High School Time Machine

Quinn Eberhard is a 2017 HS grad and is currently a PhD student in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at UNC. 

Quinn was an International Baccalaureate Diploma Student while in high school where she developed disciplined habits and experienced success in and out of the classroom. 

When deciding on a college, Quinn placed a strong emphasis on being able to graduate with as little debt as possible while seeking a progra...

Kwabena Amponsah is a 2014 HS grad who is now a Principal Consultant at PayPal, where he has become an expert on e-commerce and the systems used to help businesses create a seamless buying experience for their customers. Bena's path to success has involved multiple twists and turns but his desire to help others has always been at the core of his personal mission. 

This episode title is a tribute to a program that Bena...

Brennan Whitis is a 2014 HS grad who is currently the Ohio University Men’s Golf head coach. Brennan graduated with a degree in business marketing and a minor in sports management and had aspirations to work in the social media/digital marketing field after college. However, after winning 4 conference championships and the 2017 NCAA Championship with his team at Wittenberg University, changing his path from business to the golf cou...

Thomas Solomon is a 2014 HS grad who is now a Clinical Scientist for Bristol Myers Squibb, a global biopharmaceutical company. Thomas graduated high school with the intention of becoming an engineer but ended up switching gears after a summer bridge program at The University of Cincinnati, where he ended up going to school and studying to become a pharmacist instead. Learn about how his path as a pharmacy student led to specializin...

Adam Striker is a 2014 HS grad who is currently working as a digital content producer for Professional Bull Riders. Adam began college as an exercise physiology major, but his passion for producing film became too strong to ignore. Tune in to hear how three key internships with The OSU Wexner Medical Center, USA Football, and The Columbus Crew impacted his career path and contributed to the success he has found today. Hear what Ada...

Sammy Edwards is a 2014 HS grad who is now a Senior Compliance Analyst at Matic Insurance. Sammy was a stand-out soccer player at Ohio State and originally thought she would either pursue a soccer career after college or something in the field of criminal justice. Learn how a spin-move gone wrong led her down a different path and how she has managed to maintain a positive outlook ever since. 

We also discuss an impactful i...

Cam Justice is a 2015 HS grad who is currently in his second year at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. After beginning his career in social work, Cam changed his focus after realizing that he could have a greater impact on the lives of others by focusing on public policy. Cam is the vice president of the Black Law Students Association, serves on the Law and Leadership Advisory, is a Mortitz Peer mentor, and is a memb...

Julie Pochodylo is a 2014 HS grad who went on to study at the University of Dayton and now works for an organization called Olive Ventures that focuses on creating innovative solutions in the healthcare industry using Artificial Intelligence and other forms of technology. Julie was hired as employee number 100 (there are now over 1,500 employees!) and describes what inspired her to join a start-up instead of going with a more stabl...

Rylee Axner is a 2013 HS grad who is currently working in the film and media industry in Los Angeles, California as a post production coordinator. Hear how a decision to take a “fun elective” during her senior year had a monumental impact on her career trajectory. Rylee shares the path she took to make it in the film industry, the advice she would give her high school self, and the self-care routines that she utilizes to handle a s...

Kyle Vandeveer is a 2014 HS grad who earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. He started his career working as an engineer for Tesla and now works full time as the founder and President of a company called Intrism, where he and a team of creative professionals design, produce, and sell intricate 3D puzzle mazes. This episode title was inspired by the side project that Kyle began working on in his 9t...

Rachel LaPointe is a 2015 HS grad who, as long as we have known her, has been an advocate for others. As a passionate and dedicated IB diploma student, Rachel describes the ups and downs she encountered in high school, how she made the most of her experiences, and how her path has led her to a successful career with a historic womens’ advocacy group in NYC. Tune in to hear Rachel’s story, and what she would tell herself if she had ...

Frank Ruiz is a 2016 HS grad who is living in NYC . After graduating from AMDA after only two years, Frank started out as a professional actor and now works as a full-time theater teacher for school aged students through an organization called Count Basie Center for the Arts.

This episode title was inspired by Frank’s role in an international tour of The Wizard of Oz and his philosophy that we have to be open to allowing o...

Clay Raterman is a 2014 HS grad who has had a fascinating journey. Clay is the founder of Piggy Banker, raises capital for hedge funds, and has built several startups. Encountering numerous failures and setbacks along the way, Clay’s ability to respond, along with his intellectual curiosity have led to some incredible successes. Want to hear about walking on to The OSU football team, running 100 miles, the benefits of mindfulness a...

Claire Edwards is a 2014 HS grad who earned a degree from Miami University in Supply Chain Management. She resides in Columbus, OH and is putting her degree to work as a Master Scheduler for T. Marzetti Co. in their frozen pasta department, hence the episode title ;). In her spare time, Claire is passionate about creating healthy habits around self-care. Learn how she overcame imposter syndrome and developed the courage to share he...

Kyle Ritterbeck is a 2012 HS grad and is currently serving our country as a US Navy Nuclear Submarine Warfare Officer. This episode highlights Kyle's path to the military, how he ended up steering subs instead of flying planes, and offers some great insight on how he was able to get the most out of his extracurricular opportunities in high school. The stories shared will benefit anyone who listens and we are proud to be able t...

Sarah Proctor is a 2015 high school grad who spent three years working as a Quality Engineer in the medical device industry after college. After some recent soul searching, Sarah has decided to take a break from her career to pursue a Neural Engineering PhD track in graduate school as she in considering a future that involves research & teaching at the college level. This episode title is a nod to her alma mater, Duke Universit...

Alex Ross is a 2015 high school grad who is living abroad in Germany and pursuing a career in education. This episode title is a tribute to Alex's short stint as a postman as he was figuring out how to redirect his path after his educational records from the US were unexpectedly wiped out by a new policy that was implemented by the German government. After the initial shock wore off, Alex found a creative way to work around th...

This week's episode features 2011 HS grad, Kali (Robinson) Rothwell. Tune in to hear about Kali’s journey as a graphic artist. Hear why as an artist, she considers herself to be a professional problem solver. Kali details the impact her college program had on her growth, her current role and responsibilities as a designer, and provides valuable insight for high school students who might be considering this career field. As a b...

Dalton Maynard is a 2014 high school grad who is improving the lives of many students as an educator and coach. This episode title is a tribute to Dalton's chosen field of teaching, his love of sports, and his dedication to mentoring others, which started when he was in high school. He discovered the joy that came from seeing the success of those he was tutoring which sparked his desire to pursue his current career path.  This...