The COVID-19 Pivot: Remote Learning, Lost Student Milestones, and the Future of Education (ft. Susan Mago, Jordan Stecker, and Chloe Landau)

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode (recorded in May 2020), host Vedant Akhauri explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has completely upended the education system. Featuring 3 different perspectives: A graduating high school senior, a rising college senior, and a graduating college senior.This episode dives into the realities of remote instruction, the heartbreak of lost milestones, and the looming uncertainty of the future.In this episode, we discuss:The High School Senior Experience: Incoming USF freshman, Susan Mago, shares what it was like to have her senior year come to a sudden halt. We discuss the stress of AP exam technical glitches, canceled IB exams, and finding creative ways to celebrate with drive-through graduation parades.The Struggle of Remote Instruction: Ithaca College student, Jordan Stecker, discusses the challenges of adapting to online classes, particularly for kinesthetic learners who need hands-on experience. He breaks down the varying success of professors transitioning to platforms like VoiceThread and Zoom, and the lack of communication from college stakeholders.The Uncertainty of Fall 2020: With Ithaca College announcing a delayed October opening, Jordan predicts a second wave of COVID-19 and questions the viability of returning to campus. We also discuss the massive financial implications for universities, the potential for faculty layoffs, and students questioning if full tuition is worth an online experience.Graduating into a Pandemic: Graduating Ithaca College senior, Chloe Landau, discusses the emotional toll on the college class of 2020. She shares her thoughts on creative virtual alternatives like Roblox and Minecraft graduations, while mourning the fact that she couldn't roll across the real stage to get her diploma in her Heelys.The Entertainment Job Market: Preparing to start a full-time job at NBC News, Chloe discusses the bleak reality for media grads trying to enter the workforce. We talk about canceled study-away internships and the terrifying reality of companies scrubbing their job portals clean.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediavaRemastered: June 19, 2026.