Graduating Anxiety

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Gregg Pauletti of RCHI Group and the brand new Changing Minds organization. After completing his Masters in Counseling at PACE University, Gregg was trained by the preeminent scholar in the field of Cognitive Remediation, Dr. Alice Medalia from Columbia University, in the NEAR Model of Cognitive Remediation. Gregg is the co-founder of Changing Minds of Stamford, highlighted by emergent MeRT treatment. MeRT targets specific brain patterns and quite literally reprograms the brain He went on to help develop and direct the first non-residential cognitive remediation program in Connecticut. In this interview he is joined by his colleague Tobias Halene MD PhD and together they discuss; their backgrounds and how the got involved with MeRT, the services of Changing Minds, why Changing Minds was set up, the process, outcomes for clients with ADHD, the risks, personal experiences with the process and how MeRT stacks up in the cognitive landscape.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Meghan Lahey of Steinbrecher & Partners. Meghan has designed a multi-session program and handbook for college-bound students and their parents, giving numerous presentations on navigating high school successfully, college readiness and finding the right fit. She also ran two comprehensive school leadership programs – Caprice Advisors and Peer Leaders – helping scores of students develop their talents and abilities. Within this episode she discusses with Alex her background, the types of student she works with, how she works with them, listing numerous organizations helping students transition out of therapeutic programs. Meghan also discusses her challenges, how the pandemic has changed her business and gives some advice for parents and student considering a transitional program.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Jennifer Benson, a Therapeutic Educational Consultant at the School Solution, a consultation and placement service for families with a child who is struggling in his or her current environment despite therapeutic and academic supports. Jennifer and Alex discuss Jennifer's background, what got her into education consulting, what the School Solution is, the types of students they work with, their signature service, their philosophy, options for therapeutic schools, the intake process, the impact it can have on the families of students and advice for parents of students who are looking at therapeutic schools as an option.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Molly Levine, the co-founder and CEO of Lemon Tree Learning and brings a wealthof experience, with a career spanning over 15 years, dedicated to supporting families and students in the domains of test preparation, general academic assistance, and executive functioning support. In this episode Molly and Alex talks about Molly's background, her partnership with her husband, the services Lemon Tree offer, standardized testing for secondary schools, the similarities and differences between ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT tests, the importance of the tests on the application process, the impact of the post-pandemic era on secondary school testing and advice for parents of younger students looking at secondary testing.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Kristina Dooley, the founder of Estrela Consulting. Previously she's served as the Assistant Director of Admission at Hiram College (OH) and as the Director of Admissions and Marketing at Andrews Osborne Academy (OH). In addition to her work with students, Kristina has served as President of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and President of State of Mind: Hudson, a non-profit mental health organization. Within this episodes Alex and Kristina discuss how Kristina got into college consulting, her time as the President of the IECA, certification programs for college consulting, her thoughts on prototypical midwestern small liberal arts schools, their strengths and shortcomings, her favorite schools in the Midwest, how the post-pandemic era has impacted these school and Kristina's thoughts on the current trends students and parents should be aware of.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Chad Dorman the founder of Leonard Andrew Consulting. A graduate of The Gunnery (Washington, CT) and the University of Vermont, Chad spent the early years of his career teaching English, Creative Writing, and Public Speaking before venturing out into the world of business. After a time, Chad realized that he desired a return to the world of education, but that he could take the skills he gained in the corporate setting and meld them with his education background, expansive network of contacts, knowledge of the admissions system and start a business that would give clients the edge in their own applications. The result was Leonard Andrew Consulting - a business built on the desire to see every client reach their potential - while applying, during their studies and beyond. Alex and Chad discuss Chads background, his business' core philosophy and objectives, his services, how he utilizes film, how the NIL policies have impacted recruiting, the post pandemic landscape and some parting advice for young adults and their parents.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Rebekah Elmore of Peak Consulting. She received her BS in Education from Wheelock College (now part of Boston University) in Boston MA, not far from her hometown of Exeter, New Hampshire. She went on to be a middle school teacher where she taught in Westfield, New Jersey. She raised her four children, two girls and two boys and moved into the business world for seven years, using leadership and managerial skills to run a multi-million dollar company of over 200 contracted employees. Using her business knowledge and her love for education and children, she opened PEAK when she realized there was a need for college consulting as she went through the process with her own children. Ultra organized, and passionate about finding the right college fit for each student, she knew she could use her personable touch and way with students, to become a successful Independent Educational Consultant. In this episode Rebekah talks about; her background, how being a parent shaped her approach to college consulting, how she works with students, how the post-pandemic climate has impacted the process of identifying students and targeting schools, some success stories and advice for parents and students.

In the last episode, we focused on small liberal arts schools in the midwest. We now turn to a different, perhaps much broader segment of the student population: those students in suffering from anxiety and related disorders. We'll be focusing particularly on navigating the many challenges presented to those non-traditional path students, as it can be fairly complex for parents.I'll be joined by Dr. Dan Villiers of The Anxiety Institute in his second appearance on the podcast…Dr. Dan Villiers brings over twenty years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and families in a range of clinical and educational settings. In 2011, Dr. Dan co-founded Mountain Valley Treatment Center, the first non-hospital residential program for the treatment of adolescent anxiety in the United States. His successful intervention model, a compassionate approach to assess, educate, and motivate avoidant and resistant school-aged anxiety sufferers, has assisted more than 500 families in their pursuit of treatment.Dr. Dan has presented at universities and conferences across the country, authored numerous articles on child mental health, and appeared on radio and TV as a subject matter expert on adolescent anxiety.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Keith Wilkerson the founder and owner of College Thoughts, an organization that helps good students go to great colleges by focusing on self-discovery and not stress. With more than two decades of experience helping students attend great middle schools, high schools, and college, Keith is now focused on helping strong students to move on to the best colleges in the nation. Alex and Keith talk about; Keith background and what got him into college counseling, his approach, his company's core philosophy, the ideal path for students, the importance of college essay writing, bringing out a student authentic voice, the importance of metaphor, the evolution of college applications and how they've impacted the role in college essay writing and a lot more.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Johnathan Dunn, a college counsellor for over thirty years, thirteen of which have been at Fairmount Preparatory Academy and Fairmount International School in Southern California. As one of only approximately 350 Certified Educational Planners or CEPs in the world, he is especially well qualified to work with students and their families. within this episode Johnathan talks about his background, how that's impacted his approach to college counselling, his core philosophies and objectives within his role, the types of students he comes into contact with, differences between small and large universities, regional differences in colleges, how the post-pandemic climate has impacted schools and advice for parents of young adults going through the admissions process.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Ken talks to Niki Kelman the founder and director of New England education consultants.She's serves as director of admissions and has been instrumental in serving four different Universities in the North East. Niki holds an MS in Higher Education Administration, a proud member of the independent educational consultants association and has been a director of admission in a private high school. In this episode Ken and Niki discuss how Niki got into education consulting, ways to help families find the fit when looking at colleges, the reorientation of the college admissions criteria, ways students can improve their college applications, challenges students face, the importance of using professional college counselors, as well as sharing some of her success stories and advice to parents of students applying for college.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Sawyer Earwood, an education professional who has worked in both collegeadmission offices and small startups. His admissions experience has taken him across the U.S.A. and Asia. Sawyer is currently a member of College Consultants of Colorado, a Professional Member of IECA, and a Certified Educational Consultant (CEP). Within IECA, Sawyer serves on both the DEI and Global. Within this episodes Alex and Sawyer discuss Sawyers background, how he got into college counseling, his experiences with what he calls launch operation, his role within the IECA, his process with clients, virtual tutoring, and trends he has noticed that students and parents should be aware of.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Robert Khoury CEO of Agile Rainmakers, a high-impact business development consulting and advisory firm based in Chicago's Gold Coast, and co-author of the book How to Intern. Alex and Robert discussnumerous subjects, centered around internships, including; what drew Robert to offer internships, the best parts and challenges, recruiting interns, what interns can do to make the most of their internships, some ways to transition into the professional world, how thepandemic changed internships and advice for young people looking into internships and the professional world.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Yvonne Espinoza CEP, an Austin-based college counsellor who works with students in Austin and across the country, assisting each of her clients to be as competitive as possible to be accepted to college. Within this episode Yvonne talks about her background and how she got into college consulting, herrelationship with students, her favorite part of college consulting, the preparation process for 9th and 10th-graders, the challenges facing younger high school students when planning for the college application process and how thepandemic impacted college applications.

In this episode of Highway to Higher ED, Alex talks to Ken Hincker, a teacher, coach, dorm parent and advisor in high school education for over twenty years. Ken taught at three institutions in the south, including Savannah Country Day School, before migrating to The Taft School in 2011, serving as its English Chair for five years and acting as soccer coach, dorm head, and advisor. He has since transitioned to executive function coaching and tutoring in the Fairfield area, serving as the Executive Director to Alliance Tutoring. Within this episode Ken discusses his background and how he got into teaching, his shift to tutoring, executive function coaching, the types of clients he serves, success stories and the current challenges he faces.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Casie Fariello, co-founder of OtherParents Like Me (OPLM). OPLM is a virtual membership platform led by parents forparents of teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues and/orsubstances. They have daily support groups, live weekly speaker talks and monthlyexperts panels, as well as thousand of resources, providing a safe and anonymous spacefor parents and caregivers. Casie talks about her background and how she got into parentsupport groups, as well as; how the OPLM works, the different groups linked throughOPLM, how members can contribute, success stories, challenges facing a child withalternative psych or learning profiles, the impact of the pandemic, trends parents shouldbe aware of and much more.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by DeborahShames of Personal Best College Coaching, which she founded in 2003. She nowheads a team of six counsellors who work to help families navigate the complexworld of first year and transfer college admissions. Within this episodeDeborah and Alex talk about Deborah's background, her companies philosophy,when she starts working with student, the college application process for bothfirst time and transferring students, success stories, reason for studentdropouts, the impact of the pandemic on admissions and gives advice for parentsof transferring students.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex talks to Adrienne Frumberg, the founderof Lighthouse Guidance, who specializes in helping to identify a studentspassions and guiding them on a path to achieving them, whether it is gettingaccepted to the college of their dreams or preparing for a rewarding career.Adrienne talks about her background, dealing with the challenges of some of herclients, the uniqueness of Lighthouse Guidance, her work at the Dorm andAcademics West, as well as how the pandemic has impacted both the work she doesas well as the students, giving advise to parents of students who have beenimpacted by the pandemic.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Lloyd Nimetz, founder of Spike Lab. Spike Lab is a program that coaches high school students through the process of identifying, launching and growing an entrepreneurial venture. Within this episode Lloyd talks about his background, Spike Labs mission and its unique approach, why he think entrepreneurial development is important, a success story of one of his students, how the pandemic has impacted student innovation, trends he has seen his students follow and gives advice to parent of students who would benefit using Spike Lab.

In this episode of Highway to higher Ed, Alex talks to Laurie Weingarten of One Stop College Counselling, who specialize in applications to the top 25 schools, which she has done for over a decade. Laurie talks abouthow she got into college consulting, what makes her consultancy unique, the process her students go through, the ideal time to begin planning applications. She also discusses the impact of test blind and test optional trends, how highschools should approach course selection, the ideal parent involvement and shares stories on previous success and transitional struggles her students have experienced when going to college.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Janae McCullough-Boyd, founder and CEO of More Than Athletics, LLC. Janae quickly realized during her oldest son's recruiting process, that for him to be able to choose the college that was the best fit for him, they had to be proactive in the academic and recruiting process. Basically, looking for the best fit school, takes hustle and grit, which consists of time, effort, education on the process, and a lot of patience for the student-athlete and their family. Alex and Janae talk about the numerous facets of Janae's consultancy, from complications in finding the right schools, managing a students expectations, preparing a student academically well in advance, the role of high school coaches and relationships with coaches playing a key role. They also discuss ways of improving a students chances, a success story and tips of mitigating the struggles student athletes can have when transitioning.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Drew Boudreau, owner of College Audition Pros. As an actor, Drew's credits include regional theatre across the country, OffBroadway, national tours, cruise ships & more. As a teacher, Drew loves helping students & their families boost their confidence in their college auditions, giving them the keys to elevate their performances & maximize their admissions. Alex and Drew discuss the musical theatre application process, give advice for parents of students seeking to pursue a path in musical theatre, the challenges of the application process, the future changes of musical theatre higher education, how best to prepare for them and advice for parents of younger students.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Drew Boudreau, owner of College Audition Pros. As an actor, Drew's credits include regional theatre across the country, Off-Broadway, national tours, cruise ships & more. As a teacher, Drew loves helping students & their families boost their confidence in their college auditions, giving them the keys to elevate their performances & maximize their admissions. Alex and Drew discuss the musical theatre application process, give advice for parents of students seeking to pursue a path in musical theatre, the challenges of the application process, the future changes of musical theatre higher education, how best to prepare for them and advice for parents of younger students.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Trevor Ramos of College Funding Remedies, an expert at locating and securing large grants and scholarships for college admission as the cost of higher education creeps steadily upwards. In 12 years of service, Trevor has helped over 400 families get accepted to the top colleges in America for pennies on the dollar by helping students get free money grants and scholarships (over 12 million dollars)!

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Alex Ince and Mike Corbelle of Cairn Educational Consulting to discuss the state of Boarding school applications in today's pandemic landscape. Their philosophy centers around a demystification of elite admission on the track to competitive college admission. With a wealth of experience from both sides of the spectrum, they provide some insider secrets on the best way for parents to assist their young students in navigating the process of applying to boarding schools.

In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Michelle McAnaney the founder of the College Spy, a college admissions consultancy. With a history as a counsellor inschools and a background in psychology, Michelle decided to set up her own consultancy business, so she could concentrate fully on the needs of students goingthrough the college admissions process. Michelle discusses her background, how changes in standardized testing has changed the college admissions process and howshe believes the future of college admissions is going.

Episode Description:In this episode of Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by College Success Coach Dale Troy, who works with college students to reduce their level of stress and improve their college experiences. Dale, with an undergraduate degree and law degree from Yale University and extensive experience in wellness coaching, offers a wealth of knowledge on college student fitness. Alex and Dale discuss the secrets to college success coaching, the impacts the pandemic has had on student experience, and how to best support students in today's college world. Key Takeaways:-Stress management skills are increasingly important in surviving in today's college world. It's critical to help young students develop these skills. Typically this involves not only educating them from a third party (not parents! God no), but getting them to buy in to trying new healthy practices.-Parents can help prepare their kids to succeed in college by allowing them a bit more space in the middle and high school years. Allowing them to fail a bit more then is key, and avoids the syndrome of them diving off of a cliff when they graduate from high school, going from a system of complete dependence to one of complete autonomy. -Most critical of all may be time management skills. The use of a planner to organize one's life is critical, not only in completing assignments and arriving to events on time, but it also provides a sense of control over one's life. This sense of control is key to combating the rising epidemic of anxiety that has resulted from the pandemic.

In this episode, Alex is joined by Meg Flanagan of Meg Flanagan Educations Solutions. Meg is an expert on special needs high school students, such as those with processing disorders, ADHD or Anxiety. In the episode, Meg outlines the distinctions between 504s and IEPs and discusses the best strategies for parents with students of alternative learning profiles. Her resources for navigating this process mentioned in the episode are listed below.

In this episode, Alex is joined by Josephine Vonarburg, the owner and founder of Transitions College Advising, an organization committed to providing support to those with ADHD, Anxiety & LD successfully making the transition into higher education. Josephine explains the college process for a student with special needs and provides some secrets for successfully navigating the change in regards to 504s & IEPs, a critical value to those who are unfamiliar with higher education's distinct system of accommodation. Key Takeaways:-Finding the right school is critical for any student, but particularly important for students with different needs. The specific type of learning profile (anxiety, ADHD, ASD, etc.) will often dictate the best choices for the student in making their college list. -Self-advocacy is an important skill to develop, especially for these students with different needs. Developing the confidence to approach professors, to discover key college offices, and utilize campus resources can make all the difference for a student with a unique learning profile.-Backward planning is key with these students. It's worth considering where the student may end up in 5-10 years after college. Imagining their future options and their future challenges should guide the decision-making in the college process.

In this episode, Becky Grappo of ING consulting joins Alex to discuss the nuances of international versus domestic application in the pandemic era. With over 30 years of experience, living in Europe, Central America, the Middle East and United States, Becky brings a wealth of cultural fluency to the discussion. As a highly regarded member of the IECA and noted author and presenter, Becky's knowledge on the process from different angles is revelatory of some underlying assumptions about college application. Key Takeaways -Higher education seems to be moving towards more professionalized degrees and niche specialization. It's important to consider where the world may be ten years from now in weighing the best option for young students, given how quickly the professional world is evolving.-Given the complications of test-optional and test-blind applications, the game in college admissions is quickly changing. The diversity of high school experience makes grades a complex metric to lean on, so where will college admissions officers turn to?-International schools tend to focus more on objective numbers in the application process, relying on grades from standardized exams in schools to place students in college. It's far more elaborate in the US, with personal essays, recommendations and a number of other components that complicate the picture. How can these distinctions best shape our own approaches and better understand the process?

In this episode Alex is joined by Ertugrul Gerdan of Student Hub. Ertugrul has been an educational consultant for ten years in his native Turkey after completing his graduate studies at Harvard and Drexel, where he developed the 4C4life model, focusing on the college process of one leg of four definable eras in a student's life. Alex and Ertugrul discuss the challenges of college admission from an international lens, and discuss its role as merely one leg along a greater path to career success Key Takeaways-The College Admissions process should take a broader lens to a student's life. A backwards design is key, considering where the student wants to be ten years after their college career in making the decisions in college placement. -The first semester is critical for kids going to college for the first time. Confidence can take a huge irrecoverable hit if things go poorly in their first fall on campus. Getting the right resources in place and doing everything possible to make that transition a smooth one is key in helping them succeed. -Picking a major and a college must involve some speculation of the future. What careers will be relevant ten years in the future? What will not be relevant? The answers to these questions must guide these decisions.

In this episode Alex is joined by Dana Ponsky of Dana Ponsky Consulting. Dana has an extensive background in college transition, after heading orientation and transition programs at several major colleges. She gradually shifted to college consulting, which she has done for 20 years, after recognizing the intimate link between the search and the transition. Alex and Dana discuss the challenges of transitioning higher education and how to best address those challenges in the college admissions process, and what parents can do to help.Key TakeawaysANXIETY-It's important to embrace the natural anxiety that students will have about the college process, and to use a trained professional if that anxiety is extreme. By embracing it, it turns an obscure and terrifying process into one that is more clear and achievable who necessarily face an uncertain future.ADVOCATING-Assertiveness is a key trait in making the shift to higher education. Advocating for oneself in speaking with professors, locating campus resources, and securing social and academic standing plays a vital role in success. OPEN MIND-There is arguably a substantial element of fate in college admissions. While it's difficult based on several decades of expectations, it's important to keep an open mind about the college selection you make. College admissions is, afterall, not an end point. Learn more about Dana here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaponsky0823/ Learn more about Dana Ponksy Consulting: www.consultwithdana.com

In this episode, the premiere episode of The Highway to Higher Ed, Alex is joined by Rana Slosberg of Slosberg College Solutions. Rana has been in College Consulting for ten years, inspired by the college search of her own daughter who ended up at MIT. In her ten years, she has visited hundreds of colleges and universities around the United States. Alex and Rana discuss the keys to developing a perfect set of colleges for a list for applicants, considering the impact of the pandemic on this process. What's the role of an educational consultant, and why is it important?Key Takeaways:-One of the first considerations for the college process should be with the money. It's better to be honest with a student up front about the financial realities they face than to wait for scholarships to come along and alter the picture. While that honesty is awkward, it is critical.-The list that a student generates actually has an intimate relationship with their chances of success they will ultimately have at graduating from college and experiencing life successes. The object of a college list is to produce the best “fit” for the student; a poor fit can lead to failure and drop out, an all too common outcome.-It's important to balance the value of a school's name brand value with the value of the educational experience the student will actually get there. While the name on the degree does matter to some degree, the direction of the young life path has to matter, as well. Learn more about Rana here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranaslosberg/Learn more about Slosberg College Solutions here: https://slosbergcollegesolutions/com

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex is joined by Becky Rabassa, Executive Director of Links Academy, an adaptable, interactive and supportive school for students in Grades 6-12. She is also a licensed clinical social worker with over thirty years of experience in social service organizations and independent schools. Alex and Becky discuss tactical learning solutions for managing anxiety and other learning challenges, the importance of integrating social emotional learning into education, and what we as teachers and caregivers can learn from students. Key Takeaways:The best professional development as teachers or just personal development as parents can be understanding how to better relate to our kids. Sometimes we get blinders on trying to build the best future for our kids and we forget simple things about meeting them where they are.We don’t need to fix every problem, especially when it comes to our kids. It might seem crazy, but sometimes children don’t need solutions. Sometimes, what they need more than anything is someone to listen, to acknowledge their feelings and to, again, relate.A great tactic for managing anxiety, whether in ourselves, or in our children is breaking something down into small, manageable steps. Anxiety can make any task seem daunting, so this helps our kids build the confidence that they are capable and that all they ever have to do is take the next step. Learn more about Becky here: https://www.linksacademy.org/facultyLearn more about Links Academy here: https://www.linksacademy.org/

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex is joined by Maggie Gregory, Head of School at Fusion Academy. Fusion is  a unique private school that focuses on personalized learning plans and motivating their students by creating emotionally safe learning environments. Alex and Maggie discuss the importance and process of building customized learning plans for students, the benefits of social emotional learning, and how we ensure SEL continues to be prioritized as we educate through a pandemic.Key Takeaways:There are a lot of pressures on modern teachers. Educators are expected to wear many different hats and the system puts a tremendous amount of strain on the teachers we have. This can impact the educational experience. As educators, we need to keep the health and education of the children top of mind and try to cut out the rest of the noise.Social emotional learning is important but the benefits of one on one learning are undeniable. In a perfect world, children would be taught one on one and would reep the benefits of social emotional learning from other things like team sports and dorm life.Learn more about Maggie here: https://www.fusionacademy.com/campuses/greenwich/teachers/maggie-gregory/Learn more about Fusion Academy here: https://www.fusionacademy.com/

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Amy Syed. Amy is a parent, a public speaker, a life coach and founder of the Quantum Genius program, a 12 week journey she developed to help any human reach their full potential and unleash the genius within. She has a long history working in both the physical and mental healthcare fields and is a champion for the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. On today’s episode, Alex and Amy explore techniques and methodologies of meditation. They also discuss the benefits of prioritizing mental health and building mindfulness into our lives, as individuals, parents, and educators.   Key Takeaways:   There is no wrong way to practice mindfulness. At its core, mindfulness is a deeply personal experience that is inherently custom to you. So build your practice in a way that fits your life.  The world looks different than it used to. And this means that prioritizing mental health looks a little different too. As parents and as educators, we need to be mindful of this and ensure we’re building in check points and opportunities to prioritize mental health.  We have heard it before but children are smart and intuitive. Ensuring we are managing anxiety in our children starts with ourselves as parents. If we are angry, anxious or struggling to manage our own mental health, it’s obvious to our children and has a strong effect on how they manage their anxiety and learn to thrive in this world.  Learn more about Amy: https://www.amysyed.ca/  Learn more about the Quantum Genius program: https://www.amysyed.ca/amysyediquantumgeniusigetstarted

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Maria Locker. Starting her career as an elementary school teacher, Maria is no stranger to the educational system. However, as both a teacher and a mom, she began to notice an opportunity for moms everywhere to take ownership of their careers and started Mompreneurs, now called RevolutionHer, a community of women focused on entrepreneurial education, community, inspiration, and empowerment. Today, Maria has brought together over 23,000 female entrepreneurs from across the globe and she’s not done yet. In the midst of COVID, Alex and Maria discuss the taxing job of parents with children who are stuck at home, and how our educational system should be reformed to support new ways of entrepreneurial thinking.   Key Takeaways:   Companies need to offer more flexibility to women in particular to help meet the needs of their parental and career roles. This is vital for the future, not just in the pandemic.   Success to Maria is being able to sit on the couch at the end of the day with her family, and being able to enjoy their company. Her goal is to come out of the pandemic closer to her family than when they went in.   To reduce mental health challenges, Maria believes that there needs to be less pressure on the grades kids are getting, and more on what they actually need to help them succeed. Self-care is on the top of her list, letting kids take a few minutes for themselves.  Learn more about RevolutionHer: https://revolutionher.com/Connect with Maria Locker: https://ca.linkedin.com/public-profile/in/marialocker

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Micah Shippe. As a middle school teacher, technology trainer, author and professor, Micah is on the cutting edge of education technology and has spent his career studying methods of implementing innovative solutions into education environments. Currently, he is the founder and CEO of Ready Learner One, a transformative company leveraging emerging technologies like AR and VR to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of training offerings and make education more immersive. Though this technology becomes all the more urgent given COVID’s push to virtual education, the implications and benefits of these learning solutions go far beyond the reach of making online education more accessible.Key Takeaways: Micah’s work boils down to content, users and how to connect them. Really that’s what education is all about— content and methodology for effectively connecting it with students.There is an exciting social dynamic to virtual learning that is only growing. In Ready Player One, students were immersed in a virtual world that they experienced as a collective. Moving slowly closer to this reality is one of the exciting things about AR and VR. New technology is always exciting, there is a novelty to it. But we need to look beyond the novelty of the tech and really discover, what are the sustainable elements of it? This is where the proper usage of these tools lays, in integrating them into existing systems to make our lives easier. Learn more about Ready Learner One here: https://readylearner.one/  Learn more about Alliance Tutoring’s virtual reality packages here: https://alliancetutoring.com/virtual-reality-tutoring-and-coaching/  

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Dina Cooper. Dina is the author of “Smart Parenting – How to Develop Your Child’s Mindset, Resilience and Courage for the Future of Work,” and the founder of “Parent as Leader” sessions that focus on cultivating leadership within parents to better distill strong values in their kids. On this episode, Alex and Dina unpack her story, her parenting philosophy and explore how parents and caregivers can overcome cycles of anxiety at home through self care and self reflection.  Key Takeaways:    Dina’s philosophy of first leading yourself, then your family, then your child really boils down to the fact that we can’t take care of others if we’re not first taking care of ourselves.  Leading your family is about aligning on a set of internal values that you want to prioritize-- and consciously deciding to let all the other little things go.  The best leaders, when we’re considering our families or our professional lives, bring out the best in people. It’s not always about a specific skill set or temperament, it’s about creating a space where people have the comfort and courage to do their best work.  

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Christina Perdikoulias, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Digital Ed, a platform dedicated to shaping the world through digital learning-- specifically for STEM subjects. As the world has shifted heavily to online learning, it’s important that we get it right, for all kinds of students, with all kinds of learning styles and challenges. In large part, this is about customizing the experience and putting the student at the center of it, no matter what. On today’s episode, Alex and Christina discuss some of the challenges students face with digital learning and how platforms like Digital Ed’s Mobius are managing these challenges to make the learning experience more accessible for students.Key Takeaways:  The global education market is ready to shift their longstanding approaches and reimagine what it means to put the student at the centre of the experience. This means providing an accessible learning experience that students can customize to suit their needsSTEM is especially difficult to teach as there are so many layers to it and when students fall behind on one concept, they’re immediately behind on everything. Platforms like Mobius allow students to work within their only timelines so they can spend as much time as needed on a topic to be successful.So many people are even struggling to find a quiet space to work, much less find the proper tools and mindset, so as educators we need to be meeting people where they are, including segmenting the instruction and breaking it into pieces so it’s easier to customize.

On the final episode in the premiere season of Graduating Anxiety, Alex does something a little different. After spending season one talking to doctors, educators, psychologists and other professionals, he turns the tables and takes the time to speak to those at the heart of the conversation-- the students. Vera and Jeremy are two students Alex has worked with in the past and they each bring a unique story of anxiety, education, emotion and healing. On today’s episode, they each tell their story and share their perspective on living with anxiety. Key Takeaways:   Anxiety is not something you overcome nor is it something that fades away. As we change and evolve, so does our anxiety, so we must always be learning new healing and coping mechanisms to manage it.  Anxiety may trigger a lot of different thoughts but the realization that you are not your thoughts, you are the observation of your thoughts can be very healing. We cannot control things but we can control how we react to things.  Often when we are suffering from anxiety we feel isolated and lonely but this could not be further from the truth. Everyone faces similar struggles and we often stay silent because we don’t realize that we’re not alone.  

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex interviews Nina Angelo, VP of Product Marketing at Top Hat. Top Hat produces education software products to help keep students and educators engaged, motivated and moving forward, even in blended or remote learning environments. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, technology became much more prevalent in every aspect of our lives, from how we communicate and socialize to how we educate and are educated. But the role of technology is multifaceted, and not without its challenges, especially for students suffering from anxiety. How do we build a learning environment where technology is working for the students, not against them? Can technology actually benefit anxious learners? And which of these changes are here to stay, even beyond the pandemic?    Key Takeaways:  It’s easy for remote learning to just seem like another hurdle anxious learners have to overcome but there are actually many ways educators can use platforms like Top Hat to customize education plans to suit the needs of each individual learner.We have heard it a million times by this point-- but we’re all in this together. Most teachers are struggling to adapt to remote first learning, just like students are. It’s okay to have challenges as long as you keep trying and working in pursuit of a goal.Technology is a product of the person operating it. If you’re a good teacher, you will be a good one on online platforms, despite challenges. If you’re a good student, you will find your stride with remote learning with time.

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex interviews Ellen Braaten, Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a renowned child psychologist, who authored the book “Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up”. They discuss the implications of slow processing speed in learners, the relationship between processing speed and learning anxiety, the benefits of psychological testing and more.  Key Takeaways:   Even with psychological or learning issues, there is a “sweet spot”. Too much anxiety is bad but too little could make us unmotivated. Anxiety is not inherently “bad” as long as we understand it.  Slower processing speed can make it difficult for otherwise bright kids to learn in a traditional setting--but it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them.  In today’s climate, we are expecting more and more from children; they are at times expected to be “mini-adults”. Quite simply, it is important to remember to let our kids be kids and give them a break sometimes.  

On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex interviews Dr. Ariel Kornblum of Manhattan Psychology Group, a New York State Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Behavior Analyst who not only treats children suffering from anxiety and depression, but also provides parent management training (PMT), school/teacher consultations and executive function coaching. Together, they break down the environmental and psychological factors contributing to anxiety. They discuss potential treatment methods and talk about how parents and caregivers can better understand when their child needs help.  Key Takeaways:   Kids are starting to experience anxiety younger and younger because there can be too much expected of them. When you can’t do what you’re being asked to do, this can invoke anxiety even though they’re not deficient in any way.  As caregivers, we have to focus on the process and not the outcome. We often focus on getting our children to their destinations rather than praising approach-based behaviour.  School is not just about academic content--the learning benefits stretch far beyond this, and it’s important to keep this in mind as we help our children navigate through education during COVID.  

In our second episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex interviews Myrna Kramer Harris, the founder of Harris, Kramer, and Liston. After 30+ years as an administrator, special educator, teacher, and leader, Myrna now focuses on placing children, adolescents and young adults into specialized programs to help them succeed. Alex and Myrna discuss the common behaviors that parents should look out for in anxious children, how to tell if your child is struggling or suffering and Myrna’s philosophy on how to create environments for students to succeed. Key Takeaways: A child’s behaviors are only the tip of the iceberg. To get to the root cause, we need to understand what thoughts are driving their anxiety.As parents, we instinctively want to take stressors away from our children. But by doing so, we are hindering their progress by teaching pandering and avoidance. COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to reassess how we can level the playing field for children with special needs. Online schooling offers new opportunities for anxious learners to get more involved. 

In our premiere episode of Graduating Anxiety, host Alex Merrill sits down with Dan Villers, Founder of the Anxiety Institute, to discuss going back to school after the outbreak, lockdown, and continuous panic around the COVID-19 pandemic. The two discuss the pandemic’s effect on children’s anxiety, the need for kids to have regular social interaction at school, and how parents can adapt to today’s online learning environments.  Key Takeaways: Just because your child is suffering from anxiety, doesn’t mean they need less parenting. It can be helpful to be a bit authoritative and establish boundaries.Remember to acknowledge and validate your child’s concerns, but reassure them that you don’t share the same ones and that they are safe.Although COVID-19 has its challenges, online learning is offering more opportunities for children to take courses and participate in programs that are not offered in their physical schools.Take things one step at a time. Remind your children that they only need to be on step #1, rather than step #20. Remind them it’s not regular life, but pandemic survival.