Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Wanda Herndon, author of Working Class to Breaking Glassand former vice president of global communications at Starbucks.

Wanda credits her parents with teaching her perseverance. Their journey from the segregated South to Michigan demonstrated that determination, hard work, and refusing to give up can create opportunities for future generations.

She believes the constant exposure to negative messages can contribute to hopelessness among young people. Helping students recognize positive opportunities and possibilities is essential to building hope.

Finding positive role models is one of Wanda’s strongest recommendations. She encourages young people to identify individuals who represent who they want to become and learn from their experiences.

For Wanda, networking doesn’t have to be complicated. Joining clubs, participating in organizations, building friendships, and asking questions can open doors to new opportunities.

Her philosophy of becoming the “CEO of Me” emphasizes self-leadership. Students should take ownership of their goals, identify the people and experiences they need, and develop a plan for reaching their aspirations.

Wanda stresses the importance of authenticity. She encourages young people to embrace their backgrounds and tell their own stories rather than allowing others to define who they are or what they can accomplish.

Drawing from her professional experiences, she describes three important forms of knowledge: street sense, work sense, and book sense. Together, they help individuals navigate life, education, and the workplace.

Reflecting on her college experience, Wanda explains how finding a supportive community helped her overcome insecurity and feelings of not belonging. Her message to students is that they should never underestimate their right to be in the room.

As a first-generation college student in her immediate family, she viewed education as a pathway to upward mobility. Over time, Wanda also came to recognize her responsibility to help others access similar opportunities.

In discussing her memoir, Wanda challenges the idea that the glass ceiling has been completely shattered. She believes progress requires continuing to break barriers while helping others advance through the opportunities that have been created.

Perseverance means continuing despite rejection. Wanda encourages students to avoid allowing a single “no” to determine their future and to keep pursuing their goals.

Her final call to action for educators, counselors, and school leaders is simple and powerful: “Expand your list of students you will mentor. There’s never too many. Expand it and get to work.”

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