Helping make sense of life’s curveballs: featured in the Claremont Courier
Founder Monica Argandoña recently sat down with Andrew Alonzo of the Claremont Courier to talk about what inspired her to found Keystone Network—and why many students don’t realize the range of options available to them until after critical decisions have already been made.
“A couple students said to me, ‘I wish I had known this sooner … I would have done a different path,’” she said. “I always tell them it’s never too late. But then it hit me as I’ve been talking to people that maybe we need to start younger, especially with first-generation students who don’t have the resources.”
Many students don’t realize the range of options available to them until after critical decisions have already been made.
In the interview, Monica shared Keystone Network’s vision for supporting underserved students in the Claremont Unified School District by pairing them with mentors, helping them evaluate post-high-school options, and working alongside them to turn career ambitions into concrete, achievable plans.
She also introduced readers to the Path Found podcast, where she brings together people from a wide range of professional backgrounds to unpack the real, often winding paths behind meaningful careers—and what young people (or anyone considering a pivot) can learn from them.
“I always start with, ‘What were you like when you were a kid in high school?’ And I always end with, ‘What advice would you give your college self, your 21-year-old self, knowing what you know now?’”
