On today’s drive home, I’m talking about being a first-generation college student, teaching at a rural university, and how college exposes us to people and ideas outside our bubble.

Higher education isn’t about “liberal factories” — it’s often just the first time we step outside our echo chambers and meet people who see the world differently. That kind of exposure builds empathy, not indoctrination.

Just a regular guy reflecting on social capital, small towns, political divides, and why listening to each other still matters.

No scripts. No lectures. Just real talk in a truck.