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At every stage and every age, Californians are still learning. Millions of working adults across California are considering whether to enroll in postsecondary training and education. Despite knowing what they want, they face the same problem: Our current system asks them to find education that delivers the most value but gives too few options that actually fit their lives.

New research from Gallup and ideas42 offers a clearer picture of how learners make postsecondary decisions—and surfaces lessons that extend well beyond California.

In this webinar, Zach Hrynowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, Cassie Taylor, managing director at ideas42, and Amanda DeLaRosa, director of program and strategy at College Futures Foundation, will kick off California Working Learner Week by sharing new findings grounded in rigorous research and behavioral science, and exploring what they reveal about how higher education leaders, funders and policymakers can build a system that delivers greater value for today’s learners, in California and across the country.

The webinar will explore:

What adult learners value from postsecondary education and training, drawing on new findings from Gallup and ideas42.
What shapes learners’ decisions to pursue postsecondary education and training.
What institutions, funders and policymakers can do to redesign the system so today’s learners can make decisions that meet their needs and aspirations.

Join the conversation and register today.

Can't attend the webinar? You should still register—all registrants will receive a recording of the webinar and a copy of the presentation slides.

Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 11am PST / 2pm EST

Learners Know What They Value: Shaping Choice & Possibility

SPEAKERS

Zach Hrynowski
Senior Education Researcher at Gallup

Zach Hrynowski is a senior researcher at Gallup, where he is responsible for the research direction of several of the organization’s largest education-related projects, including the Voices of Gen Z study in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, as well as the State of Higher Education study with Lumina Foundation. In this role, Zach advises during survey and research design, analyzes data to surface novel insights, and authors reports that further conversations about education, workforce development, and public perceptions of political and cultural events. He frequently presents Gallup's latest research to media, education leaders and policymakers, and is a contributor to Gallup News and The Gallup Podcast. Prior to joining Gallup in 2019, Zach was the director of student programs at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Northeastern University.

MODERATOR

Amanda DeLaRosa
Director of Program and Strategy at College Futures Foundation

Amanda DeLaRosa is director of program and strategy at College Futures Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s work to redefine the value of postsecondary education for equitable economic mobility and the foundation's policy portfolio. She brings nearly two decades of experience advancing higher education policy and student success across the philanthropic, public, nonprofit and advocacy sectors. Previously, Amanda served nearly six years as strategy officer for state policy at Lumina Foundation, where she led multi-state efforts to advance the foundation’s state policy agenda, and she has held leadership roles with the Colorado Department of Higher Education, National Conference of State Legislatures, Scholarship America and the University of California Student Association. A first-generation college graduate who relied on Cal Grants and Pell, Amanda holds a master of public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, and a B.A. in politics and sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Cassie Taylor
Managing Director at ideas42

Cassie Taylor is a managing director at ideas42, where she studies the psychology of learners to help postsecondary systems remove the barriers that keep students from completing high-quality credentials. She leads teams that partner with state agencies, nonprofits, and colleges and universities to diagnose why well-intentioned programs and processes fall short and redesign them around how students actually think and decide. That work spans enrollment and access, financial aid and affordability, student success and persistence, and employability outcomes. Prior to joining ideas42, Cassie managed the Behavioral Economics and Decision Research Policy Lab at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds an A.B. in psychology from Princeton University and an M.S. in education technology and applied learning science from Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute.