Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Joshua Stamper, author of The Language of Behavior.

Josh says that student behavior should be read as communication, not just defiance, because students often signal unmet needs, stress, or trauma through what they do in class.

He explains that many behavior issues start when students are in survival mode, which makes it hard for them to regulate emotions, listen, or hold a conversation.

Stamper says educators should first consider the environment, since classroom setup, wall clutter, furniture placement, and other sensory factors can make students feel unsafe or overstimulated.

He notes that the second step is exploring the breakdown, meaning adults should identify what a behavior might actually be communicating instead of assuming it is simple disruption or boredom.

Stamper argues that responding intentionally means using consequences that match the behavior, helping the student take ownership, teaching the replacement skill, and avoiding punishments that only increase fear.

He describes check-ins as a practical way to track student well-being over time and catch changes in baseline before problems escalate.

Josh tells listeners that trusted adult relationships are essential, because students are more likely to disclose hard situations and accept help when they feel safe with someone at school.

He notes that counselors and schools should use data, in-person check-ins, and follow-up conversations to respond early when a student’s baseline shifts.

Stamper says students also need direct teaching about their brains, emotions, and self-regulation so they can build control and coping skills for school and life.

He connects this work to post-secondary readiness, saying students need durable life skills like empathy, communication, relationship-building, and stress management to succeed in college, careers, and adulthood.

His closing message is that schools should ask whether they truly treat behavior as communication, and if so, respond with compassion, empathy, and a focus on decoding student needs.

"The best way to get knowledge to the brain is through the heart." ~ Joshua Stamper

This episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is brought to you by MaiaLearning, a fully comprehensive college and career readiness platform. If you want a demo of the features of MaiaLearning that support what was discussed in this episode, including wellbeing assessments, data collection, and student flourishing results, schedule your demo today.

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Frank Polen, assistant superintendent and director of adult education at the Buckeye Career Center in Ohio.

Frank explains that Buckeye Career Center is a joint vocational school district and a career technical planning district serving 11 partner schools across three counties. Students can complete academics and career-technical training in one place, and the center also serves open-enrolled, homeschool, and digital academy students.

He highlights Buckeye's flexible pathways for students, including full academics, lab time, credit-plus options, online coursework, and school-to-work opportunities. He emphasizes that students can earn industry credentials, graduate early, work in their field, or continue into more training and college credit.

Frank stresses that CTE and college are not competing ideas. His view is that “training is for everybody,” and that education should be treated as a long-term pathway with multiple on-ramps and off-ramps.

He describes the need for strong articulation between high school, adult programs, and higher education. He points to credit opportunities through certifications and industry credentials that can apply toward associate degrees and beyond.

Frank says that workforce shortages are best addressed through collaboration, not silos. In his region, educators, business leaders, economic developers, legislators, and higher education partners work together through an industry sector partnership and a Civic Lab initiative to solve manufacturing and healthcare labor gaps.

Polen also emphasizes the importance of a dedicated point person, clear goals, and regular meetings to keep problem-solving moving. He says the goal is not just to solve workforce problems, but to dissolve them through long-term, community-based action.

Frank closes with a simple message: “We’re all in this together.” He encourages leaders to connect with one another, build teams, and keep finding ways to say yes for students and communities.

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In this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio, Dr. TJ Vari sits down with Marlon Styles to discuss how schools can build stronger connections between students, business partners, and future careers. Marlon shares how his district reimagined career exploration through the Ready Now 100 initiative and why early, meaningful exposure matters for every student.

Marlon explains that the work began with a simple but powerful idea: if kids can see it, they can be it. Through Ready Now 100, the district created a “Passport to Tomorrow” model that gave students access to career-based experiences from kindergarten through high school, with the goal of helping them see themselves in future career clusters and build the skills to thrive.

A major theme of the conversation is partnership. Marlon describes how the district worked with business and community partners not just for funding, but for human capital—employees, experts, facilities, and real-world experiences that students could engage with both inside and outside school. He also shares how small-group meetings, follow-up conversations, and clear communication helped build trust and secure long-term support.

The episode also explores accountability and student agency. Marlon explains that students created portfolio artifacts to show what they learned and to reflect on their interests, confidence, and growth. He emphasizes that career exposure at younger ages helps students become more self-aware and can even drive academic engagement by connecting classroom learning to future goals.

Finally, Marlon reminds listeners that this kind of work cannot be done alone. Schools of any size or setting can build strong partnerships by taking an asset-based approach and inviting community organizations to co-create opportunities for students.

Guest takeaway: If kids can see it, they can be it—and every student deserves access to adults and experiences that help them imagine and pursue their future.

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Dr. Osheroff says that career development should begin as soon as students arrive at college, not in their final year, because early engagement helps them build confidence, find opportunities, and avoid missing out on internships or other high-impact experiences.

He explains that his office at the University of Southern Maine uses peer career guides to create a low-pressure first step for students who may be hesitant to meet with a professional advisor.

Dr. Osheroff notes that the peer career guide model works because students connect more easily with near peers who are still figuring things out, and because empathy is essential to effective peer advising.

He says the program includes training, ongoing development, and employer-led sessions so students can learn what the job market values and share that insight with others.

He emphasizes that internships should be more accessible, not just highly competitive summer opportunities, and says his team runs the program three times a year to create more entry points.

He describes a process in which his team handles student recruitment, screening, interview coaching, and employer matching, making the internship process easier for both students and employers.

He says spreading internships across fall, spring, and summer reduces competition and helps students fit part-time internships around their classes.

He explains that the program grew because USM invested in it over time and was able to show that it improved student retention, classroom success, and post-graduation outcomes.

He says paid internships are essential for equity because many students are commuters, work part-time, and have rent, childcare, or other financial responsibilities.

Dr. Osheroff explains that funding comes from grants and cost-sharing with employers, with each partner’s share varying by organization size and other factors.

He says the goal is to create meaningful, project-based internships rather than busywork, and his team helps employers design stronger roles from the start.

He notes that each internship begins with a learning agreement and three student-set learning outcomes, followed by midpoint check-ins to address issues before the internship ends.

He tells listeners that the team measures outcomes through surveys, resume support, and longer-term follow-up with alumni to see where participants go afterward and how the experience shaped them.

His main message is simple: if an idea is useful, start small, try it, and let it grow in your own context.

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Dr. Mark Covelle, Administrative Director of Middle Bucks Institute of Technology and a Founding Member of the CTE Collective.

Mark says that interest in CTE has surged post-COVID because hands-on, authentic learning could not be replicated online. The skilled trades gap has added further momentum nationally.

He notes that in CTE, students practice — they work on real brakes, deploy real safety equipment, and build real things. Traditional classrooms more often ask students to pretend. Kids know the difference, and it affects their engagement.

His school serves 1,000 students across 21 career programs and issued over 1,500 industry-recognized credentials last year — roughly 1.5 per student. These credentials are portable, tangible evidence of skill beyond a transcript.

Business and industry partners tell Mark the biggest gaps in young workers are persistence (stalling when stuck), communication, and general professionalism. MBIT grades students on employability weekly — resumes, interviewing, professional conduct, and workplace interaction are all part of the curriculum.

Mark believes that every K-12 school should have an internship program. Students need professional feedback at 18, not 24. Even virtual or industry-problem-based experiences count. Getting that feedback earlier — with educator support — changes outcomes.

Mark and TJ discuss how authentic problems can live in any classroom. An English problem-solution paper can be drawn from a real local business challenge. A student who needs math to complete an engineering project will learn that math. Purpose drives motivation.

Mark tells a story about involving students in school branding. MBIT's "ambition" identity came from a student who noticed MBIT sits inside the word ambition. It became a neon lobby sign, a podcast, and a school-wide hashtag — and it stuck because students created it.

Mark's closing message: authenticity matters. Authentic learning builds trust, persistence, and a positive relationship with school — the skills employers say are missing most.

College & Career Readiness Radio is brought to you by MaiaLearning, a fully comprehensive college and career readiness platform serving students worldwide.

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is fourth-generation educator, coach, and multiple-time best-selling author Chip Baker. Chip is the creator of The Success Chronicles, a YouTube channel and podcast where he interviews people from all walks of life about what it truly takes to be successful in life. Drawing from thousands of these conversations, Chip and host Dr. TJ Vari connect the dots between post-secondary success and the skills, mindsets, and experiences students need for college and career readiness worldwide.​

After years of interviewing high performers, Chip identifies a core throughline: the ability to overcome adversity and “grow through, not go through” tough times. He argues that on the other side of our hardest challenges is our maximum growth, and that educators play a pivotal role in helping students develop resilience and perseverance. For Chip, relevance is key—students engage and persist when learning is tied to real-world applications, pathways, projects, internships, and work-based learning that clearly connect to their futures.​

Chip highlights the quiet but powerful impact of educators, counselors, and support staff who consistently show up with care, presence, and high expectations. These adults build quality relationships, provide relevance, and communicate, “I really care about your success,” which Chip sees as the foundation for student growth and long-term achievement. He notes that many successful people attribute their progress to someone who poured into them when they doubted themselves, or to their own decision to “be the one” who changes the trajectory of their family through education, learning, and new environments.​

From The Success Chronicles, Chip distills recurring traits of successful people: resilience, self-belief (“you are enough”), strong support systems, core principles, lifelong learning, time management, self-awareness, reflection, and intentional goal setting. He emphasizes that learning is not optional, and that managing time—saying no to what doesn’t matter so you can say yes to what does—is essential for sustained success. These traits align directly with many districts’ portraits of a graduate and provide research-informed guidance for the skills schools can intentionally teach and assess.​

Chip shares powerful quotes and themes from his guests such as “failures are fuel for success,” “consistency is the truest measure of performance,” and “don’t let your life be driven by your to-do list—let it be driven by your to-be list.” He uses these ideas with students, helping them “conquer themselves” by understanding their triggers, interests, and values so they can eliminate distractions and build a life aligned with who they are.

Explaining why he started The Success Chronicles, Chip says he simply wanted to serve, give, and stop “keeping to himself” the powerful conversations that had expedited his own growth. He loves highlighting unsung heroes who do the work without seeking recognition and believes “success leaves clues” that students and educators can use in their own journeys. His closing message to educators is his personal tagline: “Live, learn, serve, inspire—go get it."

Listeners can find on YouTube and on all major podcast platforms, and explore his more than 30 books, merch, and resources through links in his social media bios or by searching his name on Amazon.

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is best-selling author of Careers By the People, Mike Wysocki.

Mike Wysocki discusses how his own career path shaped his focus on career readiness. As a first-generation, low-income student, his early goal was simply to go to college and get a job in business. After graduating, he found the experience underwhelming and unfulfilling. Even when he later moved into well-paid tech sales in Los Angeles, the work felt unchallenging and disconnected from his interests. That realization led him to ask others about their careers, which ultimately inspired his book Careers by the People, featuring candid advice from more than 100 professionals.

Through his research and speaking with students, Wysocki has found that many young people remain confused about career paths, particularly outside elite universities. He believes the connection between education and the workforce is often weak, with students lacking awareness of industries, networking strategies, and professional tools like LinkedIn.

Wysocki pushes back on the idea that students should simply follow passion or talent alone. Instead, he encourages students to identify industries that genuinely interest them and then apply their strengths within those fields. Building a network within an industry makes it easier to move between roles such as sales, operations, or marketing while maintaining connections and credibility.

A key piece of his advice is for students to speak directly with experienced professionals. Conversations with people who have spent years in a field—and especially those who have left it—provide more realistic insight than relying on peers or family members alone. Hearing multiple perspectives helps students better understand the pros and cons of different careers.

Wysocki also emphasizes that many students only know careers within their family networks, which can limit awareness of other opportunities. Expanding exposure to different industries earlier in life can help students discover options that better match their interests.

Reflecting on his own experience, Wysocki says college was valuable because it helped him build writing skills, confidence, and broader knowledge. He believes higher education can be transformative, particularly for students from working-class backgrounds, but students must also use that time to actively explore careers and build professional connections.

His upcoming book examines how current college students prepare for the workforce, using detailed questionnaires with students from state universities across the United States. The goal is to better understand their career thinking, preparation strategies, and the gaps that still exist between college and the workplace.

Wysocki encourages educators to leverage alumni networks and retired professionals when helping students explore careers. Alumni can share practical experience, while retirees often feel freer to speak candidly about the realities of their industries.

This episode of College & Career Readiness Radio features our guest Patrick Jones, an experienced educator, business leader, and expert in career readiness.

Patrick argues that the “internship shortage” is really a systems problem rooted in how higher education and K-12 interface with employers, not a lack of student interest or talent. He explains the friction employers face—especially smaller organizations—when trying to work with colleges, and calls for more employer-friendly structures, incentives, and even intermediaries that can broker relationships at scale.

Patrick emphasizes that today’s students often arrive at college with less work experience and limited exposure to the full range of roles in industries they care about. He shares examples of helping students see beyond the obvious job titles (like “athlete”) to the many supporting careers in areas such as sports marketing, finance, operations, and analytics, and stresses the importance of discovery experiences that broaden their sense of what’s possible.

He also makes a compelling case that any internship is better than no internship, because the biggest barrier is access, not perfection. Even imperfect or loosely structured internships can teach punctuality, communication, hierarchy, feedback, and “managing up,” especially when paired with reflection and guidance from an advisor or faculty member.

Patrick introduces his Discover–Ready–Find framework, the focus of his forthcoming book. Discover helps students understand how the labor market really works and why relying only on degrees and GPAs is risky. Ready reframes college as a platform for building emotional maturity, durable skills, and early work experience, starting as early as the first year. Find helps students develop a career “taste palette,” so they can intentionally seek environments and roles that fit who they are, rather than taking the first offer by default.

Throughout the conversation, Patrick returns to one central theme: students don’t just need more programs—they need caring adults and well-designed systems of support that prepare them for the realities of work. His message to educators is clear: build real relationships, create more on-ramps to authentic work experiences, and help young people connect their education to opportunity with purpose.