What does student success really look like after high school? In this episode of Start the Week with Wisdom, Bridget Burns and Sarah Custer sit down with Melissa Connolly, CEO of OneGoal, to talk about college access, postsecondary success, multiple pathways, student advising, first-generation leadership, and why the old “college or bust” mindset no longer fits the lives of today’s students.

Melissa shares how OneGoal is helping young people prepare for life after high school through stronger advising, real-world pathways, and a student-centered approach that honors each learner’s goals. She also opens up about her own journey from being placed in a truancy program to becoming a first-generation college graduate and national education leader. This conversation is for higher education leaders, K-12 educators, nonprofit leaders, student success professionals, funders, advisors, and anyone working to close equity gaps and help students persist, graduate, and thrive.

If you care about college completion, career pathways, education equity, student engagement, chronic absenteeism, leadership, or building systems that actually work for young people, this conversation offers a practical and deeply human look at what needs to change.

Highlights:

→ Melissa Connolly explains why students need multiple pathways after high school, not a narrow “bachelor’s degree or bust” model, and how OneGoal is helping schools and districts build stronger advising systems.

→ The conversation explores how students define success for themselves, why higher education must listen more closely to student goals, and how career preparation, credentials, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and workforce pathways can work together.

→ Melissa shares her personal story as a first-generation college graduate who began high school in a truancy program, and how one social worker helped her see a future worth fighting for.

→ You’ll also hear Melissa’s leadership philosophy, including how motherhood shaped her values of being kind, being honest, and working hard, and why simple, human-centered leadership can transform organizations.

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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.