PlayGround

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Carlos Aparicio, a creator who I have known for six years from high school to Emory University. Carlos dropped pre-med and rejected his offer to attend Goizueta Business School to commit to his childhood passion of becoming a creative filmmaker in a true "rediscover your inner child" fashion. Carlos discusses the difficulties of making such a decision, and how it has affected his mental health. We discuss his spiritual journey in relation to happiness, philosophy, and life itself. The conversation becomes deeper the longer we talk and can be inspirational for many. Oh, we are also joined by his dog for the first part of the episode! 

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Fizza, a rising senior at Emory University who is a first-generation student. Fizza and I have a conversation that revolves around access to education. Fizza retells stories of growing up with two older sisters (who went to Emory) and two younger brothers, how her perspective towards education and its importance came to be, and how she sees the world through stories. Fizza is a fun person to talk to who drops many gems about education and life in this episode that you do not want to miss! 

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Anirudh Pidugu, a first-year dental student at Columbia University. Ani and I discuss his interests in music and sports, and how he finds an escape in them. He retells stories of DJing, growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and finding lifelong friends at Emory. He also shares how Kobe Bryant (R.I.P) has become an inspiration for him. If you want to learn more about how music and sports can be a grounding experience, what the creative process is for a DJ, or an inspirational story of Kobe Bryant, you do not want to miss this episode!

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with two individuals – Farah Al Chammas and Julien Reiman. Farah and Julien are both passionate about how food heals and unites, so they are creating a show that showcases strangers uniting over food made by America’s top hidden chefs. We discuss their childhood interests and how their idea for the food show came to be. If you are interested in food (who isn’t?), and how food can cultivate connections and conversations amongst individuals from very different backgrounds, check out this podcast episode and their account @talkwithyourmouthfull on Instagram and Facebook!

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Fahad Alduayji, an international student from Saudi Arabia. We discuss his experiences as an international student at Emory, his life in Saudi Arabia, and his childlike curiosity for science. Although this conversation was recorded back in May, in regard to the current statement released by ICE on July 6th, we hope that hearing Fahad's story and perspective of coming to the United States can bring light to the injustices in ICE's statement, and how it can negatively affect millions of international students like Fahad. We also hope that through hearing Fahad's story, we may better understand the international student experience in universities across the nation.

In this episode of PlayGround, I interview Hawa Larissa Jagana, a first-generation student at Emory University studying Biology. We begin the conversation with a discussion on Larissa's home and her childhood curiosity that has led her to the STEM field. We then steer the conversation more towards her expressive creative side of singing and dancing. Towards the end of the conversation, Larissa explains her experience as an Afro-Latina at Emory that touches upon the current climate. If you are curious about life growing up with four brothers, developing a passion for science, or understanding the delicacies of the heart and the mind, you do not want to miss this episode! 

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Abhi Manda, a rising sophomore at Emory University. Abhi and I start off discussing his childhood adventures in the forest and the lessons he learned there. Slowly, the conversation revolves around social justice and racial inequalities in the healthcare field, and how policy can help. Throughout the episode, I also share a part of my story that parallels Abhi's. If you are curious about racial injustices in medicine, finding freedom in nature, or understanding the courage we may have lost as we grow up you do not want to miss this episode!

In this episode of PlayGround, I interview Smrithi Ramachandran, who recently graduated from Emory University studying Human Health and Dance. We discuss Smrithi's creative side and how she has used creativity for dance, arts and crafts, and medicine. She tells stories about volunteering at Gigi's Playhouse, how she gets her creative inspiration for her RA bulletin boards, and what she misses most about being a child. Smrithi is a kind and compassionate individual who brightens any room she walks into, and she has done the same with this podcast. You do not want to miss this episode! 

In this episode of PlayGround, I interview Reezan Jiwa (aka RJ). RJ is a good friend from high school who is currently studying at UCLA and is an aspiring musician. We talk about where his interest for music comes from and his creative process for writing raps and freestyling. He also graces the episode with a surprise freestyle about PlayGround. If you are curious to know what creative processes are at work for a musician, and RJ's journey so far as a musician, check out this episode! You can find RJ's music on all streaming platforms @Reezan, and his music Instagram is @reezanraps. 

In this episode of PlayGround, I interview Annie Li, a history and sociology major at Emory. She talks about her interests in art and history, and we discover new connections between the two. Annie is a very thoughtful and creative individual. This episode will help you pause and take in life one moment at a time, the same way a painting causes a viewer to pause and take it in full.