Choosing a college, career, major, or post secondary pathway can feel overwhelming for students and families, especially when young people are asked to make life-shaping decisions before they have had real career exposure. In this episode of Start the Week with Wisdom, Bridget Burns and Sara Custer sit down with Julie Lammers, President and CEO of Britebound , live from the ASU GSV Summit, to talk about why career exploration should start in middle school and high school, not after students arrive on a college campus.

Julie explains how Britebound, formerly American Student Assistance, is helping students build a longer runway toward life after high school through work-based learning, career-connected learning, non-degree pathway data, post secondary navigation, and practical tools for families, counselors, and higher education leaders. This conversation matters for anyone working in student success, college access, career readiness, workforce development, K-12 partnerships, or higher education strategy.

You’ll hear:

→ Why asking students “What do you want to be?” can be the wrong question

→ How early internships and hands-on learning help students discover what they like and do not like

→ Why higher education has often become an expensive career exploration tool

→ How new platforms like Go Zing are helping students compare college, credential, and career pathways with better information

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This week's episode is sponsored by Mainstay, a student retention and engagement tool where you can increase student and staff engagement with the only platform consistently proven to boost engagement, retention, and wellbeing. To learn more about Mainstay, click here.