Ever wondered about the path to becoming a college president? Meet Dr. Erika Endrijonas, former LAVC President and now Superintendent/President at Pasadena City College.  Listen to her journey that details her path from undergraduate school to being engaged in transformative work across different colleges in support of student success. 

Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas

LA Valley/Pitzer College Alumni  (Warning mature topics and words used)

How does a single mom without straight A’s get an elite private college to pay for her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and travel to research in Africa, Puerto Rico and Asia? What kind of person does Pitzer College want to invest in?

Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas

Have you ever fantasized about sneaking out of your house and hanging out with rock stars in the local clubs? As a kid, Darby Southgate lived that fantasy. Hear her story as she details her passion for music and the path that ultimately led her to pursue an academic career as a sociologist focused on teaching, publishing and research.  

Follow Clive’s story of selling fruit on the streets of Belize to traveling Europe in service of our country to becoming a career counselor who helps students find a professional direction in their lives. 

John Kawai – Assistant Professor of Mathematics

"Ever felt desperate? How do you recover from a career-ending disability? How do you find a new career at 40 after being sidelined for 10 years? Hear the story of one of our podcast’s host’s hustle to find a way out of his mal-employment hole."

What if you paid your way through college and discovered that your high paying job was unfulfilling? Who would you ask for help? Kassidy asked Yelp, and it directed her to a job filled with meaning. 

What if your immigrant parents from Jamaica wanted you to be a top elite student, but they didn’t know how the system worked? How would you figure out how to go to Stanford and Princeton?

Ever seen someone studying at midnight alone at Starbucks? Ever wonder who they are and what drives them? Meet Ana Trujillo, a professor who uses those experiences to challenge minorities and women to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) majors.

 How does a student go from walking into a community college with dreams of being “the hair stylist to the stars,” to becoming a community advocate on the campus of Harvard, UCLA and now LA Valley College? 

 What would happen if you combined a stand-up comedian/improve actor with Calculus? Meet George Caleodis who makes a career in both worlds.