All in a Day's Work

In this episode, Danielle Cristal speaks with Rita Bearden, a dance educator for the Department of Education. Together, they discuss how she transitioned from a performer to a teacher, and touch on issues that have permeated the worlds of education and dance, such as body image and the pandemic.

Rita Bearden began dancing in Portugal, her home country, and trained in ballet, modern and jazz with teachers from the National Conservatory. She moved to NYC for Graduate School, majoring in ABT Ballet pedagogy at NYU Steinhardt. After graduating, Rita worked as faculty and a teaching artist with American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Harlem School For the Arts, among others. In 2021, Rita received her teaching certification and integrated the public school system in NYC.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

Check out this re-air of our ninth episode featuring Gabby Royal from Abercrombie & Fitch!

In this episode, Diana Mendez talks with Gabby Royal about finding companies that celebrate your identity and align with your values, balancing full-time corporate work with owning a consulting business, and turning a passion for diversity and inclusion into a career.

Gabrielle Royal (she/her) is an inclusion, diversity, and equity strategist and NYU GSAS alumna. She currently serves as the Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Abercrombie & Fitch Co., leading the strategic vision for diversity for all four lifestyle brands: Abercrombie &Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks in North America, EMEA, and APAC. She is also a small business owner, founder of Inclusion First Consulting. Prior to her time in the fashion industry, she was the Vice President of Campus Diversity Recruiting at Citigroup working to push boundaries on Wall Street and the financial services industry.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this episode, Haley Garofalo speaks with Quemuel Arroyo, the Chief Accessibility Officer for the MTA. Together, they discuss his winding career path and how he came about creating a brand new role for the MTA.

Quemuel Arroyo, Chief Accessibility Officer and Special Advisor to the Chairman at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Arroyo joined the MTA from Charge, a micromobility docking startup where he serves as interim President and Global Head of Community. Prior to Charge, he served as Chief Accessibility Specialist at the New York City Department of Transportation. He received a  Bachelors of Arts in Urban Design and History of Architecture and Master in Public Administration from New York University. Arroyo lives in Harlem and serves on the boards of New York City Outward Bound Schools, Project Sunshine, Hudson River Community Sailing, and chair of the Heidi Latsky Dance Company. He is an avid scuba diver and takes pleasure exploring the "sixth borough", NYC's waterways.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

Check out this re-air of our fifth episode featuring Chris Edling from New York University!

In this episode, Miriam Miller talks with NYU lecturer and writing professor, Chris Edling, about his time in the Peace Corps, the Fulbright program, and the United Nations.

Christopher Edling's career began in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Improv, National Lampoon, CBS Radio, The Hollywood Reporter, and other media outlets. From 2009-2012 he served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia. Before coming to NYU he completed a Fulbright Arts fellowship in Kyrgyzstan, worked with the United Nations, and taught writing for the LEDA Institute at Princeton University. He holds an MFA in Writing and a Certificate in Feminist Scholarship from Columbia University, as well as CELTA certification from the University of Cambridge.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this episode, Haley Garofalo speaks with NYU alum, Olivia Domba about her time at AmeriCorps. Along the way, they discuss her time at NYU, her passion for food studies, and the ups and downs of being a part of an intensive program like AmeriCorps.

Olivia Domba is a recent graduate of NYU Steinhardt's Food Studies MA program, where her coursework focused on food security, systems, and culture. Olivia recently completed a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock, AR. There, she supported the grants and development team to secure funding for library programs that helped support food security, entrepreneurship, and other community needs. An experienced Higher Education Administrator, Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College in Political Science.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

Check out this re-air of our first ever episode featuring Kyleigh Russ from Govern for America!

In this episode, Miriam Miller talks with Govern for America founder and Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, Kyleigh Russ, about imposter syndrome, being a young entrepreneur, and how to get involved in the public sector during the COVID-19 crisis.

Kyleigh Russ is Co-Founder and COO of Govern for America. Upon graduating from college with a degree in Government, Kyleigh taught at a charter school in Boston. There she saw what can happen when underrepresented communities do not have their voices heard in policy making - programs and decisions don't actually address underlying, systemic issues that communities are facing. With her co-founder, she created Govern for America in order to construct clearer pathways into state and county government for the next generation of diverse talent. Govern for America imagines a world where our most dynamic young leaders see government as an avenue for meaningful change, and government reflects the values and diversity of the nation.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this episode, Sarah Rosenthal speaks with Alan Denton, Head Writer of CoComelon, to discuss his successful and varied career in television writing. Along the way, they touch on topics like networking, managing a creative portfolio, and how the television industry has evolved since he first started working.

Alan Denton (NYU Class of 2007) is the Story Editor / Head Writer on CoComelon - the number 1 kids channel on YouTube worldwide. Previously, he was a Story Editor for Sonic Boom on Cartoon Network, and a Head Writer for Sunny Day for Nick Jr. He has also written for Lego Monkie Kid, Unikitty, and the new Transformers: BotBots, which premieres on Netflix in March.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this episode, Miriam Miller speaks with Matt Schulte, Senior Manager of Client Services at the Kansas City Royals. Together, they speak about how to maintain a philanthropic life with a full-time job, LGBTQ+ representation in the workplace, and the challenges of achieving upward mobility in your company.

Matthew Schulte has worked in the Kansas City Royals front office for 11 years. While he started out in the Ticket Sales department, he has spent most of his time in various roles within the Marketing team. He now serves as the Senior Manager of Client Services, having recently moved over to the Corporate Partnership department. Matthew was involved in executing MLB Jewel events that the Royals hosted, including the 2012 All-Star Game Festivities, 2014 Postseason, and the 2015 World Championship. Outside of work, Matthew serves on the Board of Directors of the Heartland Men’s Chorus and the Greater Kansas City Attractions Association.  He was also a member of the Kansas City Chamber’s Centurions Leadership Program and received an ACE Diversity Award from this same Chamber.  Matthew holds a B.S. Sports Management degree from NYU at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport.

In this episode, Diana Mendez speaks with Sonia Navarro-Giraldo, a digital marketing specialist at the United Nations. Together, they touch on topics including networking, acclimating to an American workplace as an immigrant, and what it’s like working at an organization as globally-minded as the UN.

Sonia P. Navarro-Giraldo is a digital marketing professional with a diverse background from different industries such as finance, healthcare, and the nonprofit sector. She earned her master's degree in integrated marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing from NYU and her Bachelor of Science in bacteriology from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. Sonia has held marketing and communications roles in Colombia and the United States within different organizations (corporations, agencies, startups, and charities) and currently works with the Department of General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) in the United Nations in the Meetings Support Section, providing desktop and digital publishing services.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this episode of All in a Day’s Work, Miriam Miller speaks with Lilian Aluri, the REV UP Voting Campaign Coordinator at the American Association of People with Disabilities. Over the course of their conversation, they talk about getting into advocacy work, voting rights, and how her experience as an NYU VOTE 2020 Fellow impacted her career.

In her current role as the REV UP Voting Campaign Coordinator, Lilian supports the national REV UP network, facilitating trainings and webinars, convening the advisory committee, organizing national voting initiatives and collaborating with REV UP organizers to advance the power of the disability vote. As the older sister of a young man with Down syndrome and as someone with some mental health disabilities, Lilian values her role at AAPD as a chance to help create a more inclusive and just society in which all people with disabilities can thrive.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].