Best Audrey Forgeron and David Carpenter Podcasts (2025)

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77. Bahrain: A Middle Eastern Island Oasis: Our Second Chat With Dave McMaster of ASBahrain. 34:59

3d ago34:59

34:59

We enjoyed our first interview with Dave McMaster so much that we spoke with him a second time! If you missed the first interview on what it is like to start an international school, definitely check it out – it’s Episode 74. Dave also recorded two Going Global Stories for us. Head to our information hub to enjoy those. Dave has 35 years of K-12 ed…

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76. Chapters of Our International Careers and What They Teach Us: Meet Long-Time Veteran Mark Lewis 58:38

15d ago58:38

58:38

As international educators, like so many others, in a sense, we tend to write chapters to our life stories. These stories can be organized by countries, schools, travel, and, of course, the regular categories of relationships, family, children, aging, and so on. We were fortunate to catch our guest, Mark Lewis, just as he was reflecting about the c…

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75. Get Well Soon(ish)! Laying the Groundwork for Much-Needed, Sustainable, Holistic Wellness Programs. 1:14:24

1M ago1:14:24

1:14:24

Where does your school stand in terms of designing, implementing and measuring the effectiveness of its whole-school wellness program? Several of our thought-leader guests have told us that wellness is at the top of the to do list for many international schools. Along with Wellness, another recurring topic in our episodes is change management, espe…

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74. Smile! You're Starting a New School. A Candid Conversation with a Master School Starter, ASB Director Dave McMaster. 54:31

2M ago54:31

54:31

If you’ve ever visited the International Schools Services website, you may have noticed at some stage that they added a button at the top that said “start a school”. The button has now moved to the bottom of the page, but it’s still there. For us, it always felt like that line from the movies, “I wonder what happens if I press this button?” Well, D…

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73. Retrospective: The Lincoln School, Kathmandu - At 71, Still A Special Place 41:23

2M ago41:23

41:23

How do international schools get their start- in particular the original ones from so many years ago? Many of them had very humble beginnings, with a handful of students, a few parents (usually spouses of diplomats or business people who had moved overseas) and a large house or a few rooms where lessons could be held. At 71 years of age, The Lincol…

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72. Going "Unglobal": More Stories From Our Trio of Vets --Transitioning Out of International Education 1:09:41

2M ago1:09:41

1:09:41

International educators, are you ready for the day when you go “unglobal”? We gazed into our crystal ball again with our all-star panel of Amy Hunt, David Ross, and Rob Howe, this time to learn how to transition out of international education. David Ross is a retired international educator. He began teaching in California, then moved to Malaysia wi…

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71. Fostering Global Citizens Through Service Learning: Stories of Changemaking, with LeeAnne Lavender 1:19:38

3M ago1:19:38

1:19:38

Most international schools make it part of their mission to nurture global citizens who are in service to their community. Like all big, worthy goals, this needs lots of planning, implementation support, and accountability to determine if the school is on track. The usual questions come into play: who, what, why, etc. -- with the "how" being most p…

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70. Prepare to Be "Bolled" Over By All Things AI for Teachers! Meet Michael Boll. 45:23

3M ago45:23

45:23

We catch up with Michael Boll who is always on the bleeding edge, playing with the latest and greatest finding ways to use technology for teaching and learning. We have huge admiration for his tech savvy and also his adventurous spirit and his willingness to share his knowledge with us lesser mortals. Not to mention that his dry wit and self-deprec…

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69. Got kids? You May Want to Listen Up: The Doctor is IN! A Chat With Dr. Jeff Devens, PhD. 58:03

4M ago58:03

58:03

In all forms of school, there are some educators who really stand out as having “a way” with kids. Their ability to develop relationships of mutual trust and respect is second-to-none. Jeff Devens is one such educator. He has a way of putting everyone at ease. Jeff joined us for another episode – not to talk about finance this time, but to talk abo…

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68. Season's Greetings: Our Season 2 Wrapped Up For You! 56:05

4M ago56:05

56:05

Join us for our second anniversary show as we review and celebrate all the incredible guests from this past year. Our review provides some insights for each interview that might lead you to return to shows you previously enjoyed – and to seek out those you missed – to take a listen! We organized the episodes into the themes of: Recruiting and Trans…

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67. International Kid Turned International Teacher: The Journey of Maxwell Carpenter 49:15

5M ago49:15

49:15

We found Maxwell Carpenter globe-trotting into his first gig as an international teacher. We spoke to him about his experiences along the way. Maxwell Carpenter is an IB Physics teacher at St George's British International School of Rome. He began teaching in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC after studying Physics, Math, and Education…

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66. Tales From a Trio of Intrepid Educators: Adventures and "Lessons Learned" As Told By a Panel of Veteran International Teachers 1:14:44

5M ago1:14:44

1:14:44

Get ready to learn a lot about international education as we interview three long-term veterans while sharing a few insights ourselves. David Ross is a retired 58-year-old international educator. He began teaching elementary school in Los Angeles, then moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with his family to teach at ISKL for six years. He then took a o…

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65. Teachers Are Learners, Too!: Professional Development from 21st Century Learning 52:07

6M ago52:07

52:07

What makes great professional development? We spoke with Justin Hardman, the founder and Director of 21st Century Learning, about professional development for international educators. Since 2012, 21st Century Learning has connected more than 20,000 K-12 educators with a wide variety of face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities. Be…

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64. Transitions Happen! Audrey and Mark Forgeron, Veteran International Educators, Share Their Tips 1:16:37

6M ago1:16:37

1:16:37

Transitions are a given when you are an international educator. We did a different style show here with David asking all the questions as he interviewed Audrey and Mark Forgeron about their recent return and transition to international teaching. Audrey Forgeron is a 30-year, nine-country international teaching veteran. She has taught Health and PE,…

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63. Future Proofing Education: Words of Wisdom from Michael Nachbar of GOA 59:10

7M ago59:10

59:10

We so enjoyed our first chat with Michael Nachbar, Executive Director of the Global Online Academy (GOA) that we asked him to come back for a second interview! Just as before, Michael tackled our questions with vigor and showed an incredible depth of knowledge. We are curious about the concept of “future-proofing” education, so it made sense to con…

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62. Shhhh! We're Here With Greg Lemoine to Reveal "The Best-kept Secret" in Education. 52:21

7M ago52:21

52:21

Who is growing a media empire based on international teaching? Who loves going to recruiting conferences? And who writes entire books in a weekend? The answer, of course, is our fellow podcasting buddy Greg Lemoine. Greg wrote a follow-up to his award-winning (we awarded it a gold star) first book, “Finding the Right Fit: Your Professional Guide fo…

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61. EGG is Resource-full! Audrey and David Share Some Helpful Resources From Our Website 24:37

8M ago24:37

24:37

We always say, "Do your research!" In this show, David and Audrey share some fabulous resources from our Library, adding their own insights. Here are links to the resources: International School Community Blog - New Teacher Orientation Is Now Underway: 14 Must Haves AIELOC Resource page Wall Street Journal - Teachers Are Burning Out on the Job: Stu…

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60. Why Travel With Kids? We Asked YTravel Blog's Caroline Makepeace. She Schooled Us! 50:41

8M ago50:41

50:41

Fellow podcaster and big-time travel blogger Caroline Makepeace joined us to share tips and insights when traveling with children. Caroline and her husband Craig usually report their travel wisdom through platforms like Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, and the Today Show. Hence, we count ourselves fortunate to be able to tap into Caroline’s…

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59. Reframing Diversity to Drive Belonging In International Schools: A Chat With the Multi-Talented, Big-Hearted Dr. Derrick Gay 1:01:33

8M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

How do you tame your curiosity and limit your questions when talking to a man who sings opera, speaks five languages, and consults with hundreds of organizations ranging among the fields of education, financial services, beauty and fashion, non-profits, and the arts? This was our task when interviewing Dr. Derrick Gay on the topic of helping school…

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58. The School Heard Around the World: Global Online Academy, Directed by Michael Nachbar 1:01:41

9M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Are you a small school wishing you could expand your course offerings? A student who has always wanted to explore a new area of study? Or maybe a teacher longing to teach about a passion topic area that is not offered at your school? Well, look no further! The Global Online Academy, in operation since 2011, addresses all of these issues. The Academ…

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57. Do You Have a Minute? Let's Talk About Bullying. Insights From Alain Pelletier on the Cost of Silence 1:15:26

9M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

What is bullying? What are the roles we see in a bullying situation? What can we do to help reduce the incidence of bullying in schools and on social media and to arm students with the social skills to help them avoid becoming victims? Alain Pelletier joined us for this episode to talk about his work in schools to raise awareness around bullying. A…

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56. After the Bell: Co-curricular Activities Unpacked, With Nick DeForest of the Globetrottin' ADs 1:05:46

10M ago1:05:46

1:05:46

We were so happy to interview fellow podcaster Nick DeForest! One of our wishes has been to have a guest who could explain what co-curricular programming looks like at international schools after school and on weekends. Nick, with his GLOBETROTTIN’ ADs podcast and website, is at the center of a global network of athletic directors and activity coor…

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55. Educators Representing the Global Majority: Kevin Simpson and AIELOC Have Your Back! 1:18:08

10M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, and belief system could have a champion? Well, they do! It’s the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color, founded by Kevin Simpson. Kevin joined us to speak to his efforts through AIELOC to expand DEIJ learning in international schools. Kevin…

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54. Where are They Now? Updates From No-Longer Newbies Mel & Cole, Tonya and Jessica 1:01:49

11M ago1:01:49

1:01:49

This was a special episode as we caught up with some of our previous guests who are finishing either their first or second year of international teaching. As expected, they had many lessons and tips to share! Tonya Busse joined us from Kingston, Jamaica. Jessica Simmons connected from Abuja, Nigeria. And Mel Idema and Cole Savage dialed in from Abu…

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53. Mr. Data (But With a Human Touch!) - Meet Chris Smith and Learn to Embrace Educational Data 43:12

11M ago43:12

43:12

"Mr. Data, make it so" For the non-Trekkies out there, meet Chris Smith, academic data analyst. Chris joined us to speak about the importance of using data to improve multiple aspects of our schools. Through his 25 years in international education, Chris noticed schools and educators collecting data but seeming overwhelmed by it or needing help kno…

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52. Longing for Belonging? Let Douglas Beam Help Point the Way! 1:20:09

12M ago1:20:09

1:20:09

We all -- students and teachers alike -- long to belong. Douglas Beam from Global Online Academy joined us to share his insights on the importance of working to build a sense of belonging for students in our schools. He also discussed his doctoral work on gender and sexual minorities in international schools. Douglas has been a teacher and leader i…

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51. When Kids are Part of the Equation: Recruiting as a Family, With Claire and Jamel 1:03:15

1y ago1:03:15

1:03:15

It is such a treat to reconnect with a former student and to discover where their life has led them. In this episode, we reconnected with Claire Gaul, a student from our Saudi days. Claire and her husband, Jamel, teach at their third international post, a school in China. They shared so many great insights that you might have to listen to the episo…

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50. Embodying Your Values: Meet Kam Chohan, Executive Director of ECIS 42:57

1y ago42:57

42:57

Can you feel the energy in the air? This was a zinger of an episode! Kam Chohan, the Executive Director of the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS), joined us for this episode. With a background in education and leadership, Kam Chohan is a learning leader who brings insight, wisdom, and compassion to the role. She demonstrates…

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49. Starting With the Man in the Mirror: Examining Our Practice With an Eye to Improving DEIJ - A Rich Conversation with Ken Shelton 1:24:05

1y ago1:24:05

1:24:05

Warning: Show contains critical amounts of meaty information! Ken Shelton joined us to discuss how schools can effectively design and implement new programs. He used DEIJ as a case study for managing the change process. Ken Shelton is an award-winning educator and international keynote speaker addressing critical issues from multimedia literacy to …

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48. Shedding "Light" on What Keeps Heads Up at Night - A Second Conversation With Laura Light 44:30

1y ago44:30

44:30

What keeps international school heads awake at night? What all-important areas of decision-making currently occupy their thoughts? What trends in international education are they focused on? To find out, we again reached out to the very well-connected Laura Light, Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of International Education.…

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47. Consulting the Consultant: Updates from Jacqueline Mallais of JPMint Consulting 59:34

1y ago59:34

59:34

International teacher consultant Jacqueline Mallais joined us once again from Guadalajara, Mexico, for this episode. Jacqueline is a former international teacher and school leader with over 20 years of experience in six countries on four continents. Since heading overseas in 1996, she has helped numerous teachers secure amazing opportunities abroad…

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46. Meet a Recruiting Phenom: Pauline O'Brien from International Schools Services 1:15:28

1y ago1:15:28

1:15:28

Who is the go-to resource for the lowdown on the current state of international school recruiting? Thanks to an introduction from super-connector Laura Light, we were fortunate enough to connect with one of the best-placed people for answers to our recruiting questions. Pauline O'Brien is the Global Recruitment Business Strategy Development Directo…

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45. Want a Better CV? Better See V! A Conversation With Job Search Coach Valeria Laitinen 51:15

1y ago51:15

51:15

Are you going recruiting? Is your résumé up to date? Are you prepared for your interviews? If not, maybe you’d better see V! Yes; that’s the tagline for Valeria Laitinen, an international school principal who moonlights as a consultant helping educators prepare for the international recruiting process. She can help with all aspects of the job-seeki…

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44. Tools to Help Make the Process of Choosing a School/City/Country More Objective 41:21

1+ y ago41:21

41:21

Audrey and David dive into the blog post “Profiling Schools, Cities, and Countries” to bring listeners’ attention to the importance of planning for their next move. The post provides criteria for comparing and ranking schools, cities, and countries to help you be more objective when 1 - planning which schools to apply to and then 2 - comparing job …

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43. Warm Vibes From Latin America: A Heartfelt Chat with Dr. Michael Adams of the TRI Association 1:11:03

1+ y ago1:11:03

1:11:03

!Hola a todos! You are in for a real treat today. We were fortunate enough to speak with Michael Adams, Executive Director of the TRI Association. This is an association of schools in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and the Caribbean. Michael embodies the spirit of community, connection, and sharing that supports the TRI mission. He also represe…

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42. The "OG" International Education Podcasters: Meet Dan Taylor and John Mikton of the ISP 56:10

1+ y ago56:10

56:10

What happens when you speak with two leaders in the field of educational technology? You learn a lot! We were fortunate to speak with Dan Taylor and John Mikton, who, in their spare time, host the big dog of international education podcasting, The International Schools Podcast. Dan has been involved in the Google for Education community since 2006 …

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41. Keeping Your Head While Becoming a Head: Greg Moncada's Story 40:11

1+ y ago40:11

40:11

Imagine being a candidate to become a new Head of School! What would that be like? If you are a veteran international educator, you have most likely either participated in or witnessed your school finding a new Head of School. If you are going global for the first time, you might wonder how international schools are structured administratively — an…

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40. Happy EGG-i-versary to Us! & a Walkthrough of our Website 45:08

1+ y ago45:08

45:08

Over a year and a half ago, Audrey envisioned a website and podcast to help educators “go global”. She asked David to join her, and the work began – to provide written and audio content for our followers. Our first podcast episode went live in December of 2022, which makes this our first anniversary. Let’s celebrate our podcast guests and the growt…

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39. What Does it Mean to Be an International Educator? We asked Sandy Sheppard to Share Her Wisdom on This Topic. 33:16

1+ y ago33:16

33:16

Sometimes we happen to read articles and blog posts that ring true to us. Occasionally, we may even think, “Hey, this author could be talking about me and my experiences!” Well, guess what? I had this sensation when reading an article in TIEonline entitled “My Identity as an International Educator.” The article really nailed the character strengths…

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38. What's Next in Education? -- And What's Europe Like? Two Vastly Different Questions, Addressed by Dr. Alan Knobloch 53:31

1+ y ago53:31

53:31

You might have noticed that we like to ask big, juicy questions that our guests can sink their teeth into. We intend to provide you with as much information and rich detail as possible, which guides us in designing our questions. In this interview with Dr. Alan Knobloch, we went super big! We asked Alan for his insights on the future of education. …

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37. Inside Scoop: The Nature of Schools in Africa, With Dr. Tim Stuart 50:47

1+ y ago50:47

50:47

What is it like “going global” in an Africa-based international school and community? Educators are often intentional in choosing to live and work there. Could you be a good fit for an international school in Africa? Thankfully, we have a veteran international educator who led a school in Africa and now consults with schools across the continent to…

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36. From Boarding School Teacher to Admissions Director to Transitions Coach: The Many Hats of Mona Stuart. 37:10

1+ y ago37:10

37:10

We continue to share with you what it means to be an international educator. We speak to the dispositions and character strengths many engage to be outstanding educators and remarkable human beings. Our guest for this episode exemplifies such character while demonstrating how flexibility and a growth mindset led her to various leadership roles in s…

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35. Meet an Uber-Well-Connected International Educator: Laura Light, Head of the Association for the Advancement of International Education 43:13

1+ y ago43:13

43:13

Growing one’s network is a common theme in many of our interviews. We probably will not find a more connected person in the international schooling community than Laura Light! Laura is the current Executive Director of The Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), which she joined in September 2021. She brings to AAIE many …

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34. Pivoting Out of International Education 54:45

1+ y ago54:45

54:45

An integral aspect of international education involves transitions. We not only move between schools and countries, but we also find ourselves making moves within our schools with our jobs and roles while also going through the normal life transitions of experiencing the stages of life, possibly raising children, taking care of aging parents, and s…

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33. Approaches to Advancing into Administration 48:28

1+ y ago48:28

48:28

Are you looking to move into administration at some point? Do you know what it takes? Fortunately, we have lots of advice for you with our guest Dr. Gregory Moncada. Dr. Moncada is the Head of School for the Harare International School (HIS) in Zimbabwe and was previously the founding director of the Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST),…

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32. Who Let the Dogs In? Support Dog Programs at Three International Schools! 1:11:11

1+ y ago1:11:11

1:11:11

Support dogs positively influence our emotional state. So why not bring trained service dogs into schools? Meet 3 international educators who have begun support dogprograms: Brenda Manfredi (International School of Prague) has worked in New York, Bangkok, Thailand, and Hanoi, Vietnam. She and her family now live in Prague, Czech Republic. Program D…

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31. Grit, Determination and Perseverance - Character Traits that Can Lead to an International Teaching Position! Meet Jessica Simmons 54:09

1+ y ago54:09

54:09

What character strengths and dispositions help international educators start their going global journey to sustain them through the ups and downs of teaching and living internationally? We learned firsthand from our guest, Jessica Simmons, who shared a multi-part Going Global Story that models these traits. Jessica Simmons is from Melbourne, Austra…

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30. Pausing for Summer - And How to Listen on Your Phone! 5:45

2y ago5:45

5:45

David and Audrey recorded a brief episode to explain that we are pausing for the summer. Additionally, we made a request for suggested topics or guests. Finally, we also reminded our listeners that listening to the podcast on their phones is an option to explore. Here are some instructions on how to do so. Have a relaxing summer, everyone! Remember…

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29. First International Teaching Contract Signed; Ready to Launch! Meet Tonya Busse. 44:50

2y ago44:50

44:50

We spoke with first-time international educator Tonya Busse, who shares her recent recruiting experience. We learn how a couple of big snowstorms opened the door for Tonya to learn about – and then act on her learning about – international education. We cover Tonya’s recruiting journey through onboarding and connecting to the teacher she will repla…

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28. Believe it - It's a Teachers' Market! A Conversation with LLoyd FFrench of Teach Away 1:02:43

2y ago1:02:43

1:02:43

If you are like most people , you probably think about what the applicant needs to do to shine for the recruiters . In this episode, we flip that perception on its head, giving applicants agency and putting them squarely in the driver’s seat as they actively engage with prospective schools to see how the schools measure up! Our guest, Lloyd French,…

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Audrey Forgeron And David Carpenter Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen