Why Most People Struggle After High School: ‘College or Career’ myth CRACKED with Dr. Alaina Harper

What if engaging students (and future leaders) is as simple as knowing their “currency”?

We often frame success as a single track: college or career. But what if thriving looks like something more layered, more personal, and more supported?

This conversation will show you how to move beyond the false binary and build pathways that actually fit who a person is now, and who they’re becoming. From comfy sneakers in a Bronx classroom to the evolving definition of post-secondary success, you’ll hear why motivation, networks, and flexibility matter more than you think. 

What You’ll Learn:

00:00 Coming Next

03:50 How sneakers in the Bronx revealed the secret to motivation

07:07 Why science is the best subject, and how to design with multiple entry points

08:52 The overlooked skills students actually need after high school

16:18 Why “college vs. career” is a false choice in the new economy

22:56 How One Goal is rewriting the future of post-secondary advising 

Today, Ginni welcomes Dr. Alaina Harper, a former teacher and current leader in post-secondary pathways, who has spent her career helping students turn aspirations into reality. With humor, honesty, and vision, Dr. Harper shows us how to connect, listen, and create the environments young people need to thrive. 

You’ll hear how a pair of sneakers turned a disengaged Bronx student into a motivated learner, and why designing “multiple entry points” in both science and real life makes all the difference. Dr. Harper unpacks the gap between high school and post-secondary success that so often goes unaddressed, and explains why the outdated “college versus career” binary doesn’t serve young people in today’s changing economy. She also shares how organizations like One Goal are reframing success, not as fitting into a narrow track, but as finding and pursuing a student’s true north.

Connect with Dr. Alaina Harper:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainaharper

Website: https://www.onegoal.org/

Connect with Ginni:

Website: https://ginnisaraswati.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theginnishow/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginnisaraswati

Ginni Media: www.ginnimedia.com

Got a great show topic idea? A guest you’d love to see on the Ginni Show? Tell us about it: (844) 543-1772