History is an often misunderstood major within the academic community, one that should be discussed more. After all, the connections to the past can be helpful in deciding what to do moving forward. That’s the reason why Jessica Pichardo chose History as her major, and why she began working in nonprofits and government sectors. After a decade in Child Protective Services, she moved into a higher-education degree in the education field, hoping to make a difference in the lives of Montclair students. With Armine Khudinyan as this episode’s host, Pichardo discusses the passion of the Montclair students, how the Next Generation Service Corps Program changed her life, and how she truly believes that her students’ success is her success.

Episode summary by Levi Clain, BA in Liberal Studies, concentration in Humanities