The Way to College Podcast

On this episode of The Way to College Podcast, I sit down with Eric Rath, founder and president of Rath Tutoring, to talk about curiosity, test-taking, asking for help, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning.
Eric has spent more than 20 years in tutoring and test prep, and one of the most common things students tell him is, “I’m not a good test taker.” His response is a reminder that many students were never taught how to perform well on tests and that there is a difference between knowing the material and knowing how to demonstrate that knowledge.
We also talk about the power of asking questions. Eric credits much of his own success as an entrepreneur to being willing to admit what he didn’t know, find someone who did, and ask for help. His advice is simple:
Be comfortable saying, “I don’t know.”
In this conversation, we explore:
Why asking for help is a strength
The difference between knowledge and performance
What wrong answers can teach us
How curiosity shaped Eric’s educational journey
Why tutoring should focus on the individual student
Entrepreneurship, ownership, and purpose
Why learning should never end when school does
Eric also reminds us that college is not the finish line. It can be a jumping-off point for lifelong learning. Eric Rath
🎧 Listen now to this week’s episode of The Way to College Podcast.

Adam Sarancik has spent decades coaching and mentoring young athletes, but his work goes far beyond sports. Through Elevate Sports Academy, he helps students think critically about college, career, identity, and what comes next when athletics is no longer the center of their world.
In this episode of The Way to College Podcast, Adam shares his own journey through adversity, law, real estate, teaching, coaching, and mentoring, and explains why young people need to understand their gifts, interests, and purpose before simply following the path everyone expects of them.
We talk about:
Why identity can become too closely tied to one activity
The question, “Who am I beyond this?”
Why students should reflect on their strengths and interests
The importance of work ethic and independence
How parents can help young people explore without over-directing them
Why college and career planning should begin with self-awareness
Adam’s question for every student: “What’s your why?”
Adam’s message is especially powerful for student-athletes, but it applies to anyone entering a new chapter of life:
You don’t have to abandon who you were, but you do need to give yourself room to discover who else you can become.
🎧 Listen now to this week’s episode of The Way to College Podcast and check out Adam's work:
Coaching site: https://www.coachingchampionsforlife.com/
Adam's books: http://amazon.com/author/adamsarancik

What happens when the path you imagined for yourself turns out not to be your path at all?
Laura Cortez grew up in San Benito, Texas, believing she might become a lawyer. Instead, her educational and professional journey took her from the Rio Grande Valley to Drake University, Spain, AmeriCorps, graduate school, a Ph.D. at UT Austin, community engagement, and eventually entrepreneurship. As Laura puts it, her story has had plenty of “windy roads.”
In this episode of The Way to College Podcast, Laura shares what it was like to leave South Texas for college, including the homesickness that almost led her to transfer after her first semester. She also explains how friendships, campus involvement, and finding a community helped her create a sense of belonging far from home.
We also talk about changing majors, studying abroad, learning to advocate for yourself, listening to your gut, recognizing when it's time to change direction, and paying attention to the people who see possibilities in us that we may not yet see ourselves.
Laura's journey is a powerful reminder that a closed door doesn't mean the journey is over. Sometimes you have to go looking for the next one.

🎧 Listen to Laura Cortez's story on this week's The Way to College Podcast.

Brian Eyster describes his professional journey as a “25-year internship.”It's a journey that has been filled with successes, failures, experimentation, and learning what he was good at. Today, Brian is helping families navigate one of their biggest financial challenges: paying for college.
In this episode of The Way to College Podcast, Brian and I cover everything from career exploration to allowing young people to fail safely, and why students shouldn't be expected to have everything figured out at 18 or 22.
We also get into college planning and funding, including financial aid, FAFSA, college savings, and why families should ask better questions before making major financial decisions about college.
Brian's final advice is one worth remembering:
It's okay to ask for help.
Whether you're a student trying to figure out what's next or a parent trying to figure out how to pay for it, there's something in this conversation for you.
🎧 Listen now to The Way to College Podcast.

In my conversation with Cesar Quezada, we discussed his experience as a first-generation college student and his remarkable academic turnaround, mentorship, career pivots, leaving his comfort zone, serving students, and learning to navigate uncertainty.
We also talk about something especially close to the mission of The Way to College: the power of sharing our stories.
Cesar eventually began speaking publicly about his own experiences so educators could better understand and support students. He then encouraged his students to share their stories at professional conferences as well. For Cesar, representation matters because hearing people's experiences can change how others think and act.
If you know a student or an adult whose plans aren't working out the way they expected, share this episode.