The primary goal of our formative years is often seen as figuring out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Why, then, do we focus so much on what we want to *be* instead? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Matthew Jaskol to explore the importance of cultivating and recognizing academic curiosity.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the development process for a curious but undecided student?

2. Why does fostering intellectual curiosity get overlooked in traditional education systems?

3. What are ways to encourage students to explore or engage in big problems?

4. What's the most important shift in mindset needed to help students pursue authentic growth, rather than just building a polished resume?

5. Why is it important to not give up on exploration too quickly?

MEET OUR GUEST

Matthew Jaskol is committed to empowering young scholars from all backgrounds to think critically and create meaningful change. In 2012, he co-founded Pioneer Academics, a public benefit corporation that delivers rigorous and cutting-edge academic initiatives and is also committed to eliminating financial and geographic barriers for high-achieving, low-income students worldwide. Its two flagship institutes are: the Pioneer Research Institute—the world's only fully accredited online research institute for high school students—and the Global Problem-Solving Institute, a virtual innovation lab where students tackle complex global challenges through interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative design.

Matthew believes that when intellectual curiosity is nurtured with structure and academic rigor, it sparks extraordinary growth. His work is driven by the belief that education should be transformational, not transactional, and he remains inspired by the creativity, purpose, and depth students bring to their work.

Matthew can be reached at [email protected].

LINKS

The Global Problem-Solving Institute | Pioneer Research

Why 'Find your passion!' may be bad advice | Stanford Report

The Newest College Admissions Ploy: Paying to Make Your Teen a "Peer-Reviewed" Author

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.