Student-Ready Strategies

05/28/2026

Some dreams take years of quiet work, courage, revision, second-guessing, and persistence before they finally become real. Seeing Sarah Ancel and Dr. Vanessa Keadle reach the milestone of releasing their first book is a reminder that meaningful work rarely happens overnight.

What people see is the finished product. What they don’t always see is the expertise behind it: shaping ideas into something useful, finding a clear voice, making tough decisions, building a message that resonates, and having the discipline to keep going until the work is ready to meet the world.

Writing a book is one accomplishment...finishing one is another. Releasing one with purpose, clarity, and impact takes an entirely different level of commitment.

Please join the Student-Ready Strategies team in celebrating .sarah and for bringing their ideas, experience, and leadership into print—and for showing what’s possible when vision is paired with follow-through.

Congratulations on your first release. It’s a huge achievement, and it’s only the beginning!

03/26/2026

It's still Women's History Month, and what better way to celebrate than by showing our gratitude for the women founders and owners we've had the opportunity to partner with.

Many of the ideas we help build alongside our clients begin with women who saw an opportunity to do something differently and had the courage to pursue it. Their leadership, creativity, and vision help move those ideas from concept to reality.

We're proud to collaborate with women-led companies like DiversiFind, Colorchase, -Ready Strategies , iPark, 5enses, and Crewsii, and to support the work they're doing in their industries and communities.

Here's to recognizing women founders and owners and continuing to support the next generation of innovators and leaders.

01/06/2026

Sometimes it takes some special motivation to find your pre-holiday mojo after the break. A great way to boost positive momentum during the resolution season is to reflect on your "why" and allow that to push you toward your goals.

Here's one of our favorite Mission Moments of Q4 during a convening with Excelencia in Education to remind us of the impact and the passion behind the work we do!

12/29/2025

On Talking Tactics, host Safaniya Stevenson explores how TCUs build trust with Indigenous communities — before recruitment even begins.

Student-Ready Strategies’ very own Kata Traxler, Ph. D bring amazing insight into how indigenous values not only help universities attract students from those communities BUT how these values benefit EVERYONE on campus.

Full episode live now on https://www.enrollify.org/episodes/episode-65-how-indigenous-values-can-transform-enrollment-strategies

12/05/2025

Before the year ends, we urge higher-ed leaders to pause and ask:

Are we planning for all adult learners…or just the ones easiest to find?

The stakes are real.
The enrollment cliff is real.
And so is the opportunity sitting right in front of us.

Sarah’s interview on Education Insight offers a perspective that could change how your institution approaches the year ahead.

Listen to this interview before you finalize your plans.

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12/04/2025

Before the semester comes to an end and we wrap up Q4 for winter break, we want to highlight a conversation that captures exactly why Student-Ready Strategies exists.

Our CEO, Sarah Ancel, recently joined the Education Insight podcast by Growing Inland Achievement to talk about the national conversation surrounding adult learners and why our current approach isn’t enough.

Many institutions are focused almost exclusively on “stop-out” students — adults who attended college in the past but didn’t finish. They’re familiar, they’re already in the system, and they’re considered the “low-hanging fruit” of enrollment efforts.

But as Sarah explains in the interview, focusing only on stop-outs is like repairing the porch while forgetting about the neighbors down the street. If we want meaningful, equitable, long-term enrollment solutions, we must also serve the 60 million adults who have never enrolled in college.

A few highlights from the conversation:
• Colleges will feel the “enrollment cliff” twice as hard if they ignore adult learners.
• Adult learners aren't a single group...and policies must reflect their lived realities.
• True opportunity requires Student-Ready systems: flexible scheduling, credit for prior learning, streamlined admissions, and processes designed for adults with full lives.

We encourage you to listen to the full episode here: https://www.studentready.org/post/education-insight-podcast-interview

These are the conversations that drive our work, and we hope they spark new ideas as you plan for the new year.

11/27/2025

We all love a good tradition—especially when it actually serves the people at the table.

But just because something has “always been done that way” doesn’t mean it still works, whether we’re talking about holiday menus or transfer policies. Her family ditched the all-day cooking marathon and found a better way. Higher education can—and should—do the same.

This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for partners who are willing to rethink outdated transfer traditions so students don’t pay the price in lost credits, confusing pathways, or institutional red tape.

If you’re heading into the holidays ready for a refresh, Dr. Abbey Ivey has given us a great read. https://lnkd.in/eCmkQ35N

11/13/2025

In our work with network partners, we’re reminded that real transformation happens when we show up and connect—for our students, for one another, and for the collective mission of transforming higher education.

Just like the Constellation in our logo, each point of connection creates something brighter together.

Listen to SRS team member and Steering Committee member reflect on last week’s network convening.

11/12/2025

At SRS, a big theme for us this quarter has been watching the stars align. Earlier this year, we announced our Constellation of Support initiative in partnership with SHEEO State Higher Education Executive Officers Association), Nevada System of Higher Education, and Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). After months of collaboration and planning, we were thrilled to bring institutional teams together for their first in-person workshop.

The energy in the room was incredible. These leaders aren’t just talking about transformation—they’re doing the hard work to build it.

Through this initiative, we’re proud to stand beside our partners as they create the structures that make student success possible. This is what it looks like when systems become truly Student-Ready. https://lnkd.in/dRAigB_r

09/30/2025

Data and student voice are two things that just pair so well together…like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Numbers tell part of the story—but pairing data with student voice reveals the bigger picture. Discover how institutions can make more equitable, informed decisions by bringing the two together.