Meet Carrie Young | Higher Education Professional and Host of Paths in Progress Podcast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have worked in academic advising with college students in Houston for over 15 years. After working in the same department for a few years, I kept hearing students say that they wish they knew about internships and possible career options earlier, so they could have better planned for those opportunities and pathways. I decided to create a freshman seminar course for the students in my department to introduce them to a variety of professionals, summer opportunities, internships, study abroad experiences, and career paths in their very first semester so they could do some thoughtful long-term planning.

When I left that institution, I missed working with students and teaching that course. I realized that I could use all of my experience and create a similar resource on a larger platform. After collaborating with friends and colleagues, I launched my podcast, Paths in Progress, over the holidays in late 2021. I’m thrilled to say that high schools, community colleges, universities, career centers, and professors across the country have responded to me with encouraging messages and an excitement to share this resource with their students.

In high school and college, choosing a career path is often presented as something you are committing to long-term. It can be incredibly stressful to feel like you are making a decision that impacts the rest of your life! On my podcast, we talk about how it’s ok to not know what you want to do at 18, 19, 20 years old. It’s ok to change your mind. It’s ok to get a degree in something and then later seek something different. Many of us have different chapters and seasons in our careers where we make a choice to seek something new and different to suit how our lives have changed and how we have changes as individuals. I wanted to create a resource that provides new ideas, but is also encouraging to those who aren’t sure what they want for their future.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been singing for as long as I can remember. I grew up loving choir, dance, and musical theater. In college and graduate school, I studied opera. Only as I was in the middle of my graduate degree did I realize that, as much as I loved music and singing, I did not want the lifestyle of an opera singer. Not the best realization to have after investing in two degrees, right? Part of my motivation as an academic advisor and as a host of my podcast is to talk about our education and career choices in the context of the realities of life. We all may have an idea of what we think a certain career will be like, and then we find out our ideas are not reality. Or maybe at one point in our lives a particular career sounded great, and then in a later season of life it’s not so great anymore. For all of us, these realizations and transitions can feel devastating. For artists especially, making a decision to no longer pursue your art as your life’s work can feel like a major identity crisis, because it’s who we have been and how people have identified us for so many years. I hope we can continue to tell stories about people who have weathered these storms and come out on the other side thankful and excited about the new choices they have made for their lives. I’ve had many people contact me already who are in a transition period, and said my podcast is reminding them that they are not alone and they will find their way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is so funny to think about because my best friend visiting before we had kids is so different now that we all have kids–your activity choices change drastically! Let’s say we leave the kids out of this one? I love to attend performances downtown, so we would include something at Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Miller Outdoor Theater, or perhaps a smaller recital or performance featuring friends. Out of town guests always need to experience Tex Mex, and some of my favorites are El Tiempo and Mamacita’s. Some favorite brunch/lunch spots are Common Bond, Tiny Boxwoods, Local Foods, and Weights & Measures. Shopping in the small shops in Rice Village, coffee in one of the many coffeeshops in Montrose. Depending on the weather (not in 100 degree heat!), I enjoy taking a walk somewhere like the McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann Park or strolling through a Farmers Market. If there is time, it’s always fun to head down to Galveston for a beach day!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Other than the love and support I have always received from my dear family and friends, teachers have made a significant impact on who I am today. I have always been a student in the Arts, and have benefitted from that relational time students often have with Arts teachers over many years. I believe that has translated into how I work with students. I look at my students as people I am building a relationship with over time. I do my best to invest time in those relationships and convey that I care about them as individuals, even long after they graduate. My family and teachers have also demonstrated the value of education as an investment in yourself, as something that enriches your life, and helps you grow as a person and citizen of the world. I will be forever grateful to them for that example and gift in my life.

Website: https://pathsinprogress.buzzsprout.com/

Instagram: @pathsinprogresspodcast

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/paths-in-progress-podcast

Other: https://www.broadwayondemand.com/series/JkpI2oTQY5gf-paths-in-progress

Image Credits
All Graphic Design work is by Houston artist Edgar Alanis. Headshot is by Pinell Photography. Podcast theme music is by Houston composer John Grimmett.