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.

What if the biggest disruption in education isn't AI... but how we design the school day?

In this follow up episode, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl unpack one of the most talked about conversations in Disrupt Education Podcast history with Jason Walke and his groundbreaking Mission Mondays model.

From students who actually look forward to Mondays to teachers finding more instructional time, stronger community partnerships, and unforgettable learning experiences, this conversation explores what happens when schools prioritize experiences over seat time.

Peter and Alli discuss why students remember experiences instead of worksheets, how AI makes human centered learning even more valuable, and why communities should play a bigger role in education than ever before.

If you're an educator, administrator, parent, policymaker, or community leader wondering what the future of school could look like, this episode will challenge the way you think about learning.

Watch the full conversation and ask yourself one question:

What if school was designed around experiences instead of interruptions?

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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 school felt less like a schedule and more like a mission?

Jason Walke returns to the Disrupt Education Podcast to unpack the first full year of Mission Mondays at Oldenburg Academy. Instead of treating field trips, guest speakers, service, internships, and life skills as interruptions, Jason helped move them into a focused weekly experience built around purpose, relationships, and real world learning.

Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl explore how Mission Mondays changed student culture, opened stronger internship opportunities, reduced stress, improved teacher focus, and gave students experiences they will actually remember.

This episode is for educators, leaders, parents, and communities wondering what school could look like when we stop overvaluing information and start designing meaningful experiences.

Go back to before Jason implemented Mission Mondays a year ago when it was in the planning stages on the Disrupt Education Podcast - https://youtu.be/CgmV0vLz7B8?si=8R_JcpGIxCvtL896Powered 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 biggest problem in education isn't students, teachers, or even curriculum?

What if the system was intentionally designed to separate opportunity?

In this follow-up episode, Peter and Alli unpack their thought-provoking conversation with Superintendent Chris Nesmith and explore some of the most disruptive ideas discussed on the podcast this year.

From the false choice between college and career, to Germany's apprenticeship-to-engineer model, to why "dead-end pathways" still exist in many schools, this episode challenges long-held assumptions about what student success should look like.

The conversation dives into career-connected learning, durable skills, internships, AI, workforce readiness, and why schools often prioritize the perception of achievement over actual readiness.If you've ever wondered what a high school diploma should truly represent in 2026 and beyond, this episode is for you.

Listen to the original Chris Nesmith interview, then join Peter and Alli as they connect the dots and explore what education could become when every student's potential remains expandable—not fixed.

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.

#DisruptEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #WorkBasedLearning

What if the biggest problem in education isn't students but the system we've built around them?

In this thought provoking episode, superintendent and education innovator Chris NeSmith challenges the outdated "college vs. career" mindset that continues to limit student opportunities. Chris shares lessons from Germany's apprenticeship system, explains why career pathways should open doors instead of close them, and reveals how schools can better connect academics, workforce readiness, and real world experience.

We dive into youth apprenticeships, mastery based learning, AI, durable skills, leadership, and why many schools are rewarded for the perception of success rather than actual student outcomes.

If you're an educator, administrator, parent, policymaker, or workforce leader, this conversation will challenge how you think about student readiness and the future of education.

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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 are the truths students desperately need to hear before they graduate high school?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl have one of their most honest and challenging conversations yet about the things traditional education systems often avoid saying out loud.

From work-life balance myths and GPA obsession to networking, internships, social capital, purpose, and personal ownership, this episode pulls back the curtain on what actually creates opportunity after high school.

Peter and Alli challenge the idea that test scores predict success, discuss why real-world experiences outweigh perfect grades, and explain why students who take action, build relationships, and embrace discomfort often gain the biggest long-term advantage.

The conversation explores:

Why “nobody cares” can actually become your superpowerWhy students should prioritize experiences over testsThe hidden value of internships, networking, and authentic learningHow your habits, friendships, and environment shape your futureWhy purpose and aptitude matter more than complianceThe difference between playing the school game and building a real future

This episode is packed with practical truth, powerful stories, and mindset shifts for students, parents, educators, administrators, and anyone questioning whether traditional education is fully preparing students for life after graduation.

If you care about student engagement, career readiness, durable skills, CTE, work-based learning, internships, AI, networking, or the future of education, this conversation will challenge the way you think about school and success.

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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 education becomes more focused on compliance than conversation?

In this follow-up episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl unpack the powerful conversation they had with Dr. Mark Covelle and dive even deeper into what is really happening inside schools right now.

From “donkeys in bathtubs” to the future of Career and Technical Education, this episode challenges traditional education models and asks one huge question: Are schools preparing students for life… or just training them to consume information?

Peter and Alli explore why conversations change lives, why CTE is exploding across the country, and how schools may have accidentally created generations of passive learners through outdated systems built around compliance, testing, and theory over practice.

The discussion moves into the growing demand for individualized learning, aptitude-based pathways, internships, durable skills, and authentic experiences that actually connect students to purpose. They also discuss why schools removed shop classes, why communities are scrambling to rebuild career pathways, and why the future of education depends on helping students discover what they are naturally wired to do well.

This episode is honest, reflective, funny, and deeply relevant for educators, administrators, parents, policymakers, and anyone trying to understand where education is headed next.

If you care about student engagement, workforce readiness, CTE, AI, personalized learning, internships, or the future of schools, this conversation will challenge the way you think about education.

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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 Career and Technical Education stops fighting for respect and starts facing a much bigger problem: capacity?

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl welcome back Dr. Mark Covelle, Administrative Director of Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, for a bold conversation about the future of CTE, workforce development, and what schools are still missing about student readiness.

Mark breaks down why CTE is no longer “dark, dangerous, and dingy,” but modern, relevant, and in high demand. The conversation explores why students are choosing hands-on learning, why traditional K–12 systems are struggling to keep up, and what happens when schools try to scale career pathways without the facilities, teachers, industry partnerships, or real-world experiences needed to make them work.

This episode challenges educators, administrators, policymakers, and community leaders to rethink what high school should actually prepare students to do. From student voice and advisory boards to workforce alignment, internships, skilled trades, and the danger of “CTE light,” this conversation makes one thing clear: the future of education is not about proving CTE works. It is about building the capacity to deliver it well.

If you care about career readiness, work-based learning, durable skills, student engagement, workforce development, or the future of high school, this episode is a must-listen.

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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.