To College And Beyond Michael King for The Institute for Public School Initiatives at The University of Texas at Austin

In the summer of 2017 Willie Casteron finished off the first ever GEAR UP Grand Slam by winning the GEAR UP Professional of the year. Somerset ISD has now captured all three persons of the year awards given out by National council for Community and Education Partnerships. In this edition all three winnings discuss their awards, how they continue to make a difference, and what makes Somerset ISD such a special place.

KRISTINA ELLIS is the acclaimed author of Confessions of a Scholarship Winner and a sought-after speaker on college prep and finance. Ellis was a Coca-Cola National Scholar, a Gates Millennium Scholar, and a US Presidential Freedom Scholar while earning various other scholarships, grants, and awards. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with dual majors in human and organizational development and business planning and entrepreneurship, and earned her master's degree in education from Belmont University.

Guest: Dr. Darryl Henson - A vibrant and energetic educational leader, Dr. Henson promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, and implementation of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community. As a school leader, Dr. Henson is regarded for his ability to shape a campus culture in which high expectations are the norm for each student, parent, and faculty member.

Guest: Britany Rand - In this edition we speak with Britney Rand, a social media maven and mindset coach. Britney has implemented successful social media strategies for companies of all sizes. She's worked with companies with fewer than five people as well as Fortune 500 companies with over 20,000 employees. She is a master at helping her audience develop a success mindset to achieve dreams, and she mentors people of all ages, helping them to do the same.

Guest: Hakan Tesiz - In this edition we speak with Hakan Tesiz, founder and CEO of Condecca. Condecca is a platform for students and employers that makes professional project-based work available for university students year-round.

Guest: Jarod Couch - In this edition we speak with Jarod Couch who is a Sports Marketing Strategist at TEGNA Media. Jared began his career with ESPN and has since won 2 EMMY Awards.