Cornell (thank) U

Jordy Singer isn't waiting around for opportunities to come her way. She's making them happen.

A Cornell junior who transferred from Human Ecology to the Hotel School, Jordy has embraced everything Cornell has to offer—from competitive business clubs and leadership roles to internships at Rose Associates and an upcoming summer at Blackstone.

She takes us behind the scenes of Establishment, where Hotel School students run a real restaurant. We also talk about her Cornell family ties, our SDT, and a surprising talent she's had since she was five.

But what we loved most was hearing how Cornell has made Jordy more curious, more confident, and more interested in the world around her.

She's someone Michelle watched grow up, and getting to know her as an adult was really fun.

Shout out to her mom who we adore: Melissa Singer (episode 9) for connecting us to Jordy.

Find her on LinkedIn: Jordana Singer

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University.

Caroline Coors has lived in more places than most people twice her age, so she knows a thing or two about being the new girl!

After transferring from Cal Poly to Cornell, she learned that finding your people doesn't always happen overnight. She also discovered that Cornell is, as she puts it, "sneaky fun," and that there are endless opportunities to be engaged in and out of the classroom.

We catch up with Caroline in Copenhagen to talk about making friends, building confidence, Slope Day memories, and her passion for helping children learn through play.

We also hear her thoughts on Cornell's recent headlines and have some fun with a game we call "What Coors Adores."

Caroline is funny, thoughtful, super smart and full of personality. We loved getting to know her, and we think you will too! 

We are very happy that Caroline found her way to Cornell—and that Cornell Human Ecology found her!

Find Caroline on LinkedIn so you can see all of the things she has done by searching Caroline Coors.

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

It's been a difficult and heartbreaking time for the Cornell community. Recent events have left many feeling angry, saddened, disappointed, and concerned. We share those feelings, recognize the pain of those directly affected, and appreciate the voices speaking up, asking hard questions, and demanding accountability and meaningful change. 

This week, it's just the two of us. We wanted to acknowledge what's happening, share some of our own feelings, and talk about what it means to love Cornell while expecting better from it.

We've also been reflecting on what makes Cornell (Thank) U meaningful to us: the people we've met, the perspectives we've gained, and the extraordinary stories we've had the privilege of sharing. Those stories still matter.

As we look ahead to Season 6, we'll continue bringing you those conversations, along with familiar favorites like Pet Peeves, Best Friend Wars, Free Advice and Where Do You Stand? And we'd love your input on new speed-round questions, music, and what you'd like to hear next. Watch our social media for polls!

We're listening, we're learning, and we're grateful you're part of this community. And just a reminder that we are not affiliated with Cornell University.

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

AI can give us answers faster than ever—but getting the answer is only part of making a good decision. Cheryl Strauss Einhorn '91 returns to talk about her new book, The Human Edge, how to work with AI to make better decisions, and why judgment, self-awareness, and critical thinking are becoming more valuable than ever in the age of AI.

We've made the decision that she can come back whenever she wants. We always get smarter after talking to her.

If you want to be smarter too, you can find her book here and watch for announcements about upcoming book talks, they are incredible:

Buy The Human Edge on Amazon

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn LinkedIn

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

Rachel Doyle ’05 was just 17 when she turned a brilliant idea into GlamourGals. More than 25 years later, that idea is still bringing teenagers and older adults together.

We talked with Rachel about starting young, building something that lasts, and the Cornell experiences and relationships that helped shape the journey. We also talk about ambition, connection, some advice that changed the way she thought about her organization—and why the real magic of GlamourGals has never actually been solely about the makeup.

Find Rachel and GlamourGirls here: https://glamourgals.org/

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

Max Hartley ’29 has been at Cornell for one month—and somehow he’s already everywhere.

The 20-year-old sophomore transfer is studying in ILR, singing with Last Call A Cappella, running, building businesses and creating Sillage—what he calls “Letterboxd for fragrance fans.”

We talk about leaving a college he loved for Cornell, finding his people as a transfer, getting the knock on his dorm-room door that changed his Cornell experience, and why he can sometimes identify a stranger’s cologne just by walking past them.

Plus, can you guess what our game is about? We called it "Do Tell, the Smell."

Max is absolutely amazing and we loved him. Shout out to his mama, Gabby, our sorority sister whom we ADORE, for the introduction.

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

And if you are reading this from Cornell Admissions or Administration, you're welcome. What an endorsement.

Gary Yarnell knew he wanted to be a veterinarian at two years old. He never changed his mind.

At Cornell, he raced through undergrad, met his future wife Laurie—and once rescued a parakeet from anatomy lab by putting it in his pocket and sneaking it out. Then came vet school, 45 years of caring for animals, and a Rye practice he built by being there for his patients around the clock. Literally.

Gary tells us what veterinary medicine taught him about animals, people, empathy and letting go; how the profession has changed beyond anything he could have imagined; and why he and Laurie chose to give back to the Cornell Veterinary College that changed their lives.

And after all of it? He’d absolutely do it over again.

Plus: The Vet, The Duet and The Pet. Are Steph and Michelle good dog parents?

We loved this conversation!

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University 

What happens when two Cornell track athletes start commiserating about watered-down iced coffee on a 14-mile run? For Ben Gibson and Mikey Dizon-Bumann, it turned into Kube & Co.

They tell us how they took a problem iced coffee drinkers have dealt with forever and figured out a way to actually solve it—through countless experiments, incredible creativity, unexpected setbacks, and a lot of persistence. We hear why their very different skill sets make them great partners and how Cornell—from the track team to the Hospitality Business Plan Competition—helped them turn Kube & Co. into a growing business. We talk coffee flavors (including some that definitely missed), Shark Tank dreams, why Kube is spelled with a K, and what’s next.

While their skill sets may be different, they share an undeniable charisma. We loved our time with them!

Special thanks to Ayotunde Ejiko (episode 251) for the introduction!

Find their company here: https://kubeand.co/

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University.

If you’ve been on Cornell’s campus lately, chances are you’ve seen—or heard about—Anmo Li ’28, aka the pogo stick guy.

Anmo is a world-ranked extreme pogo stick athlete and founder of the Cornell Pogo Club. He joins us to talk about Pogopalooza, going viral on campus, why getting good at pogo sticking means getting comfortable with failure, and his plans to help reinvent the modern pogo stick.

We also talk about his path to Cornell as a transfer student, his passion for nutrition and the gut microbiome, his research experience in China, and why the friends he’s made at Cornell mean the most to him.

Since being introduced to Jon Gordon ’93 just a few weeks ago, Michelle has read seven of his books—and genuinely feels changed by them. Then we talked with Jon, and Steph felt it too. There is something about the way Jon thinks, teaches and tells a story that stays with you.

Jon is the bestselling author of more than 30 books, including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, The Hard Hat and The Power of Positive Habits. He is also one of the world’s most sought-after speakers and works with CEOs, business leaders, coaches and some of the most successful teams in college and professional sports.

We talk about his Cornell lacrosse years, the extraordinary story of George Boiardi ’04, and Jon gets remarkably candid about his own struggles with negativity, fear, failure, forgiveness and marriage. He shares why we should talk to ourselves instead of listening to ourselves, what it means to “forgive fast,” and how small changes in the way we think can change our lives.

And beyond all the wisdom, we just really like Jon. He is warm, funny, generous and completely genuine—and we left this conversation understanding why so many people respond so deeply to him.

A huge thank you our Vino (episode 242) for introducing us. We’re very grateful you did. This one is special.

Find Jon Gordon here: https://jongordon.com

His podcast: The Jon Gordon Podcast

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University