Christie: NASA Astronaut Instructor, Flight Controller, Human Spaceflight Programs, International Space Station, Project Management; Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Graduate Certificate in Project Management

How did Kylie go from studying journalism and Spanish in college, to working several years in advertising, and then return to school to pursue a fulfilling career in nursing? You may be surprised by how many skills are transferable between these different academic and career spaces. Join us to hear how Kylie wove everything together along her unique career path, while continuously following what was best for her and her family in each chapter of her life.  It’s never too late to alter your path, learn new skills, and pursue different types of work that best suit your life and your interests. 

Choosing a major in college often begins with a subject we enjoy, and for Dr. Bledsoe, it was no different when her love of reading and writing led her to major in English Literature, which eventually led to a Masters Degree in Advanced Literary to help others learn to love and value reading.  Many of us find our calling through our work experiences, as Ripsime did in her first few positions out of school.  We never know where we are going to discover the thing that becomes our career focus, so it’s important to be open to opportunities and continue to learn every step of the way, as Ripsime clearly does throughout her story.  Because Dr. Bledsoe has years of experience teaching First Year seminar courses, we discuss many topics pertaining to first year college students, including many pieces of advice for both students and parents.  Don't miss this valuable guidance!

How does one go from planning to obtain a PhD to become a professor, to instead entering the corporate software industry, to then starting and owning an Art & Furniture Gallery, then adding a leather goods company? John has had an interesting path, filled with life lessons and a heart for positively impacting his community.  Not only does John discuss evaluating his options realistically along the way, but also how other life events can often direct our path in unexpected ways–your ability to adapt is key.

To check out John’s businesses and the beautiful products they offer, visit www.madisonflitch.com and www.madisonstitch.com, and make sure to listen to the history of how each business began in this episode.

Like many students, Amanda started her college path doing something she loved: playing her clarinet. After some time in college, she realized that even though she loved music, she didn’t necessarily want that to be her career path.  Once she transferred schools, she took advantage of an opportunity to speak to multiple professionals in a field she was interested in to help guide her decisions to a new major.  Technology and the cybersecurity landscape have changed significantly in the years since Amanda was in college, so she has been very proactive in learning and collecting valuable professional experiences along her path. Through it all, Amanda has invested time in a valuable professional organization that positively contributes not only to her community, but to her own professional experience.  Don’t miss this valuable conversation about Amanda’s journey as a fourth generation Mexican American from Texas to working in cybersecurity for a dream technology company on the west coast.  

From a young age, Andy loved his American Airlines mechanic grandfather teaching him about airplanes. From the day he took his intro flight, he knew he wanted to pursue flying as his career.  Join us for this conversation about the different ways you can obtain your certifications (and how the cost of each path varies), advantages and disadvantages to aviation degrees, what the schedule of a pilot is like, the enjoyable perks, and how your career can change over time.  If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a pilot, this episode is for you! 

Raised in a Mexican-American family in San Antonio, Texas, Francisco’s mother insisted that he pursue a college degree. The importance of higher education would become an essential theme later in Francisco’s journalism career.  As a student who loved writing, Francisco led and founded student newspapers at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level, eventually leading to a position with the Los Angeles Times.  Join us for this important conversation about ethics in the workplace, the cost of higher education, how your identity and experience can bring valued perspective to your work, the debate about objectivity in journalism, and attending community colleges or local universities vs big name, out-of-state schools.  This episode is dense with important issues for students and fantastic advice for anyone navigating their education and career path.  

From her early high school days on the yearbook staff, Sarah dreamed she may one day work for the fashion magazines that she loved to read. Beginning her college career as a Magazine Journalism major, she started to realize that she would need to forge her own path to be able to work in the areas she was most interested in. Join us as Sarah describes how she created a path for herself into the world of luxury goods, working for recognizable brands like Harry Winston, La Prairie, and MAC Cosmetics (among others). Sarah’s story is another valuable lesson in evaluating your skills and talents, intentionally expanding upon your experiences for professional growth, and working to build relationships and learn from those around you in the workplace.  

Many kids have dreams of becoming an astronaut or working at NASA, but how many actually pursue the path to that dream?  As a high school student, after watching the movie Apollo 13, Christie knew that she was interested in working at NASA.  Join us as Christie shares highlights about her degree in Aerospace Engineering, her work as a NASA Academy student, and how her path has progressed through her work today.  Her roles within Human Space flight include projects with the International Space Station and as an Astronaut Instructor at NASA. Christie tells us about her time working abroad in Europe, the value of her education in Project Management, the importance of internships and mentorship, and how people with a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise can find their place working at NASA. 

What do you do when you work to get into law school, and then once you get there, realize that is not where you want to be? If you are Laura Gassner Otting, you start dating the “world’s worst boyfriend”, who happens to take you by a campaign office where you meet a presidential candidate who inspires you to drop out of law school, work for his campaign, and eventually join the White House staff!  Don’t miss this insightful conversation about how Laura’s path, including twenty years in Executive Search, led her to start her own business, write bestselling books, including Limitless, and give keynote speeches all over the country with inspiring guidance for everyone looking to find consonance in their life and career.  

**Must Hear Episode** for everyone, no matter where you are on your education or career path! 

You can find Laura on social media channels at @heylgo and at https://www.lauragassnerotting.com/.

After receiving a music scholarship, Elizabeth initially decided to be a clarinet performance major.  Join us as she describes her path from music to Graphic Design and Illustration, her first job at Hallmark, graduate school in New York City, and her successful journey in the publishing world, including meeting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg after the publication of I Dissent!

Elizabeth Baddeley is a New York Times Bestselling and award-winning illustrator of I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark. She has illustrated many other biographies and non-fiction books for children including: The Fastest Girl on Earth (Knopf), Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call (Calkins Creek), Leave is to Abigail (Little Brown), An Inconvenient Alphabet (Simon & Schuster) and more! In addition to her work in publishing, she has also created illustrations for The State of Missouri, The New York Times, Hallmark, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Sarah Lawrence College, Notre Dame Magazine, and Deloitte. Career highlights include winning a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators for her sequential work “Swimmer Girls” and being the guest of Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a Supreme Court session in 2019.

You can find more about Elizabeth’s work and her social media at ebaddeley.com