Season 9 Episode 1
How can one lead for the next generation?
October 24, 2026
In today's episode of the BreakAway Podcast, Bryan Tower sits down with AJ Elhossiani, a student with optiMize and a proud para-professional, to discuss the generation of the future and how to best provide for those that come next. Hear AJ's personal experiences and how they've shaped the way he approaches teaching and leading in his everyday life.
Competencies
Episode Resources
Reflection Questions:
- Who in your past has been an incredible beacon of leadership and humanity?
- What can you do to become that person for someone else?
AJ Elhossiani
AJ Elhossiani is a student leader, educator, and civic advocate from New Jersey. Currently studying at the University of Michigan, AJ serves as the Emerge Lead at optiMize, where he mentors student-led social impact projects and collaborates with leadership to steer the organization’s strategic direction. With hands-on experience in public education, both as a student and Paraeducator, he brings a ground-level perspective to discussions on youth empowerment, educational policy, and modeling leadership
Bryan Tower
Producer/Editor of the Break Away Podcast, Bryan Tower is a student of Film, Television, and Media at the University of Michigan. He’s excited to be a part of this incredible podcast and to learn more about leadership with every episode he does. He has a lot to learn and loves to have his incorrect conceptions corrected and recorded in real time.