College Unbound Podcast
Focus Collegiate provides comprehensive and boundless support to college students who learn differently. College UnBound is our podcast.
By capitalizing on strengths, we help students build the self-reliance they need to find success and joy in school. Because college should be fun… Join us as we discuss our philosophy, tactics, strategies, and all things college for diverse learners.
Season 3, Episode 3: Creating Context for Independence: The Summer Cohort
About this episode:
In this episode of College UnBound, Focus Collegiate Founder and Principal Grant Leibersberger and Enrollment and Outreach Director Ann-Marie Stripling discuss the Focus Collegiate Summer Cohort and the importance of college prep.
At the Summer Cohort, students practice in a safe environment what college will be like and how they will face its rigors. “It’s very important for both students and parents to practice what it is going to be like going away to college…For students, it’s about previewing all the things they will need to learn; for parents, it’s about ‘what am I going to do with myself now that my son or daughter is gone? What kinds of things are going to change for me as a person?’” said Ann-Marie Stripling.
“Forming great relationships is an important output of the Summer Cohort… particularly for the students who are going to be getting to know the staff they are going to be working with in the fall,” said Grant Leibersberger.
Season 3, Episode 2: Creating Context for Independence: Motivational Interviewing with Elizabeth Murphy-Lewis
About this episode:
December 6, 2022
Today our subject is Motivational Interviewing. In short, Motivational Interviewing, or MI as we might call it in this conversation, is an evidence-based communication model that employs empathic, active listening to empower positive change.
Here is a longer definition from MI originators Stephen Rollnick and William R. Miller: “MI is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.”
Through Empathic, Active listening, MI empowers students to change using their own meaning, importance, and capacity for change. The staff at Focus Collegiate is incorporating Motivational Interviewing into the work it does with students and their parents.
Listen in for more information on how this practice benefits college students with complex learning profiles.
Season 3, Episode 1: Creating Context for Independence: Do Career Choices Really Matter in College?
About this episode:
November 1, 2022
Welcome to College UnBound Season Three, Creating Context for Independence. Today our subject is Career. Focus Collegiate uses the college experience as a metaphor for life, so while few first-year students are focused on life after school, it makes sense to bring career into the picture. Because, of course, college is just the beginning.
Early career awareness among students helps them identify their passions and prepare for future jobs. It also correlates to school success. Research shows that students are more engaged when they can see the connection between their studies and real-world applications.
Our guests are Focus Collegiate Founder and Principal Grant Leibersberger and our Managing Director, Rich Davino.
Join us as we discuss:
· How a student knows if they are on the right path
· How to pivot when they are not
· How Focus Collegiate career services and approach differ from those traditionally provided by college career services offices
· How parents can talk to their student about career and why “What are you going to do when you grow up?” is the wrong question
Season 2, Episode 12: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Learning Disabilities Specialist’s Perspective with Elizabeth Hamblet
About this episode:
February 10, 2022
Elizabeth has worked as a learning disabilities specialist in college disability services offices for more than two decades. In addition to working at a university, she is a nationally-requested speaker on preparing students with disabilities for successful college transition. She is the author of a book and a laminated guide on this subject, and her work has appeared in numerous journals and online.
In this episode, we learn her origin story (special education was her second master’s degree) and discuss some of the important differences between high school and college. We also discuss why some students do not request accommodations: some students don’t think that have a disability; others want to shed the disability part of their identity as they transition to college.
Here are some highlights:
- The biggest thing parents should worry about is their student’s willingness to seek help.
- Accommodations won’t matter if the student does not understand the content.
- College is not meant to be an extension of high school. It is hard.
When assessing the appropriateness of a school, parent and students should check documentation requirements and call the disability services office to ask questions. Parents may be surprised at how independent students are required to be. Disability services notwithstanding, a good fit is still paramount.
The landscape of disability services is evolving. Elizabeth’s research on these changes will feature largely in the Third Edition of From High School to College: Steps to Success for Students with Disabilities available from Rowman & Littlefield this summer.
Learn more about our guest at LDadvisory.com.
Season 2, Episode 11: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – An Occupational Therapist’s Perspective with Brooke Howard
About this episode:
February 7, 2022
Our subject is, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know – An Occupational Therapist’s Perspective.’ Our guest is Registered Occupational Therapist, Brooke Howard. Brooke is the Clinical Director and founding partner at Skills for Life and is the Director of Transition to Adulthood at the Ivy Street School, in Brookline, Massachusetts. She has an MS in Occupational Therapy from Sargent College at Boston University and an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Oberlin College. She has been working as a licensed Occupational Therapist since 2005 and has been at Ivy Street School since 2009.
Her background (including a minor in theology) is the perfect foundation for understanding human behavior, how we make meaning, why we act the way we do, and how we understand the world.
Brooke is drawn to individuals who think differently than she does and is driven by her desire for more inclusiveness in our society. She approaches her work from two different directions: personal and societal. She seeks to understand each student she works with by learning about their individual experience so that they can find their own path. At the same time, she seeks to help communities understand and engage the young adults she works with.
In this episode, we explore the acquisition of life skills from tooth brushing and laundry to motivation and self-determination.
Brooke reminds us that when teaching life skills, we need to afford young adults grace and compassion because they are busy doing a lot of things such as individuation from parents and adapting to a new environment, new schedules, new demands, and expectations.
Listen in for insights into:
- Self-assessment
- Prioritization
- Visual Mapping
- Linking habits to goal
- Breaking goals down into small step
- Accountability
- Interdependence versus independence
Her parting advice is applicable to all of us: slow down, take a deep breath, and celebrate the victories.
Season 2, Episode 10: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – An Educational Consultant’s Perspective with Liz Cooper
About this episode:
January 26, 2022
Our guest, Liz Cooper, is an Independent Educational Consultant who helps high school students with learning differences strengthen their self-advocacy skills, navigate the college admissions process, and transition to colleges that will support their learning needs, thus enabling them to achieve academic success.
Liz and her colleagues at the College Consulting Collaborative (CCC) college-readiness consulting work focuses on six areas of essential skills:
- Academic and Study Skills
- Executive Function – time management
- Independence
- Self-Determination – goal setting and self-advocacy
- Social/Emotional Skills – effective communication and self-regulation
- Motivation and Resilience
We discuss what Liz calls ‘the American obsession’ with college, i.e., the acceptance letter. She suggests that “Getting out is more important than getting in,” and that students should focus on elements that will support their long-term success in college such as the learning environment and their continuity of care.
We also discuss the matter of parents letting go. It’s a parent’s instinct to try to smooth the way for their child, but by making it easier for their college-age student (especially those who learn differently), parents can make it harder for that student to gain important self-advocacy skills.
And we cover the components of the right college fit. Are you college-ready? Which college is the right fit for you?
Listen in
Season 2, Episode 9: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Director’s Perspective with Rich Davino
About this episode:
January 24, 2022
What role will your academic major play in your life? This important question is one our guest recommends you begin to think about answering in your very first semester of college. Rich Davino, the Managing Director of Focus Collegiate, has been working in higher ed for more than 25 years and has a great perspective on what works, and sometimes more importantly, what does not work in higher education.
Rich advocates that getting career direction support early on can make a difference in academic success. When you understand the relevance of your subject matter to your life beyond school, study becomes more engaging and meaningful.
In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of distinguishing between what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about.
- Gathering information to make informed decisions about your future—pursuing internships, volunteering, working on campus, studying abroad
- Clarifying the ‘why’ of collegiate learning objectives
Because graduation is not the goal of college – a more fulfilling and purposeful life after college is.
Season 2, Episode 8: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Disability Services Perspective with Dee Singly
About this episode:
January 13, 2022
Our subject is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know – A Disability Services Perspective.’ Our guest is Dee Singly. Dee is the Director of Disability Services at Ursinus College. She facilitates accommodations for students under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has a B.S. in Psychology, from East Stroudsburg University, an M.Ed. in Counseling and Human Services, and a Ph.D., in Special Education from Lehigh University. She has also worked in Disability Services at Cedar Crest College, Moravian College, and Chestnut Hill College.
The best disability service supports start with student self-advocacy and self-determination—skills that are often new to first-year students. Dee tells us that “The most important part of connecting a student with what they need in college is that very first conversation [in the disability services office] … This may be the first experience a student has had talking outside of the family about their disability. A student needs to feel comfortable, and this takes practice.”
The ratio of students to DSS support staff can vary wildly, but 400:1 is not uncommon. Under these circumstances, self-advocacy is crucial. It starts with self-awareness. When a student knows the answers to the following questions:
– What is my diagnosis?
– How does it impact my life?
– What impacts does my diagnosis have in the classroom?
– What are the impacts from a social perspective?
They are more likely to get the support they need.
We also discuss decreasing the stigma of asking for help and the differences between support in high school versus college. Accommodations in college are meant to create access whereas in high school, they are focused on success. In college, success is dependent upon the student.
Season 2, Episode 7: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Counselor’s Perspective with Kelley Challen
About this episode:
January 6, 2022
The subject of College UnBound Episode Seven is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know – A Counselor’s Perspective.’ Our guest is Kelley Challen. Kelley is NESCA’s Assistant Director and is the Director of Transition Services. NESCA stands for Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents. Her expertise is supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, she also provides support to individuals with a wide range of developmental and learning abilities.
Kelley has a master’s degree and Certificate of Advanced Study in Risk and Prevention Counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education and has been facilitating programs for children and adolescents with special needs since 2004.
We discuss the importance of early planning and how a transition assessment helps the college prep process. College is a new phase in a student’s life. In high school, IEPs and 504s tend to focus on a student’s deficits. A transition assessment may be the first time a student’s voice is given priority. “When you help students know more about themselves earlier, they have more success.”
Season 2, Episode 6: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Therapist’s Perspective with Andrew Larke
About this episode:
December 7, 2021
The subject of College UnBound Episode Six is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know – A Therapist’s Perspective.’ Our guest is Andrew Larke. Andrew is an LICSW who has worked with teens and young adults since 2005. He is an experiential therapist working with clients in talk-based and action-based therapy. He was the regional director of a large therapeutic mentoring program for more than a decade and has been in private practice as a community-based therapist since 2019.
Winter break is here. While many of us got a taste of family reunion during Thanksgiving, the winter break can be a bigger readjustment. Students are making major developmental leaps of maturity; they are not the person they were when they first set foot in college. Their relationship to themselves has changed, their relationship to their parents has definitely changed.
We discuss what we don’t know we don’t know about the first winter break home from college. How does a student maintain their new-found independence and how do parents support that growth during the natural process of separation and individuation?
By proactively communicating about the new responsibilities, they are embracing on campus, students have the opportunity to exercise some of their new-found maturity.
Self-advocacy, intentionality, expectation management, and good communication can ease the transition to winter break and back to school again.
Season 2, Episode 5: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Student’s Perspective with Gabe Rogovin
About this episode:
November 30, 2021
Today our subject is ‘You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Student’s Perspective.’ As of November 22, 2021, 14.8 million students are enrolled in college full-time.
- Among adults over 18, college students make up 10.4% of the population.
- 3.2 million high school graduates will begin college in the fall.
- 69.1% of high school completers attend college in the fall after they graduate. (From educationdata.org.)
Our guest is a shining star among those 14.8 million. Gabe Rogovin, a Focus Collegiate student and first-year at Endicott College, shares his perspective on:
- Getting comfortable with dorm life
- Establishing good habits early on
- Time management and prioritization
- Asking for and using accommodations
- Social Life: creating your own initiative for community
Season 2, Episode 4: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Parent’s Perspective with Mary Hoffman
About this episode:
November 18, 2021
Our society doesn’t often think of it this way, but the college experience is not limited to the student. A student’s transition from high school to college impacts the whole family. Parents especially play a very active role in the transition. And that role changes quite a bit over time.
Our subject is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know – A Parent’s Perspective.’ We have spoken to experts during this podcast, but truly there is no expertise like that of a parent. Our guest Mary Hoffman is the mom of four children, two have already graduated from college, and two twins – one in college now, the other taking a gap year.
Join us as we discuss the questions parents should be asking as their students move through the transition to college.
Season 2, Episode 3: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Conversation with College Counselor Eli Clarke
About this episode:
November 11, 2021
Every college and university is different. Given the curve ball thrown by the pandemic, colleges have had to recreate the wheel of college admissions every year. Which means that what we don’t know we don’t know about the admissions process is constantly changing. Our guest, Eli Clarke, Director of College Counseling at Commonwealth Academy (a college preparatory school in Alexandria Virginia for students with learning differences and executive functioning challenges) brings us closer to asking the right questions.
Eli has been working in the field of education for 30 years and has master’s in social work. He is the Director of College Counseling at Commonwealth Academy, a college preparatory school in Alexandria Virginia for students with learning differences and executive functioning challenges. He has served on 4 different University College Counseling Advisory boards and has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post, NPR, and Newsweek. In 2020, Eli was awarded for college counseling through the Colleges that Change Lives Association. He is a TikTok sensation. His handle is @Mr. C_CollegeCounselor.
Among our questions, we’ll explore:
- Why are so many afraid of the college admissions process?
- How many schools should you apply to?
- How do you find the right fit in a college?
- What happens when you don’t get into your “right fit” school?
- What about test optional schools?
- How can you stand out?
Season 2, Episode 2: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know – A Conversation with Dr. Andrea Brenner
About this episode:
November 4, 2021
Does anyone really feel ready for college? Todays’ guest, author Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner gives us some answers. Dr. Brenner is a First-year transition educator and speaker. She was a professor and first-year college administrator at American University in Washington, DC for 25 years. Her published works include the Talking College Card Deck, and she co-authored How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You’re There).
Dr. Brenner: “Here’s the good news: across the country, both public and private high schools are doing a pretty good job preparing college-bound students for academic content. As I like to tell high school seniors, don’t forget that the college you are attending accepted you—it has decided that you are college-ready… So don’t doubt that you are ready to be a college student in the classroom. Sure, there are more in-depth and complex college-level writing, reading, and studying techniques that will be taught in college, BUT there aren’t students in droves who are struggling with college-level academic material. However, where we do see students really struggling is with “adulting”—learning HOW to college. That includes everything from self-care to organization and time management, to professional skills needed at the college level, to communication with peers, to becoming their own advocate and finding their own resources.”
We discuss steps students and their parents can take to make the transition to college easier for everyone involved. Spoiler alert: Practice! We also explore parent partnering versus parent advocacy. College is very different today than it was thirty years ago when most parents attended. The college experience is new to both student and parent. We also touch on the importance of making and learning from mistakes.
Learn about Dr. Brenner and her new Talking College Card Deck here: https://www.ambrenner.com/
Season 2, Episode 1: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
About this episode:
October 30, 2021
Our theme for Season Two of College UnBound is, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” We consult teachers, counselors, authors, directors of DEI and accessibility offices, college readiness experts, parents, students, and our listeners about the most pressing questions college students who learn differently face as they transition to college.
In this season introduction, Focus Collegiate Enrollment and Outreach Director, Ann-Marie Stripling and podcast host C. Jane Taylor interview Focus Collegiate’s Managing Director and Parent Support and Program Development Consultant, Leslie O’Brien about what parents don’t know they don’t know.
Did you know that for new college students, academics may not be as high a priority as the rest of the transition? The first semester is often more focused on setting a great foundation for ‘everything else.’ In this episode, we look beyond the academics at what ‘everything else’ means.
We explore the areas of self-advocacy, social life on campus, expectation management, changing parental roles, accommodations, and the dreaded and often unanticipated list of mandatory requirements colleges send out during the all-too-short window of preparation after acceptance and before the first day of class.
Episode 12: Life Skills for College and Beyond
About this episode:
March 25, 2021
This week on College UnBound, our topic is the acquisition of life skills. Many parents, and many school counselors for that matter, focus almost exclusively on academic skills. While paramount in college, this focus is only one part of a much bigger picture. Research shows, that how students use information to solve real-life problems and manage their daily lives may be a better indicator of success than cognition.
Focus Collegiate students generally already know how to use a digital calendar and check their email; they already have a sense of what is expected of them in school, even if they may not know exactly what is coming around the corner in college. Our challenge is to assist their development of the self-discipline or self-management necessary to make the best, most consistent use of the tools they have. Thus we work with students on developing repeatable, recurring ways to engage these skills within their novel context of college life.
Focus is one of the main pillars of self-discipline and dependent on what neuroscientists call executive functions. Working memory, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility are essential elements of executive functions and underly the student’s ability to set and pursue goals, prioritize activities, filter distractions, and control impulses. All of which are core to implementing life skills, regardless of the strategy. That’s where we start…
Episode 11: The Learning Profile
About this episode:
February 26, 2021
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the student learning profile. In the previous episode of College UnBound, we talked about the importance of college prep and how the Focus Collegiate Summer Cohort meets the needs of incoming students. Part of our ability to meet these needs relies on our understanding of each student’s unique learning profile.
Each profile is often related to, if not determined by, a psycho-educational diagnosis. And though the accommodations and IEPs students depend on in high school are also based on the diagnosis, many students don’t know or fully understand what their diagnosis is. When they are ready, we help students appreciate that their learning profile can be used as tool for strengths building and growth.
While our adage is people on paper aren’t real people, Focus Collegiate uses its own assessment tools to verify the diagnoses students are given. We balance our own findings and those of each diagnosis with each student’s abilities and volition to build comprehensive and appropriate strategies for academic and social success.
Episode 10: Summer Cohort
About this episode:
February 8, 2021
Preparation before college is one of the strongest predictors of future success; but many high school students look at college readiness in terms of simply applying to and getting into a university. Acceptance is just the beginning.
In this episode of College UnBound, we discuss the activities and outcomes students can expect to enjoy at our Summer Cohort.
Focus Collegiate’s college-readiness program, Summer Cohort is a metaphor for the college experience. During three weeks in residence at a private dormitory in Boston’s Beacon Hill, students get a taste for college life. Through coursework, skills building, structured self-directed activities, and fun social events, students deepen self-awareness, build resilience, and develop their independent living skills.
Episode 9: Parent Support
About this episode:
January 11, 2021
A great deal of news coverage has been focused on students and teachers. This week we focus on parents and how we support them.
The early college years are an important time of individuation. It’s time for students to find and build their independence, to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their life. Staying home makes that fledging more difficult for the student. It also makes it more difficult for parents to let go.
Many colleges are using extended breaks or remote learning as COVID-19 precautions which means more young adults than ever are home now than would be during a “normal” academic year. Some parents feel like they are in the hot seat.
Join us as we discuss the ways Focus Collegiate supports families as they gain skills for a smoother transition to college.
Episode 8: Building Resilience
About this episode:
Tue, 01 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0500 ◦ 16 minutes
This week our topic is Resilience. The pandemic has been a global demonstration of our need for it. Resilience is the ability to adapt and thrive despite adversity. We’ve seen how resilience plays out in business. Adaptation has become the key to business survival. The same thing is true for college students. The development and cultivation of resilience is one of the primary predictors of college success.
Psychologist, Angela Duckworth, calls it grit. Duckworth says, “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is staying with your future day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years…Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
The marathon sounds like a tall order for a new college student. Join us as we discuss the ways in which we support our students develop resiliency and get ready for the long run
Episode 7: The Whys and Hows of Self-Advocacy
About this episode:
December 07, 2020
Welcome to Episode 7 of College UnBound. Our topic of discussion this week is Self-Advocacy. The experiential learning model we use with our college students is focused on the long-term predictors of college success. Primary among them is self-advocacy. It is one of the core competencies that impacts independent living.
No longer guided by an IEP, college students must seek out their own accommodations, find and fit into a new social niche, overcome stigmas, and beat low expectations—activities all demanding self-advocacy. Such skills enable students to participate actively in their learning and that of others.
In this episode we discuss why and how we support students in the development of the self-advocacy skills they will benefit from for a lifetime.
Episode 6: The Student Support Agreement
About this episode:
Mon, 23 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500 ◦ 16 minutes
This week we dig into the Student Support Agreement which is an expression of each student’s Learning Agenda. While the Learning Agenda outlines what students work on, the Student Support Agreement pinpoints how.
Focus Collegiate’s approach is based on student goals and student buy-in, without them, we and our students are nowhere. The Student Support Agreement ensures the incorporation of goals and commitment as it presents a Personal Balance Sheet of Strengths and Gaps. Knowing these suggests a framework for growth.
Built upon life skills, mental health, executive function, and resiliency self-assessments, the Student Support Agreement gives each student invaluable input into how we work together with them.
Episode 5: The Learning Agenda
About this episode:
Fri, 13 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500 ◦ 17 minutes
In Episode 5 of College UnBound, we discuss the Learning Agenda. An integral part of the Intentional Change Theory at the center of the unbounded support we provide college students who learn differently, the Learning Agenda is our road map.
Each unique Learning Agenda is the expression of how a student builds on their existing strengths while reducing their perceived gaps. Through honest dialogue with our students, we design the Learning Agenda to help them make decisions that accentuate their talents and abilities and keep them moving forward.
Episode 4: An Action-oriented Model for Change
About this episode:
Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:00:00 -0500 ◦ 15 minutes
When he founded Focus Collegiate, Grant Leibersberger adopted the Intentional Change Theory (ICT) as the novel way to engage college students.
Having studied experiential education and directed trailblazing young adult transition programs, he knew that students striving to enter a more independent phase of their life needed a more innovative, less prescriptive approach more in keeping with the self-determination college represents. While Intentional Change Theory has applications for organizational change and leadership development, it is the perfect solution for young adults because of its relationship focus.
In this episode, we delve further into the neuroscience behind ICT, discuss positive emotional attractors and negative emotional attractors, and the importance of finding the balance between the two.
Episode 3: Exploring Intentional Change Theory
About this episode:
Thu, 29 Oct 2020 08:00:00 -0400 ◦ 13 minutes
This week on College UnBound we explore Intentional change theory. Initially developed by the Professor of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University, Richard Boyatzis, intentional change theory is the evidence-based, cyclical process we use with our students to create lasting positive change.
Episode 2: Getting Student Buy-In
About this episode:
Wed, 21 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0400 ◦ 16 minutes
In our previous podcast, we discussed resonant relationships. Today we’ll delve into how Focus Collegiate inspires student engagement and collaboration. College can be a tricky time for anyone. Students can easily lose their direction and fall behind. How does the Focus Collegiate Team encourage students to get onboard with their own success? We have talked about acknowledging and capitalizing on a student’s strengths, what do you do to help students develop lagging areas? How does Focus Collegiate keep students accountable to their goals? How does Focus Collegiate keep parents accountable to their student’s goals?
Episode 1: Welcome to College UnBound
About this episode:
Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:00:00 -0400 ◦ 25 minutes
Focus Collegiate was started to fill a gap in the higher education system. While high school students who learn differently are supported with IEPs and 504 learning plans, college students who learn differently are not. They are expected to fend for themselves, to find and ask for their own accommodations, to make and follow through with their own schedules, and just figure it all out. This is where Focus Collegiate come in.
We’re here today with Focus Collegiate founder, Grant Leibersberger to talk about how Focus Collegiate makes a difference for diverse learners in college.