***This is the first 15 minutes of Colleges That Change Lives, full episode available in link at the bottom of this description***
I think I first came across the book Colleges That Change Lives when my sister was beginning to look at colleges in 1999 or 2000. It had come out in 1996 and represented something of an intentional response to the more corporate tome-of-a-college-guide-book that the Princeton Review and others put out each year. Google's AI machine actually does a good job describing the book, saying it "highlights institutions that excel at developing students, including those who aren't straight-A students, by focusing on individual needs, strong academics, and a supportive environment."
When my own college search began (I graduated high school in 2004) I often found myself leafing through the book once again. I even visited a few of the schools included in it before ultimately taking a more traditional path to college life. I ultimately attended two schools and enjoyed both, but I wouldn't especially say either changed my life.
I was reminded of the book because this week's guest, Mike DeGeorge, is a product--both literally and spiritually--of several of the places included in the book. It was Rhodes College in Memphis that changed Mike's life when it took a shot on him after he'd briefly left coaching and he desperately wanted back in. It was Beloit College in Wisconsin, where DeGeorge's father served as the head football coach for 29 seasons, that sparked Degeorge's interest in following in his Dad's professional footsteps, albeit in a different sport.
Today, DeGeorge, 56, is thriving at his first D1 job. He's in his second season at what industry insiders have long regarded as a perennially-difficult job in Cal Poly-SLO and just led his Mustangs to a win over Utah. The victory prompted D3 assistants and other hoop junkies to flood my DMs and mentions once again and urge me to get DeGeorge on the show. So we did. And it quickly became clear that DeGeorge is one of the nation's most grounded and even-keeled coaches. He discussed his journey from Cornell College of Iowa to Rhodes to Colorado-Mesa to Cal Poly with insight and candor.
After the interview, I grew a bit wistful about whatever combination of ego and insecurity led an 18 year old me to opt out of ultimately attending one of the Colleges That Change Lives. I also came to the rather obvious realization that the book itself was never meant as a step-by-step guide to finding a place that would change my life; it was a user manual meant to get kids comfortable with the idea that if you're willing to think a bit differently about what success looks like, you'll eventually find it. And it occurred to me that that is the organizing principle of this show and site. It just took me another 20 years to figure it out.
Hope you enjoy the show.
-Sage
You can purchase the full episode with no recurring charges for $3 by following this link: Mike DeGeorge Single Episode Link
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