Today, we widen our lens to help students connect their education and career success. We’re talking with Sonia Cacique of DiscoverU, College and Career Ready Coaching. Sonia is a student advocate and career coach expert that is challenging the status quo of college and career readiness by bridging the gap between education, careers and the current workforce. Her goal is to help students create career connections early in their education journey. She helps students with character development, identity, self-advocacy, career connections and networking skills among other soft skills.  

We dive into how to prepare your student to make the most of any college they attend. We also talk about the importance of connections for career exploration and why students’ should prioritize getting a real life ‘behind the scenes’ look at their careers of interest to gauge if it’s a good fit. We wrap up with conversations about defining success between generations and how parents can truly listen to what their kids are saying. 

Tip of the Day: Follow the college’s official social media accounts as well as student group accounts (like the marching band or student organizations). By following lots of accounts about a particular college, you’ll get a lot of information. 

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College Spotlight: The College of William & Mary - the second oldest college in the US!

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Key Points in this Episode

2:59 Meet Sonia Cacique

6:04 Why career assessments aren’t a easy button

8:33 Coaching parents to be connectors for their kids

12:01 Sharing with students that they have something special to offer

13:29 Connections and why they matter so much

15:10 Why 30% of college students don’t complete their degree

17:27 Why Gen X parents are advocating for their Gen Z kids

19:38 Defining success if different seasons of life

21:15 “The Not Your Mom” phenomenon and tips for parents to connect with kids

22:40 Sonia’s latest course to be college and career ready

27:53 Tip of the Day

28:38 College Spotlight:The College of William & Mary

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Read the podcast transcript: https://thecollegespy.com/podcast

Learn more about Sonia Cacique:  https://collegecareerready.org/

Get in touch with Sonia Cacique: [email protected]

Listen to the “Not Your Mom” podcast episode: Episode 16

Register for The College Spy Bootcamp: https://thecollegespy.com/coursesandcamps/the-college-spy-boot-camp

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at [email protected]