This wasn’t just a webinar—it was a deep breath, a laugh, and a chance to finally feel like you had a plan. If the words FAFSA , Common App , essay supplements , or demonstrated interest used to trigger a stress response, you weren’t alone. The college application process is no longer a simple checklist—it’s an emotional, logistical, and psychological marathon for the whole family. In this one-hour session, we walked through what applying to college really looks like in 2025—and what it actually...
Jun 27, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Raising confident, capable daughters in today’s fast-paced world comes with a unique set of joys—and challenges. That’s why we were thrilled to welcome Hilary Afshary , author of Dorm to Doorstep: Tips, Tidbits and Tales Every Young Woman Will Want to Read , to the Growing Good Humans podcast for a meaningful conversation tailored to parents of college-bound girls. In this episode, Hilary shared the inspiration behind Dorm to Doorstep , a resource designed to help families navigate the transitio...
May 13, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
🎙️ Curious about bold, innovative paths in higher ed? This episode is for you. We were thrilled to welcome Amber Featherstone, the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management at Minerva University, to the Growing Good Humans podcast! With over 15 years of experience in international education, enrollment, and student support, Amber has dedicated her career to guiding students toward globally innovative learning opportunities. In this episode, she joined us for a focused conversation with our famili...
Apr 24, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Parenting a child with ADD/ADHD is a journey—one that comes with unique joys and challenges at every stage. In our latest conversation, Laura Barr sat down with Craig Knippenberg, LCSW, to explore how parents can support ADHD students through high school, college transitions, and beyond. With over 40 years of experience in child development and mental health, Craig shared both professional expertise and personal insights as a father of four, including two adults with ADHD. His “good-enough” appr...
Mar 18, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In this episode of the Growing Good Podcast, we featured expert Vivian Shen, founder and CEO of Acely.ai and Juni Learning, to explore how AI-powered tutoring transformed the way students prepare for standardized tests. The platform includes practice tests, customizable study plans, and questions by difficulty level and similarity. Beyond the SAT, Acely also covers the PSAT, ACT, and AP exams, providing detailed performance feedback to help improve scores. Acely is a product of Juni Learning, an...
Mar 10, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 4
With all of the recent advancements in AI, we were thrilled to welcome Tyler Moulton, the Head of Academics and Veritas AI Partnerships, to share his expertise and insights on our Growing Good Humans Podcast ! Artificial intelligence is no longer just the future—it’s shaping our world right now. From self-driving cars to cutting-edge medical discoveries, AI is transforming industries, and high schoolers have an incredible opportunity to get involved early. But why start in high school? How can s...
Feb 18, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 3
This month, we welcomed Neal Crosson, the National Admissions Manager at VERTO Education, to the Growing Good Humans podcast! ✨VERTO Education is redefining the college freshman-year experience by offering students a transformative first year abroad that combines academic rigor, cultural immersion, and unparalleled personal growth 🌱 If anyone knows me and my practice at Emerging Consulting, you have likely heard me mention this incredible opportunity - I am their biggest fan! Neal expertly expl...
Jan 28, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We are pleased to welcome back our esteemed colleague from Duke University, Dr. Robert Malkin this week on our Growing Good Humans Podcast! 🎙️✨ 📚 With the rise of STEM-related fields in high school students, we find value in discovering and sharing ways for these students to level up their high school experience and college applications! 🔬🎓 🩺Dr. Robert Malkin is a Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering and Global Health at Duke University and serves as the Academic Director of the Int...
Jan 20, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We are so excited to welcome Katie Vahey Gaebler this week on the Growing Good Humans podcast! Katie has a wealth of information to share with parents and families of neurodiverse students of all high school ages! Dr. Katie is Owner/Founder of AutismNERD - the Neurodiverse Education Resources of Denver- to support learning-different students and their families in the prep, planning, placement, and persistence of post-high school educational goals. After 20 years of employment at 5 different type...
Jul 29, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Jamie Kidder , an Iowa native, is an alum of the University of Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire University and is currently the National Director of Outreach for College Living Experience. Prior to joining CLE, she spent 23 years in higher education administration and has always had a passion for students and their success, especially those students who face hurdles in learning and in life. Jamie understands the rigors of higher education, learning strategies, and human dynamics and uses...
Jun 14, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 13
We are so thrilled to welcome Jamie Rabkin-Binder to this week's event! Today, we will discuss various tips and tricks for managing stress and challenges associated with the college application and decision process. Let's gather and chat with an expert in the field to gain knowledge about supporting our students with strength and compassion ❤️ Jamie is a licensed clinical social worker with over 15 years of experience. She is the owner of Ahava Counseling and the co-founder of the WrapAround Col...
Jun 03, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 12
We are so excited to be joined by Brittany Cortinas from The University of Arizona SALT Center this week! The Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center is an academic support program that provides services to University of Arizona students with learning and attention challenges. Brittany is the Recruitment Coordinator for the SALT Center. She is a native of Tucson and an alum of the UA with a bachelor’s in creative writing. Brittany returns to UofA as the Recruiter for the College ...
Apr 08, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 11
From the outset, Leigh’s guidance has been informed by data. She advocates a proactive college search in which parents commit to a budget, and students identify their own quantifiable objectives. Once that hard work is done, available data can lead that student to colleges that will serve them well. Leigh says the problem with existing college data lies in its abundance. Families and counselors alike are overwhelmed and need a single resource which has been developed by someone who knows where t...
Dec 18, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We would like to welcome back our friend and colleague Bill Huston from Mindfish Test Prep for a special Power Half-Hour event this week! Bill is the owner and co-founder of Mindfish and our "go-to" guy for all things standardized testing related! We have been getting a ton of questions regarding the PSAT now that many freshmen and sophomores have just completed it - so we figured the timing of this live event was crucial! Today we are going to cover the following: The new digital SAT How to rea...
Nov 15, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Yesterday, I was jazzed to talk to liane@thecollegedollar.com for 30 minutes about what parents need to know about College Tuition, Finacial Aid, Financial Fit, and Planning for the Finances of College. In this podcast you will get answers to these questions: How do you start a college Budget? Why is a budget important? Should everyone submit the FAFSA? CSS Profile? What is the best way to get merit scholarships? One of the best ways to get money from colleges? What do you mean by financially fi...
Oct 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 8
We were so thrilled to be joined by Lara Baker, Senior Partner and Head of the Criminal Litigation Practice Group at Foster Graham Milstein and Calisher. She's a legal powerhouse with vast experience in criminal, juvenile, and Title IX litigation. Lara's credentials speak for themselves - serving on boards, accolades, and recognitions like Best Lawyers in America, 5280 Magazine's 'Top Lawyers,' and Colorado Super Lawyers. Questions we discussed: 📱 Should we keep an eye on our kids' cell phones ...
Sep 27, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 7
We were SO honored to welcome our esteemed guest this week, Dr. Chloe Carmichael! Dr. Chloe is a clinical psychologist and USA Today bestselling author who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, earning a BA in Psychology with departmental honors. She holds a Masters and Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association and accepts fewer than 10% of its applicants. Her book, Nervous Energy: Harnes...
Sep 20, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Thank you to Lauran Williamson for her knowledge and expertise surrounding student-athletes applying to College. She provided useful information about students being active in their recruitment, scholarships, and parent involvement. Here are the resources that she shared as well as her website! Topics Covered: Difference between D1 - D3 athletics in college applications Recruitment intricacies Casting a WIDE net Tips for contacting coaches at colleges and universities Scholarships Recruitment ti...
Sep 15, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Andrea, Ph.D., is a college transition educator and author who speaks with high school and college students and parents on the challenges related to the transition to college. She draws on her 25 years of experience as a college professor and as a university administrator. Andrea is the creator of the Talking College™ card deck , the original card deck of discussion prompts for college-bound students and their parents (available in English and Spanish), co-creator of the Talking College™ Campus ...
Aug 30, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Thank you to all who attended this event today! It was packed with information about topics that can be tough to discuss - but they are IMPORTANT! Especially as we are preparing to launch students into college, we want to ensure they feel supported to succeed and that parents have the tools to do so! Topics discussed: 👍 Hanna Stotland and her background in Crisis Management 👍 Her #1 piece of advice for parents preparing to launch students 👍 "The Gray" area in various misconduct cases in colle...
Aug 22, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 4
We were so lucky to be joined by a true expert in the field of STEM research today! is a Professor of the Practice of Biomedical Engineering and Global Health, Emeritus at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is also the Academic Director of the International Research Institute of North Carolina. Dr. Malkin was the founder and Director of Engineering World Health and The Global Public Service Academies, organizations dedicated to improving healthcare in the developing world. He is joini...
Aug 22, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Thank you to for his knowledge and expertise surrounding students entering College. He provided useful information about student well-being, how to prepare your student for the start of college, and how to have conversations with your student while they’re in college and set healthy expectations. This is a great thirty minutes to share with your student as Dr. Dylan Larson-Konar speaks to healthy habits and tricks students can use to combat depression and anxiety in the first year of college. Ch...
Aug 22, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 3
