407 The Exposure Gap: Awareness is the First Step - YouScience Series Ep 1

We tell students to “pick a path” — but what if they’ve never seen what’s possible?

In this kickoff episode of the Disrupt Education x YouScience series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl dive into the exposure gap — the growing disconnect between student potential and the opportunities they even know exist. Joined by Talent Pipeline Specialist Jason Van Nus, they unpack why awareness, not test scores, is the first step toward true readiness.

What’s Inside:

- Why career readiness starts with exposure — you can’t choose what you’ve never seen

- The critical difference between aptitudes and interests (and why schools often get it wrong)

- Eye-opening data showing how much student talent goes unseen: 36% have health science aptitude, but only 8% express interest

- How simple awareness can transform engagement, confidence, and direction

- Real stories of students who discovered new paths once they understood what they were naturally wired to do

This episode sets the tone for the entire series: readiness doesn’t live on a transcript. It begins with understanding who students are and helping them connect that to meaningful opportunities.

Listen now to learn how YouScience is helping schools close the exposure gap and empower students to see—and seize—their full potential.

Learn more about YouScience and how they’re helping every student become connected and ready:www.youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast