Future College Parent Podcast

The guest of episode twelve is Ms. Beth Hendler-Grunt, President of Next Great Step where her sole focus is to help college graduates land the job they deserve. In this episode we discuss the concepts she teaches in her upcoming (at the time of this recording) book, The Next Great Step. The parents’ guide to launching your new grad into a career. It’s so invigorating to see a caring professional tackle a problem that isn’t always completely addressed in our education systems, helping your student get a job after college. I mention in the episode that the idea of your student getting a job after college is very aspirational for future college parents, in that the episode assumes that students have made it through a traditional undergraduate program and have graduated! The points I want to make are twofold. One, I want to inspire you to not only believe your student can attend a traditional college if they want to but can become gainfully employed after receiving a degree. Second, I want you to see the type of work it will take in the future for your student to get the job they deserve and get a jump on it now. I hope you enjoy my interview with Beth! Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Beth's Website: Next Great Step Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district. You can also let parents know the show is streaming directly from the website and there is no need to download anything! The show is also on your favorite podcast platforms as well.

The guest of episode eleven is Mr. Andy Crawford, Acting Associate Director, Undergraduate & Graduate Admission Operations at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.  In this episode we discuss graduate school preparation, choice, and finance!  Our focus is on the Master of Business Administration degree, but the discussion is relevant to admission to a variety of graduate programs.  Andy really enjoys the work he does helping students gain admission and graduate from the programs at Bentley!  I mention in the episode that the idea of attending graduate school is aspirational for future college parents in that this episode assumes that students have made it through a traditional undergraduate program and have graduated!  The points I want to make are twofold.  One, I want to inspire you to not only believe your student can attend a traditional college if they want to but can also earn a master’s degree as well, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, I promise you.  Second, I hope you see the good work that you’re doing to help your student now will be applicable in helping them navigate admission to graduate school as well.  I hope you enjoy my interview with Andy! Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district. You can also let parents know the show is streaming directly from the website and there is no need to download anything! The show is also on your favorite podcast platforms as well.

The guest of episode ten is Mr. Robert Beach, School Counselor and Student Equity Action Committee Co-Sponsor at Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois. Robert has a large number of students assigned to him in a massive school district. In this episode Robert and I discuss how school counselors help support students in three areas: social & emotional, academic, and college & career support. It’s very obvious to me how passionate he is about helping students achieve success in these areas. I hope you enjoy my interview with Robert! Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district. You can also let parents know the show is streaming directly from the website and there is no need to download anything! The show is also on your favorite podcast platforms as well.

The guest of episode nine highlights Matthew Brownstein, Assistant Principal at an elementary school - including grades kindergarten through 8th grade, in Queens, NY!  In this episode we discuss how parents can help students be authors of their own lives!  This may sound very broad and potentially overwhelming, but I think you’ll find the advice Matthew provides will give you a strong starting point.  I also hope you'll see how developing relationships and taking responsibility can help students prepare for any and all post-secondary adventures.  I hope you enjoy my interview with Matthew! Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district. You can also let parents know the show is streaming directly from the website and there is no need to download anything! The show is also on your favorite podcast platforms as well.

I present to you the guest of episode eight, Ms. Denise Thomas, Chief Executive Officer and Debt Free College Coach of Get Ahead of the Class, where she “partners with parents to put their kids through college debt free.” Denise is a TEDx speaker, keynote speaker, author, podcaster, and has a mobile app! In this episode we discuss Denise’s five steps you can take right now to help your student not serve a college debt sentence. I hope you enjoy my interview with Denise! Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Denise's Don’t waste the middle school years eBook: Download here! Denise's TEDx Talk: Costly Myths: Scholarships, True Cost of College, and Dream School Denise on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisethomasdebtfreecollege/ Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district. You can also let parents know the show is streaming directly from the website and there is no need to download anything! The show is also on your favorite podcast platforms as well.

The guest of episode seven features Mr. Pedro Sanchez, Director of Financial Aid at Wheeling University. Pedro is student and family focused, and to top it off he knows financial aid and leads the league in financial aid credentials. In this episode we discuss FAFSA completion, the Federal Student Loan Program and Professional judgements. I hope you enjoy my interview with Pedro!

I concluded the 6 episode release by speaking with Dr. Mike McDonald, superintendent of my high school alma mater, Walton Central School! Mike began as the superintendent of WCS in the summer of 2020. Now, I don't want to give anything away. But you'll hear at the top of the interview how I met Mike, and I know you'll see why I asked him to be a guest on the show. I’m so happy that he’s taking care of my alma matter. During the episode, you will hear Mike talk about different ways we can encourage career exploration right from a young age, how to connect the student career pathways with what is going on in classrooms, and how we can work with our students to enhance their preparation for college. Episode Timeline: [01:06] Introducing Mike [02:24] Going back to the fall of 1994 [05:36] Mike’s role in helping parents and students in getting college and career ready. [07:15] Career exploration and traditional college preparation process. [09:42] Best practice to move the career exploration at age-appropriate levels down through the elementary schools. [12:53] Why students’ college and career preparations should start at an early age. [16:36] Getting the kids connected to career pathways. [19:50] Tools to connect students with resources outside their region. [21:30] Advice to students who have not found their interests yet. [24:21] Differences between being career-ready and being college-ready. [27:31] Mike’s advice for the higher education system [33:44] Justin’s 5 takeaways from the episode Five things I learned from my talk with Mike! 1. Encourage career exploration early on by connecting what your student is already doing in the classroom with related careers. Example: if your student is responsible for gathering/delivering mail for the classroom, start to show them different career options that are similar by identifying people that are in these roles currently like a manager or postal worker. You can also encourage shadowing, tours, internships, even using surveys and online programs like Career Zone. The goal is to help your student identify pathways that align with their interests. Note, I am not affiliated, nor do I endorse Career Zone and only mention it by name as Mike mentioned using it at his school. 2. Work with your student to enhance their preparation for college throughout their educational journey. As they get closer to applying for education after high school, I encourage you and your student to attend College Career Nights, College Financial Planning/Aid Nights, and any and all programs your school provides. 3. There’s always a way and always a pathway for your student to achieve career goals. 4. Being college ready is being career ready. College or education after high school isn’t a culmination of what is learned during high school. It is part of the student’s career trajectory and pathway. 5. Ask questions while exploring colleges with career goals in mind, do not make assumptions. Does the program align with the recognized professional associations in the student’s goal field? Will the program get your student to their career goal after successful completion, or will there be additional steps they need to take after completing the program? Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Listen to episodes on https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/: Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in, and your school administrators so they can share with your school district....

In today’s episode, I had the honor to interview Ms. Susan Tripp, Director of Financial Aid emeritus from Herkimer College. Also appearing on the episode is Ms. Deb Sutliff, Bursar Emeritus at Herkimer college as well. I had the absolute pleasure and honor to work directly with Deb and Sue at Herkimer College and saw firsthand the care and concern they provided to individual students, and it was just unparalleled. Their baseline was beyond the best that I've seen in my career and was simply a part of the fabric of who they are. I want to mention to you that this episode will not cover all that is paying for college, I intend to have future episodes dedicated to this critical and complex topic. Episode Timeline: [00:56] Introducing today’s guests to the show [03:30] Deb’s and Sue’s roles in helping students be college-ready [06:15] What all parents should know about high school to college transition [12:03] Taking advantage of the local community college [13:10] What is financial aid and how can students apply for it? [16:09] The financial aid application process [20:30] Stigma around the FAFSA [25:46] When to file for the FAFSA [27:18] Looking into the financial aid letter [34:32] Common mistakes students and parents make related to FAFSA packages [39:19] What role should financial aid play in a student’s decision to apply to a school vs another school? [43:21] Justin’s 5 takeaways from the episode Five things I learned from my talk with Deb & Sue! 1. Begin to learn about the financial aid process with your student prior to attending college! This will make the process much less stressful when it’s time to actually apply for financial aid. There is a wealth of resources available including your high school guidance counselor, admissions representatives that visit your high school, or contact your local community college bursar and financial aid offices to learn more about financial aid programs and workshops they may provide. They may also have staff and services available to help you navigate the process. 2. Do not be quick to dismiss your local community college. There are potential monetary savings, similar general education courses are offered in the first two-years at both a community college and four-year institution, and some of the community college faculty may even work in the field they are teaching. 3. To apply for federal financial aid students must fill out the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid annually. This means every year a student is attending or considering attending a college. Filing the FAFSA will determine a student’s eligibility for grants, loans, and work-study. Individual states may offer financial aid as well, please visit your state education department website to see if your state offers financial aid. 4. After a student completes the FAFSA and supplies any supplemental information required by a respective campus in a timely fashion. The campus will send the student a financial aid award letter. Some awards are given to the student such as grants and scholarships. Grants and scholarships generally don’t need to be repaid. Some awards are offered to the student such as loans. There are limits to how much a student can borrow. Also, students can borrow less than what they are offered. If there’s a difference between how much financial aid is offered and the cost of attendance, it is up to the student and their family to determine how to pay this expense. 5. There is a difference between the financial aid award package and the bill a student receives from a respective campus. The financial aid package is based on average costs of items such as room and board and indirect costs. The bill reflects actual costs charged to the student. Resources Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.

The fourth episode of the Future College Parent Podcast features Ms. Suzanne Gluck, Guidance Counselor at East Williston Union Free School District. This episode is special to me because Suzanne was actually a student of mine back when I worked in the college housing program at the University at Buffalo. I remember Suzanne as an undergraduate student herself, and specifically the joy, the energy, and the passion she has for life. It's such a thrill to see her now helping students navigate all that is high school and beyond. She’s super knowledgeable and is such as caring professional. What a great honor for me to see how much Suzanne has grown. I’m extremely proud of her! And I'm confident you'll see in our talk how she provides a solid structure for students but allows them to exhibit their own creativity to achieve their individual goals. Episode Timeline: [01:01] Introducing Suzanne Gluck! [02:50] Suzanne’s role in supporting parents and students in getting college and career ready. [04:52] Why prepare students for college right from 8th grade? [06:03] About Naviance and its role [09:13] How a high school guidance counselor is helpful to students. [12:18] Solutions for students who don’t advocate for themselves [14:50] How to include all students on the guidance and counseling radar. [17:06] Does every school have a counselor? [17:54] How parents can assist students with college preparation. [22:29] Putting a student in a safe uncomfortable position [24:57] Advice for the higher education system [28:55] Partnering with parents to overcome higher education websites communication issues [30:43] Justin’s 5 takeaways from the episode Five things I learned from my talk with Suzanne! 1. You can start preparing and creating your student’s college going identity as early as the 8th grade by helping your student get to know who they are (I suggest even as early as the 6th grade). Parents can begin to develop this identity by asking open-ended questions to help their student reflect on what they’ve learned and liked. Or parents can challenge your student to step out of their comfort zone, they may surprise themselves or fail. Either is a good thing as they’re growing! 2. Check to see if your school uses a platform to create and track post-secondary plans. For example, Suzanne discussed her school uses the Naviance College, Career, and life readiness platform as a locker to track all the stuff and things her students are doing to become college and career ready. If your school isn’t using a platform, that’s OK, you can start a notebook or begin to create a portfolio of experiences to track everything! Note, I am not affiliated, nor do I endorse Naviance and only mention it by name as Suzanne mentioned using it in her school. 3. You can help your student to be their own self-advocate and learning to speak for themselves by helping them articulate their needs, wants, and how they’re going to be successful. Try this first before asserting yourself as their advocate. 4. Know the name of your school counselor and encourage your students build the relationship with that person. 5. When you’re at the college choice stage, reach out to a potential campus and ask to speak with an admissions counselor and/or student representative that represents or has a similar interest as your student. For example, a specific major or interest. This will help the student determine the feel and fit they get from the institution. Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: www.facebook.

In the third episode of the Future College Parent Podcast, I had the honor to speak to Mr. Pedro Martinez, director of Admission at Cal Poly Humboldt. Pedro and I first met for the first time recording this episode. And I have to tell you, this is one of the most genuine humans I've met in my higher education career. I was really appreciative of Pedro sharing his narrative of being Hispanic, from a small town and the struggles he faced growing up. He’s proof you can come from anywhere and do anything! During the episode you'll hear Pedro talk about Humboldt State University becoming a certified Cal Poly institution in the coming months. I'm happy to announce Humboldt State University is now Cal Poly Humboldt. Pedro mentions this designation will immediately change the admissions process but will add some more academic programs to the institution. Congratulations, Cal Poly Humboldt! Episode Timeline: [00:56] Introducing Pedro Martinez [02:19] Pedro’s role in supporting parents and students in getting college and career ready [04:04] Pedro’s journey from high school to college [08:18] Cal Poly Humboldt admission requirements and study levels [15:21] Meeting basic admission requirements is enough to get admitted [18:58] Questions parents should be asking about Humboldt [22:08] Pedro’s advice to the secondary education system. [26:07] Developing a relationship with the administration. [29:15] Justin’s 5 takeaways from the episode. Five things I learned from my talk with Pedro! 1. Cal Poly Humboldt currently admits over 90% of students who apply! Most of these students have met the California Department of Education graduation requirements referred to as the “A-G course list.” Congratulations! Your student CAN attend a public four-year institution! If you’re worried your student won’t exactly meet one or more of the admissions requirements, reach out to admissions counselors at an institution. They are trained to work with you to develop a pathway to admission. Listeners outside of the state of California can check their local school district or state education department website for their state’s graduation and higher education institutional requirements for admission. 2. Check with your local high school administration to see if they have connections with colleges, both local and beyond. If they don’t ask them to help you to make the connection to a school! 3. Applying to a college isn’t just about applying and going. Remember Pedro’s funnel analogy. Starting with good high school preparation and gaining an understanding of your ability and willingness to pay for college, your student can then apply and follow the steps to be proactive and make sure they are on the path from preparation, through admission, to course registration. 4. Ask a potential school where you as a parent fit in. Often we hear in the popular media of overinvolved parents reaking havoc on campuses! This doesn’t have to be the case for you, ask the question about where you can provide support both from afar, and when you visit the campus. 5. Say thank you to your high school faculty, staff, and administrators. They create the environment for your student to be academically and personally successful. We cannot thank them enough for the work they do. Resources: Future College Parent Podcast website: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Future College Parent Network: The Future College Parent Network is here for you to post what you learned by listening to this episode and engage with other listeners so we can learn together! Please join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/futurecollegeparentnetwork/ Listen to episodes on: https://www.futurecollegeparent.com/ Please share the podcast widely with other parents, leaders of activities your student is involved in,