Accelerate Access

Accelerate Access

By Nyah ProjectSociety & Culture
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Accelerate Access episodes

  • 023 - Reimagining Education with Ana Gonzalez

    Ana Gonzalez, 2019 Nyah Fellow and Texas A&M alum, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss starting her own business, her vision for improving the education system to be more equitable and brain-based learning. Also find out how her Nyah Project experience in Bali, Indonesia, transformed her and how Access Online helped her for her master’s program, plus more!

    "Everyone has a purpose in this world. Do not let anybody dim your light. Be confident, and just be you." - Ana Gonzalez

    They also discuss:

    • Rediscovering who she is after finishing her master’s degree in Instructional Design

    • Being the first-born in an immigrant Hispanic family

    • Finding peace during her gap year

    • Shifting from resentment to gratitude to form better relationships 

    • Starting her own business

    • Why she applied for the Nyah Project fellowship twice 

    • Why she admires in the sports industry and why

    • How she’s going to change the world

      • 37 min
    • 022 - Future Generations with D'Angelo Valdez

      D'Angelo Valdez, 2016 Nyah Fellow and Syracuse University alum, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss his journey from childhood poverty to becoming an educator in Atlanta, using tech for good, and his transformative Nyah Project fellowship experience to Ghana. Also find out what his hopes and dreams are for his young family, and more!

      "It's not [about] creating another leader; it's more so giving another opportunity to show how they are a leader." - D’Angelo Valdez


      They also chat about:

      • The beauty and creativity of artists

      • Overcoming fear as an adult and a new parent

      • Positive interventions from mentors

      • Changing mindsets around the possibility of college access and higher education

      • How he identified his life’s calling

      • His transformative experience in Ghana for his Nyah Project fellowship, along with college access coaching

      • Fatherhood and creating a better life for his growing family

      • Why he admires Lebron James

      • Solving the school-to-prison pipeline

      • The role of technology in shaping future generations

        • 42 min
      • 021 - Trust Yourself with Naveen Siddiqui

        Naveen Siddiqui, 2021 Nyah Fellow and student at the University of Florida, sits down with Leigh-Ann (before flying to Brazil as a Critical Language Scholar!) to discuss first impressions, star gazing in rural Ghana, and why she decided to wear the hijab. Also find out how she transferred skills from Access Online to secure some pretty cool academic and professional development opportunities, both domestically and abroad, plus more!

        "I learned that I need to trust myself in order to have the freedom that I want." - Naveen Siddiqui

        They also chat about:

        • Her Pakistani background

        • What she learned from college rejections 

        • Growing up in Western Canada before moving to Miami to live her “conscious life”

        • Navigating misinformation around Islam with non-Muslims

        • Why she applied for Nyah Project’s Global Youth Leadership Fellowship and her experience in rural Ghana

        • The importance of authenticity and vulnerability in relationship-building 

        • Why she admires David Attenborough as a leader

        • Fearing change and the need to embrace it to make an impact

        • Leading from the heart

          • 45 min
        • 020 - Curiosity with Louise Gong-McGovern

          Louise Gong-McGovern, 2022 Nyah Fellow and University of Florida student, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss her unique upbringing between China and the United States, what activities this thrill-seeker loved most during her Nyah Project fellowship to Ghana, and how she builds and maintains relationships. Also find out this first gen student secured the bag to get paid to go to college and more!


          "There are so many countries where women and girls are unable to go to school because of the prejudices and the misogyny that exists, and I hope that one day, that will no longer exist." - Louise Gong-McGovern


          They also discuss:

          • The balance between happiness and being continuously challenged

          • Being raised predominantly by her grandmother

          • Reconciling her relationship with her separated parents

          • Navigating different cultural and academic environments in both China and South Florida

          • Navigating the college application process as a first gen student

          • Access Online providing the tools to support her journey to the University of Florida

          • Her admiration for Dr. Lauren Adamo’s leadership and support at Broward College

          • Her desire to solve educational inequality, especially for girls and women, and combat sustainability issues

            • 44 min
          • 019 - Building and Exploring with Alvin Huezo

            Alvin Huezo, a 2017 Nyah Fellow currently working in the commercial real estate industry, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss affordable housing and community development, therapy and cultural barriers to mental health, and (re)building your life during (and after) college. Also find out how the Emory University and Florida International University alumnus became a Nyah Fellow and what his most memorable experiences are from his fellowship to Namibia, South Africa, and London!

            "I really do love pursuing wisdom and just trying to find out that bigger answer to everything. When you travel, I think you get closer to figuring out that answer." - Alvin Huezo

            They also discuss:

            • Moving to Miami and growing up in the Little Haiti neighborhood

            • Housing instability in a single parent household

            • Self-improvement, self-awareness, and the process of gaining clarity 

            • Vulnerability and reconciling with his estranged father

            • How Emory University changed his life

            • The role of oppression and resistance in society 

            • The endless pursuit of wisdom 

            • Why he stays connected to Nyah Project 

            • The ongoing impact that his mentor, Stuart Sheldon, has had on his life

            • His roots in El Salvador

            • Struggles with perfectionism and more

              • 40 min
            • 018 - Creating Access with Isabel Armedilla

              Isabel Armedilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow and recent University of Florida graduate, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss imposter syndrome, the birth of Access Online, and why she focuses on equity issues, especially as it relates to education and healthcare. Also find out more about her Nyah Project Fellowship experience to Bali, Indonesia, and more!

              "There is so much collaboration that is needed to bring humanity to the forefront. It's really important to recognize that we can amplify voices without compromising our own and overtaking those who are being affected." - Isabel Armedilla

              They also discuss:

              • Challenges in overcoming self-doubt and self-criticism

              • Learning to trust her intuition 

              • Growing up with two Filipino immigrant families living under the same roof

              • The emphasis of education to achieve a better life and the pressure of being first-generation

              • The importance of intention, leadership, and personal growth during her Nyah Project Fellowship

              • Climbing Mount Batur 

              • Her aspiration to amplify voices and address fundamental needs

              • Who inspires her to be more civically engaged

              • Kindness to self and to others

                • 43 min
              • 017 - Conversation and Connection with Edward Leonard

                Edward Leonard, 2015 Nyah Fellow and University of South Florida alumnus, sits down with Leigh-Ann to share his perspectives on love, independence and creativity, his experience attending a small college, and his love of literature in a state that’s banning book. Also find out more about the early (paper application!) years of Nyah Project and his fellowship experience in Costa Rica, plus more!


                "I was in a school system where books weren't being banned and we could have conversations with our teachers. I can't imagine what people are missing out on, on top of not being exposed to certain literature already.... All those things helped me with understanding all the different people that I meet as I go out and venture into this world. " -Edward Leonard


                They also discuss:

                • His family dynamics growing up in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami

                • Unconditional versus transactional love

                • Childhood coping mechanisms

                • The importance of connection, authenticity, and vulnerability

                • Which leaders inspire him 

                • The importance of mentorship and responsibility towards others

                • Journaling and self reflection

                • Balancing his finance degree with his creative side, and more!

                  • 47 min
                • 016 - Self-Actualization with Nyla Seymour

                  Nyla Seymour, 2019 Nyah Fellow and computer engineering major at the University of Central Florida, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss representation in STEM, emotional agility and becoming a “soft” leader, and what (and who) has helped unlock her own potential. Also learn why she values opportunities for cross-cultural connection, why she wants to open her own restaurant, and more!

                  "It was really important for me to show up for myself in that way within the world, because I know that that's what I would want someone else to do if I were looking up to them and it's still hard. But anything that has great reward has great sacrifice." - Nyla Seymour

                  They also discuss:

                  • The four ways she wishes to present herself the world

                  • The five things she would immediately do if she wasn’t afraid

                  • What her own podcast would be about

                  • Her thoughts on travel and digital nomadism

                  • Being the “golden child” in a single parent Caribbean household

                  • Shifting career goals

                  • Why she applied for Nyah Project twice and how she prepared 

                  • Her Nyah Project Fellowship to Bali, Indonesia

                  • The importance of understanding your personal leadership style

                  • Honest, truthful, and authentic ways of giving back 

                    • 49 min
                  • 015 - The Ripple Effect with Miles Mariano-Ortilla

                    Miles Mariano-Ortilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow, youth activist, and head coordinator of the TAP Scholarship Fund, sits down with Leigh-Ann all the way from Ritsumeikan University in Japan. They discuss why he struggles with the label “Filipino-American,” his concept of home as a self-proclaimed wanderer, and why he’s passionate about education access for all. Also find out how his Nyah Project experience inspired him to create a scholarship program in the Philippines, and more!

                    "It's one of my principles that education is a human right, and that everyone deserves a fair and equal education, not only in the US or in the Philippines, but everywhere in the world." - Miles Mariano-Ortilla

                    They discuss:

                    • Importance of service to youth

                    • Being on a joint-degree program between Ritsumeikan University in Japan and American University in Washington, D.C. 

                    • Navigating different cultural identities as both Filipino and American, in Miami and beyond

                    • His love for spontaneity and adventure to experience new places

                    • Leadership identity and how he prefers to lead from the back

                    • The influences of his Nyah Project fellowship to Bali, Indonesia, and visits to Stella’s Child, which inspired him to establish his own scholarship program in the Philippines

                    • Navigating the college application process as a first generation college student in the U.S., and the support he received through Nyah Project’s Access Coaching, especially with interviews and crafting his resume 

                    • His admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a trailblazer in social activism and pacifism 

                    • Grassroots activism and local community impact 

                      • 49 min
                    • 014 - Authenticity with Jaida Houston

                      Jaida Houston, 2019 Nyah Fellow and soon-to-be graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, sits down with Leigh-Ann to discuss life from Overtown to “Black Hollywood”, how she got interested in urban planning and development, and the need for community and a sense of belonging. Also find out more about Jaida’s journey to success at an HBCU, her take on the affordable housing crisis, and more!

                      They also discuss:

                      • Her 3 biggest regrets

                      • The importance of being in a room where you’re well-represented

                      • The ties between kindness and vulnerability

                      • Why she had a broken spirit as a child despite having a great mother

                      • How her mother’s relationship with a man named Theodore exposed her to living in a house, new experiences and a more cultured lifestyle

                      • The history and current situation in Overtown, a historically black community in Miami known as the Harlem of the South, where Jaida grew up

                      • How the opportunity to travel, especially a homestay in Germany and to Indonesia with Nyah Project, became major turning points in her life

                      • The influence of teachers and mentors, especially from the Overtown Youth Center, on her life

                      • How to deal with rejection 

                      • The strong sense of community and belongingness that she would with the Nyah Project

                      • The importance of authenticity and persistence in achieving one’s goals


                        • hen your life is already set up how someone believes it to be, you have to be your own guardian angel and say, 'Okay, well, I'm not doing it. I'm gonna make my own path.'" - Jaida Houston

                        44 min

                      About Accelerate Access

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                      We share stories of how access to opportunity changes lives.