When Curiosity is Your Guide - Laura J. Cortez on The Way to College Podcast
Podcast: The Way to College PodcastPublished On: Wed Sep 09 2026
Description: What happens when the path you imagined for yourself turns out not to be your path at all?Laura Cortez grew up in San Benito, Texas, believing she might become a lawyer. Instead, her educational and professional journey took her from the Rio Grande Valley to Drake University, Spain, AmeriCorps, graduate school, a Ph.D. at UT Austin, community engagement, and eventually entrepreneurship. As Laura puts it, her story has had plenty of “windy roads.” In this episode of The Way to College Podcast, Laura shares what it was like to leave South Texas for college, including the homesickness that almost led her to transfer after her first semester. She also explains how friendships, campus involvement, and finding a community helped her create a sense of belonging far from home. We also talk about changing majors, studying abroad, learning to advocate for yourself, listening to your gut, recognizing when it's time to change direction, and paying attention to the people who see possibilities in us that we may not yet see ourselves.Laura's journey is a powerful reminder that a closed door doesn't mean the journey is over. Sometimes you have to go looking for the next one. 🎧 Listen to Laura Cortez's story on this week's The Way to College Podcast.
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