Build A Career Without The College Default. A Conversation with Hannah Maruyama.

We talk with Hannah Maruyama, founder of Degree Free, about why colleges don’t own education and why the “just go to college” default is failing many young adults. We break down how to plan a career path using real-life constraints, build skills through certifications and work, and decide when a degree is truly worth it.

• Hannah’s personal break with college culture and conformity
• The “escalator” model of schooling and why it shuts down curiosity
• Separating education from career training and the cost of confusing them
• Why many job “degree requirements” function as suggestions
• How targeted certifications can unlock remote tech roles
• The shift toward downcredentialing across industries
• Why common college ROI statistics can hide debt and distort outcomes
• The Degree Free Four filter: income, schedule, location, work environment
• “Try before you buy” through real work before paying for credentials
• Where to find Hannah’s workbooks and Degree Free support

About our guest
Hannah Maruyama is the founder of Degree Free and the author of The Degree Free Way. She built her own Degree Free career in AI and machine learning, and now helps parents and young adults think clearly about education, work, and career paths, especially when the old default of "just go to college" no longer fits.

Connect with Hannah
Degree FreeHannah’s Books

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

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We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

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