The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

Sonia Cacique

Join your host Sonia Cacique on a transformative journey preparing high school and college students for real world careers, equipping them with practical skills, professional experiences, and career guidance.
As a dedicated career guidance counselor, career coach, and education leader, Sonia has spent her entire career empowering the next generation for the future workforce. With her expertise, she helps students develop self-awareness, motivation, and career guidance, building the essential skills needed for success in both their educational and future professional journeys.
Coach Sonia is ready to shift the focus from GPA, class rank, and grades to career connections, self-identity, character development, and real-world skills. She aims to challenge the traditional narratives and provide students with a comprehensive approach to education and career readiness. Changing lives for our next gens, one student at a time.
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Top 10 The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Growth and leadership skills over 23 years and still loving it!

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

09/15/22 • 54 min

Ever thought of being with the same company for 23 years and still loving it! Today I am very excited to share with you our guest Rachel Vargas. What is the secret? She is passionate about what she does! She has gone from admin support to a general managerial role and from operational to sales. Now as a top leader in her company she loves to inspire others just like you. She talks and shares some of those necessary skills for our leaders of tomorrow. She shares tips and life lessons that I promise each one of us can take a little nugget of wisdom from. A few of my favorite takeaways from our conversation:

Her parents were hardworking and instilled and encouraged her at an early age to be financially independent.
Say yes to more things! She says you will figure it out. That 1st ONE step might be the step to so many other opportunities that might come about!
I love her heart of giving back. As a leader she works with her team so they can accomplish their own personal goals!
She shares with us how to work well with people we might find difficult to work with. Great tips for our kids!
She also references mentors as part of her success. She hopes that our young kids can also surrounds themselves with good people who will help them fill in any gaps to help them succeed; ultimately encouraging and helping them.

And guess what friends, that is what this show is about! To share a wide variety of mentors for your kids while helping YOU as a mom, build a large network and community of people who are here to support each other!

Her book recommendations:

The Compound Effect: JumpStart your Income, Your Life, Your Success
The 100/0 Principle by Al Ritter

You can connect with Rachel on linked-in:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-vargas-0453953b
Or her Instagram: @vargasra

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DiscoverU Career and Leadership Empowerment is designed for women and moms just like you—navigating the challenges of career, family, and personal growth. Whether you’re re-entering the workforce, craving more purpose in your career, stepping into leadership, or simply ready to reclaim your time and energy, DiscoverU provides the tools, coaching, and support to help you rise with confidence. Visit www.CollegeCareerReady.org

Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
Join our College and Career Connections Club for free at www.CollegeCareerReady.org/join
Learn about our Career Connections Course: www.CollegeCareerReady.org/COURSE

"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

29. Knowledge that never goes to waste + Looking at your career as an experience and not as an end goal w/ Maria Burgos

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

05/22/23 • 47 min

In this episode, we have a special guest, Maria Burgos, who is a mentor willing to share her knowledge, experience, and personal journey with us. Maria provides valuable insights on career exploration and encourages us to think outside the box. She discusses the latest trends and highlights the unique characteristics of our generation compared to previous ones when it comes to careers. Maria's own career path is a testament to combining passion, skills, and purpose, as she has started three companies and held sales and marketing positions aligned with her passion for helping others. Her experience of living in four different countries has given her a deep understanding that despite our origins, we share more similarities than differences.
Maria's expertise in problem-solving with a creative approach, gained from working in diverse industries and challenging economic environments, adds value to her mentorship.
She is the founder of Trendy Seconds, a company that promotes responsible fashion consumption among women. Maria is a firm believer in the interconnectedness of people and advocates for second chances, a topic she addressed in her TEDx Countdown talk in Houston last October. Without further delay, let's begin our insightful conversation with Maria.
Connect with Maria:
Instagram: @trendyseconds
Website: trendyseconds.com
Twitter: Trendy Seconds
Book Recommendation: Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cijWHMscv_I
Favorite Playlist: by specific years to travel back in time
Connect with Sonia:
Instagram: @sonia.cacique
[email protected]
Facebook: College & Career Ready

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

38. Top 4 things you could do right now to make this your best school year, yet!

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

07/25/23 • 17 min

🎉 Attention, Students! 📚✨ Unlock your true potential this next school year! With these 4 easy strategies, you will be ready to start a new school year. Are you ready? Listen to this episode and then share it with a friend so together you can both be each others accountability partner.
Get ready for your BEST year yet! 🌟 Join me on the College and Career Ready Podcast as we dive into why this school year holds immense potential for growth, opportunities, and success. 🚀✨
🎓💪 Don't miss out on valuable insights and inspiration! Tune in now! 🎧✨
Need help with any of the top 4 tips mentioned, DM on Instagram @sonia.cacique or email me at [email protected] and I will personally brainstorm with you!
This is your year! Be ready to unlock your full potential.
Episode #36, referenced in this episode, listen to it here.

I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a message to [email protected] and tell me what you loved most about this episode. Want to hear more content like this or have any suggestions as to what you would like to hear about, message me, I love to hear from our students and parents and creating content just for you!
If you found this episode helpful, SHARE it with your friends on social media and TAG ME so I can personally THANK YOU!
It is super simple, take a screenshot of our podcast or favorite episode and SHARE it on your favorite social media platform. Tell others what you loved the most and tag me for a special thank you!

Connect with Sonia Cacique
Free Guide for Students
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Email

Keep dreaming, stay present, and stay well, my friend. Remember, together we can achieve anything. I love you and I'm always cheering for you. Talk to you soon!

Xo...

[Career Spotlight] A career in Neurostructural-focused Chiropractic Care, Mental overload and being a First Generation Indian American College Student with Dr. Nav

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

12/15/22 • 41 min

To wrap up our first season I have a special guest. Dr. Nav is a neurostructural focused family wellness chiropractor and functional health practitioner with special interests in preconception, prenatal and pediatric care. She enjoys speaking to, teaching, and sharing modern and alternative wellness strategies with her community and professional groups. She has been nominated as a top chiropractor in Michigan for the past 4 years and often sought out by other local health care practioners to achieve the best possible results for their mutual clients. She received her Bachelors degree at the University of Michigan-- Ann Arbor and her doctorate at Life University in Marietta, GA. She currently resides in Linden, Michigan with her husband, Kyle and 2 dog children. I love the conversation that we had and I really cannot wait for you to listen to it whether you are parent or a student. I think there is something for both of you. As so many of our conversations this season, I personally ended up learning so much from our conversation. As you will hear Dr. Conn, as so many students, graduated from high school really not knowing exactly what career path she wanted to pursue. It wasn't until she got to college that she really found her love and passion for the career that she is in now. I won't give you all the details so you can listen to her but this is a great story. I cannot wait to see Dr. Conn continue to grow in her professional and personal life. She will also share her journey as a first generation Indian American college student and how she dealt with the struggle of mental overload and her own mental health during her first years in college. These friends are the raw conversations we need to be having both you and I, parents with our children and our children with us as parents. I hope you leave inspired through this conversation.
You can connect with Dr. Navpreet Conn at:
https://www.facebook.com/drnavfenton
Instagram: @drnavconn
Website: evolvefenton.com

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

39. First-Generation Harvard Student's Guide to Navigating Higher Education [Student Spotlight]

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

08/01/23 • 37 min

Ever wonder how the journey of a first-generation college student at Harvard looks like? Meet Kassandra Rodriguez, a determined Harvard student with ambitions of making it big in the field of surgery. Kassandra's inspiring journey, filled with hard choices and smart decisions, serves as an excellent guide for students and parents embarking on the challenging voyage of higher education.
Kassandra's academic journey was no less than an adventure, where she judiciously balanced academic rigor and extracurricular activities to stand out in the crowd. She didn't stop at that! She harnessed the power of several external programs like Matriculate, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Questbridge, that paved her way to Harvard. Kassandra’s story is a testament to the power of setting goals, taking small steps to achieve them, and utilizing resources effectively.
Kassandra’s experiences go beyond just academics. She stresses upon the importance of building connections and networking for a prosperous future. By sharing anecdotes from her life, she emphasizes the power of good communication skills and how mentors can play a substantial role in shaping your college journey. Wrapping up the episode with a call to action, we encourage you to remain focused and spread the word about the community. We welcome you to join us, as we soak in and learn from Kassandra's wisdom throughout this enlightening episode.

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

39. (Spanish Edition) De la Frontera a Harvard: La Inspiradora Trayectoria de Kassandra

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

08/01/23 • 39 min

¡Prepárate para una conversación apasionante e inspiradora con nuestra invitada, Cassandra, una estudiante de primer año en Harvard, cuya historia de superación va a encender tu espíritu! Si alguna vez te has preguntado cómo sería crecer en la frontera entre dos culturas, mudarse a un nuevo país y adaptarse a su sistema educativo, mientras te abres camino hasta una de las universidades más prestigiosas del mundo, ¡este episodio es para ti!
Nos adentramos en los desafíos y las alegrías de la experiencia de Cassandra, desde su infancia en la frontera de México hasta su vida actual en Harvard. Escucharás cómo su familia, su comunidad y diversos programas de apoyo, como el Hispanic Scholarship Fund y la mentora de Johns Hopkins, jugaron un papel crucial en su trayectoria. Discutiremos cómo Cassandra logró equilibrar su vida académica, su trabajo y sus ambiciones a largo plazo, proporcionando valiosos consejos para otros estudiantes y sus familias en situaciones similares.
Finalmente, también hablamos sobre la importancia de compartir nuestras experiencias y aprendizajes para ayudar a otros. Desentrañamos la importancia de la mentoría y la búsqueda de recursos para alcanzar los objetivos académicos. ¡Te invitamos a unirte a nosotros en esta conversación llena de inspiración y consejos útiles, para ayudarte o ayudar a tus seres queridos a encontrar la universidad correcta y hacer posible lo imposible! ¡No te lo pierdas!

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

45. SAT vs ACT: Key Differences, Digital Changes, and the Role of Test Prep in College Success with Shahar Link from Mindspire

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

09/12/23 • 37 min

Get ready to learn more about the SAT and ACT with our guest, Shahar Link, owner and CEO of Mindspire Tutoring and Test Prep. Shahar, with his 18 years of teaching and tutoring experience, breaks down the key differences and similarities between these two standardized tests. You'll discover the ins and outs of the new digital SAT, and why taking a few practice tests might be the magic solution to decide which one suits you best.
But the conversation doesn't stop there! We dive into the world of test preparation, highlighting the significant role it plays in a student's success story. Shahar provides terrific advice on how students can maximize their scores, influence their college journey positively, and potentially snag some scholarships along the way. We also shed light on the accommodations available for students, the predictability of these exams, and how parents can gain valuable insights into their child's performance. So, gear up for an enlightening ride with us and Shahar Link.
Our College & Career Ready listeners will get a 10% DISCOUNT on all packages if they mention our show, so head over to www.Mindspire.com and get access to this special discount!

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

48. National Depression Screening Day: Its time, let's have a talk!

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

10/03/23 • 20 min

Today our journey to helping our teen be College & Career Ready takes a detour into the often-misunderstood world of teen depression. This episode is in honor of October 5th National Depression Screening Day. Our teens overall mental well-being and mental health takes precedence to helping them in their college and career readiness. Having personally experienced depression, I'm opening up this important dialogue to help parents and educators navigate these rough waters. We'll be looking at alarming statistics, exploring the definition and causes of teen depression, and most importantly, identifying the telltale signs that require intervention.
In this timely discussion, we'll be breaking down reliable screening tools and methods, and discussing the significant role of mental health professionals and school-based programs in combating this global crisis. Our aim is to arm you with the knowledge and resources to facilitate early detection, intervention, and create a supportive environment for our teens. Step into this critical conversation and equip yourself to make a difference in your teens life.
Episode to #7: A Conversation on Children's Mental Health with Licensed Psychologist - Dr. Gushanas
Here are some of the resources Dr. G shared with us on that episode:
Child Mind Institute: My favorite mental health resource for parents and youth: childmind.org (has articles in Spanish too)
Galveston County Suicide Prevention Coalition- open to anyone to be a member: https://galvestoncountyspc.wixsite.com/gcspc & on Twitter: @gcspctx
- There are a ton of good resources listed there on the "Get Help" page, but my favorite for parents is: Parent Guide to Suicide
For Texas: TCHATT telehealth services- Statewide initiative as part of the Texas Child Mental Healthcare Consortium. Available through most public schools already, or coming soon if not yet: find out more TCHATT - Texas School Mental Health (schoolmentalhealthtx.org)

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

60. Helping Students Plan for the Future with Sonia Cacique and Freddy Cruz

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

12/26/23 • 36 min

As we bid farewell to the year, join me, Sonia Cacique, for a reflection on the trials and triumphs of college and career readiness. With the insightful Freddy Cruz from the Cruz through HTX Podcast by my side, we unravel the complexities that students, parents, and educators face in forging successful paths. We lay out the importance of dialogue within families, shed light on the impact of stress, and explore ways to solidify the bonds that will sustain us through life’s pivotal transitions. Empowering students with confidence and the right tools is my mission, and this conversation will bring you insight to navigate the journey ahead.
In our engaging discussion, we talk about:

Dealing with rejection
The importance of networking with your classmates
The SAT, as it relates to whether or not it helps to take it when applying to an SAT optional school

We anchor our dialogue in the three cornerstones of the podcast—career exploration, student narratives, and essential resources—while underscoring the crucial role of parents in connecting their children with early career opportunities. As we address the pressing issue of teen mental health, remember that worth is innate and not solely defined by academic or career success.
Your story, your challenges, and your triumphs are unique, and we're here to support you every step of the way—because when we share, we grow stronger together.
Episodes mentioned:
SAT vs ACT
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2036117/13570499

Suicide Prevention Episode
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2036117/14086238

Schedule a time to chat with me so we can discuss how our Self-Discovey to Success coaching 1-1 program is a right fit for you!
https://calendar.app.google/L8gDquS9un8zcv2K6

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

What do YOU see in the mirror?

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow

10/20/22 • 13 min

What do you see in the mirror when you see yourself in the mirror, my friend? I have a question for you and I to ponder on these next couple of days: Is what you ask of your children, the same you see and ask of yourself? Wow, powerful! Our podcast has shared so much wisdom about the things we could say and do for our children. However, I feel we have not stressed enough about our OWN behavior. You won’t want to miss this conversation, it will give you something to think about and I would love to hear from you and what you think about it so don’t forget to share your thoughts with us.

Also, we are celebrating our 10th episode, woohoo!!! I will be gifting a $25 dollar gift card to a lucky teacher so stay with us to the end to hear how to nominate 1, 2, 3 or as many teachers as you want for this drawing!

The article we referenced in our show today can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3898692/

Want to help grow OUR community?

Then please SHARE! Depending on where you are listening from, you will have the option to share it either via text or email by sending your friends the podcast or episode link directly to them. This option is usually on the top right hand corner of the podcast app). If you are using your web browser then its even simpler, just copy the weblink and send it to your friends via a text message, email or DM on social media.

Another option is to POST IT! Take a screen shot of your favorite episodes and post it to your social media stories. Don't forget to tag me @momfluence.podcast so I can PERSONALLY thank you for sharing.
And don't forget, a 5-star rating will get us seen by a larger audience quicker and grow our community even faster!
YOU are part of our success so let's start celebrating together.
xo,
Sonia

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

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FAQ

How many episodes does The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow have?

The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow currently has 107 episodes available.

What topics does The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow cover?

The podcast is about Mom, Parents, Motivation, Goals, College, Community, Podcasts, Education, Resources, Business and Careers.

What is the most popular episode on The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow?

The episode title 'Setting goals: Common mistakes, accountability, having fun and taking action!' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow?

The average episode length on The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow is 27 minutes.

How often are episodes of The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow released?

Episodes of The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow?

The first episode of The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow was released on Aug 17, 2022.

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Comments

Ann Coleman

@speakingofteens

Oct 31

Sonia not only knows her "stuff" but she has the compassion and heart for helping parents and students figure out life's toughest transitions. A great podcast if you have a kid in high school and trying to navigate the steps that come next.