Dragon Talk: Podcast Transcripts
Preparing Students for Success in a Changing World
Wednesday, September 30, 2026Intro
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RYAN RECORD:
Welcome, listeners, to Dragon Talk, HCC's award winning student life podcast, where we highlight the people, programs and stories shaping life here in Dragon Country. I'm your host, Ryan Record. Today's episode focuses on something that impacts every student-- education, opportunity, and how we prepare for a world that's constantly changing.
From career readiness to student voice, from mental being to leadership, we are exploring how education systems, and especially community colleges like HCC, play a critical role in helping students find their path and reach their full potential.
We're excited to be joined by Dr. Lanlan Xu, a public policy expert, health policy leader, and a community advocate with experience at the local and national levels. She is also deeply connected to the Howard County community, both through her service and as a parent of students who attended Howard County public schools. And with that, welcome to Dragon Talk.
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It's a pleasure to have you, Dr. Xu. To start us off, can you tell us a little bit about your professional journey and what led you to focus on education and public policy?
DR. LANLAN XU:
Certainly. Let me start from the beginning. I grew up in China, in a very small town. And we didn't have much, but we had a lot of books in the library at my school, and books just opened doors for me. They showed me opportunities that were not available around me, and that love of learning took me far.
And from that very small town in China to Beijing, where I got my bachelor's degree, and then to the US at Georgetown University for my graduate study in German studies. When I was finishing up my dissertation in German literature focusing on 1800s women dramatists, I realized that literature is wonderful, but it is less effective at affecting that dream, that imagination.
And what really changes lives is policy. That's why I pursued a second degree, a second PhD in public policy, and that took me to Indiana University. And my dissertation was the impact of immigration policy on the health outcomes of the immigrant population.
And that really got me into health policies in the US. And after graduation, I started my career doing health policy at a consulting firm. And after a few years, I wondered what happened to all the reports that I submitted to the US government, and I decided to get to the other side by joining the federal workforce.
That's when I started to work for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Really, did a lot of work trying to reform the health care financing policy to improve the health outcomes of our most vulnerable population, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
And during that time, I had a wonderful opportunity to be detailed at the White House working for the White House Initiative on Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. I worked across different US departments on a government initiative to improve the opportunities for the AANHPI communities, with a specific focus on health equity.
And that led me to another position within the Office of the Secretary at the US Department of Health and Human Services, where I became the deputy director for the Division of Health Financing Policy until last year.
I pivoted to the private sector, doing consulting work for the US government and nonprofit organizations across the US. And I'm currently the vice president of health policy at a consulting firm in Maryland.
RYAN RECORD:
Wow. That is quite a journey. So Lanlan, what do you think it means for students to reach their full potential in today's world?
DR. LANLAN XU:
When I think about full potential, it always comes back to the idea that it means different things for every student. There's no one definition for success. For some students, it might mean devoting to the basic science and discovering life changing or life saving medicines in the future.
For some students, it might be being able to sing and put on a show for people. For yet another student, it might mean being able to help the elderly, being a social worker. And yet another student might be excited about using their hands to make stuff, artwork, woodwork, whatever that might be.
So I think reaching the full potential means discovering what you are really passionate about, and that carries people through their life. And for me, full potential is not a static stage of life. It is a constantly evolving stage.
As I just mentioned, I started with literature, and now, I'm working in health policy, national health policy, and I'm also deep in education policy. So you never know where life will take you.
And throughout my career, I have noticed by observing my amazing colleagues along the way, there's seldom a straight line through anybody's career. What is important is the love of learning, critical thinking skills, and the ability to adapt. Those are critical skills that are super important for anybody to reach their full potential.
RYAN RECORD:
Terrific answer. And I agree with that approach. It's not a one size fits all kind of approach. You got to know what you're passionate about. And who knows what that evolves into? And I'm glad you touched on adaptability. Speaking of, how do you see education evolving to meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce?
DR. LANLAN XU:
The world is changing rapidly around us, and the demand of the workforce is changing as well. I think that goes back to the concept of adaptability, because nobody knows what the job market of the future will look like. Everybody is talking about AI.
Is AI going to replace this profession or that profession? Everybody is a little bit nervous about the capacity, but I think that is not something unique for this day and age. Although the speed of changes might be more rapid than in the past, humankind has adapted time and again to the new technologies, and we will be able to adapt.
But then more specifically for the students of today, I think what's more important is not to memorize the contents anymore, because when you use Google, for example, or use a chat box, you can basically get all the information that you want just like that. You just say, Siri, can you tell me-- and she will tell you.
But the important thing is, how do you use that information? How do you critically think about what is useful to solve the problem at hand? I think the critical thinking skills, first of all, to tell the facts from illusions-- that is a critical thinking skills.
And second of all, how do you use the same information to come up with a solution to the problem that you're trying to solve? I think even given the same information, different people can come up with different solutions, and that's where the creativity of humankind lies.
And I think it's super important for the educational system to constantly develop those critical thinking skills and create space for the students to be more creative, especially in this day and age.
RYAN RECORD:
Oh, absolutely. And like you said, there's power in collaboration and creativity. Folks are really scared about the potential future of AI, but it is a tool at the end of the day.
I don't think it's going to replace-- it could replace some jobs, sure, but not every job. We're going to adapt. We're going to figure out ways to keep people gainfully employed and just be able to do things faster and more efficiently.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Yes.
RYAN RECORD:
Now, how did your education in China-- how do you think that compares to the education system here in the United States? What could we learn from that?
Because, as you know, Chinese students, they're running leaps and bounds around a lot of American students when it comes to STEM, among other things. So how do you think being educated in China growing up prepared you for the changing world that we have received today?
DR. LANLAN XU:
That's a great question. Growing up in China, I really learned that education is the biggest equalizer in society because it provides the opportunities for every student to be successful, and it guarantees social mobility. Academic, rigorous, that is foundational. The Chinese educational system emphasizes on that.
And I have learned that you have to study hard. You have to be persistent. You have to learn the foundations and to build upon. And that is really important for my journey.
And I think that's something that the US system can really build upon. Here in the US, we have a fabulous educational system. That's the reason why I came here for my graduate study.
I think what we can improve upon is creating more opportunities for students to meet where they are, to really provide the support, to ensure that every student has the support that they need to be successful at what they set out to achieve, whether it is a four year college, a two year college like HCC, or maybe is entrepreneurship or a trade.
And I think that comes back to the importance of thinking about the changing world. How do we adapt? The so-called blue collar jobs are foundational to our economy, and I think we need to be more explicit in terms of thinking about trade as a successful career path, not as a fallback plan.
And having studied in Germany has shown me the power of that message, because the German system is built on a dual career. Very early on, students can choose to go with Gymnasium, which is similar to what our K-12 system is. But they can also go to Realschule, which is more a trade track.
And these two tracks are equally valued and praised, and you can build a successful career depending on where your passion, your skill sets, or how you envision yourself. And those are also not two tracks that never interact. You can change lanes depending on where you are in your life journey.
So I think the US system can really learn from both the Chinese and the German system so that we can get the best ideas and the best practices to improve our system continuously.
RYAN RECORD:
Wholeheartedly agree. Definitely a lot of logic and learning from others and not staying in our little bubble. Oh, we do everything right. No, we can always keep improving. And I agree. As a student growing up, still trying to figure out my path, didn't know it would lead me here.
I feel like a lot of American students figure that out later on when they go to college. And maybe college doesn't work for them, so they go do a trade or start their own business. There's so many opportunities here that education can afford you.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Exactly. And I think we should socialize that idea earlier in K-12 education so that students and families know there are multiple pathways. There are so many different opportunities right here at HCC. A few months ago, I was here attending the event-- I think it's called the Blue Collar Summit.
And I have talked to so many employers right here in our community. And there is a huge demand for a lot of different kinds of skills. Like cybersecurity. It is offered here at HCC, and cybersecurity is a much in demand job here in the D&B area, overall globally as well.
And the ability to be able to study at HCC with a very affordable tuition and being able to also be connected with a future employer-- I think that is a wonderful pathway that not a lot of families know about.
And I work in the healthcare sector and I have seen, policy wise, health workforce shortage is a huge problem. We lack not only physicians, but also technicians, skilled nursing, EMTs. There's actually a personal connection here. My daughter, who graduated from HCPSS, she was in the jump start dual enrollment program with HCC.
And in the year she graduated from high school, she enrolled in the EMT certificate program here at HCC. She took the course during the summer, and last year, she passed both the written exam and also the hands on exam. Now, she is EMT certified. She can go look for a job using that certificate while she's still in college.
That is the power of being able to utilize the resources here at HCC that is afforded to many of our students right here in the community. And I think it would be wonderful that we do a better job, get the information more out there so more and more students can benefit.
RYAN RECORD:
I couldn't agree more. There's so many opportunities even with a two year degree. You mentioned cybersecurity, healthcare. You can get a two year certificate, and by the time you leave this building, you're tripping over jobs. They're everywhere.
They're calling you because they're in such high demand. And with the advent of the trade center, the workforce center that they're building that's opening in the fall, there's going to be so many blue collar employers that are coming here to HCC to find students because they need them yesterday.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Yeah. We also need to be open-minded about what the student body looks like. At HCC, we are a community college. We are open to everybody. That means when my kids were younger, they were here for Kids on Campus.
And I have friends and colleagues who are mid-career. And I'm thinking about a particular friend who has built a successful career in IT. And he actually discovered the HVAC program at HCC, and he enrolled himself in that program. And I think he's in the process of getting certified, and he's super excited about getting that.
And he's like, when I retire, I want to be doing more hands on work. And there's a huge demand, and it pays well. So again, coming back, the world is changing, and we need to be more open minded about the types of workforce opportunities that this economy really requires.
And I just applaud HCC for doing a wonderful job setting up these amazing programs so that all of our students, regardless of their background, their age, can benefit.
RYAN RECORD:
Absolutely. So as we just mentioned, colleges like HCC play a unique role in education. How do you see them reshaping the future of our workforce?
DR. LANLAN XU:
Community colleges overall plays a huge role in our society because it opens doors for everybody. It's accessible to everybody, and the schedule is also very flexible. You can be a full time employee and take night classes, for example.
My wonderful friend Kevin, he's working at a hospital while being a student and trying to apply for the nursing school. Those are the real people, the real opportunities, and it bridges the K-12 education to other institutions, to the employers in our community, and opens doors to the whole world.
I understand that HCC has a large international student body, and I have learned that a lot of international students come to HCC to be enrolled in the English as Second Language program first before they feel more comfortable moving on to other educational opportunities.
HCC is right at the forefront of education reforms in a changing world, and it brings so much to the students right here locally, around the state, and even internationally, and I'm super excited about that.
RYAN RECORD:
Yeah, me as well. And something else I've noticed. It's not just K-12 students moving on up or even young adults reshaping their futures. We've seen a lot of older people that are established in their careers coming back to school as well because they want to update their skills.
Maybe they got their degree 20 or 30 years ago, and it's not as relevant anymore. And to not feel like the workforce is passing them by, they're coming back to hone their knowledge and skill base so that they can continue to thrive.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Certainly. The skill sets that are required are updating constantly, and HCC's courses are very practical and relevant and adaptable. I think that's super important for mid-career professionals, as well as for people who are retired to try something new, to discover a new passion. And those opportunities are important regardless of where you are in your life journey.
RYAN RECORD:
Right. So in what ways do you see institutions like HCC helping bridge education with community engagement?
DR. LANLAN XU:
For me, HCC is not only an educational institution, it is also a community hub. I think HCC is the most visited place for me, except for my home in the county, because I have spent my Sundays here at HCC since I moved into the county in 2014.
The Howard County Chinese School rents classrooms from HCC over the weekend, and both of my kids went to the Chinese School. And the range of classes that are offered there is just amazing. And in addition, HCC is a community hub where a lot of community events happen.
There are so many opportunities that are afforded to residents here in Howard County. And here, I also want to give a shout out to Dr. Yang Yu, the associate dean here, who does a wonderful job. She also served as a fellow commissioner on the AAPI commission with me, and she worked so hard to bridge HCC and the commission together to host a wide range of events for our community members.
Events are happening almost on a daily basis, which is amazing, and I'm really proud of how vibrant our community is here in Howard County. And I encourage everybody to take full advantage of the opportunities that are available here.
RYAN RECORD:
Absolutely. There are so many cool things to see. And I did not know that on the weekend, there's a Chinese school here as well. So really cool stuff. Amazing plays, orchestra, jazz ensembles--
DR. LANLAN XU:
Artwork exhibitions. And I didn't know that this wonderful media center actually existed, and I saw a lot of trophies, awards that this Dragon podcast has won, so kudos to you and HCC for doing a wonderful job as well.
And for the students to be able to learn how to communicate, how to do storytelling and how to use the equipment to produce something like a podcast-- I think this is just amazing. Those are the concrete skills that is needed by all the professions.
RYAN RECORD:
Well, speaking on key skills, what key skills should students focus on to develop to stay adaptable in the future? If you could think of a top three.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Top three. I think we talked about critical thinking skills. That is certainly number one for me. And number two has to be academic foundation, because the ability to write, to read and to do math, that still is essential.
And the third skill would be collaboration, because we are in a connected world, and no profession is done individually. You have to be able to communicate and collaborate with others to achieve a common goal, regardless of what profession you decide on. I think those would be essential for all the students.
RYAN RECORD:
All right. So Lanlan, why is it important for students to be engaged and have their voices heard in decisions around their education?
DR. LANLAN XU:
Student voice is important, because the education system is built for the students, and students need to be at the center of our education system always. And you have to listen to what the students really need. And don't assume this system or that system, this curriculum or that curriculum, is better for them.
We have to build their voices into the policy making process. Otherwise, students will lose interest, because it's not applicable to their real life. And more importantly, it's also about building the whole student, because the ability to advocate for yourself, for your community, for the ideas that you believe in-- that is critical in life.
And making space for students to voice their opinions, that means to create opportunities for them to practice that critical skills when they are still in school. I think it serves both rules to make our policy better, to make our system better, but also to create educational opportunities so that the students can grow.
RYAN RECORD:
That's a fascinating perspective. Wonderful answer. Last question for you. How can institutions like K-12 schools, colleges, and community organizations work together to better support our students?
DR. LANLAN XU:
For me, these are not discrete institutions. I see them as pieces of the puzzle that all fit together because they serve our whole population, and there are pieces to the system. We need to work together so that we can build the pipelines from K-12 education to community college to the workforce.
And there are so many collaboration opportunities. I mentioned the dual program between HCPSS and HCC, for example. Those are wonderful opportunities.
We talked about introducing career opportunities earlier in the K-12 education system so that students and families understand the full range of opportunities that are out there so that they can better prepare themselves, their students for the future.
And our community is a support system. It's also where our future employers are, whether it's private sector, nonprofit organization, higher education. By really understanding and collaborating with future employers, we can design the curriculum better to meet the needs of the employers.
So all these institutions go hand in hand, creating a system that is really built to expand the horizon of the students, giving them the concrete skill sets for them to succeed, and most importantly, to make them feel seen and heard and believe in themselves, that by working hard, by discovering their passion, they can build a future that is full of possibilities.
RYAN RECORD:
Dr. Xu, thank you so much for sharing your time, your perspective, and your journey with us today. I know our listeners are going to appreciate it. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
DR. LANLAN XU:
Thank you so much. It has been absolutely my pleasure to be on.
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Outro
Ryan Record:
Today's conversation reminds us that education is more than just coursework. It's about the opportunity and ability to shape your own future. From building transferable skills to finding your voice and engaging with your community, every step you take now will prepare you for what comes next.
With Dragon Talk, our mission is simple. To spotlight the people, programs, and experiences that shape student life here at HCC. And who better to speak on that experience than the students themselves?
In our next episode about preparing for academic success in a changing world, we are passing the mic to some HCC students to get their raw, unfiltered perspectives on these very topics. If you want to know what it really takes to navigate and succeed here in higher ed, you won't want to miss our upcoming conversation.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and stay connected. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Podbean so you never miss an update.
Before wrapping up, I want to extend a special thank you once again to Dr. Xu. Your perspective sheds so much light on how we can better navigate these opportunities, and we are incredibly grateful for your time and everything you continue to do for our community. And to our listeners, thanks, as always, for joining us. We'll see you next time on Dragon Talk. This is Ryan Record signing out.
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Preparing Students for Success in a Changing World