Higher education is facing unprecedented shifts, from shifting enrollments to financial strain and job insecurity. How can institutional leaders stay calm and strategic when the pressure hits?

In this episode of Data Stakes, Debbie is joined by Dr. Telletha "Tee" Valenski, Campus Director at San Juan College West and the recent Kirtland Educator of the Year. Dr. Valenski shares her deeply personal journey—from a 26-year path to earning her doctorate to surviving a near-fatal battle with COVID-19—and explains how these life-altering experiences shaped her philosophy on financial preparation and leadership.

Together, Debbie and Tee discuss why preparation isn't pessimism, but rather a form of self-respect that allows leaders to pivot instead of panic.

In this episode, we cover:

• Proactive vs. Reactive Leadership: Why the best leadership is calm, strategic, and focused on foresight rather than fear.
• Financial Literacy as Professional Literacy: How understanding your finances gives you more confidence, control, and options in an unpredictable job market.
• Career Resilience: Navigating non-traditional career paths, staying coachable, and remembering that "titles are temporary, but skills are transferable."
• Creating Student Opportunities: Tee’s work in building community-driven pathways, including connecting community college students to summer internships at Harvard.
• Advancing Two-Year Colleges: A look at Tee’s new role on the executive committee for the Council to Advance Two-Year Colleges and the importance of evaluating institutional systems.