High School Hamster Wheel

This week’s episode is number two in a series of four highlighting blue-collar careers and careers in the trades. Last week we heard from Steve Turner of Bring Back the Trades. If you missed that episode, be sure to check it out. This week, I am delighted to welcome Andrea Harris to the podcast. Andrea is the CEE, Chief Empowerment Executive, at a non-profit organization called Tools and Tiaras, where she and her co-founder Judaline Cassidy, mentor and teach young people about the trades. Having spent over 20 years as a cement mason in New York City, Andrea has a wealth of experience and wisdom for young people interested in careers in the trades. During our conversation, Andrea talks about her unexpected path into the trades, how to get young people started in the trades and why she draws a diamond and a heart on each of her tools. You won’t want to miss Andrea’s advice about getting a debt-free education in the trades and her biggest lesson in 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

I’m super excited to bring you today’s episode. It’s one of four in a series this month focused on blue-collar careers and the trades. If you are a loyal listener, you know that I have no issue with college but the fact is, that a college path is not the right path for everyone. As a society and as parents, we need to help empower our kids to explore all paths, including those that don’t require college. In today’s episode, I am joined by Steve Turner. Steve has spent the past 40 years working in the trades, and as a business owner for 30 of those years. He realized pretty quickly that it was becoming increasingly difficult to hire skilled workers in the trades, so he took it upon himself to start a nonprofit called Bring Back the Trades, where he provides scholarships to young people who are pursuing careers in the trades. During our conversation, Steve shares how Bring Back The Trades all started with a hat and how to get teens interested and excited about working in the trades. Steve believes, and I agree, that we need to encourage a shift in mindset to make the trades a popular choice for young people 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

I’d like to welcome you to a very special episode of the High School Hamster Wheel podcast. I am beyond thrilled to tell you that this is the 100th episode of the podcast. Even when I say that out loud, it’s still hard to believe. I remember recording episode one like it was just yesterday. And coincidentally, today happens to be International Podcast Day, so there’s even more reason to celebrate! I am not just a podcaster. I am a parent of teens which means that I am going through this right along with you. Little did I know when I started this podcast that I would gain so much knowledge and insight from every single guest. It’s been an unexpected bonus for me in that I can apply this personally in my own life, and that has been invaluable as my family navigates the high school hamster wheel. Every child is different (even those that are raised in the same household as I am finding out!) and there is no one size fits all solution for every teen or young adult. As I cross the threshold of 100 episodes, I can’t think of a better time to reflect back on my previous episodes and share some of the takeaways that I have gained along the way. This isn’t a complete list. It would take multiple episodes to share everything I have learned. But I encourage you to go back through the list of all 100 episodes, search the topics and listen to the conversations that are relevant to you where your child is right now. Save the rest for later. They will be here whenever you need them. And as always, thanks for listening. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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

I am super excited to bring you a “bonus episode” today. I was recently interviewed by my friend, Joanna Lilley, and our conversation aired on her podcast, Success is Subjective. I thought it would be helpful for me to share our conversation here as well because I think it provides a lot of insight and background into who I am and why I am so passionate about what I do. Joanna and I are extremely liked-minded when it comes to helping young people transition through adolescence and into adulthood. During this episode, I share my journey from my high school years all the way up to today and I provide the reasons why I continue to try to move the needle as it relates to perceptions about college versus alternative paths. As you’ll hear during the interview, I believe that it is up to us as parents to get these important conversations going with our teens, as well as with other parents. If we hope to remove the stigmas associated with non-college paths, then we need to start changing that mindset at home. I’d love to hear from you after you listen to this episode. Whether you think or feel differently, I welcome all perspectives and points of view. So please reach out to me via social media or email and let me know what you think. Be sure to tune in next time for my 100th episode of the High School Hamster Wheel podcast! Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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 this episode, I am welcoming back Joanna Lilley to the podcast. If you are a loyal listener, you might remember Joanna from episodes 33 and 69. If you missed those episodes, be sure to check them out because Joanna ALWAYS provides valuable advice for parents of teens and young adults. During our conversation, Joanna and I discuss something called “early alert”. It might have a different name based on the college or university, but basically, it’s the point during the first semester of college, about mid-way through, when students are identified as at-risk for failing a class. For parents who have close communication with their kids, this might not be a surprise. But in many cases, parents have no idea their young adult is struggling, and by the time they find out, it’s too late to take action. Joanna shares her experience inside higher ed and how schools identify struggling students, the difference between student retention and student success, and why declaring a major can help keep students engaged. Be sure to listen to the end when Joanna provides helpful advice for parents about how to help their young adults when they are struggling. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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 this episode, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Mandy Pacheco to the podcast. Crossing paths with Mandy was a huge stroke of luck, thanks to our mutual friend Michelle. Once we connected, I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Mandy’s years of experience in higher education as well as her role as a flex-schooling parent provides her with the perfect blend of insight and expertise from both perspectives. During our conversation, we discuss the importance of experiential learning and why consent in education is critical to the success of our kids. Mandy provides valuable suggestions for parents whose kids aren’t in love with learning. And you won’t want to miss Mandy’s advice for parents of incoming college students. I continue to learn from Mandy every time I speak with her and I’m sure you will learn from her too. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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 topic is one that will resonate with every parent, no matter the age of their kids. I’m thrilled to welcome Karen Moon, a psychotherapist specializing in grief and loss to the podcast. Karen has a private practice in Wayne, Pennsylvania and she has worked with teenagers for over fourteen years. During our conversation, Karen shares her expert wisdom and insight to help parents as they guide their teens through grief and loss. Some of the topics we cover include helping our teens gain resilience, learning to be ok with “I don’t know” and how to get comfortable with the lack of control. As our kids transition back into in-person school this year, this episode is a resource you won’t want to miss. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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. Tonya Crombie to the podcast. Tonya is an author, a certified life coach, and a parent of two teenagers. Her experience both professionally and personally has equipped her with valuable insight into helping young people manage anxiety and successfully transition to adulthood. During our conversation, we talk about the emotional rollercoaster that we’ve all been on during the past 18 months, why being transparent about our own anxiety can be a huge help to our teens, and why we need to put on our own metaphorical oxygen mask first. Be sure to listen through to the end as Tonya shares why it’s so important for us to befriend our anxiety. Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their life, so this episode is filled with valuable advice and strategies no matter who you are. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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 this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Profeta, M.D. Dr. Profeta has decades of experience as an emergency physician at St. Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis, a level one trauma center. He is also an award-winning writer. You may be familiar with some of his work, including his essay titled “A Sunday Talk on Sex, Drugs, Drinking and Dying”, on the topic of drugs, sexual assault, and alcohol abuse on college campuses. Dr. Profeta travels the country talking to college students and his approach is extremely direct and brutally honest. Trigger warning... we talk about drug and alcohol abuse and the experience of losing a child. Please consider that before listening to this episode. My goal in interviewing Dr. Profeta is to help educate parents about how to prepare their teens for college and life after high school in order to keep them safe. During our conversation, Dr. Profeta shares his wisdom and experience on topics including how to get through to your kids during the tough conversations, the danger of sending your kids to college with prescription drugs, and how to tell if your teen is truly ready to go to college. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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 a must-listen for parents of college-bound teens. My guest today is Susan Paterno, author of “Game On: Why College Admission is Rigged and How to Beat the System.” As Susan explains during our conversation, college admissions is a game but unfortunately, the rules aren’t clear to all participants (especially parents) and colleges have the advantage. But don’t despair, thanks to Susan and her valuable advice, we can level the playing field by equipping ourselves with knowledge, information, and strategies before allowing our kids to incur a paralyzing amount of student loan debt. I say “we” because I am a parent right smack in the middle of this journey. Our high school senior is building his college list and we are getting ready to complete our FAFSA. So I can tell you first-hand that my conversation with Susan is incredibly helpful. She shares some background on how we arrived where we are today, how families can get the best return on investment from college and why the US News college rankings are bogus. Be sure to listen all the way to the end where Susan shares her own family’s journey through the college admissions process and as she offers her expert advice for parents to get the best college deal. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page 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