Paths in Progress

If you know Sage, you love her big heart and big personality, and you know she is at home on the stage.  Sage completed her degree in theater, and then began to audition in her hometown after graduation.  A chance teacher substitution gig landed her in a special education classroom, and the rest is history–she knew her calling. Not only did she stay in Special Education, but she completed her Masters degree and kept theater in her life in a meaningful way. On the surface, it may not sound like someone from the theater is a natural fit to teach special ed, but Sage describes how her background has completely informed her teaching and how she interacts with her students to show them love each day.  Join us for this truly inspiring story about how a journey, no matter how unexpected or winding, can perfectly prepare you for a fulfilling career.

Amanda’s original plan was to attend community college, live at home, and work for her first two years of college, but an unexpected surprise made her completely change plans!  Amanda found herself in a business school that allowed her to take many business classes early and seek internships regularly throughout her degree. Join us for this fun conversation about how Amanda took advantage of her internships opportunities in New York City, working in several environments, including Nickelodeon, to her dream job today at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind Sesame Street.  

Make sure you check out Amanda’s new podcast, Just Getting Started, about young professionals starting their careers in their 20s & 30s:
https://anchor.fm/amanda-droll 

Victoria had a drive to prepare for college and career at a very young age. She is a role model for students looking for someone who came from a disadvantaged background to excel at one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. If you need some ideas about how to take advantage of your time as a teen and a college student, listen to Victoria’s journey! Her work in public speaking, mentorship, advocacy, and leadership has won her multiple awards, including the McKinsey & Co Achievement award and the UK’s Outstanding Achievement Award at the Student Social Mobility Awards.  Victoria has had multiple internships, sits on advisory boards, and continues to mentor young students who are inspired by her journey. In a way, her journey has just begun, but she is an inspiration for students trying to find what they want to do with their life.  

You can follow Victoria on TikTok at navigatewithvictoria, or on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/victoria-ayodeji 

The article about how Victoria planned her gap year is here:

https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/how-i-planned-a-life-changing-gap-year?listIds=5b5f1f6edb9c1ace614b73a0 

How can you return to practicing medicine, after struggling through addiction in your residency? Join us for the inspiring story of Dr. Michael Sprintz, who not only successfully practices medicine now as a triple board certified physician, but positively influences policy and educates doctors in a way that is needed and has not been done before.  We also discuss other career opportunities in the field of medicine, and the importance of business education when starting your own practice. His story illustrates how the worst possible situation can later be valued experience to use for good in helping others. 

Melanie started her college career as a French Horn player in the Music department, but soon realized that she needed to change paths.  Eventually landing in a Journalism major, Melanie became involved with the LGBTQ student organization and was one of the first students to graduate with a minor in LGBTQ studies at her university.  After a pivotal internship and becoming interested in policy that impacted her life and those in her community, she knew she needed to pursue Social Work.  Join us for this inspiring conversation about Melanie’s path, but also learn about how to become a better human and member of your community.  

As a teen, Mike was a member of the US Junior National Cycling team and assumed he would one day become a doctor (you’ll have to listen to hear why).  In college, Mike was a college athlete, double majored, double minored, and applied to multiple graduate programs.  After his first year in medical school, Mike realized that he loved the medical field, but was meant to play a different role in it than he originally planned. Join us for this insightful conversation about the healthcare industry and the variety of career paths within it.

Irene began her college career as a Music major who was interested in a variety of subjects across a Liberal Arts curriculum.  After attending a lecture about The Innocence Project and taking some law courses, she decided that pursuing a legal career was what she wanted to do, graduating early with a degree in Political Science.  After a family experience left her viewing divorce proceedings in a different light, she decided to make a commitment to change the way she practices law. Join us for this inspiring conversation about forging your own path to be in line with your values to help others.

Alecia is the Founder, Artistic Director, and Oboist for ROCO, a professional chamber orchestra. She tells us how her original plans to study physics at a different university changed (weeks before starting college!), what she learned during her time living abroad, and how watching multiple orchestras fail helped her to build ROCO into what it is today. Alecia also shares her experience as a parent with her two college age sons.  For more information about ROCO, visit www.roco.org. 

Edgar always knew that he would end up doing something artistic, but he didn’t understand what all that could mean as a young teen.  After three undergraduate degrees that included not only graphic design, but other courses that inspired his work, like art history and creative writing, he later earned his MFA in Illustration.  Edgar explains to us the difference between graphic design and illustration, what different jobs and work environments can look like in this field, and how graphic design and illustration can work either together or separately.  You will also hear about the process to create the artwork for this podcast!  

Erik was homeschooled in high school and attended community college as a dual credit student before entering his undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering.  Join us to hear Erik’s journey from his chemical engineering program to medicine, switching specializations between three different options as his life moved in different directions.  Erik gives great advice about how to choose what kind of doctor you are going to be based on how you need or want your life to be outside of work.  We also talk about building relationships, teaching, navigating personal finances, the pandemic, using your gifts to serve others, and that it’s ok to change paths.