Growing Good Humans Podcast

If your student might need accommodations in college — whether they have ADHD, a learning difference, an existing IEP or 504, or you were just starting to wonder what support could look like — this conversation was for you. 💛 We hosted a live Ask Me Anything on Growing Good Humans with Julie, an expert in transition services, and it was such an important conversation for families navigating the s...

Laura Barr is a high-level college consultant and the Founder and CEO of Emerging Consulting, where she helps students and families navigate the college process with clarity, strategy, and purpose. With a background in student-centered coaching, Laura brings a unique perspective to college planning. Her work is grounded in a simple yet powerful mission: to help raise and launch good humans through...

What does "career ready" actually mean in the age of AI — and when should students start building toward it? In this live conversation, Laura sits down with Michelle Chessler, Career Advisor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, to answer that question honestly. Michelle brings a rare dual perspective: years as a global marketing leader across gaming, telecom, and construction tech, and now a...

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—and today’s high school students are already using it daily, from drafting emails to researching assignments and preparing college applications. While most teens now understand that AI can’t (and shouldn’t) write their essays for them, many still have questions about where the appropriate line is. Can AI help with background research? Lab reports? Science fair...

How do you actually prepare for college — beyond grades and test scores? In this live conversation, Laura sits down with college transition educator and author Dr. Andrea Brenner (How to College) to unpack what truly prepares students for the move from high school to college. They discuss the emotional, social, and executive functioning skills students need to succeed during the first year of coll...

How do you actually prepare for college — beyond grades and test scores? In this live conversation, Laura sits down with college transition educator and author Dr. Andrea Brenner (How to College) to unpack what truly prepares students for the move from high school to college. They discuss the emotional, social, and executive functioning skills students need to succeed during the first year of coll...

What happens when a high school student steps into a new country, a new culture, and a new way of seeing the world? 🌎 In this inspiring episode, Laura Barr sat down with Tim Taravella , Chair of the Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange (RMRYE) , to explore the life-changing impact of international exchange programs for teens. Tim brought both personal experience and deep professional insight to t...

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—and today’s high school students are already using it daily, from drafting emails to researching assignments and preparing college applications. While most teens now understand that AI can’t (and shouldn’t) write their essays for them, many still have questions about where the appropriate line is. Can AI help with background research? Lab reports? Science fair...

Practical Strategies to Strengthen the Brain’s CEO Executive function skills—planning, organization, emotional regulation, task initiation, and follow-through—are the foundation of independence, resilience, and success in adulthood. Yet for many teens and young adults—especially those with ADHD, anxiety, learning differences, or gifted/twice-exceptional profiles—these skills develop unevenly and u...

College readiness isn’t just about academics — it’s equally about relationships, communication, and emotional awareness. In this conversation with Emerging’s Founder & CEO, Laura Barr , we explored the soft skills that help students with ADHD thrive socially and personally in college. The session highlighted the real-world skills that make independence sustainable and success meaningful: Build...

🎓 Everything Juniors and Families Should Know Before Senior Year! Laura hosted a live session that broke down everything families need to know about navigating junior year with focus and calm. She covered what to do (and when), how to manage competing priorities, and what truly moves the needle in the college process. This interactive session, with live Q&A, answers parents' questions about t...

📍 Hosted in Growing Good Humans Parent Community: Bill Huston, co-founder of Mindfish Test Prep, joined Laura Barr to bring clarity to one of the most confusing parts of the college process: testing . 📌 Episode Recap: Together, in this conversation about the new test prep landscape, they explored the key questions families have been asking them the most: How do I decide which test to take—the SA...

🎙️ Growing Good Humans Podcast Event: Paying for College Made Simple — Live Q&A with Liane Crane and Laura Barr 📌 Episode Recap: We were so excited to welcome Liane Crane back to our podcast for a special College Finance Ask Me Anything edition! ✨ Liane was our featured college finance expert, helping families truly understand the cost of college and how to pay for it. With over a decad...

📍 Hosted in Growing Good Humans Parent Community: Across the Pond — Reasons Why You Might Want to Study Abroad In the UK or Ireland 📌 Episode Recap: More and more students are asking about studying abroad—and with good reason! International universities offer academic rigor, shorter degree timelines, and rich cultural experiences that truly broaden students’ worlds. Thanks to Jennifer Koller , w...

🎙️ Growing Good Humans Podcast Event: The Complete Guide to College Transfer — Jaime Smith on the Roadmap That Made the Complex Process of Transferring Colleges Feel Manageable: 📌 Episode Recap: Transferring colleges once felt overwhelming, confusing, and—let’s be honest—totally exhausting. But Jaime Smith, transfer admissions expert and certified educational planner, showed us it didn’t have to...

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-hou...

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 t...

🎙️ 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 innovativ...

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 experti...

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, pro...

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 hi...

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 Emergin...

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 o...

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, pl...

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 i...