Life After Now

Considering that Minnesota has one of the largest achievement gaps across socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic demographics, what needs to change so education is equitable for all people? In this episode, Kayla Ritter Rickels talks about the value of understanding how education needs to be accessible and equitable for all. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Is it possible to turn your passion into a career? In this episode, Uzo Ngwu shares about how being an artist and believing in herself has helped her find the confidence to achieve her goals to pursue artistic passions. Uzo talks about her journey of activating her creativity by using artwork as a springboard to other creative pursuits. She also shares about the importance of school art programs and how they become vehicles for entering into creative communities and connecting with others by sharing your creativity with the world. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Markus Flynn talks about the value of representation in education, specifically with Black male educators, in the Minneapolis and St. Paul public school systems. Combined, these school systems serve approximately 70% students of color while the teacher corps itself is only 17% of color. Markus Flynn talks about his work as the Executive Director of Black Men Teach, an organization whose goal is to create the conditions where Black students thrive in education. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

We know there are many reasons why pursuing your education might seem impossible, but we have also heard so many stories about why it’s worth it, that you can do it, and that there are resources out there to help you along the way. Teresa Lugo, a high school community bilingual navigator from Austin, MN,  joins the podcast to talk about some of the disparities in high school graduation rates and why high schoolers might opt out of continuing on with education. She also highlights the importance of supporting students who are making difficult choices between education and working when it can be so difficult to see the long term benefits. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Representation matters! Lara Gerhardson, the Outreach Liaison for the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program (MISP), talks about her journey through higher education, including stops at Harvard and Boston University, and why it’s important to her to bring what she learned back to her community in Minnesota. There are many reasons to choose to continue on with postsecondary education and for Lara, giving back and helping others succeed in the same way she has is perhaps the most impactful one of all. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Are you trying to find your own community on campus? David Mesta talks about the benefits of staying active during your college experience, not only in class but also in extracurricular activities. For David, clubs and student groups opened up a whole new world for him. He gained a new social network, found opportunities to create change in areas that were important to him, and developed real-world skills. David also dispels the myth that “campus life” is only for four year institutions. He kept his calendar jam packed during his time at South Central College, a member of the Minnesota State system. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

In this episode, Liz and Nimo Omar discuss how knowing your “story” and understanding what matters to you is a crucial part of staying grounded and finding your place in the world. Nimo shares stories about her process of soul searching, connecting with her family, and how her eventual involvement in student government and community activism led her to national exposure in movements for social justice and labor rights. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Money can be one of the most challenging aspects of our lives until we understand how to manage it. Preenon Huq talks about how understanding finances early in your life can have a dramatic influence on your ability to balance your income and make healthy financial choices. Preenon shares his perspective about how effectively managing his personal finances has contributed to his ability to stay focused on what’s important. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Rahje Branch, Senior Program Manager for Reach Higher Initiative, talks about fighting oppressive systems through education, the importance of rest, and paving the way for those that will come after you. She shares the story of her own “Activist Awakening” in college, and the responsibility she feels to members of her community - past, present, and future. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Dan-neya Yancey shares her experience finding a sense of belonging on campus while maintaining her identity, getting college credit in high school, being involved, and defining her own path to success. She also talks about public health equity and working with the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

When it comes to disrupting racism in our schools, we need to stand up.  Derek Francis, manager of counseling services in Minneapolis Public Schools, speaks with us about how best to support students of color in the face of racism and social isolation. He breaks down the differences between the rural and urban experience for BIPOC students, gets real about the effects of racism on young people, and talks about the power of celebration to raise the confidence and self-esteem of BIPOC communities. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Have you ever thought about being a Resident Advisor (RA) in a college dorm? Asha Mohamud talks about all of the benefits that being an RA provides, from making it financially feasible to live on campus, to expanding your social circle, to developing skills that will help you in a surprising number of situations later in life. Being an RA is a great way to not only make the college experience more attainable, but also more rewarding (and fun). Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Did you know that there’s a program where workers receive a combination of related instruction strategically paired with on-the-job training right here in Minnesota? Yese Ruiz talks about finding her passion for healthcare through the MN Dual-Training Pipeline Program, her experiences as a first-generation college student, and using bilingualism as an advantage. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

FAFSA, Loans, Work-Study, Grants… Where do you even begin? In this episode, we bring in a financial aid expert to talk about the process and demystify how to pay for college. Dean of Financial Aid at Gustavus Adolphus College, Jesus Hernandez Mejia, discusses numbers and breaks myths about the financial aid process. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

As the first woman and first Latinx president in Macalester’s history, Dr. Suzanne Rivera knows that academic excellence and inclusion go hand-in-hand; you don’t need a well-tread path to get where you want to go. In this expansive interview, Dr. Rivera talks about her own experiences, how they have informed her leadership, and what higher education institutions can do to authentically promote inclusivity—for the benefit of all. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Going to college is a big decision and a big change, and that’s especially true if you’re coming from another country. As a multicultural admissions counselor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Nawang Palkit talks to Liz about her college experience, which was also her first experience in America. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

In this episode we chat with Jodi Furman. Jodi is the founder of Enlightened Admissions, a consulting company that helps students navigate the college admissions process. Jodi breaks down the timeline for the admissions process, and offers some great resources for BIPOC students, first-generation students, or students from otherwise underserved communities. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Jeremiah Harris, the director of GEAR UP Minneapolis, talks about the kinds of support you as a high school student both deserve and should expect in making choices about your educational future. There are lots of great programs and resources out there to help you on your journey, and there are also a wide array of educational opportunities out there for you - not just a four year collegiate degree. If you have a vision for where you want to end up, organizations like GEAR UP are available to help you talk about how to make that a reality both in terms of envisioning the path to get there and getting the financial resources to walk it. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

We have a lot of great guests lined up on Life After Now - leaders, experts, professors, counselors, and more. These individuals will share insights and expertise on helping you on your path to and through postsecondary education. Today though, we want to give the mic to someone on that path, so you can hear from an individual just like you who is living through the process. Betty Garcia Herrera is a recent graduate of Worthington High School, a first generation student, an activist, and someone who is embarking on her journey in postsecondary education. She is here to share her story about applying to college, how and why she chose to go, and what she hopes for other upcoming or recent high school grads all across Minnesota. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Is your college motivation melting away? You might be experiencing “summer melt”. Nationally, 1 in 5 college-bound students fail to show up to campus in the fall. This phenomenon is called Summer Melt. In this episode, Professor Benjamin Castleman and Applied Behavioral Scientist Alice Choe tell us about their research into ways to prevent Summer Melt and other ways to boost college access and completion, especially for historically marginalized students. Check out our resources to get yourself signed up for free college advising and text message “nudges” to keep yourself on track for life after now. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Khalique Rogers talks about how important it is to be fearless when it comes to seizing opportunities whether it be participating in PSEO programs, developing a career, or bringing change to your community. By asking questions and believing in himself, Khalique has opened door after door for himself and is now helping others do the same. You’ll hear how we’re all on our own hero’s journey, and how PSEO is one of the ways to arm yourself on the climb. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Should I go to college if I don’t know what I want to major in or do with my life? Is it something I can figure out while I’m there? How can I pay for college? What is Minnesota doing to make it more affordable? Life After Now will dive into all of these questions over the course of the season, but in this episode we have a pair of experts from GearUp MN giving us some quick answers to pressing questions from high schoolers all around the state of Minnesota. Shout out to all of the students who sent in questions to make this episode possible! Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Bryan Contreras joins the podcast to talk about the importance of mental health, which is a critical part of the educational journey. Bryan gives tips on both evaluating the state of your mental health, and what lasting habits you can build to keep your sense of mental wellbeing high. He also talks about how institutions are working to improve the ways they can support students from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and the need for that effort to continue. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

A global pandemic, racial injustice, political uprisings, and a pending climate crisis are just a few of the serious issues we face as we begin building towards a “new normal.” So, how do these challenges affect students making decisions about their future? What about life after now?

In this episode, our host, Liz Bolsoni, talks to Kat Klima, Outreach and Communications Coordinator from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, about the mission of the Life After Now Podcast; what listeners can expect to hear over the course of the season; and where to find more information. Life After Now is brought to you by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.