What if you don't need permission to start building the life you want?

In the final episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast 2026 Student Series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl welcome Jay Yang, author of You Can Just Do Things, for a conversation about action, opportunity, failure, confidence, education, and taking ownership of your future.

Jay started experimenting with entrepreneurship at 15. After what he calls a "portfolio of failures," he realized that instead of trying to master everything himself, he could learn directly from people already doing what he wanted to do. At 16, he began cold emailing entrepreneurs with pitch decks showing how he could create value, turning those messages into internships and opportunities.

Jay challenges the idea that we need to feel ready before beginning. His philosophy is simple: action produces information. Start something. Learn. Adjust. Develop competence. Build confidence. Then keep moving.

The conversation also explores whether traditional education unintentionally teaches students to wait, why failure can accelerate learning, how to build your own accountability network, and why knowing what you actually want matters more than blindly following a predetermined path.

Jay also shares the four-part framework he used when deciding to leave college and move across the country for an extraordinary professional opportunity: learning, earning, network, and story.

This is the perfect conversation to close the Student Series because every student we've met has demonstrated some version of the same lesson:

Stop waiting. Start doing.

This Student Series is proudly sponsored by pega6.

The workplace is changing, and students need more than classroom knowledge to succeed. They need real world skills and experiences, just like Landon demonstrated in today's episode.That's why pega6 is building the nation's first white collar trade school, helping students launch meaningful careers through hands on, career focused learning. Graduates enter the workforce job ready, gain valuable experience sooner, and can get a head start both professionally and financially.Whether you're a student looking for a different path or an employer searching for exceptional emerging talent, visit ⁠⁠⁠pega6.com⁠⁠⁠ and discover what's possible when education is built around experience.

The Disrupt Education Podcast is powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to ⁠⁠⁠youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast⁠⁠⁠. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

What happens when a student stops waiting for someone else to solve a problem and decides to become the person who solves it?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast Student Series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl sit down with Kerry Ao, the student entrepreneur behind Intertwine, an AI powered financial education platform now reaching more than 50,000 students across 230+ school districts in 33 states.

Kerry started building Intertwine while still in high school after recognizing that traditional financial literacy education wasn't connecting with students. What followed was anything but a perfectly mapped career path. There were pitch competitions, cold emails, rejection, investors, mistakes, funding rounds, college classes, leadership challenges, and a growing belief that young people don't need to wait until they're older to create meaningful impact.

Kerry opens up about leading professionals more than twice his age, learning from harsh feedback, balancing college with building a company, and why failure may teach entrepreneurs more than getting everything right. He also shares his perspective on AI in education and why technology should strengthen the relationship between teachers and students, not replace it.

This conversation is about much more than building a company. It's about curiosity, resilience, purpose, financial literacy, leadership, AI, and recognizing that students are capable of solving real problems right now.

Maybe we need to stop asking young people only what they want to become and start asking a different question:

What problem are you willing to dedicate yourself to solving?

his Student Series is proudly sponsored by pega6.

The workplace is changing, and students need more than classroom knowledge to succeed. They need real world skills and experiences, just like Landon demonstrated in today's episode.That's why pega6 is building the nation's first white collar trade school, helping students launch meaningful careers through hands on, career focused learning. Graduates enter the workforce job ready, gain valuable experience sooner, and can get a head start both professionally and financially.Whether you're a student looking for a different path or an employer searching for exceptional emerging talent, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠pega6.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and discover what's possible when education is built around experience.

The Disrupt Education Podcast is powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

What if students discovered their purpose before graduation instead of after?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast Student Series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl welcome Samantha Rosinski, a film and television production student at Chapman University whose career journey began with one middle school career exploration experience.

Samantha shares how career and technical education, mentorship, internships, SkillsUSA competitions, and hands on learning gave her the confidence to pursue a highly competitive career in film and television. Now working with HBO Max while completing college, she reflects on the importance of networking, servant leadership, storytelling with purpose, and embracing opportunities that many students overlook.

This conversation challenges the traditional idea that students should have their futures figured out before graduation. Instead, Samantha demonstrates how curiosity, meaningful experiences, and strong mentors can create a pathway that continues to evolve long after high school.

Whether you're a student, parent, educator, administrator, or business leader, this episode offers practical insights into why career exploration, experiential learning, and authentic relationships matter more than ever in preparing young people for the future.

This Student Series is proudly sponsored by pega6.

The workplace is changing, and students need more than classroom knowledge to succeed. They need real world skills and experiences, just like Landon demonstrated in today's episode.That's why pega6 is building the nation's first white collar trade school, helping students launch meaningful careers through hands on, career focused learning. Graduates enter the workforce job ready, gain valuable experience sooner, and can get a head start both professionally and financially.Whether you're a student looking for a different path or an employer searching for exceptional emerging talent, visit ⁠⁠pega6.com⁠⁠ and discover what's possible when education is built around experience.

The Disrupt Education Podcast is powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to ⁠⁠youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast⁠⁠. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

What happens when you reconnect with a student two years after graduation?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast Student Series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl welcome back Samanta Kavaliauskaite, who first joined the podcast while she was still in high school. Now a college student, marketing manager, and business builder, Samanta returns with a fresh perspective on education, career readiness, networking, entrepreneurship, and what she's learned through real world experience.

Samanta shares why attending community college became one of the best decisions she has made, how managing marketing for a growing chiropractic practice accelerated her professional growth, and why helping launch a small business taught her lessons that no classroom could replicate. She also explains how networking, communication, curiosity, and simply getting started have opened doors she never expected.

Together, Peter, Alli, and Samanta challenge the traditional belief that students need to have their entire future mapped out before graduation. Instead, they explore why understanding yourself, gaining experience, building relationships, and staying open to new opportunities create far more meaningful career pathways.

Whether you're a student trying to figure out your next step, a parent supporting your child's future, or an educator looking to better prepare young people for life after high school, this conversation is filled with practical insights and honest advice that will change the way you think about education and career exploration.

This Student Series is proudly sponsored by pega6.

The workplace is changing, and students need more than classroom knowledge to succeed. They need real world skills and experiences, just like Landon demonstrated in today's episode.That's why pega6 is building the nation's first white collar trade school, helping students launch meaningful careers through hands on, career focused learning. Graduates enter the workforce job ready, gain valuable experience sooner, and can get a head start both professionally and financially.Whether you're a student looking for a different path or an employer searching for exceptional emerging talent, visit ⁠pega6.com⁠ and discover what's possible when education is built around experience.

The Disrupt Education Podcast is powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to ⁠youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast⁠. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

What if the best career advice isn't choosing a path, but discovering your strengths first?

The 2026 Student Series begins with an inspiring conversation featuring recent high school graduate and entrepreneur Landon Breeden. At just 18 years old, Landon transformed a dream of becoming a pilot into a thriving mobile detailing business that now services everything from cars and RVs to boats and aircraft. Starting with just two buckets and a willingness to create his own opportunity, he built a business, hired employees, earned more than 100 five star reviews, and won Georgia's FLEX State Entrepreneurship Competition.

Hosts Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl explore how aptitude awareness, work based learning, curiosity, and strong relationships helped Landon discover a future he never expected. They also discuss why today's students don't need every answer before graduation, why real world experiences matter, and how confidence is built through action rather than waiting for the perfect plan.

Whether you're a student searching for direction, a parent supporting your child's future, an educator preparing learners for life after graduation, or a professional passionate about developing the next generation of talent, this episode offers a powerful reminder that opportunities are often created, not found.

Sometimes the biggest breakthrough begins with knowing yourself well enough to take the first step.

This Student Series is proudly sponsored by pega6.

The workplace is changing, and students need more than classroom knowledge to succeed. They need real world skills and experiences, just like Landon demonstrated in today's episode.That's why pega6 is building the nation's first white collar trade school, helping students launch meaningful careers through hands on, career focused learning. Graduates enter the workforce job ready, gain valuable experience sooner, and can get a head start both professionally and financially.Whether you're a student looking for a different path or an employer searching for exceptional emerging talent, visit pega6.com and discover what's possible when education is built around experience.

The Disrupt Education Podcast is powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

Are we asking students the wrong question?

What if the future of education is not about helping students decide what they want to become, but first helping them discover who they already are?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl reflect on their powerful conversation with Betsy Wills, author of Your Hidden Genius, and explore why aptitude discovery may be one of the most overlooked opportunities in education today. Together, they challenge the traditional approach to career exploration, discuss why interests alone are not enough, and examine how understanding a student's natural strengths can unlock confidence, purpose, and long term success.

The conversation connects classroom learning, career pathways, internships, work based learning, AI, and student identity through one central idea: students create their greatest value when they understand how they are naturally wired.

Peter shares real stories from Naperville 203's Career Internship Program, including why some high school students are already creating more value than college interns, while Alli explores how simple exercises like the Mental Apple Test reveal that every learner experiences the world differently. Together, they challenge educators, parents, and school leaders to rethink how we define student success and why helping students know themselves should come before asking them to choose a career.

This episode also launches the annual Disrupt Education Student Series, where you'll hear directly from remarkable young people who have discovered their strengths early and are already making meaningful contributions in college, business, entrepreneurship, and their communities. Their stories offer practical lessons for educators, families, and students looking to create more intentional pathways toward the future.

Whether you're an educator, administrator, parent, employer, or simply passionate about preparing students for a rapidly changing world, this episode will challenge your thinking and leave you asking a different question:

What if every student knew their hidden genius before they ever chose a pathway?

If you enjoy conversations about education innovation, career readiness, internships, AI, student success, workforce development, and the future of learning, be sure to follow the Disrupt Education Podcast and join us each week as we continue disrupting education for the better.

Powered by YouScience Brightpath.

YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along? Instead of asking, "What do you want to be?" maybe we should first ask, "Who are you naturally wired to become?"

In this episode of the Disrupt Education podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl sit down with Betsy Wills, cofounder of YouScience and author of Your Hidden Genius, to explore how aptitude discovery can help students, parents, educators, and professionals make more confident career decisions.

From challenging the idea of "follow your passion" to preparing learners for an AI driven world, this conversation will change the way you think about education, career readiness, and human potential.

Whether you're a student, parent, teacher, administrator, or someone considering a career change, this episode will help you discover why knowing yourself is the first step toward building a meaningful future. Subscribe for more conversations that help every learner discover and demonstrate their value.

Powered by YouScience Brightpath.YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

Some conversations deserve to be heard again.

This week, we are re-releasing one of the most meaningful episodes in the history of the Disrupt Education Podcast in memory of our friend, educator, mentor, and extraordinary human being, Jen Sharp.

Jen tragically lost her life on June 14, 2026, while doing what she loved most: serving others through the sport of skydiving. As the United States Parachute Association's Director of Technology, a longtime instructor, examiner, mentor, and former drop zone owner, Jen dedicated her life to helping people grow with confidence, purpose, and humility.

For Alli, Jen was much more than a guest. She was a mentor, evaluator, and friend whose influence continues to shape not only her skydiving journey but also the way she approaches teaching and learning.

When we aired this conversation in December 2024, we couldn't have known it would become such an incredible time capsule.

Listening back today, Jen's words feel timeless.

She reminds us that:Learning happens by doing.Great teachers know when to step back.Making mistakes isn't failure—it's where learning begins.Growth comes from embracing change instead of fearing it.Sometimes the simplest ideas become the most transformational.

Using powerful stories from thousands of skydives, Jen draws remarkable parallels between education, leadership, fear, curiosity, and purpose. Whether you've ever considered jumping from an airplane or not, her perspective will challenge the way you think about teaching, learning, and living.

If you've never heard this episode, we hope you'll discover why Jen left such a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know her.

If you listened when it first aired, we invite you to hear it again. Her wisdom carries even greater meaning today.

Jen believed that education should never stop, that curiosity should always win, and that we're all capable of more than we realize.

Her legacy lives on in every student she inspired, every instructor she mentored, every skydiver she encouraged, and every life she touched.Thank you, Jen.Blue skies and forever grateful.

For donations and celebration of life information please visit https://www.jenlallosharp.com/Powered by YouScience Brightpath.YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.