Andrew (00:00.385)
Okay, so before we get into this, can you just talk a little bit about yourself just so can get to know you just some basic information?
Monica Bisgaard (00:19.688)
Alright.
Monica Bisgaard (00:26.191)
Sure, well there's many places to start, Andrew, but I guess basic information. Let's see, I live in Washington, D.C. I am a long-time educator. My background's in developmental psychology. I really love working with adolescents. I've been an educator, like I said, for a long time, and I've worked with every group from two years old to graduate school.
Andrew (00:55.682)
Okay, so let's get a little bit into more of like your childhood. So what was your childhood like? What environment did you grow up in?
Monica Bisgaard (01:02.345)
let's see, I love that word environment because it's so poignant right now, but, I was born on an air force base in upstate New York. but I've lived in many, in many places. So, my childhood, would say it was, you know, pretty, I guess every person thinks their childhood is, is, is normal as it is, you know, you're growing up and you, once you meet people outside your house and it's like, you know, they don't.
They don't eat this over here in this house, but I would say my childhood was, you know, a happy upbringing. had siblings. And as I said, I grew up with the first few years of my life on an Air Force base in upstate New York, and then we moved to Western Mass. My father was in the Air Force, and so we went on to move to another Air Force base. My mom had sisters.
Andrew (01:33.634)
Mm.
Monica Bisgaard (02:00.858)
who also had husbands in the Air Force. So they were kind of tired of moving around and they decided they would find a city in Massachusetts where we would live and then the husbands would fly all over the place, but we would all kind of have a home base. So I would say my childhood was really surrounded by many of my relatives, both parent-size maternal and
I'm maternal and paternal. My family, my mom has eight siblings, including her, and my dad is one of 14. So I had lots of first cousins and my neighborhoods were safe places to be. I always liked to hang out with friends and it was very kind of communal living.
Andrew (02:52.165)
Would you say that you had any pressure from your childhood environment and how did this affect what you wanted to do when you were older? Like when you were young looking at what you wanted to do when you not in college, just what you thought you wanted to do.
Monica Bisgaard (03:05.617)
Okay, I see what you're saying. Was there pressure to do one thing, kind of lead me in one direction? I would say no. I would say I was kind of encouraged to try many things. As I said, my father was in the Air Force, but was also an artist. So I think that encouragement was always in our home. We met lots of artists, not just visual artists, but musicians.
And that kind of thing. And so we, I think we were always encouraged to, to explore many different avenues. And, you know, my mother always would say, you're going to be the first woman president. And my dad would, you know, say she's going to be a lawyer or a doctor or a teacher or whatever, you know, whatever she wants to be. But that was always strongly encouraged, Andrew.
Andrew (03:57.766)
Would you say that there is any like, almost like any pressure you felt inside to also be in the military, do anything related to that, because that's what your father did?
Monica Bisgaard (04:07.085)
No, not at all. No, that's the first time anybody has asked me that question. And absolutely not. I think probably when I was growing up, there were probably less women in the military, especially in the Air Force at that time. So that was never a consideration. But, you know, growing up living on an Air Force base, you did feel like you were a part of that.
And that was always really fun.
Andrew (04:38.961)
Would you say that because there's not, you can say that there's not a lot of women in certain jobs, in certain career paths, would you say that that kind of limited your thinking of what you want to do when you're older? Did that have any effect on your thinking of your career paths you wanted to take?
Monica Bisgaard (04:45.617)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (04:56.202)
No, because my father was a big proponent of really women's rights and encouraging us to do all kinds of things. I can remember, I wasn't the kid or the girl who hung around in the kitchen with my mom, but my dad would always say, need to know how to change a tire.
or you need to know how to fix things. You need to travel. Not that travel has a gender, but my world was very open and both my parents encouraged me not to focus on gender related roles.
Andrew (05:44.85)
Would you say that you were able to form your own perspective of what you wanted to do throughout your high school and after high school and plans for college? Did you say that you were able to form this perspective on your future throughout this period? And not necessarily what choices you made, but did you have an idea of what you wanted to do?
Monica Bisgaard (06:04.581)
Well, I think that's such a great question, Andrew, because really, when I grew up, the first five years of my life, it was very kind of insular. And I lived mostly in an African-American community. And then there was this busing program. So someone literally came to my school and gave us
a piece of paper and said, bring, and when I was in kindergarten, said, you know, bring this home to your, to your parents. And only a few kids got this piece of paper. So I brought it home and the next thing I knew someone was at our home, a superintendent of a school in Long Meadow, Massachusetts. And they were trying to implement a busing program. And eventually it did become a part of this program. So from first grade to 12th grade,
I was bussed into predominantly white school and there were definitely, I would say, ideas about who we were as black students and what our abilities were. So I actually do recall having a very kind of dual, you know, a dual existence if for a lack of better way to explain it. So I would have my family life.
the community around me that was really rich with culture and all kinds of things. And then my school life where, you know, we'd be bussed into the school and there was definitely some segregation, but an idea of what I could and could not do. And I do specifically remember at one point, you know, kids were being, invited in to take this kind of career test to see what you could do.
And I was encouraged to not go to college by my counselor. was encouraged to, they said, you could probably become a secretary. And I thought, I'm a horrible typist. I can't even type. But that was what was encouraged for me to do at that time. And I can just remember feeling that something's really off. And so in me,
Monica Bisgaard (08:24.998)
that really instilled a kind of competition to show them that I'm actually much more than you think I am. And so there was always on my parent's side and my family's side, the greater network in my home life that existed, had our friends and neighbors were doctors and lawyers and all those kinds of things and city council members.
and then my school life, which was just very minimized.
Andrew (08:59.98)
Would you say that, or what advice would you give to any like kids or people in their high school years or young age who feel like they've been put in a situation or been suggested to do a career path that is like minimizing or isn't to their true potential or is even just based off of like any ethnic or gender or racial background?
Monica Bisgaard (09:20.917)
Again, that's such a great question. And because I love working with adolescents and I've had conversations like this with young people in middle school and high school. I would definitely say, you know, I always lead with my own personal experience of it is not for anyone to decide what you should do. And I also always say to young people that you have you have so much runway ahead of you.
You know, when you're taking off in a plane and you don't just have like this short little thing and you go up into the sky, you have a runway and young people have a runway. And that's what I always say to them. You, you have an on that runway. There are many different things that you're seeing. you know, there might be a tree on this side. There might be, you know, clouds on this side. can look at anything, try all kinds of things. And you have a long runway in your young life.
And you don't have to, I mean, I guess there are some people that know, you I wanted to be a scientist and I wanted to cure cancer and that's what I want to do. But you don't always have to have just one thing, you know, pick some flowers and, you know, try things, but I don't want to put parents down because parents want to give you an education. And some parents have certain hopes for their children.
But I really do think you're going to be happy in a career that you choose if it's the career for you and not the career that someone else has told you you should do.
Andrew (11:02.031)
So what choices did you actually make for your plans after high school, like college? Just a little bit like where you went to college, when or what, or if you chose a major and why, and all that things, and why you went to certain college. What actually were your plans?
Monica Bisgaard (11:10.036)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (11:18.694)
Another great question. So as I told you, my dad was an artist. I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a designer and I actually wanted to be a museum curator. Eventually, I thought that but my dad did not want me to be an artist. And he said, it's a very hard life. It's really hard. You know, there are there's only you know, one Basquiat there's only there's only you know, one Picasso.
and then there's millions of people who are trying to get to that level. and it, you know, he, he was really very much against me doing that. so who's going to pay for college? you know, I guess I could get, you know, I could get like, if I can, if I'm lucky enough to get a substantial scholarship. So I really wanted to go to art school, but I did not. and I thought, okay, I'll just take my time and just.
Andrew (11:59.109)
Hmm
Monica Bisgaard (12:13.041)
you know, do the regular arts and sciences bachelor degree, but in the meantime, I'm going to be looking for what I want to do. And I took business studies and I really didn't like it. I was horrible at accounting. I didn't know any of those things and I didn't like it. wasn't my passion. So I, but I, you know, I got my degree. moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and I always, I really spent a lot of time volunteering.
and helping young people. And that is what I did for fun. And someone said to me, why don't you do this as a job? And that light bulb went off in my head. And that was years after I graduated from undergrad, know, like four, five or six years later. And I decided, yeah, you know what, I'm actually going to go back to school, do some undergrad classes, some one-on-ones as they call them.
in psychology. So I went to Spelman College and I took all the psych classes that I hadn't taken. Spelman is a historically black college in Atlanta, women's college. And I had a great time there and I was really influenced by, you know, the professors and the college president. And then I really was on my path. And I thought, this is what I want to do. I want to work in psychotherapy with young people. So then I went and
You know, I got into Harvard, into the Ed school. I decided to do human development and psychology and started working with young people and became an educator. And so that's what I did.
Andrew (13:56.882)
So that's kind of a nice transition to what you actually do now. So can you just give now some detail of specifically what you do now, what target audience you work with, and just a little bit of context on that.
Monica Bisgaard (14:11.938)
Sure, absolutely. So I am not practicing now, but I'm always consulting. And the work that I do is mostly with young people. I would call myself a child advocate, but children and families, and sometimes adults as well. Like I said, I really love developmental psychology. I love working with adolescents.
the work that I do helps me guide. You know, I like to participate in helping to guide young people. Sometimes if they're having problems or if they, you know, if they've lost their way, I really enjoy what they call the talking cure and just letting a young person talk and kind of explore what problems they might be facing in their lives.
but giving them an opportunity to have someone to talk to is something that I really do enjoy. And then there was another question there that I didn't get, right?
Andrew (15:18.216)
not me that actually covers most of the question so i just so now since you work with a lot of kids on what would you what advice would you give to kids who are finding it a lot of stress with figure out what they want to do after high school stress in high school and plans for college in their future what advice would you give
Monica Bisgaard (15:20.854)
Okay.
Monica Bisgaard (15:31.672)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (15:37.525)
Again, I would say take your time. And I know that there is so much stress, especially when you are in a private school. You're in the cream of the crop. There's a college counseling office in every private school and you're marching toward that. Once you hit ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade, what happens in eleventh grade?
Now you're going to meet with the college counselor and you're going to start picking out your five or six schools. What I would really hope that young people would do, and this is not for everyone, but I would say if you can take a gap year, if you can, if it works. Sometimes a gap year doesn't work for everyone.
But a gap year is a really good way for you to find yourself. So get into a college, take a gap year, do some volunteer work. You know, that could get to know yourself right. know, do some volunteer with something that you've never done before. If you, you know, go work at a do or something, but just take that time for yourself because you're jumping in from.
a really rigorous education system, like in a private school or in public as well. But if you can take a gap year, do that. If you can't take a gap year, in that summer before you start college, I would say also do some volunteer work, have fun, hang out with your friends, hang out with your family, travel to a place that you haven't been before, do some volunteer work in a country that you haven't been before.
you know, try to find an internship, something like that. But I would also say the most important thing is to really just give yourself grace and to understand that there is no one right way to get to do this. you might, people, young people often compare themselves to, you know, this person has gotten into this college and I'm still out here trying.
Monica Bisgaard (17:52.823)
or I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I'm afraid to say that I don't know what I want to do. There is always someone out there like you and be your unique self and understand that you can run slow. You don't have to sprint because you have the whole runway ahead of you.
Andrew (18:19.352)
So, would you say that you have any, like, not even just regrets, but things you would go back and change if you could from, like, high school to, like, now?
Monica Bisgaard (18:31.524)
Mm hmm. well, that's always a interesting question to ponder because I feel like I wouldn't be who I am right now, really in in working with young people. My my desire to work with young people has come from the things that I didn't have in high school. And I always said I'm going to help in some way.
And I did that at first through volunteer work, but I always really remember saying, this isn't right. And if I ever work with a young person, I'm not going to do this. So I think I'm the person that I am because of my experiences and that's okay with me.
Andrew (19:20.601)
Okay, and would you say that your parents or childhood environment have any impact on where you are today? Like what you do and like going back to school, just everything, like would you say your parents have any impact on that?
Monica Bisgaard (19:32.037)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (19:36.002)
Yeah, definitely. You know, when I graduated from Harvard, my mother was sitting there and I walked over and I grabbed her and I made her walk across the stage with me. My parents have always had a huge impact in my life. You know, my father passed away some years ago. I made, actually made a documentary about my dad who was an artist, as I said earlier. And I did that as a way to honor
what he gave to me because he gave me a sense of I can do anything in this world, no matter my race or gender. My mother is, is probably one of my biggest supporters. I mean, I can do anything. I can open a door and she would say, I am so proud of you. You open that door. Good for you. You know, that is like the kind of encouragement that I get from her on a daily basis. So I think,
The encouragement that my parents provided me is something that I passed along my own children. But also, I think it's really important to raise your children, for us anyway, to raise our children to leave and to be able to walk in the world. Now, it's really hard to have your kids, your heartbeats walking out in the world on their own, but you try to give them everything that you can, all the tools that are possible for them
to eventually do what they would like to do in the world.
Andrew (21:08.718)
Okay, so would you say now, these are just like some remaining questions I have. So would you say if there are any misconceptions about your career that you've kind of like gone through over the years or any discrepancies that you faced, meaning in anything really, ethnicity, gender, knowledge, just anything in general?
Monica Bisgaard (21:23.164)
This is.
Well, I think when you're doing psychotherapy with people, think there was, you know, some years ago, it was thought of as, you know, if you're seeing a therapist, there's something wrong with you. And you shouldn't do it. And if you do, you really shouldn't tell anybody about it. But now, I love hearing people say, well, I have this conversation with my therapist.
or I'm seeing a therapist or it's, it's, it's, it's coming out of a shadow. And I, so I really love it. And so I think those are the things that people used to think about therapy and now we don't have enough therapists at the same time. I do think there are, you know, I think people need to do their due diligence when they're choosing a therapist, because there are so many. I think,
You know, we need that right now. You know, like I said, there's a shortage. And so I think you have to definitely choose carefully and not be afraid to say this is not a great relationship, just like a friend. If you're hanging out with this friend and it's like, you know, we really don't like the same things. You know, it's not that you're a bad person, but I liked other things. You know, I like going to the zoo. You like going to watch planes take off.
I'm using airplanes a lot, but I think people have to do their due diligence because there can be a bad rap around that as well.
Andrew (23:01.853)
Okay, now what advice would you give to someone my age wanting to do what you do and doesn't know where to start or doesn't even know if they want to do so?
Monica Bisgaard (23:10.727)
Yeah, I would say like somebody your age, if, if, you know, I were giving you advice and you wanted to work with young people in a therapeutic relationship, I would say it's so easy to just start off working with kids that are younger than you, maybe reading books to them in the library or volunteering at a community center with young people and seeing if that's something that you can do.
if that's something that you enjoy. Because if you don't enjoy working with young people, that is something you should not do. But I would definitely suggest starting where you are and seeing if that's something that fits your style.
Andrew (23:57.223)
Okay, so this is just so, will you convince your children or would you or do you think that your children should pursue a similar career path as you?
Monica Bisgaard (24:08.927)
Absolutely not. You know what? My kids are artists, both of them, like my dad. They're both artists. So the oldest one is an editorial music director. And my youngest is at the School of Art Institute, Chicago right now, where my father actually went to school and enjoys doing like manga art and graphic arts and she's an illustrator. So
I actually love that for them, that they chose the arts and I support culture and arts.
Andrew (24:48.359)
Okay, so that is all the questions I have. If you have any questions for me, you can ask that, and if not, then we can wrap up right here.
Monica Bisgaard (24:55.708)
Well, I just want to ask you, how did you start this podcast? And what made you say, want to talk to people about their careers.
Andrew (25:06.357)
well this all kinda started like last year so it was about this time last year around december last year and my parents were just asking me about like what do you think that like you wanna do after high school because this is like it was like freshman year like almost half way through and my parents just wanted to know like
Monica Bisgaard (25:10.397)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (25:23.679)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (25:27.253)
for things over the summer for certain things like what are you actually interested in? And I knew that I had been interested in physics before. I mean, I knew that physics and things of like outer space and all that. knew that astrophysics, all that stuff, I knew that interests me, but I wasn't fully sure like.
Monica Bisgaard (25:31.177)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (25:43.028)
There's so like I was like there's so many other things I didn't like I never even heard about and I figured like if I don't know there's got to be so many other people and other kids that like don't know so I figured I might as well just like Create a podcast where you just talk to people what they do learn more and see if it's something worth doing for me and if there's more advice for because
Monica Bisgaard (25:47.123)
Yeah.
Monica Bisgaard (25:51.763)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (26:03.176)
All these people have already gone through that and already cracked the code so they know how to do that. Yeah, people know how to do certain things easier. And so it's just a nice way to figure out all this. So it just kind of stemmed from me last year.
Monica Bisgaard (26:11.569)
Yeah.
Monica Bisgaard (26:17.281)
Well, you're very good at it, Andrew. And I think you're really good at interviewing people. You have a way of putting your subject at ease. I love that you've got a whole library of people that are from all walks of life that you're talking to that you can share with others.
You know, they might think, I've never even considered doing this. I never considered playing baseball. I never considered, you know, being an astrophysicist. so I, I really, I, I really commend you on that. And I think you have a really good style and no matter what you do, I really, you know, thank you for doing this. Cause I really enjoyed the experience. So I'm sorry it took a few minutes to get on, but, this was really a lot of fun for me.
Okay, so before we get into this, can you just talk a little bit about yourself just so can get to know you just some basic information?
Monica Bisgaard (00:19.688)
Alright.
Monica Bisgaard (00:26.191)
Sure, well there's many places to start, Andrew, but I guess basic information. Let's see, I live in Washington, D.C. I am a long-time educator. My background's in developmental psychology. I really love working with adolescents. I've been an educator, like I said, for a long time, and I've worked with every group from two years old to graduate school.
Andrew (00:55.682)
Okay, so let's get a little bit into more of like your childhood. So what was your childhood like? What environment did you grow up in?
Monica Bisgaard (01:02.345)
let's see, I love that word environment because it's so poignant right now, but, I was born on an air force base in upstate New York. but I've lived in many, in many places. So, my childhood, would say it was, you know, pretty, I guess every person thinks their childhood is, is, is normal as it is, you know, you're growing up and you, once you meet people outside your house and it's like, you know, they don't.
They don't eat this over here in this house, but I would say my childhood was, you know, a happy upbringing. had siblings. And as I said, I grew up with the first few years of my life on an Air Force base in upstate New York, and then we moved to Western Mass. My father was in the Air Force, and so we went on to move to another Air Force base. My mom had sisters.
Andrew (01:33.634)
Mm.
Monica Bisgaard (02:00.858)
who also had husbands in the Air Force. So they were kind of tired of moving around and they decided they would find a city in Massachusetts where we would live and then the husbands would fly all over the place, but we would all kind of have a home base. So I would say my childhood was really surrounded by many of my relatives, both parent-size maternal and
I'm maternal and paternal. My family, my mom has eight siblings, including her, and my dad is one of 14. So I had lots of first cousins and my neighborhoods were safe places to be. I always liked to hang out with friends and it was very kind of communal living.
Andrew (02:52.165)
Would you say that you had any pressure from your childhood environment and how did this affect what you wanted to do when you were older? Like when you were young looking at what you wanted to do when you not in college, just what you thought you wanted to do.
Monica Bisgaard (03:05.617)
Okay, I see what you're saying. Was there pressure to do one thing, kind of lead me in one direction? I would say no. I would say I was kind of encouraged to try many things. As I said, my father was in the Air Force, but was also an artist. So I think that encouragement was always in our home. We met lots of artists, not just visual artists, but musicians.
And that kind of thing. And so we, I think we were always encouraged to, to explore many different avenues. And, you know, my mother always would say, you're going to be the first woman president. And my dad would, you know, say she's going to be a lawyer or a doctor or a teacher or whatever, you know, whatever she wants to be. But that was always strongly encouraged, Andrew.
Andrew (03:57.766)
Would you say that there is any like, almost like any pressure you felt inside to also be in the military, do anything related to that, because that's what your father did?
Monica Bisgaard (04:07.085)
No, not at all. No, that's the first time anybody has asked me that question. And absolutely not. I think probably when I was growing up, there were probably less women in the military, especially in the Air Force at that time. So that was never a consideration. But, you know, growing up living on an Air Force base, you did feel like you were a part of that.
And that was always really fun.
Andrew (04:38.961)
Would you say that because there's not, you can say that there's not a lot of women in certain jobs, in certain career paths, would you say that that kind of limited your thinking of what you want to do when you're older? Did that have any effect on your thinking of your career paths you wanted to take?
Monica Bisgaard (04:45.617)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (04:56.202)
No, because my father was a big proponent of really women's rights and encouraging us to do all kinds of things. I can remember, I wasn't the kid or the girl who hung around in the kitchen with my mom, but my dad would always say, need to know how to change a tire.
or you need to know how to fix things. You need to travel. Not that travel has a gender, but my world was very open and both my parents encouraged me not to focus on gender related roles.
Andrew (05:44.85)
Would you say that you were able to form your own perspective of what you wanted to do throughout your high school and after high school and plans for college? Did you say that you were able to form this perspective on your future throughout this period? And not necessarily what choices you made, but did you have an idea of what you wanted to do?
Monica Bisgaard (06:04.581)
Well, I think that's such a great question, Andrew, because really, when I grew up, the first five years of my life, it was very kind of insular. And I lived mostly in an African-American community. And then there was this busing program. So someone literally came to my school and gave us
a piece of paper and said, bring, and when I was in kindergarten, said, you know, bring this home to your, to your parents. And only a few kids got this piece of paper. So I brought it home and the next thing I knew someone was at our home, a superintendent of a school in Long Meadow, Massachusetts. And they were trying to implement a busing program. And eventually it did become a part of this program. So from first grade to 12th grade,
I was bussed into predominantly white school and there were definitely, I would say, ideas about who we were as black students and what our abilities were. So I actually do recall having a very kind of dual, you know, a dual existence if for a lack of better way to explain it. So I would have my family life.
the community around me that was really rich with culture and all kinds of things. And then my school life where, you know, we'd be bussed into the school and there was definitely some segregation, but an idea of what I could and could not do. And I do specifically remember at one point, you know, kids were being, invited in to take this kind of career test to see what you could do.
And I was encouraged to not go to college by my counselor. was encouraged to, they said, you could probably become a secretary. And I thought, I'm a horrible typist. I can't even type. But that was what was encouraged for me to do at that time. And I can just remember feeling that something's really off. And so in me,
Monica Bisgaard (08:24.998)
that really instilled a kind of competition to show them that I'm actually much more than you think I am. And so there was always on my parent's side and my family's side, the greater network in my home life that existed, had our friends and neighbors were doctors and lawyers and all those kinds of things and city council members.
and then my school life, which was just very minimized.
Andrew (08:59.98)
Would you say that, or what advice would you give to any like kids or people in their high school years or young age who feel like they've been put in a situation or been suggested to do a career path that is like minimizing or isn't to their true potential or is even just based off of like any ethnic or gender or racial background?
Monica Bisgaard (09:20.917)
Again, that's such a great question. And because I love working with adolescents and I've had conversations like this with young people in middle school and high school. I would definitely say, you know, I always lead with my own personal experience of it is not for anyone to decide what you should do. And I also always say to young people that you have you have so much runway ahead of you.
You know, when you're taking off in a plane and you don't just have like this short little thing and you go up into the sky, you have a runway and young people have a runway. And that's what I always say to them. You, you have an on that runway. There are many different things that you're seeing. you know, there might be a tree on this side. There might be, you know, clouds on this side. can look at anything, try all kinds of things. And you have a long runway in your young life.
And you don't have to, I mean, I guess there are some people that know, you I wanted to be a scientist and I wanted to cure cancer and that's what I want to do. But you don't always have to have just one thing, you know, pick some flowers and, you know, try things, but I don't want to put parents down because parents want to give you an education. And some parents have certain hopes for their children.
But I really do think you're going to be happy in a career that you choose if it's the career for you and not the career that someone else has told you you should do.
Andrew (11:02.031)
So what choices did you actually make for your plans after high school, like college? Just a little bit like where you went to college, when or what, or if you chose a major and why, and all that things, and why you went to certain college. What actually were your plans?
Monica Bisgaard (11:10.036)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (11:18.694)
Another great question. So as I told you, my dad was an artist. I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a designer and I actually wanted to be a museum curator. Eventually, I thought that but my dad did not want me to be an artist. And he said, it's a very hard life. It's really hard. You know, there are there's only you know, one Basquiat there's only there's only you know, one Picasso.
and then there's millions of people who are trying to get to that level. and it, you know, he, he was really very much against me doing that. so who's going to pay for college? you know, I guess I could get, you know, I could get like, if I can, if I'm lucky enough to get a substantial scholarship. So I really wanted to go to art school, but I did not. and I thought, okay, I'll just take my time and just.
Andrew (11:59.109)
Hmm
Monica Bisgaard (12:13.041)
you know, do the regular arts and sciences bachelor degree, but in the meantime, I'm going to be looking for what I want to do. And I took business studies and I really didn't like it. I was horrible at accounting. I didn't know any of those things and I didn't like it. wasn't my passion. So I, but I, you know, I got my degree. moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and I always, I really spent a lot of time volunteering.
and helping young people. And that is what I did for fun. And someone said to me, why don't you do this as a job? And that light bulb went off in my head. And that was years after I graduated from undergrad, know, like four, five or six years later. And I decided, yeah, you know what, I'm actually going to go back to school, do some undergrad classes, some one-on-ones as they call them.
in psychology. So I went to Spelman College and I took all the psych classes that I hadn't taken. Spelman is a historically black college in Atlanta, women's college. And I had a great time there and I was really influenced by, you know, the professors and the college president. And then I really was on my path. And I thought, this is what I want to do. I want to work in psychotherapy with young people. So then I went and
You know, I got into Harvard, into the Ed school. I decided to do human development and psychology and started working with young people and became an educator. And so that's what I did.
Andrew (13:56.882)
So that's kind of a nice transition to what you actually do now. So can you just give now some detail of specifically what you do now, what target audience you work with, and just a little bit of context on that.
Monica Bisgaard (14:11.938)
Sure, absolutely. So I am not practicing now, but I'm always consulting. And the work that I do is mostly with young people. I would call myself a child advocate, but children and families, and sometimes adults as well. Like I said, I really love developmental psychology. I love working with adolescents.
the work that I do helps me guide. You know, I like to participate in helping to guide young people. Sometimes if they're having problems or if they, you know, if they've lost their way, I really enjoy what they call the talking cure and just letting a young person talk and kind of explore what problems they might be facing in their lives.
but giving them an opportunity to have someone to talk to is something that I really do enjoy. And then there was another question there that I didn't get, right?
Andrew (15:18.216)
not me that actually covers most of the question so i just so now since you work with a lot of kids on what would you what advice would you give to kids who are finding it a lot of stress with figure out what they want to do after high school stress in high school and plans for college in their future what advice would you give
Monica Bisgaard (15:20.854)
Okay.
Monica Bisgaard (15:31.672)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (15:37.525)
Again, I would say take your time. And I know that there is so much stress, especially when you are in a private school. You're in the cream of the crop. There's a college counseling office in every private school and you're marching toward that. Once you hit ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade, what happens in eleventh grade?
Now you're going to meet with the college counselor and you're going to start picking out your five or six schools. What I would really hope that young people would do, and this is not for everyone, but I would say if you can take a gap year, if you can, if it works. Sometimes a gap year doesn't work for everyone.
But a gap year is a really good way for you to find yourself. So get into a college, take a gap year, do some volunteer work. You know, that could get to know yourself right. know, do some volunteer with something that you've never done before. If you, you know, go work at a do or something, but just take that time for yourself because you're jumping in from.
a really rigorous education system, like in a private school or in public as well. But if you can take a gap year, do that. If you can't take a gap year, in that summer before you start college, I would say also do some volunteer work, have fun, hang out with your friends, hang out with your family, travel to a place that you haven't been before, do some volunteer work in a country that you haven't been before.
you know, try to find an internship, something like that. But I would also say the most important thing is to really just give yourself grace and to understand that there is no one right way to get to do this. you might, people, young people often compare themselves to, you know, this person has gotten into this college and I'm still out here trying.
Monica Bisgaard (17:52.823)
or I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I'm afraid to say that I don't know what I want to do. There is always someone out there like you and be your unique self and understand that you can run slow. You don't have to sprint because you have the whole runway ahead of you.
Andrew (18:19.352)
So, would you say that you have any, like, not even just regrets, but things you would go back and change if you could from, like, high school to, like, now?
Monica Bisgaard (18:31.524)
Mm hmm. well, that's always a interesting question to ponder because I feel like I wouldn't be who I am right now, really in in working with young people. My my desire to work with young people has come from the things that I didn't have in high school. And I always said I'm going to help in some way.
And I did that at first through volunteer work, but I always really remember saying, this isn't right. And if I ever work with a young person, I'm not going to do this. So I think I'm the person that I am because of my experiences and that's okay with me.
Andrew (19:20.601)
Okay, and would you say that your parents or childhood environment have any impact on where you are today? Like what you do and like going back to school, just everything, like would you say your parents have any impact on that?
Monica Bisgaard (19:32.037)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (19:36.002)
Yeah, definitely. You know, when I graduated from Harvard, my mother was sitting there and I walked over and I grabbed her and I made her walk across the stage with me. My parents have always had a huge impact in my life. You know, my father passed away some years ago. I made, actually made a documentary about my dad who was an artist, as I said earlier. And I did that as a way to honor
what he gave to me because he gave me a sense of I can do anything in this world, no matter my race or gender. My mother is, is probably one of my biggest supporters. I mean, I can do anything. I can open a door and she would say, I am so proud of you. You open that door. Good for you. You know, that is like the kind of encouragement that I get from her on a daily basis. So I think,
The encouragement that my parents provided me is something that I passed along my own children. But also, I think it's really important to raise your children, for us anyway, to raise our children to leave and to be able to walk in the world. Now, it's really hard to have your kids, your heartbeats walking out in the world on their own, but you try to give them everything that you can, all the tools that are possible for them
to eventually do what they would like to do in the world.
Andrew (21:08.718)
Okay, so would you say now, these are just like some remaining questions I have. So would you say if there are any misconceptions about your career that you've kind of like gone through over the years or any discrepancies that you faced, meaning in anything really, ethnicity, gender, knowledge, just anything in general?
Monica Bisgaard (21:23.164)
This is.
Well, I think when you're doing psychotherapy with people, think there was, you know, some years ago, it was thought of as, you know, if you're seeing a therapist, there's something wrong with you. And you shouldn't do it. And if you do, you really shouldn't tell anybody about it. But now, I love hearing people say, well, I have this conversation with my therapist.
or I'm seeing a therapist or it's, it's, it's, it's coming out of a shadow. And I, so I really love it. And so I think those are the things that people used to think about therapy and now we don't have enough therapists at the same time. I do think there are, you know, I think people need to do their due diligence when they're choosing a therapist, because there are so many. I think,
You know, we need that right now. You know, like I said, there's a shortage. And so I think you have to definitely choose carefully and not be afraid to say this is not a great relationship, just like a friend. If you're hanging out with this friend and it's like, you know, we really don't like the same things. You know, it's not that you're a bad person, but I liked other things. You know, I like going to the zoo. You like going to watch planes take off.
I'm using airplanes a lot, but I think people have to do their due diligence because there can be a bad rap around that as well.
Andrew (23:01.853)
Okay, now what advice would you give to someone my age wanting to do what you do and doesn't know where to start or doesn't even know if they want to do so?
Monica Bisgaard (23:10.727)
Yeah, I would say like somebody your age, if, if, you know, I were giving you advice and you wanted to work with young people in a therapeutic relationship, I would say it's so easy to just start off working with kids that are younger than you, maybe reading books to them in the library or volunteering at a community center with young people and seeing if that's something that you can do.
if that's something that you enjoy. Because if you don't enjoy working with young people, that is something you should not do. But I would definitely suggest starting where you are and seeing if that's something that fits your style.
Andrew (23:57.223)
Okay, so this is just so, will you convince your children or would you or do you think that your children should pursue a similar career path as you?
Monica Bisgaard (24:08.927)
Absolutely not. You know what? My kids are artists, both of them, like my dad. They're both artists. So the oldest one is an editorial music director. And my youngest is at the School of Art Institute, Chicago right now, where my father actually went to school and enjoys doing like manga art and graphic arts and she's an illustrator. So
I actually love that for them, that they chose the arts and I support culture and arts.
Andrew (24:48.359)
Okay, so that is all the questions I have. If you have any questions for me, you can ask that, and if not, then we can wrap up right here.
Monica Bisgaard (24:55.708)
Well, I just want to ask you, how did you start this podcast? And what made you say, want to talk to people about their careers.
Andrew (25:06.357)
well this all kinda started like last year so it was about this time last year around december last year and my parents were just asking me about like what do you think that like you wanna do after high school because this is like it was like freshman year like almost half way through and my parents just wanted to know like
Monica Bisgaard (25:10.397)
Mm-hmm.
Monica Bisgaard (25:23.679)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (25:27.253)
for things over the summer for certain things like what are you actually interested in? And I knew that I had been interested in physics before. I mean, I knew that physics and things of like outer space and all that. knew that astrophysics, all that stuff, I knew that interests me, but I wasn't fully sure like.
Monica Bisgaard (25:31.177)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (25:43.028)
There's so like I was like there's so many other things I didn't like I never even heard about and I figured like if I don't know there's got to be so many other people and other kids that like don't know so I figured I might as well just like Create a podcast where you just talk to people what they do learn more and see if it's something worth doing for me and if there's more advice for because
Monica Bisgaard (25:47.123)
Yeah.
Monica Bisgaard (25:51.763)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew (26:03.176)
All these people have already gone through that and already cracked the code so they know how to do that. Yeah, people know how to do certain things easier. And so it's just a nice way to figure out all this. So it just kind of stemmed from me last year.
Monica Bisgaard (26:11.569)
Yeah.
Monica Bisgaard (26:17.281)
Well, you're very good at it, Andrew. And I think you're really good at interviewing people. You have a way of putting your subject at ease. I love that you've got a whole library of people that are from all walks of life that you're talking to that you can share with others.
You know, they might think, I've never even considered doing this. I never considered playing baseball. I never considered, you know, being an astrophysicist. so I, I really, I, I really commend you on that. And I think you have a really good style and no matter what you do, I really, you know, thank you for doing this. Cause I really enjoyed the experience. So I'm sorry it took a few minutes to get on, but, this was really a lot of fun for me.
