiral. The losses today are less than t hose predicted by Wall Street. The management brought the Mix line out of the gutter and made it possible for LIZ Collarbone Inc. To sell a majority stake to relieve some of the worries of the struggling chain.

Greek Mythology: Naricissus relevancy to today Essay

Many tales have been told of Narcissus, the son of a god who fell to his peril due to his own vanity and love for himself. The story is told according to The Mythology Guide, and this is how it goes: Narcissus was cruel not in the case of Echo alone. He shunned all the rest of the nymphs as he had done poor Echo. One day a maiden, who had in vain endeavored to attract him, uttered a prayer that he might some time or other feel what it was to love and meet no return of affection. The avenging goddess heard and granted the  prayer. There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which the shepherds never drove their flocks. Nor did the mountain goats resort to it, nor any of the beasts of the forest; neither was it defaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresh around it, and the rocks sheltered it from the sun. Hither came one day the youth fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty. He stooped down to drink, and saw his own image in the water; he thought it was some beautiful water spirit living in the fountain. He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes, those locks curled like the locks of Bacchus or Apollo, the  rounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow of health and exercise over all. He fell in love with himself. He brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to embrace the beloved object. It fled at the touch, but returned again after a moment and renewed the fascination. He could not tear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest, while he hovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image. He talked with the supposed spirit: â€Å"Why, beautiful being, do you shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I stretch forth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and answer my beckonings with the like.† His tears fell into the water and disturbed the image. As he saw it depart, he exclaimed, â€Å"Stay, I entreat you! Let me at least gaze upon you, if I may not  touch you.† With this, and much more of the same kind, he cherished the flame that consumed him, so that by degrees he lost his color, his vigor, and the beauty which formerly had so charmed the nymph Echo. She kept near him, however, and when he exclaimed, â€Å"Alas! Alas!† she answered him with the same words. He pined away and died; and when his shade  passed the Stygian river, it leaned over the boat to catch a look of itself in the waters. The nymphs mourned for him, especially the water-nymphs; and when they smote their breasts, Echo smote hers also. They prepared a funeral pile, and would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found; but in its place a flower, purple within, and surrounded with white leaves, which bears the name and preserves the memory of Narcissus.(paraphrased from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book III, Narcissus and Echo, lines 477-745) Vanity and the need for outward beauty must have always been an issue in the lives of men and women for this story of Narcissus to ring true even today. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines beauty as, â€Å"The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.† Interesting definition in light of what men and women strive for in what they believe to be beautiful. The internet, magazines, television and the movies tell us what we should look like and what we should be striving for. What all the hysteria toward perfection has meant is billions of dollars spent with in the world of plastic surgery. A person that is dissatisfied with their outward appearance can easily have any part operated on, or filled with fat, or injected with silicon or collagen and viola, perfection! Well not exactly, in fact most people that have plastic surgery want more. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, â€Å"43% of all patients have two and three procedures done within the first three years of their first procedure.† The number one procedure in the Unites States in 2003 was Rhinoplasty, which is the reshaping of the nose. Three hundred thousand Americans had this type  of surgery, with Liposuction running a close second taking three hundred thousand twenty people having their fat sucked out from different areas of their bodies. Leaving breast implants, tummy tucks and eye lid lifts coming in next with over eight hundred thousand surgeries done a year. A quarter of all breast implants are later removed because of complications or concern of future complications. Many of the people interviewed state that they want these surgeries so that they can feel better about themselves, but really more often then not it seems that it is more about what others think. This brings us to media and the pressure for beauty that is beamed into our living rooms daily. Television shows such as The Swan, supposedly takes, self-proclaimed â€Å"ugly ducklings† and they are given the unique opportunity to realize their dreams on an unscripted series that turns a fairy tale into reality. In its first season, THE SWAN became the No. 1 makeover show on television among Adults 18-49. THE SWAN promises to take women who are stuck in a rut and revitalizes them by revealing their beauty and confidence. It offers them an incredible opportunity to undergo physical, mental and emotional transformations and follows them through the process. This series culminates in a spectacular pageant in which one woman ultimately is crowned â€Å"The Swan.† Each contestant is assigned a team of specialists – a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeon, and dentist – who work together to design the ideal individually tailored program for her. The team assists the contestants in an overall transformation that is not just about physical change. Two contestants, who compete for a place in the pageant finale, are featured in every episode. The reveals of their individual transformations are especially dramatic because the women are not permitted to see themselves in a mirror during the three-month process. Thus, not only do they find out who has been selected to compete in the Swan Pageant and who will go home to her family, but they see themselves anew for the first time. This sounds so harmless while being life changing. Are these women really ugly ducklings and according to who? The description of the show sounds like it might be actually helping people feel better about themselves. It is the process and competition that makes the whole idea rather unappealing to so many not to  mention narcissistic, for in the end of each show the women finally get to see themselves after three months of dieting, exercise, plastic surgery from head to toe, tooth bleaching or veneers, hair coloring, cutting, and make-up, to reveal, â€Å"I’m so pretty† and then many of them say to the host of the show that they can not stop looking at themselves. They are admiring the outside appearance that has just taken a huge transformation. Then in the end there can only be one Swan and of course the other sixteen finalists are left to feel like they were not good enough or beautiful enough to be chosen, and all though they reinvented themselves they have been lowered back down to be losers yet again. Similar to The Swan is a makeover show on MTV called I Want a Famous Face, where people have plastic surgery to look like their favorite celebrity. Shows such as these inadvertently train people that it is acceptable to change their bodies so other will be happier with the way they look, and so that they can love themselves for the first times in their lives. In these days of plastic surgery to redefine ourselves there would not be a balance in the universe without a psychological diagnosis for these kinds of behaviors. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary describes Narcissism as, â€Å"excessive love or admiration of oneself, or a psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem. Some narcissism could be healthy, â€Å"an individual’s existence would be in jeopardy if some narcissistic traits were not present. These traits protect the ego from severe damage inflicted by others.†(7,Vankin) In this case it can be protective to have some self love and overall it is important to have a healthy self image. Vankin goes on to further explain what true narcissism is, a pattern of traits and behaviors which signify infatuation and obsession with one’s self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one’s gratification, dominance and ambition. According to Vankin, most narcissists (75%) are men. Sam Vankin, Ph.D. has written a book on the subject of Narcissim, entitiled, Magnificent Self Love, in this book he describes narcissism as a personality disorder with distinguishable traits. Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements) Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion Firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions) Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation – or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (narcissistic supply) Feels entitled. Expects unreasonable or special and favorable priority treatment. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her expectations Is â€Å"interpersonally exploitative†, i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with or acknowledge the feelings and needs of others Constantly envious of others or believes that they feel the same about him or her Arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes coupled with rage when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted Obviously it is fair to say that there are people in this world that could be so in love with themselves that it could be to their own demise. It is also good to know that although there is not a tremendous amount of research on the disorder that there is help out there for these individuals. The story does not end here, there is more to our hero Narcissus. The author goes on to say that when Narcissus dies, the goddess of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears. â€Å"Why do you weep?† the goddess asked. â€Å"I weep for Narcissus,† the lake replied. â€Å"Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,† they said, â€Å"for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.† â€Å"But†¦ was Narcissus beautiful?† the lake asked. â€Å"Who better than you to know that?† the goddesses said in wonder. â€Å"After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!† The lake was silent for some time. Finally it said: â€Å"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.† This story contains the essence of the impact we can have on others without even knowing it. People should remember that the reflection of ourselves, in the eyes of others during our communication with them, is usually the one that we put there ourselves. Perhaps Thoreau said it best: What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate† – Henry David Thoreau

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