Becoming Who Students Need
LAUREN BARTLETT AND WYATT JONES, STUDENTSShare
The path to the classroom rarely looks the way you expect it to.
In this conversation, two seniors look back at the decisions that shaped their time in college and the moments that quietly redirected them. Wyatt talks about starting undecided, trying exercise science and eventually realizing that education allowed him to pursue what he loved — history — while also investing in people. Lauren reflects on shifting into early childhood education and discovering how much she values being a steady presence in a young student’s life.
They speak candidly about the spaces that formed them along the way — fraternity and sorority leadership, campus jobs, community service and the professors who modeled what it looks like to truly love the work. What began as involvement became responsibility. What felt like small steps became preparation.
They also name the tension that comes with choosing education. The questions about salary. The weight of influence. The reality that students carry more than backpacks into a classroom. For Wyatt and Lauren, the answer is not prestige. It is impact.
This is a conversation about stepping into a profession where presence matters.
Listen to the full episode
Other Conversations
-
You’ll Find It Here
DANIEL FOX, JD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW, AND SIDNEY MILLIKEN, MBA, ALUMNAJuly 27, 2026In this conversation, Associate Professor of Law Daniel Fox and Alum Sidney Milliken talk about finding your calling, the kind of teaching that changes students and why Ashland is the right place to search and find. They discuss Daniel’s path from tax attorney to professor, Sidney’s journey from freshman to working professional and the people at Ashland who made the difference for both of them.
-
What the Campus Gives Back
LIZ KELLER, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES, AND HANNAH MANTLE, ALUMNAApril 24, 2026In this conversation, Liz Keller and Hannah Mantle talk about changed plans, unexpected mentors and what campus involvement can build in four years. They discuss Hannah’s path from nursing student to professional development trainer, the peer leadership culture inside CAB and the question Liz asks every student every single week.
-
The Call That Changes Everything
DR. YVONNE GLASS, EXECUTIVE DEAN OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, AND GRACE WANJIKU, STUDENTApril 6, 2026In this conversation, Dr. Yvonne Glass and student Grace Wanjiku talk about saying yes before you can see where you’re going. They discuss Grace’s path from Kenya to the Ashland Theological Seminary, Dr. Glass’s fast-tracked call to leadership and the mentors who carried both of them through.
Ready to take the next step?
Warm, supportive, inspiring. Feel those words turn real the moment your shoes hit our bricks. Come walk the quad, meet professors who greet you by name and sense the fit that’s truly authentic. Schedule your visit or start an application.
