Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Wanda Herndon, author of Working Class to Breaking Glass and former vice president of global communications at Starbucks.

Wanda credits her parents with teaching her perseverance. Their journey from the segregated South to Michigan demonstrated that determination, hard work, and refusing to give up can create opportunities for future generations.

She believes the constant exposure to negative messages can contribute to hopelessness among young people. Helping students recognize positive opportunities and possibilities is essential to building hope.

Finding positive role models is one of Wanda's strongest recommendations. She encourages young people to identify individuals who represent who they want to become and learn from their experiences.

For Wanda, networking doesn't have to be complicated. Joining clubs, participating in organizations, building friendships, and asking questions can open doors to new opportunities.

Her philosophy of becoming the "CEO of Me" emphasizes self-leadership. Students should take ownership of their goals, identify the people and experiences they need, and develop a plan for reaching their aspirations.

Wanda stresses the importance of authenticity. She encourages young people to embrace their backgrounds and tell their own stories rather than allowing others to define who they are or what they can accomplish.

Drawing from her professional experiences, she describes three important forms of knowledge: street sense, work sense, and book sense. Together, they help individuals navigate life, education, and the workplace.

Reflecting on her college experience, Wanda explains how finding a supportive community helped her overcome insecurity and feelings of not belonging. Her message to students is that they should never underestimate their right to be in the room.

As a first-generation college student in her immediate family, she viewed education as a pathway to upward mobility. Over time, Wanda also came to recognize her responsibility to help others access similar opportunities.

In discussing her memoir, Wanda challenges the idea that the glass ceiling has been completely shattered. She believes progress requires continuing to break barriers while helping others advance through the opportunities that have been created.

Perseverance means continuing despite rejection. Wanda encourages students to avoid allowing a single "no" to determine their future and to keep pursuing their goals.

Her final call to action for educators, counselors, and school leaders is simple and powerful: "Expand your list of students you will mentor. There's never too many. Expand it and get to work."

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Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Joanna de Peña, founder and CEO of Top Notch Scholars.

Joanna says one of the biggest misconceptions about college is that attending a prestigious four-year university guarantees success. Students need to understand that their character, work ethic, and commitment matter more than the name of the institution.

She says that fear of missing out (FOMO) creates tremendous pressure for students. Social media celebrations and college acceptance announcements can make students feel that community college or other pathways are somehow less valuable.

Joanna challenges educators and families to reconsider the language they use when discussing college options. Negative messages about community colleges and trade schools can influence students to make financially risky decisions.

The financial consequences can be significant. She shares examples of families using savings intended for homeownership to cover college tuition gaps, even when more affordable pathways are available.

Joanna believes schools should present students with the full range of postsecondary options, including community colleges, four-year universities, trade schools, and other programs, before encouraging them to make a decision.

College enrollment shouldn't be the only measure of success. Joanna argues that schools should pay greater attention to whether students complete their programs, graduate, and achieve their goals.

Joanna encourages families to compare financial aid packages carefully. Students can apply to their dream schools while remaining realistic about affordability, tuition gaps, and long-term debt.

Starting at a community college can be a smart financial strategy. Students may complete their first two years at little or no cost before transferring to a four-year institution to finish a bachelor's degree.

Joanna introduces another way to think about college savings. Families that avoid unnecessary tuition expenses may be able to redirect those funds toward savings, investments, or even a future home purchase.

Financial literacy should be part of the college planning process. Our guest wants students to understand how manageable debt, savings, credit, and financial decisions can influence their opportunities long after graduation.

Joanna encourages schools to celebrate every postsecondary pathway. Students pursuing community college, four-year degrees, technical training, or military service should all feel confident and supported in their decisions.

Beyond college applications, she reminds educators that students need opportunities to enjoy high school, participate in extracurricular activities, explore careers, complete internships, and develop relationships.

Joanna's final message is a reminder that students have multiple routes to a fulfilling future: "Success is yours, no matter what educational pathway you choose."

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Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Corey Koopmans, founder of InternCrew.

Corey says workers' compensation, liability, age restrictions, payroll requirements, and administrative responsibilities can all become barriers for employers interested in hiring high school interns.

According to Koopmans, large companies present an additional challenge. A local office may want to partner with a school, only to encounter corporate policies that make hiring high school students difficult.

Corey describes an employer-of-record model as one way to remove much of that friction by managing screening, onboarding, payroll, insurance, compliance, time tracking, and feedback.

Paid work-based learning is an important part of the equation for Koopmans. Removing administrative barriers can bring more employers into the process and ultimately create more paid opportunities for students.

Corey also sees an opportunity to extend internships beyond the traditional school calendar. Year-round management can allow students to continue working during the summer when some industries have even greater demand.

Authentic work experience requires authentic accountability, according to Koopmans. Students need to understand workplace expectations, receive meaningful feedback, and experience real consequences when those expectations aren't met.

He views even losing an internship as a potential learning experience. Students can learn about attendance, performance, professionalism, and workplace norms before entering their first full-time job.

When it comes to internship quality, he argues that students need to actually engage in meaningful work. A welding student, for example, shouldn't spend the experience simply sweeping the floor instead of developing relevant skills.

Corey suggests that scaling internships may also require employers to rethink how the work itself is structured. Shorter shifts, project-based teams, and “gig-style” arrangements could create paid opportunities for more students while still providing value to employers.

From an employer perspective, Koopmans sees internships as part of a larger talent strategy. Early exposure can introduce students to careers while helping organizations develop a pipeline of potential future employees.

Ultimately, Corey believes students shouldn't simply be around the work. High-quality internships should allow them to do the work, build relevant skills, receive feedback, and understand what success looks like.

His final message captures the value of these experiences: “There's no such thing as success and failure. There's only success and learning, and learning can only occur through experience.”

College & Career Readiness Radio is brought to you by MaiaLearning, your fully comprehensive college and career planning tool, including the ability to plan and track internship experiences for students. Schedule a demo today.