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Podcast: "The Bulldog Educator" with Kirsten Wilson and Matthew Caston
Episode: Episode 4 Season 9: Educated Out: The Hidden Cost of Elite College for Rural Students
Description: What does it really cost rural students to attend elite colleges?In this episode, Kirsten and Matt talk with Dr. Mara Tieken, professor of education and author of Educated Out, about the hidden challenges rural, first-generation students face after admission. From financial strain and social isolation to “conditional belonging” and the pull between opportunity and home, Dr. Tieken unpacks the emotional and structural barriers that shape rural students’ college journeys.This conversation challenges the idea that access equals equity—and asks what must change so rural students can thrive without being educated out of their communit...