Patty Peterson, ClassE advisory board member and public relations director at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Systems, discussed how great brands are made. The psychology of colors, useful design and font types and discussion of personal branding was discussed. She also shared some information about the rebranding of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Systems.

Catholic Charities is a nonprofit with a mission to help all in need. They have a re-sell shop and also sell on-line. They give vouchers to the people in need for furniture, food, clothes and personal care items. They even assist in getting medicines at a reduced rate. Great volunteers are a key factor in their success. Thanks Debbie Albin for the tour!

Jim and Nate Zimmer of Eastern Illinois Properties took a look at the student's logos and gave suggestions for improvement. We discussed the secrets to good design and built upon the branding discussion on Monday.

Holly Bailey of Howell Paving and Asphalt always does a great job of giving the students a glimpse of the bidding procedure to secure governmental contracts and working with multiple labor unions. She discusses the pros and cons of the unions and the purpose that they serve.

The students once again practiced their networking and planning skills by hosting the holiday party. A good time was had by all!

Luke Jurka made a presentation about ClassE to the Mattoon Kiwanis this week. Applications for next year's class are ready at the counseling departments, so share the gift of ClassE with someone.