Jean Eddy is the President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA) and the author of the book Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. During Jean’s tenure, ASA has pivoted from a 65-year history of helping students with college financing and repayment options to a new focus of helping students discover potential career paths earlier in their education journey, before financing or repayment need occur. In collaboration with the Board and her senior management team, she has successfully shifted ASA’s focus and direction to help kids – as early as middle school to – know themselves, know their options, and make informed choices about their education and career goals.

She discusses how how we help kids know themselves better and earlier, which will help set them on the path to career fulfillment. We talk about this from a number of angles. We discuss helicopter parents, how schools are funded, the need for systemic change to adapt to an evolving sensibility from both learners and businesses looking to the future for their impending workforce needs. We even spend a brief moment talking about the NBA playoffs. Jean is an incredible professional whose body of work speaks for itself, and it’s my privilege to feature her on the show. If you’d like to hear Jean on another show I produce and host, you can hear our conversation that’s largely focused on the skilled trades on Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast.

For more information about ASA and Jean Eddy, including where to find her book, please visit ASA.org.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

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