Hungry? Ellie saw that too many students on campus have food insecurity. She decided to partner local farmers markets and schools to give away organic food to students every week on the LA Valley campus. Find out what making a difference at scale looks like. 

Imagine floating between jobs, careers and different colleges. How did a career challenge focus Scott’s life to one of supporting and building up faculty, students, and peers? Hear the story behind one of the podcast’s hosts, Scott Weigand.

How does a single mom without straight A’s get an elite private college to pay for her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and travel to research in Africa, Puerto Rico and Asia? What kind of person does Pitzer College want to invest in? (Warning mature topics and words used.)

Ever wondered about the path to becoming a college president? Meet Dr. Erika Endrijonas, former LAVC President and now Superintendent/President at Pasadena City College.  Listen to her journey that details her path from undergraduate school to being engaged in transformative work across different colleges in support of student success. 

Have you ever fantasized about sneaking out of your house and hanging out with rock stars in the local clubs? As a kid, Darby Southgate lived that fantasy. Hear her story as she details her passion for music and the path that ultimately led her to pursue an academic career as a sociologist focused on teaching, publishing, and research.  

Follow Clive’s story of selling fruit on the streets of Belize to traveling Europe in service of our country to becoming a career counselor who helps students find a professional direction in their lives.​

Meet one of our podcast hosts. Follow John’s story as he is taken kicking and screaming from working in special effects in movies to being a pain in the ass at LA Valley College.

Ever see someone studying midnight alone at Starbucks? Ever wonder who they are and what drives them? Meet Ana Truillo, a professor who uses those experiences to challenge minorities and women to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) majors.

What if you paid your way through college and discovered that your high paying job was unfulfilling? Who would you ask for help? Kassidy asked Yelp, and it directed her to a job filled with meaning. 

What if your immigrant parents from Jamaica wanted you to be a top student, but they didn’t know how the system worked? How would you figure out how to go to Stanford and Princeton?