Hackiversity Podcast

Anthony Oneal (@anthonyoneal) currently serves as a Dave Ramsey personality advising college students on finances. 

In this episode, Anthony and I discuss: 

1. Choosing the most financially sensible college;
2. If and how much to work at a job during college; and
3. How to manage finances while at college.

Connect with Anthony on his personal site, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Also, check out Anthony's new book, Debt Free Degree. 

Anthony's "tweetable" advice: "Listen...You are special. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Go impact the world. 

Dr. Mordecai Brownlee (@ItsDrMordecai) currently serves as the Vice President for Student Success at St. Philips College in San Antonio, Texas. 

Dr. Mordecai brings a great perspective to students thinking about attending community college, and offers compelling reasons why students who aren’t thinking about attending community college should do just that.

Connect with Dr. Mordecai on his personal site, on Twitter, and on Instagram. 

Dr. Mordecai's "tweetable" advice: "Believe in yourself." 

Frederick ("Rick") Hess (@rickhess99) is a Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Rick has taught at some of the most prestigious colleges, including Ivy League colleges, such as Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Whether attending Ivy League schools are worth it;
2. The purpose of college and why it matters for college students;
3. How college students can choose from the list of best colleges, including Ivy League schools. 

Rick’s “tweetable” advice: “Go read more Vonnegut.”

Mickey Baines is a Principal at Kennedy and Company, a boutique educational consulting firm located in Washington, D.C. In this episode, Mickey and I discuss: 

• How colleges market to students, and what students can do about it;
• Why it's important to develop self-awareness early in college; and 
• What colleges are doing to promote employment opportunities for students. 

Mickey's "tweetable" advice: Read To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink. 

Josh Thiel (@Thiel4Leesburg) graduated from St. Francis University with a degree in Marketing and Communications. Today, Josh serves on the Town Counsel of Leesburg, Virginia, which is located in Loudoun County, the wealthiest and fastest growing county in America. At the same time, Josh works for Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the premier consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area.

In this episode, Josh and I discuss:

• How students can quickly and effectively plug into the political arena;
• How to use failure to drive further success; and
• College life as a Division 1AA athlete

Josh’s “tweetable” advice: To persevere.

To learn more about Josh, check out his Leesburg Town Counsel site, his Facebook page, or his Instagram account.

Spencer Folmar (@SpencerFolmar) graduated from Grove City College in 2.5 years with a B.A. in Communications. Today, Spencer is the director and producer of Hard Faith, a Hollywood video production company. Spencer also owns a video distribution company through Veritas Films. Beginning at age 15, Spencer has since produced 17 feature films and created over 1,500 videos for corporate clients. 

Spencer's films have been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Post, and The LA Time. Fans can easily locate Spencer on IMDB or his personal website. 

In this episode, Spencer and I discuss: 

• The meaning behind "Don't Wait, Create," and how this motto can land you in Hollywood faster than ever before.
• How to rapidly test whether you want to produce films by moving to Hollywood and how to plug into the film scene. 
• How to graduate college in 2.5 years, complete 28 credits per semester, and work 3 part-time jobs at the same time. 

Spencer’s “tweetable” advice: “When is a best time to plant a tree? Yesterday. When is the second best time to plant a tree? Today.”

Tyler Schmidt (@tyler) graduated from Penn State University in 2013 with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. During his time in college, Tyler developed such a compelling resume that in less than one year following graduation, Tyler began working for VaynerMedia, an elite marketing agency founded by social icon Gary Vaynerchuk. Tyler landed a job at VaynerMedia in 2.5 weeks from leaving his first job after graduation - a crazy feat. Today, Tyler serves as Gary's right-hand-man, working on all the latest projects, meeting power-players, and learning from the industry's best. 

In this episode, Tyler and I explore:

1. How to network, even with people with whom you’ve never spoken;
2. How to efficiently and effectively use grades to drive a successful college career; and
3. How to leverage conversations and networking to score a job with an elite company like VaynerMedia.

Tyler's "tweetable" advice: "Don't worry - be happy."

Follow Tyler on on Instagram (@tyler) and check out VaynerMedia. 

Dietrich Linde & Carlie Linde both graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011, Dietrich with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Carlie with a degree in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies. Throughout college, Dietrich and Carlie amassed $155,000+ in student loans. That's the bad news. The good news is that in 5 years they repaid 100% of their debt. 

In this episode, Dietrich, Carlie, and I discuss: 

• How they managed to accrue over $155,000 in student loans
• What students can do to prevent falling prey to massive student loans, and 
• If students already have student loans, how they can repay them in rapid fashion

Check out how Dietrich and Carlie paid off their student loans so quickly on FatSoulSlimKitchen. Don't forget to check out the Dietrich's engineering firm which he founded and operates. 

Dietrich's "tweetable" advice: "The remarkable thing about our story is that it is unremarkable." 

Carlie's "tweetable" advice: "Dollars are made out of nickels and dimes." 

Nico Esguerra graduated from Columbia University in 2014 with a degree in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. Nice has traveled across the world and fashioned together his travel experience into amazing professional opportunities.

In particular, Nico has done a wide array of things ranging from studying rebel groups in Mozambique, working for media outlets in Beirut, and even milking goats on a U.S. farm. Nico leveraged these travel experiences to intern for the National Public Radio (NPR) and score a coveted job for a New York City media company, servicing companies like Wikipedia and the Daily Show.

In this episode, Nico and I discuss how students can travel the world on a shoestring budget and use those experiences to score a dream job.

Nico’s “tweetable” advice: “Try everything and eventually something will stick.”