High School Hamster Wheel

Today we are talking about aptitudes and why they are important. But what exactly are aptitudes and how are they different from skills? I’m glad you asked! My guest today is Betsy Wills. Betsy is the founder of YouScience, the career assessment tool that I use in my coaching practice. If you are a data nerd like I am, you are in for a treat. During our conversation, Betsy shares the origin of YouScience, why it’s so different from other assessment tools, and how to identify career opportunities that are a good fit for your aptitudes, skills, interests, and values. Stick around to hear Betsy walk through a portion of my own personal YouScience results and how I can apply them in my life. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I am welcoming Jane and Jason Sarouhan back to the podcast. They are the owners of J2Guides, a gap year counseling service. You might remember them from episodes 16, 26, and 55. Yes, they are my most-frequent guests here on the pod, and there’s a reason for that. There has never been a better time for a gap year and there is no one better to inform and educate on this topic than Jason and Jane. In this episode, we are focusing on gap year experiences for neurodiverse and non-traditional learners. There are a plethora of amazing gap experiences available for all types of individuals, and if families just spend some time and do their research, they will be able to find the perfect fit for their teen or young adult. During our conversation, Jane and Jason dispel some of the myths about gap years and they share some data related to college student success rates following gap years. Spoiler alert: just about every college-bound student who pauses to take a gap year not only attends college but ends up finishing faster than the average student. Don’t believe me? Check out the link to supporting data in the show notes. Jane and Jason also provide helpful information about gap experiences that will not only support neurodiverse learners but will help them build valuable life skills and develop more independence. As always, Jane and Jason bring tons of information, insight, and advice to our conversation and I'm grateful for the work that they do. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am delighted to welcome a great friend and someone I’ve admired for a long time. Ann Imig is a positive psychology certified life coach at listenlifecoaching.com. Ann and I met when our firstborn kiddos were in preschool (over a decade ago). We moved away shortly thereafter but Ann and I have stayed connected over the years. Ann has traveled a very interesting and successful journey and she shares more about that in this episode. During our conversation, Ann explains what positive psychology is, how we can apply it in our lives and how we can use it to help our teens thrive. Ann shares some tips about helping our teens conquer the college application process - she and I are both watching our kids go through that right now and it is no picnic. Be sure to stick around to hear Ann’s valuable advice for parents of teens. Our conversation is fun and informative and filled with lots of helpful tips from Ann. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is one that you won’t want to miss. It’s no secret that I am passionate about education, especially when it comes to our teens. And while it doesn’t make me popular with some people, I tend to speak up about the critical need for education reform in our schools. For me, it’s not so much about education but about learning and how we can fix a broken system so that the young people of today will be equipped for the future. This isn’t just about college prep or career planning. Don’t get me wrong, those are important too. But I am talking about the impact that our current education system has on our kids' ability to learn, to build skills, to explore, be curious and gain confidence and self-worth. I’m beyond thrilled to welcome Dr. Sonn Sam to the podcast today. Dr. Sam is the Regional Director with Big Picture Learning, a national and international network of schools committed to activating the potential of schools, systems, and education through student-driven, real-world learning. He has been an innovative educator for over 18 years. During our conversation, Dr. Sam talks about his own journey through high school and how it impacted the work he does today. He also shares how we can provide students with authentic opportunities to solve real-world problems. You won’t want to miss Dr. Sam’s perspective on what needs to change and how that change is already underway. It’s conversations like this that remind me why I pivoted in this direction in the first place. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m excited to bring you not one but two amazing guests. Cynthia C. Muchnick, M.A. & Jenn Curtis, M.S.W. are the co-authors of The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World. You might be wondering right now... just what is the Parent Compass? Well, I’m glad you asked! During our conversation, Jenn and Cindy share how and why they wrote their book. They will also provide their expert advice for helping our teens learn how to develop grit and resilience and why nothing matters more than our relationship with our teens. Be sure to stick around until the end when they talk about our number one job as parents. Along with advice and insight, after listening to our conversation, you’ll walk away with actionable steps that you can put in place today. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Thomas Welch to the podcast. Dr. Welch is a child and family clinical psychologist and leading expert in working with neurodiverse young people and their families. He specializes in working with those on the autism spectrum, and those identified as Twice Exceptional (2e). Dr. Welch is also the author of “The Breakaway: A Parent’s Guide to Transitioning the Autistic and Twice Exceptional Adolescent Into Young Adulthood.” During our conversation, Dr. Welch offers valuable insights about the best ways to help neurodiverse teens transition through and beyond adolescence. He also explains the five stages of change as well as the biggest mistake that parents make. You won’t want to miss Dr. Welch’s expert advice on equipping teens with the most important skills needed to succeed in the world. Whether you have a neurodivergent teen or not, this is a must-listen for parents. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest brings a ton of value to the show. Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Jennifer Cook-DeRosa. Jennifer is the founder and executive director of Homeschooling for College Credit. If you aren’t familiar with it, Homeschooling for College Credit is an online support community that is free to join and run entirely by volunteers. Each year, this social organization helps thousands of homeschooling families learn how to inject college credit into their homeschool programs. If your family is not homeschooling and/or doesn't have teenagers, stick around anyway because Jennifer shares lots of helpful tips and suggestions for ANYONE who wants to earn college credits through alternative methods. During our conversation we talk about dual enrollment, earning credits through testing, and why transferability is so important. Jennifer also shares her journey through earning her own four-year college degree in just 18 months. Be sure to share this one with every parent of a high schooler that you know. It's a game-changer for parents of teens. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Dr. Adam Price. Dr. Price is a clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience working with children and teens. He is also the author of “He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself.” During our conversation, Dr. Price explains what he means when he says that teenagers aren’t lazy. We also discuss the true underlying issue that causes our teens to opt out, and why Dr. Price believes that we must encourage our teens to do things that make them feel proud. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is number 4 in a 4-part series on skilled trades and blue-collar careers. I hope you have enjoyed hearing the first three interviews as much as I have enjoyed doing them. Prepare to be blown away by this week’s guest. I am beyond thrilled to welcome Aaron Valencia to the podcast. Aaron is the Executive Director and Founder of the Lost Angels Children’s Project and an extraordinary human. His goal is to provide young people with the tools they need to succeed and help open doors and opportunities that improve their quality of life. He thrives on teaching and empowering youth in the local community to rise above their circumstances. During our conversation, Aaron shares his motivation for starting Lost Angels Children’s Project, why he and his team are teaching more than just trade skills and what parents can do to support a teen who is struggling with addiction. You won’t want to miss Aaron’s advice for young people who are interested in careers in the trades. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been listening to my two most recent episodes, you already know that I’m publishing a four-part series about jobs in the trades and blue-collar careers. It’s no secret that tradespeople are in high demand and that there just aren’t enough workers to fill jobs that exist today, not to mention in the coming years. My guest today is Ken Rusk. You might remember Ken from episode 62. It’s been a while since Ken was here and he is back with some exciting news and a brand new course to help people of any age find their way to a life of comfort, peace, and freedom. For those who aren’t familiar with Ken, he has had quite an amazing journey as a blue-collar entrepreneur beginning as a ditch digger while in his teens, and now decades later as a highly successful business owner. During our conversation, Ken shares his wisdom and experience on topics including the power of young money, and why our teens should learn how to visualize their future, much like they would when planning a vacation. And you won’t want to miss Ken’s advice about turning "IF goals" into "WHEN goals". Register for Ken's course today with this exclusive offer for my listeners! Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices