Ep. 90 - Haley Platt: Breaking the Information Barrier: How First-Gen Students Navigate College

What happens when a recent college graduate who grew up with smartphones, social media, and the chaos of modern college applications becomes a chief marketing officer? You get a perspective that most higher ed leaders desperately need but rarely hear. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Haley Platt, Chief Marketing Officer at Síembra Mobile—a company building technology to connect first-generation students and families with post-secondary pathways. At just 23 years old, Haley made the leap from intern to CMO, bringing a Gen Z lens to marketing, student engagement, and the gap between K-12 and higher ed. Haley pulls no punches about what's broken in traditional college outreach. She describes the "stack of postcards" problem—students receiving thousands of generic mailers that feel disingenuous and overwhelming—and explains why targeted, early, meaningful engagement is the only way forward. She shares how Síembra‘s self-monitoring intervention model helps students track academic progress, explore multiple pathways (including community college and CTE), and receive direct admissions offers before their senior year. From the financial barriers of FAFSA to the mental health toll of the job market, from the importance of social-emotional learning to the power of virtual enrollment communities, Haley offers a fresh, urgent, and deeply practical take on what institutions need to change—and why listening to students is the most under leveraged strategy in higher ed today. Key Takeaways The "Stack of Postcards" Problem Is Real—and It's Failing Students: Students receive thousands of generic college mailers and emails, most of which feel disingenuous and overwhelming. Traditional mass outreach treats students like numbers, not individuals. Targeted, personalized messages cut through the noise and build trust. Direct Admissions Changes the Mental Math for First‑Gen Students: Through Síembra, partners offer direct admissions to students as early as the summer before senior year. Knowing they are already admitted removes the mental encourages students to take the next step. Interventions Aren't Just for Academic Struggles—They're for Affirmation Too: Síembra‘s self-monitoring intervention model helps students track progress, but it also provides positive affirmations when they're on track. Simple messages during build momentum and connection. The Barrier to Information Is Different for Every Student: Whether it's FAFSA complexity, lack of family knowledge about college, or simply not knowing where to start, the barrier to information is highly dependent on a student's population, family background, and geography. One-size-fits-all outreach doesn't work. K‑12 and Higher Ed Need to Talk to Each Other: The enrollment cliff is exacerbated by a lack of communication between school districts and colleges. Síembra‘s virtual enrollment communities create a "matrix of all constituents in one place," fostering relationships that help students transfer between pathways and fill seats at distressed institutions. First‑Gen Students Need Ongoing Support, Not Just a Welcome Package: Many institutions assume that once first‑gen students are enrolled, they've "figured it out." But support systems—peer groups, first‑gen clubs, student representation on boards—need sustained investment. Social‑Emotional Learning and Career Readiness Cannot Be Separated: Students need third spaces to interact with their community, develop life skills, and explore interests without feeling obligated. Programs that pair colleges with local businesses to design majors around real job readiness—including internships—are a model more schools should replicate. Gen Z Expects Institutions to Build Bridges, Not Work Alone: Chapters (00:00:00) - This Gen Z Brand Ambassador is building a movement(00:02:02) - Sebbra's Chief Marketing Officer Takes a Leap(00:04:04) - How a traditional education impacted my business career(00:05:57) - What Does College Connect by Sembra Do for First Generation Students?(00:11:40) - What is working for colleges and universities?(00:18:04) - Building the College Outreach Bridge(00:26:17) - Gaining Student Representation(00:27:10) - Follow Your Calling(00:29:57) - The Signal: Higher Ed Tech News and Insights