Campus Changemakers

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President of Kishwaukee College, to explore what it takes to drive transformational student success in community college education. With a career spanning counseling, student services, and executive leadership, Dr. Borowicz shares how a relentless focus on data, culture, and continuous improvement has...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast , Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Shannon Kennedy , President of Rappahannock Community College, to discuss leadership, student success, and the transformative role community colleges play in rural communities. Drawing on nearly three decades in higher education, Dr. Kennedy shares her journey from broadcast journalism to college leadership and ref...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast , Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Kristin Rainey , President of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), to explore what it takes to create systems that truly support student success. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in community and technical college leadership, Dr. Rainey shares her journey into higher education, her passion fo...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Monte Randall, President of the College of the Muscogee Nation, to explore how higher education can strengthen culture, community, and tribal sovereignty. Drawing on his own journey as a veteran, first-generation college student, and tribal college graduate, Dr. Randall shares how reconnecting with language and cult...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Bradley Barrick, President of Montcalm Community College, to explore what it means to build a truly student-ready institution in today’s rapidly changing higher education landscape. Drawing from his own journey as a community college graduate, Dr. Barrick shares how MCC is rethinking student success through holistic...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr Sheri Rowland, Vice President of Student Affairs at Tallahassee State College, to explore holistic student support, innovation in student affairs, and what it takes to truly meet students where they are. Sheri shares how TSC built a campus-wide “Culture of Care” model focused on connection, academics, resources, and...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Adam Klepetar, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at Berkshire Community College, to explore the power of community colleges, holistic student support, and the human side of student success. Adam shares how his own transformational college experience shaped a career dedicated to creating acce...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast , Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Mark Brainard , President of Delaware Technical Community College, for a powerful conversation about student success, community colleges, and the life-changing impact of accessible education. Throughout the episode, Ben and Mark explore how Delaware Tech has spent the last two decades intentionally improving gradua...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Christine Mangino, President of Queensborough Community College, for a thoughtful conversation about equity, belonging, and what it truly takes to help every student succeed in higher education. As a first-generation college student who began her own journey at Nassau Community College, Dr. Mangino brings both perso...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast , Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Leander “Russ” McDonald , President of United Tribes Technical College, for a powerful conversation about first-generation education, Indigenous student success, and the transformative role tribal colleges play in their communities. A proud descendant of the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation and a first-generation college...

In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast , Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Shanna Jackson , President of Nashville State Community College, live from the Dream Conference 2026. With over 25 years in higher education, Dr. Jackson shares how Nashville State is transforming from an access-focused institution to one centered on completion and post-graduation success . From launching a bold Vi...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Christopher Reber, President of Hudson County Community College, to explore what it takes to drive student success in one of the most diverse and high-need communities in the United States. With over four decades in higher education, Dr Reber shares how HCCC has transformed outcomes by removing barriers, scaling studen...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with President Todd Haynie, the 22nd President of Eastern Arizona College, where he has dedicated over 25 years to expanding access, opportunity, and excellence in community college education. A proud native of Arizona’s Gila Valley and an EAC alumnus, President Haynie has led the institution through a perio...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Harry Ingle, Jr., Executive Director for Student Affairs and an experienced higher education leader dedicated to advancing student development and institutional success. With a strong background in enrollment management, leadership, and student recruitment, Harry has spent his career driving initiat...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Seth Harden, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management at Jackson State Community College. A strategic higher education leader, Seth is committed to empowering students through inclusive initiatives that span high school engagement, recruitment, academic advising, and student life. Ben and Seth...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Michael Preston, Associate Vice President for Student Success at Texas State University. A first-generation college graduate and higher education leader with nearly 25 years of experience, Dr. Preston brings a proven record of driving innovation and collaboration to advance student retention, gradua...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with  Nuno Fernandes, President of the American Public University System (APUS), to explore his mission to make higher education more accessible, affordable, and outcomes-driven. Since taking office in 2022, Nuno has been leading a global digital transformation, integrating personalized, collaborative, and t...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr Amanda Jordan, Director of Student Experience at Chattanooga State Community College. With over 15 years of experience across community colleges and universities, Amanda has built a career dedicated to student engagement, first-generation advocacy, and leadership development. Ben and Amanda explore h...

In this episode of Campus Changemakers, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr Matt Daily, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, a passionate advocate for first-generation and low-income student success. A culturally responsive higher education leader, Matt has spent his career designing and implementing high-impact programs that drive equity, belon...

Welcome to Campus Changemakers, where Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with the innovators transforming the student experience. In this episode, we meet Cynthia Aguilar, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). With nearly two decades in student affairs, Cynthia is driving initiatives that strengthen belonging, leadership, and we...

Campus Changemakers is a podcast where U.S. college leaders share stories, lessons, and ideas about shaping the student experience. In this episode, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. LaNaé Budden, Director of the First-Generation Center at the University of South Carolina. A higher education and organizational development executive with a passion for helping others feel s...

Campus Changemakers is a podcast where U.S. college leaders share stories, lessons, and ideas about shaping the student experience. In this episode, host Ben Hallett, Co-CEO of Vygo, sits down with Ana Velázquez—Director of Equity and Justice, first-generation Latina educator, and dedicated equity accomplice. Ana reflects on her journey as a first-generation student and how it inspires her equity-...