Paths in Progress

As a young elementary school student, Mark wanted to play the saxophone. His band director thought he should play the trumpet.  Who knew that decision would so drastically impact the trajectory of his life?  Mark joins us to share his story and how he made a living as a freelance performer for many years, as well as explain the process to audition for major symphony orchestras, what the life of a...

From the time he was a young boy, Eric was fascinated by space, eventually leading to his pursuit of an undergraduate degree in Astronomy.  During his time in college, he realized that the career path of an astronomer was not what he wanted. After pursuing a seemingly different path in graduate school for Journalism, Eric has merged his love of space, his talents in writing, and his side project b...

As the son of a military colonel and a physician, Phil was expected to go to college.  Once he got there, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, so he started on a business degree track.  Join us for this conversation about how Phil discovered his love for a different subject, and how he has continued to make A or B choices along his path to get to where he is today.  Phil intentionally continues to...

Katherine’s early love of math and a high school problem solving project with visiting engineers sparked the interest in her to pursue the field of engineering.  Always eager to learn and try new things, Katherine’s varied path throughout her college experience, internships, jobs, and graduate school led her to a place where she knew she wanted to start her own company and work on projects she tru...

After a surprise in her college admissions process, Kate started college thinking she wanted to be a psychology major.  After realizing her interests were better aligned with Political Science, Kate found herself on a path in local government, which often presented her with opportunities to learn new skills and take her down new career path possibilities.  We talk about the nerves involved with le...

Early in his life, Elliot was positively influenced by his Art teacher, who challenged his way of thinking that led him to an interest in architecture and space.  After focusing on architecture in his schooling, study abroad in Belgium, undergraduate degree, early career years, and Masters degree at MIT, Elliot realized that he wanted to take on projects with a unique approach, utilizing his exper...

Growing up in a French immersion program in Louisiana, Maggie knew she wanted to pursue her love of language and culture in her collegiate studies and career path–but how do you do that?  Growing up with a single mom, Maggie knew she needed to work hard to earn scholarships for college, and also find ways to fund her desire to study abroad.  Little did she know, she would one day become a Study Ab...

Professor Noe Marmolejo is a Master Teacher and storyteller who has impacted thousands of students over the course of his teaching career.  Noe describes how his path was shaped by his Latino roots and childhood in a small Texas town with parents who both worked in education. Additionally, Noe was heavily influenced by the guidance and mentorship of the men in his community after his father passed...

There are numerous opportunities for student employment on college campuses, which can be a convenient and valuable experience while in college.  Little did Greg know, that experience would influence much of his career path through today.  Listen to Greg’s story about why he moved from studying Computer Science to Psychology, how he chose his graduate course of study, and why he is now working wit...

Growing up in a household where both of her parents were police officers, Lauren developed a deep desire to serve and make a positive impact on her community.  She naturally progressed to pursue a Criminal Justice degree and a career with the Houston Police Department.  Lauren shares her story and describes the process one experiences as they apply, train in the Police Academy, work, and promote t...

From a young age, Hina knew she enjoyed working with children and somehow wanted to incorporate that into her career–as long as she wasn’t a pediatrician like her mother!  Hina went through most of her college career without pursuing pre-med, so she was able to have experiences outside of the traditional pre-med track that still significantly contributed to her future path.  As a new resident of N...

From a young age, Ross was exposed to visual art and encouraged to create with a variety of mediums. This early exposure to art, in addition to his enjoyment of childhood experiences building forts and igloos in the snow, influenced his developing interest in architecture.  Ross explains the vast field of architecture and the many ways students can study and pursue this field, while also explainin...

Steph knew she wanted to have a career in the music industry, but she never knew she would end up where she is today! Join us for this conversation about how Steph’s interests and jobs took her through music journalism, record label promotion, tour management, and eventually landed her where she never expected:  tax preparation, and all of the complicated pieces that artists have with that, from m...

Both of Andrea’s parents were geologists, so Andrea definitely did NOT want to be a geologist….until she realized how much she loved her geology classes!  After loading up on science courses in her first two years at a community college, Andrea transferred to a four year institution where she majored in Geology, double minored in Geography and Oceanography (which is what she wanted to pursue in he...

Kelly began her college journey majoring in Journalism, then Graphic Design, and then her love of Literature guided her to finish a degree in English with Teaching Certification.  For a period of time, she describes her path like being inside a pinball machine (can you relate?). Kelly tells us the story of how she was serendipitously led to law school, and eventually to her dream job with The Cons...

Where do you apply for your first teaching job out of college?  Hawaii, perhaps?   That’s what Jackie did, and spent five unforgettable years there, where her teaching was transformed. She also tells us about her experiences as a long-term sub, a teacher in a private Catholic School, a Quaker School, teaching ESL in the Summer in China, and how she valued her Masters Degree experience and uses it...

Sarah grew up in a small town in Ohio with dreams of becoming a Broadway star.  In college, Sarah discovered that singing in a rock band was actually what she enjoyed more!  After earning a degree in Music Education with a minor in Theater, Sarah explains how her personal life experience eventually led her from a career in the Arts to enrolling in graduate school to become a psychotherapist and bu...

Fleurette began her life in the Arts dancing as a small child.  As a teen, she attended a performing arts high school and started working as a choreographer.  After deciding she wanted to be a director, she studied her craft through an undergraduate degree, a certificate, and later an MFA.  After becoming probably the youngest Artistic Director of a theater at 21 years old, Fleurette’s journey con...

Adrian is an accomplished educator, musician, and conductor, who worked as a Choir Director in public schools and churches for many years.  As he tells his story, we return to some of the same questions: How much are we a product of circumstance? Agency? Serendipity? How much have our educational institutions shaped us?  Adrian is passionate about the power of education to change lives and communi...

Katie has always been someone who is incredibly organized, driven, and disciplined–little did she know how much those inherent skills and personality would play into her career!  Join us for this enlightening conversation about how Katie went from wanting to work in public health, to business, to industrial engineering.  Her work has taken her all over the world and presented her with challenges s...

Jason grew up in a musical family, enjoyed photography, and decided to go to college to major in Journalism.  After studying in that program for a few years, his experience led him to change his path.  Jason describes several moments throughout his life where he reevaluated what he was doing and whether that was really what he wanted for his life. He has performed in an off-Broadway play, a Vegas...

Growing up in a musical family in a small Ohio farm town, Andrea was heavily influenced by her grandmother, a concert pianist.  Leaving for college to pursue music education, her plans changed when she realized she didn’t want to be a teacher.  A conversation with a professional on campus, led to an introduction with someone in an agency, which led her to move to New York City and begin her career...

After volunteering at the Houston Zoo as a teenager, Dr. Hein knew she loved working with animals and she wanted to study something in the sciences.  Once in school, she volunteered with a local animal rescue organization, worked in a veterinary clinic, studied abroad working with animals in the jungles of Belize, and later spent a summer treating dairy cows in Spain.  Join us for this informative...

Have you ever wondered how National Historic Landmarks earn their designation?  Who does the research? The proposal? Who makes those decisions? There are historians all over the country doing this important work to preserve the history of our country.  Christy tells us about her experience in one of these offices of the National Park Service, and her role in making a famous place a National Histor...

When she headed to college as a pre-med student, Jess never would have guessed she would end up spending many years working in public relations for NASCAR, a sport she was completely unfamiliar with when she started!  Join us for this fun conversation about her life on the road, learning a sport she knew nothing about, and how you have to pivot in your career when life takes unexpected turns.