February 22, 2013

Don Tollman, A True P-20 Approach to Education

Feb. 22, 2013 at 09:03 AM | By Marlysa Connolly | Comment Count

Whether at Hobsons University or Naviance Summer Institute, time and time again our clients have praised the passion, responsiveness, and dedication of Hobsons staff.

This month for People Behind Hobsons, we had the chance to chat with education veteran and Vice President of Community Relations, Don Tollman.

Hobsons: With more than thirty years in education, Don, how did you find yourself at Hobsons?

Don: I came to Hobsons through the acquisition of Naviance back in 2007 but my journey in education really got its start in college admissions at Colorado State where I spent twenty-three years helping students to envision college as a possibility.

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to run into Hobsons K-12 President and Naviance founder Stephen Smith at the WACAC conference. I joined Naviance in 2006 and have since had roles in sales, district initiatives, and now community relations.

Hobsons: So what does a typical day look like for you? How do you use community relations to help maximize student success and institutional effectiveness?

Don: One of my key philosophies is that education should not be in silos, it should be built on a continuum expanding the entire student life cycle. My role does just this!

Each day I engage with education professionals representing both K-12 and higher education. This may be managing the Naviance Network and Naviance Success Grants, serving on the Naviance eDocs Advisory Council, or partnering with education programs at universities to provide access to Naviance for aspiring teachers.

Hobsons: The Naviance Network officially launched in July 2012. Can you provide a little more insight into what value Naviance Network members can gain from this resource?

Don: Sure. Naviance Network is the center for all things Naviance. It’s available to Naviance Network members and provides access to information on product developments, important announcements, and Naviance Summer Institute. But, more importantly, the Naviance Network is the central point of contact for our members to share and exchange ideas and information with peers.

Hobsons: As our clients, Hobsons is committed to our passion for education and helping students actualize their college and career goals. You have had an extensive career in education that has been driven by your personal passion for student success. How does this passion translate into your current role?

Don: From my experience, I’ve seen students struggle to connect the dots between their interests and goals, and then struggle even more to develop a plan to reach those goals. I want to be part of helping students visualize their future, Steve Smith describes this as helping students to connect learning to life.

We as educators, parents, and mentors should see this as an opportunity to encourage students to keep the flame burning and continue along the path of reaching their goals into college and into their careers. We need to help students understand that this is not a start and stop process. Each step, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is yet another path to success.

My goal in this role is to assist our clients in helping their students to continue that process of self-discovery in a true P-20 approach to education.

Have a question for Don? Comment below of connect with Don on Linkedin.