In this engaging episode, we embark on a journey to envision a world where every student confidently conquers their college and career paths. Join us on the College and Career Ready Podcast as we delve into our mission to empower students and parents, alongside the insightful Thea Curry-Fuson, host of 'She Leads' podcast. You will hear my personal and career story that led to the creation of this podcast.
Thea and I also discuss how podcasts can foster a sense of community, ignite thought-provoking conversations, and offer solace during challenging times, emphasizing the significance of human connection and community, particularly in the context of the ongoing pandemic and its impact on loneliness and mental health.
Furthermore, we discuss the importance of nurturing children's confidence to explore their true callings without the premature burden of defining their future careers. Open conversations and a sprinkle of encouragement can unlock new possibilities and potentials. Join us in our mission to create a better world for our students and children, bolstering their confidence on the path to college and career success. Remember, we're all in this together, so please share this podcast with those who can benefit.
For the FREE student checklist and guide mentioned in this episode go to www.CollegeCareerReady.org/resources
Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
JOIN OUR CAREER NEWSLETTER here.
🚀 I'll help you rediscover who you truly are, provide clarity towards your future and be your personalized coach with Multiple Service Package options. Your Coach Sonia is ready to help you!
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
In this engaging episode, we embark on a journey to envision a world where every student confidently conquers their college and career paths. Join us on the College and Career Ready Podcast as we delve into our mission to empower students and parents, alongside the insightful Thea Curry-Fuson, host of 'She Leads' podcast. You will hear my personal and career story that led to the creation of this podcast.
Thea and I also discuss how podcasts can foster a sense of community, ignite thought-provoking conversations, and offer solace during challenging times, emphasizing the significance of human connection and community, particularly in the context of the ongoing pandemic and its impact on loneliness and mental health.
Furthermore, we discuss the importance of nurturing children's confidence to explore their true callings without the premature burden of defining their future careers. Open conversations and a sprinkle of encouragement can unlock new possibilities and potentials. Join us in our mission to create a better world for our students and children, bolstering their confidence on the path to college and career success. Remember, we're all in this together, so please share this podcast with those who can benefit.
For the FREE student checklist and guide mentioned in this episode go to www.CollegeCareerReady.org/resources
Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
JOIN OUR CAREER NEWSLETTER here.
🚀 I'll help you rediscover who you truly are, provide clarity towards your future and be your personalized coach with Multiple Service Package options. Your Coach Sonia is ready to help you!
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast, your go-to resource for all things related to preparing our students for success in their college and career journey. My name is Sonia Casique and I will be your host and guide on this exciting journey toward the bright future. Our mission is simple to empower our parents and students by elevating their confidence and resourcefulness. We believe that you deserve all the tools and support necessary to open the doors to endless possibilities of success and, with our community, you don't have to do this alone, so come with me and let's get started. Well, hello, friend, I am so excited.
Speaker 1:On this episode I will be sharing an interview where I was a guest on the she Leads podcast. Reverend Thea Curie Fusen is the host, and in this podcast, Thea aims to bring fresh insights into leadership, faith and relationships from a woman's point of view, and it was a privilege and honor to be interviewed by her. So today I will be sharing this interview with you so you get to know a little bit more about myself, get to know me a little better and get to explore the behind the scenes of how this podcast came to be. Thank you for being such a supportive community, my friend, and thank you for sharing our podcast with your friends. That is how we continue to grow and how others can find us as well.
Speaker 1:I encourage you to continue to share with your community and friends, just like one of our listeners, Connor, shared on his reviews of the podcast. He mentions this podcast was super helpful to listen as a college student looking to learn more about my connections and ask more engaging messages during my cold interview. It allowed me to connect with a professional on a deeper level and learn more about what it takes to succeed. Thank you, Connor, for your review. All right, sweet friends, so let's move on to my interview. So, without further ado, let's get started.
Speaker 2:Today I am really excited to introduce my guest, which is Sonia. She's a fellow podcaster here in the Parallel area and that's how we got connected. So, sonia, I want to invite you to introduce yourself. And why did you say yes to today?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so thank you for the introduction and thank you for the invitation. So, hi, my name is Sonia and I am the host, producer, founder of the College and Career Ready podcast. So, just really passionate about what I do and you opening this door and opportunity, I thought it was a great time for us to connect and really just be together and an opportunity to empower each other.
Speaker 2:Yes, we met for coffee this week and my favorite thing was that we both were like we're not doing this alone anymore. We have a little buddy, someone in the same field Just trying to live into this space. So thank you so much for being here today. I'm really glad that you're willing to say yes, let's just jump into it. Share the vision behind your College and Career Ready podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So thank you for asking me that question, because I think it's important for me to share the big picture, and the big picture of the podcast is really inclusivity. It's opening the doors for all students, regardless of race, color or background, that they deserve the opportunity to really have endless possibilities of access to resources and mentors, people that can support. It doesn't matter where they live, because I know, as parents I'm a parent myself and, being a mom, the first thing I think about is what school district is my child going to go to? Because I want them to have the resources and the tools. And through this podcast, through this vision, through this mission, I want to open the doors to all students, no matter where they're coming from, so they can have the same resources that all the other students have, and so that's my vision, that's my passion.
Speaker 2:Awesome. So what are some of your maybe tangible goals? What are you? What are going to be those marks that say I am working toward that vision, that vision is coming to life?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So it's really building the confidence in students. So what I want is I want students to feel reassured and confident that, no matter what life throws its way, that they're going to be resilient and they can accomplish their dreams. So through our podcast I have guest interviews and solo episodes. So in my guest interviews I bring sometimes experts in the field, but also I bring community people from the community that have reached success in various areas of their career and that they come to share their journey so others can learn from them.
Speaker 1:So one of the big things is showing proof of what's possible for them. So, regardless of what their parents accomplished or not, they have a vision as far as what they can do. It might even be as simple as bringing a guest that might look like you or might have the background that you have and you're like, wow, if she did it, I can do it too, and so that's how my success, I think, is going to be calculated, or how I know if I'm accomplishing my goals is just having that student confidence build and for them to share their journey and their experience, like I had. For example, I had a mom who called me and she was telling me how, through one episode. She was so relieved to know that her daughter had an opportunity and I was like, oh my gosh, that's the feedback that I need. That's my momentum right there. It's just getting the feedback from parents or students that through a conversation, through a guest, through a solo episode, they were motivated and encouraged.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so we talked a little bit about this. But what is your target market? Is it parents? Is it teens? What are you hoping to reach? Who are you hoping to would listen and be encouraged?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so honestly, both. My focus is students because me as a parent, I can be as confident as I want, but if I don't transmit that confidence to my child, it's limiting them. So my number one goal is to reach students, because I really want to be the person who's motivating and encouraging them, putting those seeds of belief in themselves, putting those seeds of belief in themselves. So they are my number one. However, their journey has also their journey is to include their parents as well. So and I feel this happens a lot of in education the child in the school or in the classroom is getting a message. The parents are getting, sometimes through a different channel, a different message.
Speaker 1:So what I want is, through the podcast is students, bring your parents, parents bring your child. They should both be listening to the same conversation, the same topic, because guess what I talk about in the episode, or what our guests share. I want that communication to then leave and start in the home between parent and child. So, yeah, I think it's important for our students and our children sorry, our children and their parents to start having conversations at home. And again, it's not the child saying oh well, I heard my teachers say, or my counselors say now it's like hey, mom, you know what? I listened to this great episode, maybe we can have a conversation about that, or vice versa. So it's.
Speaker 2:I love that shared experience. I come from family ministry I started, and often the church kind of just separates adults and children and I would really kind of champion this idea that we've got to have shared experiences where they can build conversation, and so I love that you're like, hey, we want to have one conversation where you're both present to be able to continue. I think that's really smart. Talk to me about why podcasts, why did you choose the podcast space, and we can kind of get into that as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that is a great question. You notice how I just spark up when you asked me this question. So I'm giving you a little bit of a quick, high level overview of my background. So I was in an education for many years. I was very career driven and I was married for many years thinking that this next year I'm going to be pregnant and I'm going to have kids, and this next. And it kept going and going. So, 13 years later, that's how long it took for us to have our now twins.
Speaker 1:When I became a mom, I said you know what? I'm going to stay at home and I'm really going to focus on my children. While I was pregnant, I also lost my dad. So sorry, this is a little bit of a sensitive topic, but I lost my dad, and my dad was everything for me, and this was an experience that I wish he would have been part of, because and I know he's present with us, I do know that, but I wish he was here physically to live this experience with me. So we waited so many years. We get pregnant and then I'll lose my dad a couple of months later.
Speaker 1:So I decided that I was going to be giving my children. Everything that my dad gave me, I felt like not only was I fulfilling my role as a mom, but I was trying to fill in what he could have been doing if he was here with us. Sorry, so, yeah, so when I became a mom, there were some things that, with my mom especially, that I wish it would have been a little different and just a little bit of fast forward. I have an amazing relationship with my mom today amazing, but back then, dad was everything for me, so I could never really. My mom was amazing too. She did everything she could on her end, but I mean, my dad was my dad. Nobody could really step up to the level of my dad. So, having said that, when I became a mom, I really invested myself in trying to be the best person I could be, and I wanted to walk this journey with someone and through a podcast so it's coming full circle through a podcast called Don't Mom Alone.
Speaker 1:Back then, when the podcast first started, it was called God Centered Mom. It evolved later to currently a Sedont Mom Alone and that podcast was like my best friend, holding me through the journey. So not only did she have topics about being a mom, but she had sometimes counselors and psychologists and experts to come in and give us the best information available to be the best parent that we can be in our own journey. Everybody has your own journey right. And so she provided those resources for me and it was almost like I was.
Speaker 1:I can't remember the introductory slogan, but it was something like like, while you're washing dishes, while you're doing mundane stuff, you can listen to the podcast. And so I did and I grew as a person. It was funny because I was going thinking like, oh, I'm gonna learn about more about my children or how to be a mom. But it actually made me realize that I had growth. I had personal growth that I had to go through. And yeah, I mean, I just loved. I loved her Again. She walked that journey with me and I realized, just like her slogan that now I use is you don't have to do it alone. And so that's how I became a podcast fan. I listened to her. I think my kids were maybe two when I started listening to her and I listened to her for years. I wanna see a couple of years.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like in with your own experience in the podcast you found this medium that was giving you something you could really receive in a format that you could right.
Speaker 2:You could be washing dishes, you could be going for a walk, you can kind of de-doing other things, and that you, even though it's a technological connection, you felt the connection. You felt that this words, this woman and I'm assuming guests in the community were providing really poured into you, and so is that your hope for college and career readiness. Is that what you're wanting to?
Speaker 1:do. Yeah, yeah, so absolutely 100%. I don't want students and parents to do this alone. So here's the thing, thea, there's a lot of people who are very successful, and I mean honestly, we could do a whole episode about success, because success is really to the individual. It doesn't always a lot of people assume like success, financial success, but there's sometimes I'm sorry there are people who are looking for other types of success Personal well-being, doing things out in the community, having time for family.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of different things that can really guide someone's success, and so bringing those examples is important for students. So these people who have led the way will leave us tips, will leave us advice. That's the thing. It's not like I bring a guest or you bring a guest and you're like, oh, listen to everything that this person has, because you should follow exactly what they're doing. No, listen to it, and then you're gonna have your own calling, you're gonna have your own hearing. That's going to tell you this is what I need to reach, whatever that next level is, and so that's my goal to the podcast is to bring experiences to students and parents, for them to see what resources are available, how they can overcome challenges. So here's the thing If we sometimes just look at the end result, we missed a big picture. Yeah, the journey.
Speaker 1:Journey. Yeah, we missed a journey. Well, and also, when we look at the end, we also just assume that everything was gifted to them, that it was easy. It was easy, yeah. And so when we have I mean, I have guests that are very vulnerable and they share their experience, their highs and their lows, and it's for others to see, okay, they've reached their level of success or they're in a place where they feel, they feel that they have accomplished their goal, but this is what they did to get there, and then it really makes you feel like, okay, so it's not just roses and butterflies and it also allows people to see what they can do and what they can take from that so they can get to wherever they want to faster.
Speaker 1:And then the other thing is there's different types of personalities. For example, if I am, if I was currently a high school student, or if I reflect on how I was as a high school student, I was very career driven and really I'm going to get. This is point A, this is point Z, these are the steps I'm going to take, and throughout that process, I forget to enjoy the journey, and I think that through these experiences, our guests really encourage our students to enjoy the journey, so that they because if you just get to the end goal and then maybe you realize that it wasn't what you thought it was, and then you lost all these years of your life- I think, it's very important yeah.
Speaker 2:I remember. So I went to college. Right out of high school I got an associate's degree, so it took me about three years to do that, and then I tried to continue. And then life happened in a lot of ways and so there was a while, and then when I went back to school, maybe four or five years later, I was working full time. I was going to night classes and I was there to get the degree. That was what I was paying, my own way. I was there to get a degree and I remember sitting in my like last couple of classes towards my right for graduation and thinking to myself I don't have one friend here, I don't have one phone number, I don't have one Facebook Like I have made no. And I mean I was friendly in class. I mean I wasn't. I did not really build any relationships. And so I remember when I started seminary a couple years later, I told myself I am not leaving this place with no friends. And I say that to remind you guys to enjoy the journey as well.
Speaker 2:Like yes, you have a goal you have a mission. You have something you want to accomplish, but it is those relationships along the way, the experiences, what you learn from them, the unexpected really make it so much sweeter. And my husband I like to hike and I tend to be very like let's get to the summit, let's get to the climax, let's get there. And he'll be miles behind me and finally he's get there. He's like did you see the deer? Did you see the brook?
Speaker 1:And I'm like no, I didn't see that?
Speaker 2:Did you see this view? He's like I see this view, but you missed everything along the way, because he's like you're so determined and I'm trying to work on like slow it down and enjoy the journey, because that's really where you learn.
Speaker 2:Something I love about the podcast space is it is typically a conversation and there is this sense of community and connection, even though the listener doesn't really get to talk back. I mean, that's why I wanted to create an opportunity for listeners to comment to feedback, because I want to build this community. Some of my favorite podcasts do that too because you do have this connection as you're all learning and experiencing the same thing. I even think about streaming shows.
Speaker 2:Right, we've kind of moved away from everybody watching at the same time, but like it's like maybe when we were growing up with television, it was Friday night TGIF, like it was this block, and it's time that everybody was looking forward to. But with streaming, we're all consuming on our own time Whatever works for us. However, the best part about watching a streaming show is talking about it with someone else who's watching and, again, this is where that community that I really think podcasts build is. You have these fans, followers, subscribers, listeners, who can also create this way to connect on that. If I find someone who listens to the same podcast as me, I am oh we get to share that, and so I feel like that's a place where podcast has a reach.
Speaker 2:Absolutely that maybe other platforms don't offer, because it is built for the consumers. Timeframe, yeah, and what works for him or her, not just when they're going to listen, but like you can listen to the first 10 minutes and then next time you get in your car it's going to pick right up and you can continue that conversation, which I think is really unique to you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and, as a matter of fact, we were built to live in community and, let me know, I hate bringing back, I dislike bringing back the pandemic effects, but we do have to talk about it because research has shown that our students, our youth especially, are living a lot more alone. So it's interesting because they have more social community, yet they feel more alone than ever before. We do have also a mental crisis in youth, and I think it's very important to help them build community through such an easy way, especially when, like your podcast or my podcast, it's about encouragement and power, and so they they thrive when they're given the opportunity. And the other thing I wanted to bring back to the conversation is and I know we've heard this before, but I'm going to explain it, it's not what you know, but who? Now? Not because there's preferential treatment, because that's usually what people think, like, oh yeah, that means they get preferential treatment. No, it's not that. It just means that if someone has a resource that can help you to that next level, yes, you are going to have an advantage. And so that's one of the things that I think both you and I bring is re-bring resources.
Speaker 1:We bring community, we bring people to reach out to so we can get them to the next level, whatever that is, because let me tell you, you don't know sometimes, and I've noticed as a, as a mom, if I don't open the doors to my children to explore, I would have never seen the gifts that they have. True story, my, my children have been the ones to be like hey, mom, like I want to play baseball. Wait, we don't. I mean we. Nobody in our family plays baseball. We don't. Really, for all my baseball fans, I am a.
Speaker 1:I am a baseball fan now, but back then, yeah, I was like we don't even watch baseball, but my son wanted to just try it out and here in the Carolina Little League, obviously that we're known for baseball I said you know what? Okay, we'll give it a try. What is, what's the fear? And so a lot of people are like, oh no, but he might not have enough experience. Well, we'll find that out, we don't know. So, long story short, we discovered he has this little talent, and there's many. I mean, I could go on and on about the many things I've discovered about my children that even though there were and I don't know if I mentioned this, they're twins. So even though they were born one minute apart, they have your own unique skills, abilities, interests. I say God given, gifts that I would never have known if I don't open the opportunities to exploration and that's one of my missions as well is really let students know and parents that these years are to explore, they're not to define.
Speaker 2:I love that Say more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So they are to explore, they are to learn. You know what? This is the time that, for free, you get to explore opportunities. And now I'll say that lightly because, yes, some things do cost, but there is a lot of organizations out there for, like our high school students, there's a lot of people that, for free, will say, hey, you can shadow me for a day. If somebody says, hey, I want to be a podcaster, I'm not going to say like, ok, I don't have time. Yes, I have time. You want to come shadow me behind the scenes, come join. And that is for a lot of careers, that is for a lot of people out there. They will open the doors for you to explore, because you will never know your passion if you're not introduced to it, or your interests or your skill set. And so that's what this podcast is about. I've seen, I've had so many guest interviews where they're honest and they say you know what I wanted to be a vet for, pretty much since they were young.
Speaker 1:They were like I want to be a vet, I want to be a vet. And it wasn't true story. There was one, one guest that I had. It wasn't until her first semester of college that she realized because of someone saying what is your? It wasn't it, I believe, as an advisor said. So what is your backup plan? And she's like no, I just I want to be a vet. This is what I've been wanting to do for all my life and it wasn't until that one conversation that she started to explore other options. She found a love and a passion for optometry and she is one year away from graduating.
Speaker 1:So, again, some students will feel pressure because they feel like, oh, my friend already knows what she wants to do, yes, but you know what. She might change her mind too, and that's okay. But don't feel that pressure that because your friend already knows that means that they have an advantage over you. No, explore, get yourself the opportunity to find out new opportunities for new careers and then, together with your parents, go through that journey together. To all my parents listening because I know this is like a sweaty conversation like, oh no, I want my child to know exactly what they want to do for their career and for their success. I want to tell you that if your child, if together we build their confidence, yes, they will accomplish anything. Yes.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And I think that's the parents greatest. If you're like, oh, if they don't have a, their plan already set from ninth grade, sometimes even ninth grade, they're not going to be successful? No, they will, because the foundation is there and what we do through our podcast is build on that, build the confidence, build the determination and also let them know that we believe in them. And sorry, I'm going to. I'm going to throw this in because I think this is so important.
Speaker 1:We don't know what our child has been told throughout their years of school, Unintentionally, intentionally, sometimes let's back that up, let's say unintentionally we label our children in the school system and sometimes unconsciously okay, they absorb this and they believe this and sometimes that changes their mindset in thinking that's who they are. And that's not who they are, and that labels do not define a child. And so, having these open conversations and encouragement, I want students to know that they can redefine themselves anytime throughout their career journey and they can accomplish anything.
Speaker 2:Sonia, I love your passion. I love your passion for this topic. I love that you're. What I'm hearing is success for you, and what you're hoping these students and parents understand is that the journey isn't perfect. It is an outline. That is the journey that's going to lead them to discover new things, to grow, to overcome adversity. I think that's one of the greatest skills our young people can learn today some grit, how to get through tough things, because, as grown women, we know, like this is, podcasting isn't easy. Whatever else we do, we're doing or have done. You shared your fertility struggles and so it's like it's not easy. The world is not just going to give you all your dreams. You have to go after them and that's what I'm hearing. Is really that passion? What would you suggest is a next step a student, a parent, a family could take today to really encourage and empower these young people to know more about, like, really what is ahead?
Speaker 1:Yes, Great question we mentioned this earlier already is find your community, whether it's through my podcast, Thea's podcast, sorry, through she Leads, through the college and career ready podcast, through other communities. Find your community that's going to help and support you, especially getting those resources and that encouragement that you need along the way. So that is my number one goal for everyone. Something that you can take action right now is find your community that can help and support you along the way Awesome.
Speaker 2:Where can people find you? If they're excited to hear your podcast, to meet you, to learn more, where can they find you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they can find me on a couple of places. They can find me on Instagram and the handle is at Sonia S-O-N-I-A dot casique and it's C-A-C-I-Q-U-E. I'm sure Thea will have this on the show notes. You can find the podcast in any of the podcast platforms, so all you have to do is search for college and career ready and the stand is with the symbol so college and career ready. And we also have a website that we're working on, but you can access it at collegecareerreadyorg. Currently it's going to take you to a free student checklist that I am giving our parents and our students that you can grab it there and follow us, follow me, subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode and so you can be encouraged and your child can be encouraged as well.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Thank you so much, Sonia.
Speaker 1:Hey friend, I hope you enjoyed this interview. I'd love to hear from you and let me know what was your greatest takeaway, what you learned and knew about me, and any question you may have about the College and Career Ready podcast, you can reach me at info at collegecareerreadyorg. Again, the email address is info at collegecareerreadyorg, where I'd love to hear from you and tailor our podcast to your needs. Thank you for joining us, sweet friend, and, as always, stay well, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week. Hi friend, thank you for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, you would mean so much to me. If you share it with a friend, share it with them right now or, even better, tag me so I can personally thank you for helping us build our community. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. Let's keep in touch and I'll talk to you soon. Adios.