Four and a half years ago, our founder began interviewing recent post grads. TJ saw students lacking the basic soft skills he used that got him ahead early, and wanted to find out exactly what colleges were doing (and not doing) for their students. He saw and listened to their frustration firsthand. This initial research of 630+ students helped him realize a few key things. First, despite all the
opportunities available to them on college campuses, recent post grads had never learned what it takes to get ahead. Second, many future and current college students were starting off on shaky ground, with little direction in navigating this important chapter of their lives. Lastly, despite their lack of guidance, students were extremely aware and forthcoming about the things they lacked. In other words, they knew what they needed - they just weren’t sure how to go about doing something about it. The next step came naturally; even as he continued his research, TJ spent the following two years assembling a team of recent post grads and current students. His plan was to create easily implemented strategies and step-by-step blueprints for students to apply to their own stories. Together we took our combined experience and compared it to feedback we’d received from students. We explored their needs, and their real motivators, including navigating the unknown, surviving change, distressing, finding purpose, making money, and gaining relevant job experience. As a team we began to build a platform that help students achieve a sense of purpose, productivity, and direction, all while working to eliminate overwhelm. Finally, we spoke with dozens of guidance counselors, career service advisors, college administrators, and top university professors. We wanted to know what colleges were doing, what they weren’t, and what the vision for the future looked like from their perspective. As a result, we are designed to be a true compliment to what college is offering. Likewise, our definition of student success is somewhat different from how others define it. When we look at where students are at, we see chapters, not careers; where others see traditional career paths, we see signposts. Success today isn’t marked by one clear path, but rather one that continually evolves over time. Having worked with students most of his adult life, our founder has been able to fuse mentorship with a key strategic process of outreach and self-marketing efforts. For him, opening up doors can be achieved through specific step-by-step instructions and a willingness to learning the art of people. That’s what we stand for at Student Success University. It’s everything college does not teach, and for years it’s been what parents, advisors, and students have been asking for.
