Some stories don’t end; they simply turn the page. And sometimes the chapters that shape us most are the ones we never expected to write.For the last time this season, ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice explores the winding ...

Some days it only takes one email, one phone call, or one weird surprise to knock your whole mood off track—but what if the real power lies in how you respond, not what you face? What if the difference between burnout and balance is just a t...

Generative AI isn’t on the horizon anymore—it’s already reshaping the academic landscape. The challenge now isn’t avoiding it, but deciding how we respond with purpose and integrity.ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice explor...

Some leadership debates feel theoretical—until someone throws your own words back at you months later. This episode unpacks what happens when a simple remark becomes a mirror for how we understand responsibility, vision, and the work leaders...

The end of the Farmer’s Almanac marks more than the close of a quirky American tradition—it symbolizes our timeless need to find patterns in the unpredictable. From zodiac signs to personality tests, we keep searching ...

We’ve reached the point where comfort has become the new currency in education—and it’s bankrupting student resilience. What if the accommodations we’re offering aren’t helping students cope, but quietly teaching them to avoid life itself?

Some people call gifted kids “weird,” but maybe that’s just what it looks like when someone’s brain refuses to color inside the lines. What if the thing that makes them different is exactly what the world needs more of?ASMSA Execu...

Equity in gifted education requires more than resources — it begins with listening carefully to dissatisfaction across all student groups. Policies and practices must ensure that every intentionality is met with the right opportunities.<...

Some students demand more than piecemeal solutions — their dissatisfaction is comprehensive, spanning rigor, belonging, and context. These Catalytic students are rare, but when matched with the right environments, they can transform themselv...

Recognizing dissatisfaction is only half the work; the other half is knowing how to act on it. Schools can respond with three core levers — but only when sequenced wisely do these interventions close satisfaction gaps.In episode ...

When intentionalities blend, they form distinct paradigms of student experience — each carrying its own risks and opportunities. Understanding these blends can help educators design responses that truly match students’ needs.In e...

Students express dissatisfaction in different ways — some want more rigor, others long for belonging, while still others need a whole new context. Recognizing these intentionalities helps educators respond with precision rather than guesswor...

Every student has moments of restlessness in school, but what if that dissatisfaction isn’t a problem to solve — what if it’s the clearest sign of readiness to grow? By reframing dissatisfaction as a signal, educators can uncover hidden path...

For many juniors, the PSAT feels like a dress rehearsal for the SAT—a low-stakes warm-up that doesn’t really matter. But hidden behind that “practice” label is one of the biggest scholarship opportunities in high school.ASMSA Exec...

In school, failure is often treated as something to be avoided at all costs. But what if failure is actually the very thing that unlocks growth?ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice reflects on his recent training journey with ...

Why do gifted, talented, and motivated students leave behind the comfort of home, their local schools, and the friends and teachers they’ve known for years to take on something more demanding and more challenging? The answer, at its heart, c...

College admissions come with a dictionary’s worth of terms, but not all pathways are created equal. From binding commitments to open access, each one shapes the journey differently.ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice explores...

College and scholarship essays shouldn’t read like résumés in disguise. They should read like a small, true story that changed how you see the world—told clearly, humbly, and in your own voice.In this double-sized episode, ASMSA ...

No clip show. No celebrity drop-ins. No tear-filled montage set to soft piano. Just slice number 100 served hot and ready.ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice looks back and ahead, exploring the threads that have shaped the po...

Prestige TV has given us a new metaphor for education: Surf Dracula. The idea comes from a viral critique of shows that delay their own premise—spending entire seasons on backstory before ever letting the main characte...

In its first year, AP Precalculus drew over 184,000 students — the largest launch in AP history — and reached learners often left out of advanced math. It’s opening doors for first-generation, Black, Hispanic, rural, and later-starting stude...

The language of therapy is everywhere — from TikTok feeds to hallway conversations. Young people are learning to name their feelings and advocate for themselves like never before. But with that new vocabulary comes a risk: overgeneralizing, ...

Recommendation letters can make or break a college or scholarship application, yet many fall flat simply because the recommender doesn’t have enough detail to work with. That’s where a brag sheet comes in.In this episode, ASMSA Ex...

The debate over admissions at selective public high schools has never been more urgent. With cases like Thomas Jefferson High School in Virginia and Stuyvesant High School in New York drawing national attention, the question remains: how...

The first month of school is when excitement gives way to routine, and for gifted students that often brings a mix of confidence, pressure, and hidden struggles. In this episode, ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice reflects on why n...