Podcast
The Champions Coffee Podcast
Hosted by Vygo · EN
A podcast series of 10-15 minute live virtual conversations (with virtual coffee) between Ben Hallett (CEO/Co-Founder, Vygo) and various industry professionals in the education or student success space.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Dr. Nerita Hughes | President, Bay College
3w ago00:37:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, host Ben Hallett, Co-Founder & CEO of Vygo, sits down with Dr. Nerita Hughes, President of Bay College.Discover Dr. Hughes’ perspective on leading student success in a rural community college environment and what it truly takes to create meaningful outcomes beyond graduation. Drawing on her background in business, workforce development, and higher education leadership, Dr. Hughes shares how Bay College is aligning academic programs with workforce needs, building structured student pathways, and preparing students for long-term career success.The conversation also explores the evolving role of technology and AI in education, the importance of holistic student support, and why community colleges remain powerful engines of opportunity and economic mobility. At the heart of it all is Dr. Hughes’ belief that student success is about more than earning a credential it’s about removing barriers, fostering engagement, and helping learners achieve their goals.A thoughtful conversation on leadership, innovation, and the transformative impact of community colleges.
Transcribe →Tréon D. McClendon | University of Missouri–Kansas City
Feb 2500:29:24Tap to summarizeIn this special live episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, recorded at the 2025 NASPA Student Success Conference in Denver, host Ben Hallett sits down with Tréon D. McClendon, Assistant Vice Provost of Retention Initiatives at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.A national award-winning educator and first-generation college graduate, Trayon leads one of the most comprehensive student success portfolios at UMKC spanning academic advising, career services, student support, supplemental instruction, and new student orientation.He shares compelling stories from the classroom that underscore the importance of flexibility, self-awareness, and responsibility in student-facing roles. Whether adapting an icebreaker to ensure accessibility or taking a chance on a student who simply needed belief and opportunity, Trayon demonstrates how small moments of intentionality can have lasting impact.
Transcribe →Colette Slaviero | UNSW
Feb 1700:19:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Joel Di Trapani sits down with Colette Slaviero, a student engagement leader at UNSW, to unpack what it really takes to scale peer mentoring in a modern university.Joel and Colette explore what makes UNSW’s model distinctive. Rather than operating as a single centralised program, peer mentoring at UNSW has grown organically through student clubs and societies resulting in nearly 50 unique programs, many created and led by students themselves. From Women in Aviation to cross-faculty Digital Society initiatives and niche interest-based communities, the ecosystem reflects the diversity of student identity and ambition.The episode closes with a powerful reflection on modern student life. In a world where students feel pressure to be “career-ready” before they graduate, Colette offers a different perspective: university should also be enjoyed. Beyond internships, leadership roles, and résumés, there is value in learning for its own sake and embracing the unique, fleeting experience of being a student.
Transcribe →Natalie Oostergo | UniSQ
Feb 1700:19:17Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast by Vygo, host Joel Di Trapani, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Vygo, sits down with Natalie Oostergo, Associate Director of Student Success Advising at UniSQ, to explore what it truly means to deliver student-centred support at scale.Joel and Natalie unpack how student success is measured beyond simple pass rates. From short-term engagement indicators to long-term retention and progression outcomes, Natalie explains how her team reaches nearly 84% of the student cohort each year, combining relational advising with sophisticated data analysis to identify students who may need support before they ask for it.The conversation closes with a powerful reminder for students: it’s normal to feel both excitement and nerves at the start of university, and the key is to engage early, lean into orientation, and set yourself up for success from day one.
Transcribe →Dr. Alison Buckley | SUNY Ulster
Feb 1000:29:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Alison Buckley, President of SUNY Ulster, to explore community college leadership, student-centred design, and what it truly takes to help students not just access college—but finish.Ben and Alison discuss what makes SUNY Ulster distinctive from its unique role serving both rural communities and the city of Kingston, New York, to its deep-rooted connection with local residents who view the college as a life-changing institution. Alison shares how accessibility, visibility, and listening to students directly shape her day-to-day presidency, from open-door conversations to addressing food insecurity in real time.A powerful thread throughout the conversation centers on student success by design, not luck. Alison reflects on a former student whose journey was altered through timely intervention, financial support, and consistent human connection and how that experience shaped her belief that institutions must intentionally build systems that surround every student with support.This episode is a thoughtful and grounded exploration of leadership rooted in empathy, community, and the belief that higher education works best when students are truly seen, supported, and believed in.
Transcribe →Dr. Stanley Bazile | Ithaca College
Feb 900:23:21Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Stanley Bazile, Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life at Ithaca College, to explore what it truly means to put students first and how institutions can show up for students when it matters most.Dr Bazile leads more than 200 professional staff and over 1,000 student employees at Ithaca College, advancing student engagement, leadership, well-being, and success. With previous leadership roles at St. Francis College and deep involvement in national student affairs organizations, he brings both academic and practitioner perspectives to the work of student success.The conversation begins with what makes Ithaca College distinctive—from its renowned performing arts and communications alumni to its commitment to creating an environment where students feel safe, supported, and intellectually challenged. Dr. Bazile shares how Ithaca embraces the idea of community over individuality, grounding its culture in the belief that students should never have to navigate college alone.This conversation is a moving reminder that student success is built on relationships, empathy, and shared responsibility—and that the most meaningful impact often happens outside the syllabus.
Transcribe →Dr. Brent Bates | State Fair Community College
Feb 600:37:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Brent Bates, President of State Fair Community College, to explore community-rooted leadership, workforce-aligned education, and what it takes to drive meaningful student success in rural America.Since becoming the sixth president of State Fair Community College in 2022, Dr. Bates has led a bold expansion of facilities and programs focused on workforce training and regional economic growth. The conversation dives into a $60M investment in new and renovated facilities anchored by a successful $20M capital campaign for agriculture and mechanics training that has helped fuel a 20% enrollment increase in just three years.A major theme of the episode is student-centered leadership. Drawing on his 23 years as Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, Dr. Bates shares how initiatives like Caring Campus for both staff and faculty embed empathy, visibility, and responsiveness into everyday student interactions, reinforcing a culture where students feel known, supported, and valued.One of the most powerful moments comes as Dr. Bates shares deeply personal student success stories—from adult learners finding a way out of difficult circumstances to former students returning with renewed purpose—underscoring the transformational role community colleges play for individuals, families, and entire communities.This episode is a compelling look at how values-driven leadership, community partnerships, and practical education can create opportunity at scale—one student, one pathway, and one region at a time.
Transcribe →Dr. Minita Ramirez | Laredo College
Jan 2100:34:21Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Minita Ramirez, President of Laredo College, to explore how history, community, and purpose converge to shape one of the most impactful community colleges in South Texas.As the first woman president in Laredo College’s 78-year history and a proud alumna, Dr. Ramirez’s journey has come full circle from student to educator to president. Leading an institution rooted in the historic Fort McIntosh and located at the nation’s largest inland port of entry, she shares how Laredo College has evolved from reskilling returning WWII veterans to preparing today’s learners for careers in logistics, trade, healthcare, law enforcement, and emerging AI-driven industries.Ben and Dr. Ramirez discuss the critical role community colleges play in workforce development, especially in geographically isolated regions, and how applied bachelor’s degrees, industry-aligned programs, and strong employer partnerships are creating affordable, career-advancing pathways for students. Dr. Ramirez also reflects deeply on her personal journey from teaching and publishing to enrollment leadership—and how lived experience informs her student-centered approach to access, equity, and holistic support.This conversation dives into the real barriers students face financial insecurity, self-doubt, food and housing instability, and mental health challenges—and how removing those barriers can transform lives. Dr. Ramirez closes with a powerful reminder of the responsibility educators carry, and how belief, opportunity, and persistence can change the trajectory of generations.
Transcribe →Dr. William Serrata | El Paso Community College
Jan 2100:29:46Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr William Serrata, President of El Paso Community College (EPCC), to unpack what it takes to drive enrollment growth and dramatically improve student retention, completion, and post-graduation outcomes at scale.Dr. Serrata has led EPCC through a period of national recognition, earning distinctions such as Aspen Prize finalist, AACC Student Success Award, and multiple equity honours. Under his leadership, EPCC has become the number one community college in the nation for Hispanic student enrollment and associate degrees awarded, with a deep focus on first-generation student success.Ben and Dr. Serrata explore how decades of student-success initiatives from Achieving the Dream to Guided Pathways have shaped EPCC’s long-term strategy, and why saying no to misaligned initiatives can be just as important as adopting new ones.
Transcribe →President Jo Blondin | President, Clark State College
Jan 2100:32:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr Jo Blondin, the fifth president of Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio, to explore leadership, workforce innovation, and what it truly means to build a culture of care in community colleges.Ben and Dr. Blondin discuss what makes Clark State unique, from nationally distinctive programs in modelling and simulation and addiction and integrated treatment studies to one of the largest nursing programs in Ohio. The conversation dives deep into Clark State’s One Front Door strategy, an equity-centred approach that ensures every learner, whether credit or workforce-focused, receives the same level of access, support, and dignity from day one.As she reflects on her upcoming retirement after two decades as a college president, Dr Blondin shares hard-earned leadership wisdom, the mentors who shaped her journey, and the advice she gives every student: always sit at the table and never confuse who you are with the job you do.
Transcribe →