Grad School Femtoring: Inclusive Grad School Stories, Personal Development, and Productivity Tips for First-Gen BIPOCs

This week our special guest is Marisol Jiménez, co-founder of Academic Amigas, who discusses the topic of managing doubt in grad school. Marisol is a first generation college student and daughter of immigrants. Her instagram page, Academic Amigas, focuses on providing free and accessible resources for women of color. Her research highlights the experiences of Latinx immigrant families and their experiences in Chicago public schools. Episode topics include: How self-doubt has manifested for Marisol in her doctoral journey. She shares insights on how to reframe rejection and start believing in yourself. She also reflects on how emotional and financial challenges, as well as academic hazing, impact one's grad experience. Marisol ends by sharing tips and advice for anyone experiencing similar feelings.

You can reach Marisol on Instagram and TikTok.

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*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

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This week our special guest is Alma Lopez who shares her experience attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as a first-gen child of immigrants. Alma is a Sociology PhD student at University of Nevada in Las Vegas. She has a Masters degree in sociology from Minnesota State University Menkeito and a bachelor's degree in psychology. She also has certificates in experimental psychology and nonprofit leadership. Her passion is centered on amplifying the experiences and voices of Latinx children of immigrants. 

In this episode, she stresses how the demographics and location of a university can impact a student's sense of safety and comfort, and ultimately, their success in grad school. Alma also emphasizes the importance of having representation and support when choosing a graduate program.  She also offers advice for prospective grad school applicants on other things to consider when selecting graduate programs. 

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*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

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In this episode, I share several tips for fostering joy in grad school. I’ll admit that I used to think that joy was a privilege that could only be afforded by people unlike me, those who did not grow up experiencing childhood trauma, mental health issues, financial insecurity, and other adverse experiences. I share what I’ve learned through my own personal development journey for how to make room for more joyful moments from wellness practices, to connecting with others, to practicing gratitude, and more!

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To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

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This week our special guest is Aaliyah J. Deggs who discusses the topic of navigating unspoken rules as a first-gen professional. Aaliyah is a first-generation professional from Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, she earned a Master of Arts in Higher Education with a graduate certificate in American Indian Higher Education. Currently, she serves as a Residence Life Coordinator at the University of South Florida. 

In this episode we cover: her experience going from an HBCU in undergrad, to an HSI for grad school, and now a PWI as a res life professional, unspoken rules she's learned from working in higher ed from how to advocate for yourself to learning departmental cultures, and more, tips for job hunting and networking like a pro, and the importance of giving yourself credit, creating a professional identity, and having a platform to better manage your career. 

You can connect with Aaliyah on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

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Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

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The episode discusses some pros and cons of using Chat GPT in grad school. Chat GPT is an AI chat box tool that has caused a stir among many academics for its potential to transform teaching and how we learn both in helpful and harmful ways. I share what I’ve learned from using it over the last months. Some of the pros include its ability to simplify tasks related to generating ideas, summarizing information, and providing basic editing. One prominent con is that the information can be biased, inaccurate, and in some cases completely nonsensical. In sum, it’s best to try it out for yourself and not rely on it to assist you with anything that you do not have prior knowledge on.

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Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week our special guest is Rita-Soledad (@wealthparatodos) who discusses the topic of how BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ gente can self-care themselves to financial independence. Soledad is a queer Mexican-American former math teacher turned personal finance educator and financial coach studying to become a Certified Financial Planner. As the CEO of Wealth Para Todos LLC, Soledad is determined to make sure more BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ folk learn how to self-care themselves to financial independence so they can work because they want to, not because they have to.

In this episode we cover: her journey of self-care and financial independence and how it started with her taking a medical leave from her teaching job due to ongoing health issues, how she believed that she couldn’t build wealth due to her physical and mental health issues, having children, and living in a high cost of living area, how everything changed in her thirties once she started to become WELL-thy, through taking care of her body, regulating her nervous system, and thought work, the relationship between self-care and financial independence, and why it’s so critical for BIPOC, women and the LGBTQ+ community to have access to this information, and what you can do today to focus on your own healing and wealth building poco a poco.

You can connect with Soledad on Instagram (@wealthparatodos),  LinkedIn, her newsletter, and her podcast.  

Follow me on your favorite social media platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter

Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development

Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this solo episode, I cover the topic of how to overcome dissertation writing anxiety. Writing anxiety refers to the feelings of fear, stress, and/or uncertainty you may feel when engaging in some sort of writing, especially academic writing. This episode discusses six common obstacles that can get in the way of you making progress in your writing and can also contribute to writing anxiety. They include: procrastination, lack of motivation, time management, struggling with the research process, struggling with addressing feedback, and dealing with imposter syndrome. I also offer several strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Other episodes mentioned today:

126: How to Create a Dissertation Writing Timeline

165: Mental Health Awareness for First-Gen Students and Professionals with Dra Lisette Sanchez

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Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development

Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this solo episode, I cover the topic of surviving college and grad school as a highly sensitive student. I begin the episode by defining neurodiversity and differences in neurotypes. Then I go on to discuss neurodivergence and list a few well-known and lesser known forms of neurodivergence. After that, I share my own experience as a highly sensitive person, what that means, and I share strategies that can improve your higher ed experience if you too are highly sensitive. If you want to learn more about neurodivergence or are neurodivergent yourself, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

Here’s a great book to learn more: Divergent Mind (2020) by Jenara Nerenberg: https://www.divergentlit.com/

Follow me on your favorite social media platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter

Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development

Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week our special guest is Dr. Reka C. Barton (@thescholarlysewist) who discusses the topic of grief and loss during a doctoral program. Dr. Reka is a graduate of the Joint Doctoral Program with San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University. She received her BA in Psychology and Master of Teaching in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia and served as an elementary school teacher for ten years. Dr. Reka recently began her role as Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow at the University of San Diego as she continues her work as a Black Girlhood Multimodal ResearcHER who examines educational experiences through linguistic and equity perspectives.

In this episode we cover: Dr. Reka shares her experience with grief after losing her brother, Greg, during her doctoral program. She emphasizes how there is no right or wrong way to grieve. She shares how therapy, family support, and an understanding program helped her. And she offers advice on what you can do to support yourself and your loved ones when dealing with grief. 

Here’s the book that Dr. Reka referenced: It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine. 

You can connect with Dr. Reka in the following ways: IG: TheScholarlySewist, Twitter: ScholarlySewist, FB: The ScholarlySewist, and her website: www.TheScholarlySewist.com

Follow me on your favorite social media platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter

Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development

Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week our special guest is Dr. La’Tonya "LT" Rease Miles who discusses the topic of how to support nontraditional students and adult learners. LT is a Director of Sales and University Partnerships at ReUp Education. A first-generation college graduate and former "stop out" student, LT has established two successful programs for first-generation college students — one at UCLA and the other at Loyola Marymount University—both recognized as First-gen Forward institutions. She regularly consults with institutions nationally concerning first-gen students and also has advised local high schools about developing programs on their campus. Finally, she established and manages a national Facebook group, "Empowering First Generation Students" and is the Chief Strategist for the "First Gen & Juice" brand.

In this episode we cover: Her first-generation and stop-out story as well as how she got involved in working with first-generation and nontraditional students. The importance of language and understanding of terms like, “non-traditional,” “adult learner,” and “stop out student.” The common challenges and myths that nontraditional students and adult learners face as well as resources, support systems, and tips to advocate for yourself. She also shares advice for those who may be in similar situations and are considering returning to school.

You can connect with LT on LinkedIn, on Instagram, in the Empowering First-Generation Students Facebook Group, and by watching her First Gen Legacy videos with LT and her mother. 

Follow me on your favorite social media platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter

Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development

Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit 

To download episode transcripts and access more resources, go to my website: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ 

*The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.*

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gradschoolfemtoring/message

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.