GradSchool Soul Collective Podcast

Dr. Gertrude Nonterah shares her journey from completing her PhD to becoming underemployed as an adjunct professor to becoming a successful medical communications professional. She is the founder of the BoldPhD, a sought-after speaker, and a branding and career development expert. Show highlights include:

• The role of family in shaping aspirations

• Importance of branding and what that has looked like for her

• How she incorporates the concept of being “multi-passionate”

• Preparing for non-academic careers and success outside of academia

In this episode, Elissa J. challenges graduate students to push beyond the comfort of "finding your people," to actively constructing your village for your professional, academic, and personal success. She outlines essential people and the roles they play in the construction of that village.

Highlights include:

1.Your “A” team [which is also known as “your critical friends].

2.Your loves are your family, or your friends that may be our surrogate family.

3.Your organizational culture keepers and surveyors.

4. Your peer-based brain trust, aka, your cohort and academic comrades.

6. Program advisors

7. Near peers; individuals who are a couple of years ahead of you along your journey.

8. CEOs: individuals who cultivate the leader in you

9.Coaches: your problem-solvers and implementation guides

10. Academic knowledge and skill builders, aka professors.

11.Career advancement knowledge and skills, skill builders.

12.Personal board of directors: your diverse group whose goal is to help you move forward an important initiative.

13.YODA: The person who helps you to center personal growth and self-care

14.Mentors & Sponsors

In this episode Dr. Nicole Joseph talks about her journey from teaching to academia as well as the people that were pivotal for her success. Her family support, her mentors, and her professors all played a tremendous role. She urges grad students, and especially Black female scholars, to be confident is drawing from their professional experiences, to develop their scholarly voice, build relationships, know their context, and to connect with affinity spaces to fill their soul.

Show highlights include:

*Finding your scholarly voice

*Valuing your "lived experience" and connecting it to your theorizing

*The role of affinity spaces

*Partnerships in researching

*The role of family as partners

*Seeking out resources and not operating in fear

In this episode, Elissa J. talks about what graduate students should consider when it comes to publishing. Graduate students are often already juggling a very full plate. And, when deciding how to integrate a priority to publish, graduate students should have a strategy.

Show highlights include.

1.Considerations of type of university and expectations

2.Elements within a writing strategy

3.Integrating different types of writing

4.Developing a writing routine

5.Weighing the financial trade-offs for time and opportunity

In this show, Dr. Cecilia Caballero shares her first-hand experiences as a first-gen BIPOC scholar pursuing academia. She discusses why financial literacy was a key link that was missing for her, and what she wishes she'd known when pursing her PhD. She also shares why she decided to pivot out of academia and ultimately become a successful teaching artist. Show highlights include:

1.Preparing for academia and experiences as a Mellon scholar

2.The importance of financial literacy

3.How her family and her values shaped her choices

4.The decision-making progress to pivot out of academia

In this episode, Alexes Terry talks about why she made the switch from an "in person" PhD program to an online program. This conversation provides some tangible takeaways for people considering applying for an online doctoral program or for those who may be in a traditional "in person" program and want to [or need to] make a pivot.

Show Highlights:

1.Getting clear on what you want the degree to do for you.

2.Centering your personal and family needs, not just your academic needs.

3..Building a support system in your institution.

4.Planning for the producibles in your field.

5.Supplementing what you don’t get in your program with outside organizations.

Special Episode! Black History Month and the Grad School Soul Collective.

In this special episode, Elissa J. talks about the importance of making DEI personal as a Black graduate student. When the month is over, the marketing and often performative actions have passed, graduate students can embody ways of thinking and put forth ways of being and doing that are in service to DEI and your personal empowerment.

Choosing your dissertation committee is one of the most important things you will do as a PhD student. They are your life lines, your guides and mentors, critical friends, and your biggest cheerleaders. Sadly for some, they are also "gate-keepers" and can create challenges for one of the most important phases of your doctoral journey. In this episode, Elissa J. talks about what approaches to use for selection criteria beginning in your first year and talks about considerations for actively making the right choices for your committee members. Show highlights include:

1.Timing and planning

2.Research interest(s)

3.Range of expertise, frameworks, & scholarship

4.Personalities and communication styles

5.Engaging with other departments & even outside faculty

6.Interpersonal dynamics of committee members

Burnout is more than a buzzword, it is something that we are seeing more and more in higher-ed, especially with graduate students. In this episode, host Elissa J. talks about grad student wellbeing and the importance of both recognizing contributors to diminishing well-being as well as putting actions into place that are sustainable to buffer against experiencing burnout. Show highlights include:

1.Seting realistic goals that are "YOURS" and no one else's. Adjust for time and situation.

2.Connecting reflection to action

4. Building time to “connect, and unplug” with people who feed your “best you.”

5.Connecting with others beyond “social media”.

6.Learning from your setbacks so you get "unstuck."

7. Talk to a professional

First Year PhD Students: This is how to make your coursework --”WORK” for you.

In this episode Elissa J. shares some practical, tangible things PhD students can do to make their coursework work for them. It's that time of the year where the new semester, or trimester has begun, and this is a perfect time to make some small, but impactful strategic moves to set yourself up for success. The process, the products, and the people matter, not just the course content.

Topics in the podcast include:

1.Previewing materials for the scope, variety, and density.

2.Having a check-in partner with the same work style as you have.

3.Asking questions in affirming spaces in addition to your in-class discussions.

4.Planning backwards. Breaking down your tasks into manageable chunks and prioritize them with a timeline.

5.Getting a clear understanding of the expectations for each assignment.

6.Making use of your university’s resources.

7, Building in wellness breaks to keep from feeling overwhelmed. .