In episode 19 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Colin Rodgers. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Colin reflects on his family's formative impact on him and discusses his experience pushing himself to his physical and mental limits through his incredible career in the US Army. He also talks about his wide-ranging passions, from sports to travel, and what led him to Columbia.

In episode 18 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Samantha Shapses. She is a student affairs professional committed to engaging students, faculty, and administrators in the practice of exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion within all aspects of higher education. Currently, Dr. Shapses serves as Associate Dean and Dean of Student Affairs, Full-Time MBA Programs at Columbia Business School, where she draws upon 20 years of professional experience working in the field of higher education as a student affairs professional. Dr. Shapses has also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at SIPA, New York University, and Teacher’s College, Columbia University where she teaches courses on social justice education and higher education administration. Dr. Shapses has presented at numerous national conferences on this topic and has published articles featured in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Education and Whiteness, and the Journal of South African Higher Education.

In episode 16 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Yvoire Whittaker. Prior to attending CBS, Yvoire worked at Deloitte Consulting, LLP as a Human Capital Senior Consultant. At Deloitte, Yvoire gained experience in start-up accelerators, branding, marketing, data and analytics, change management, training, project management, human-centered design, customer engagement strategies, and workforce development.

In episode 15 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Wilburt Carpenter. Originally from Virginia, Wilburt reflects on his family's formative impact on him and discusses his experience in media, retail, technology, and diversity and how he seeks new ways to use marketing and technology for positive change. He also discusses his wide-ranging passions from fashion to food and what led him to Columbia.

In episode 14 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Ijeoma Chimezie. She was born in Nigeria but moved to New Jersey in her youth with her family. Before CBS, she got her Doctor of Pharmacy from Rutgers University and worked as a registered pharmacist before pivoting into brand communication strategy at varying capacities within healthcare. In this episode, we learn how she has fused her passions for beauty, marketing, and medicine as she seeks to leverage industry knowledge and her entrepreneurial drive to advance access to healthcare and science globally.

In episode 13 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Spencer Borison. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Spencer paints a vivid picture of his upbringing and reflects on his family's formative impact on him. He also discusses his wide-ranging passions and what led him to Columbia.

In episode 12 of Before the Come Up, we sit down with Mélanie D'Mello Genin from Reims, France. We've all heard there's a professional harpist in the class of '23 - now we finally get to listen to her story! In this candid exchange, she shares her musical career journey and discusses how she defied social and professional expectations throughout her life. We also hear about what made her decide to get an MBA and her post-CBS career goals.  

Check out her website: http://melaniegenin.com