Meet Kallie Clark, Educator and Postsecondary Counselor

Kallie Clark is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, and works as a graduate research assistant at the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Kallie is an experienced classroom teacher and counselor with experience working in both charter and traditional public schools. Kallie is highly skilled in providing postsecondary counseling to first-generation college students, low-income students, students of color, and undocumented students.

Learn more about Kallie's work by visiting her blog, Scribd page, and SlideShare site.

1. How did you first become interested in working in the field of education?

Like many of my students, I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and my family didn't have the financial resources to help, so I worked as a nanny throughout undergraduate school to help pay the bills. I loved working with young children and really thought I could have been a preschool teacher for the rest of my life and been happy. When I decided to pursue a master's degree, my first experience with graduate teaching was with college freshmen. I was surprised by how much I loved it! I never thought I would enjoy working with older students, but I did. After I graduated, I landed a job teaching in a local high school. It seemed like a natural progression to me. Over the years my role changed, and I moved into counseling. I loved helping students prepare for life after high school, and I really enjoyed the creative aspects of teaching and developing curriculum, but I knew I wanted to have an impact outside the walls of my classroom. That's why I decided to return to graduate school and study education research.

2. Would you tell us a little more about your work in postsecondary counseling?

My first experience working as a postsecondary counselor was with The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. I was a college counselor and college seminar teacher: meaning, I did both one-on-one counseling with the students, and I taught a college readiness course to seniors. It was an incredible learning experience for me. Similar to my own experience, my students were predominantly first-generation college students from low-income families. However, unlike me, my students had the additional hurdles of growing up in urban, sometimes violent neighborhoods. They also were predominantly students of color. The lessons I learned from my students not only helped me become a better teacher and counselor; they helped me become a better person.

As a college counselor, it was always my goal to help my student get into the college that would give them the best chances of graduating. Choosing a college is a careful balance between graduation rate, cost, and environment. I am a big fan of small liberal arts colleges. If I had to pick between a large public university and a liberal arts college, about 70-80 percent of the time I would lean towards the liberal arts college. The support services and sense of community is just so much stronger at a smaller school. When I send a student off to a liberal arts college, I know they aren't going to get lost in the shuffle: if they need help, I can be pretty sure someone is going to notice and reach out.

3. What are some of the documents you've created and shared via Scribd, and how can these help students and their families?

Navigating the college application process can be overwhelming. Things have changed a lot in the last ten years, and college admissions have become very technical and very competitive. Finding the right college takes planning and follow-through. That's why I am sharing the documents I created and used as a college seminar teacher. I am constantly uploading documents as time permits, but eventually parents and teachers will be able to access support documents for everything from building a college application list to building a class schedule. The "Matriculation Check-list" is one of the most important documents I share. It helps ensure that a student completes all the steps necessary to actually show up on campus in the fall, something many students take for granted after they have been accepted.

4. For families who currently have a student in high school who would be a first-generation college student, what are some resources that you might recommend?

There are a lot of resources out there when it comes to planning for college. The problem I found was that they were either too broad or required too much time to navigate. Most parents don't have time to read an entire book about applying to college. I also found that for first-generation college students, these resources often avoided giving parents the unspoken truths that those of us who have already been to college know first-hand. For instance, not all colleges are created equal. Yes, there are actually lemon colleges, just like there are lemon cars. I also talk about the importance of environment and recommend families put long-term goals first when deciding if living at home or going away to school is going to provide students with the best chance of graduating. I have a series of PowerPoints on Slideshare that do a great job of helping parents get a crash course in college admissions and financial aid.

5. What are some ideas you've seen prove helpful for students when it comes to avoiding student loan debt?

Telling students to avoid student loan debt is like telling them to avoid buying a car. If you live in a major city with great public transportation or have enough money to take a cab every time you need to go to the grocery store, then sure, you can avoid buying a car. But, for most of us, buying a car is an important step in moving towards financial independence, even if it requires taking out a car loan. That car loan is seen as an investment if it gets you to work every day, right? We don't tell our kids to not buy cars; what we tell them is to buy a reliable and dependable car that will get them to work every day, and do it within a sensible budget. The same goes for student loans.

This conversation is really about long-term goals. It might sound like a lot to ask of a high school student, but really what I am talking about are those kids who already have their mind set on something. If a student is pretty sure they want to become a doctor and has the academic record to support those aspirations, then student loans will most likely be unavoidable (unless their family has the money to foot the bill outright). Getting into med school is an incredibly competitive process, so picking an undergraduate program with a strong reputation is important. For students who know they want to pursue a technical field, consider two-year colleges, and absolutely do not take out student loans. No student should ever take out student loans to attend a community college. For everyone else who is pretty sure they want to graduate from a four-year college but maybe not 100 percent sure of what the future holds, choose a college with the best graduation rate and reputation that you can get for an affordable price. I usually tell kids not to exceed the standard $5,500 student loan unless the school is top-notch. For low-income students who receive PELL and state grants, this is usually possible. For middle-income families, state schools are not always the best deal. Look to the small, private or faith-based colleges who have more liberal financial aid parameters.

What I would avoid doing at all costs is taking out personal loans for undergraduate study, and absolutely do not attend a for-profit college. All loans at the undergraduate level should be federal student loans to accredited not-for-profit colleges. I also recommend that parents do not take on PLUS loans unless they are financially savvy, understand that these loans will need to be taken out every year, and understand that these loans are not forgivable (even if the student doesn't graduate). There are loan forgiveness programs out there, but they are usually for specific fields, and most require that you work in a certain industry for a given time after graduation.

My last bit of advice is to start where you plan to graduate from, meaning that you start somewhere that offers a degree you can live with in case you aren't able to transfer. Transferring is a very risky plan, unless the student has strong family support and parents or guardians who can be involved to ensure the student actually gets (and passes) the classes they need to transfer and maintains the grades necessary to be admitted later. Life happens, and transferring is banking on the fact that the future will happen as you have planned. Rarely in life does anything happen as planned.

Thanks, Kallie!

Meet Maximilian L Linhard of Affairs Today, A Global Business Journal

Maximilian L. Linhard is one of the founders and current CFO of AffairsToday LTD. He is studying towards his MA in Economics/Business & Management at the University of Glasgow.

Affairs Today is a student business journal that targets a global audience. Articles on the site are analysis-based, meaning that they provide insights into what is happening, why it is happening, and what the consequences will be. Contributors work with Affairs Today on a volunteer basis, new writers are always welcome. Read a sample article from the journal by checking out this interview with King Simeon II of Bulgaria.

1. What inspired the creation of Affairs Today?

While visiting the University of Edinburgh the CEO, Alexandre C. Gianasso, and I were looking for a business-related student publication. We noticed that all student publications were either too general or not student-operated. As both of us are entrepreneurial business students, we spotted the niche and decided to set up our own student business journal. To further stand out from the crowd of student journals, we decided that we are not just operating at our university or within the United Kingdom, but that we are a global student business journal.

2. How has the journal grown in its first year?

We started with two people last February. Over the first couple of months, we added a few contributors to the team. Real growth, however, occurred after we promoted our current COO, Ferdinand v. Götzen, from the role of contributor to editor-in-chief. Within a couple of month we incorporated Affairs Today Ltd., and increased our staff numbers. Now we have a constantly growing team of more than 20 contributors, and several managerial roles.

3. What are you looking for in contributors to your journal--and how does publication in Affairs Today benefit the contributors as well as the readers of the site?

All our contributors are students. That is the key point of the journal. We want to provide the best possible news analysis and content created by students. Besides being students, we are looking for people with drive who are motivated by the opportunity of achieving more than just getting a degree during their time at university. This drive together with a passion for writing and the topic they cover is what makes our contributor team special.

In return, they benefit from gaining first-hand experience in the field of journalism and developing their writing and analysis skills. Moreover, they are part of a growing start-up that might shape the journalistic scene of the 21st century.

4. What are your individual interests when it comes to your business and economics?

Personally, I want to awaken interest in students. A lot of students live their lives oblivious to current issues and what is going on in the world. I am confident that we can reach them by providing information from a student perspective. I also hope to show that there are reliable alternatives to established news outlets.

In terms of my interests in economics, I focus on financial markets and growth. Since the big crisis, the financial sector has been highly scrutinized. In addition, most mainstream media outlets have blamed only financial institutions for the crisis. This has been done by often misrepresenting facts. I hope to show that more factors were causing the crisis than just corporate greed and risk-taking.

5. Do you think that our global internet culture makes it easier for younger people to become involved in startups and other entrepreneurial business projects?

Definitely. Only 20 years ago it would have been impossible to set up a journal like Affairs Today without major financial support. Within a fortnight we managed to have everything running. That is all thanks to the global internet culture. Just looking around on a university campus also reveals how many internet-entrepreneurs there are. Two close friends of mine started their own internet-business and there are various meetings and conventions for students pursuing their dream for a tech start-up. Not only do they receive support from various sides, but most importantly from fellow-minded individuals. I think that we have to thank the global internet culture for that.

Thanks, Maximilian!

Meet Michael Luchies of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization

Michael Luchies is an entrepreneur, freelance journalist, and passionate supporter of everything entrepreneurship. Michael is National Growth and Programs Manager for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO), and the Interview Editor for Under30CEO.com. Find him on Twitter: @MichaelLuchies.

CEO is the premier entrepreneurship network with chapters on university campuses across North America and beyond. CEO currently supports entrepreneurship on over 240 chapters in over 43 states. CEO's mission is to inform, support, and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. With a diverse entrepreneurial community and global network, CEO provides student entrepreneurs with opportunities, events, chapter activities, and conferences to help start businesses. The highlight of the year is the annual National Conference hosted each fall.

Michael is hard at work getting the word out about the 2013 CEO National Conference. Here's a video about the event:

1. How and when did the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization get started?

CEO was started in the early 1980s as a gathering among entrepreneurially minded students in the Chicago area. The initial meeting had around 20 attendees. In 1997, CEO became a 501 (3)c nonprofit organization, and expanded to serve colleges and universities through on-campus student operated chapters.

CEO now has over 230 chapters, and the CEO National Conference is attended by nearly 1,400 students and entrepreneurs each year. The 2013 CEO National Conference will be held on October 31 – November 2 in Chicago.

The focus of the organization is on venture creation and experiential learning. We want young people to get their hands dirty and to get real experience while creating businesses.

2. What can attendees expect to learn at your upcoming National Conference in November?

Around 70 entrepreneurs will host workshops, share their stories, and work with students to assist them with their business ideas and ventures. Sessions will be held on a wide variety of entrepreneurial topics. Topics covered will include self-employment in the arts, technology, startups, scaling a business, business ethics, executing on an idea, how to create and present an elevator pitch, and more.

Outside of the sessions hosted by entrepreneurs, the CEO National Conference is home to the National Elevator Pitch Competition, which allows 60 young entrepreneurs to share their businesses and ideas for a chance at national recognition and cash prizes. There are also an unlimited amount of networking opportunities to meet students from other schools, mentor rooms, and social events. The learning possibilities at the event are endless.

3. Why is entrepreneurship on the rise, in your opinion?

That's a great question. Entrepreneurship is on the rise due to the availability and affordability of technology, and the shift in the economy over the past decade and a half. Being an entrepreneur is easier than ever, and the Millenial generation has grown up with the internet. Anyone can start a blog or a website in a day for free. There are countless resources available to those who want to start a business and being a young entrepreneur is a more accepted career path than it once was.

4. What has been your own experience as an entrepreneur, and what motivates you to share your experience with young entrepreneurs?

I started my first small e-commerce website in 2007 after having enough of the corporate world. I eventually quit my job to go back to school, where I pursued a degree in entrepreneurship. Although I have yet to launch a highly successful company, I wouldn't trade my experiences and passion for small business for anything. I am currently working on several projects that I hope to launch in the near future.

I love sharing experiences with others because I love learning. That may seem like an odd statement, but teaching others is a great way of enhancing your own abilities while also learning what other people have to offer you. I made many mistakes as an aspiring young entrepreneur, and I want to help share my experiences in hopes of saving others from making the same mistakes I made.

5. For a person of any age with an interest in entrepreneurship, what do you recommend as some ways to figure out if an idea for an indie business has potential for success?

As the Interview Editor for Under30CEO, and also through working with many successful entrepreneurs with CEO, I am told time and time again to just start something! Test your idea at a basic level and start getting feedback. You often never know until you try. I will give one quick example of a business idea and how I would recommend someone begin to test to see if the idea is worth pursuing.

Gluten-Free Bakery

• Organize a very basic business strategy (1 page max) of what you would want your gluten-free bakery to be in the future. This will help you keep your goals in mind while testing your idea.
• Concurrently, work on perfecting one recipe while contacting people ahead of time and telling them about your new venture and what you are working on. You want to speak with people who you believe would be your targeted clients in the future. Ask for their help in taste testing your recipe once you feel it has been perfected.
• Give taste tests and provide them with surveys about your product, and the future business. Collect as much information as possible to help you get to the next step. Ask everything, including what they would pay for the item, how often they would come, if they know people who would like to try your goods for free, etc.
• Going about it in this manner should bring you closer to your potential clients while building excitement and gaining critical feedback on your business idea and your baked good.
• The next step is starting to price and sell your item while working on additional recipes based on the feedback of your future customers.

Thanks, Michael!