Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at London School of Economics, and now back at Northwestern, where she is earning her law degree.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

00:00 Intro to Tamara, Northwestern Law

02:18 From Guyana to New Jersey

06:12 Navigating Inequity in High School

10:49 Finding mentors in high school

12:12 How travel opened doors

15:26 Applying to Northwestern & leaving for Chicago

18:48 What was suprising about college

20:24 Deciding to study abroad

21:20 Finances: Choosing London School of Economics over Columbia

23:57 Kids in Need of Defense

26:05 Intersection of law and social policy

28:58 Becoming editor of Journal of Human Rights

31:18 Stay true to yourself: parting words

#northwestern #londonschoolofeconomics #collegeapplications #firstgeneration #firstgen #lowincome #mentors #collegelife #highereducation #lawschool #lawschoolapps #DEI

Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at London School of Economics, and now back at Northwestern, where she is earning her law degree.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Tamara, Northwestern Law

02:18 From Guyana to New Jersey

06:12 Navigating Inequity in High School

10:49 Finding mentors in high school

12:12 How travel opened doors

15:26 Applying to Northwestern & leaving for Chicago

18:48 What was suprising about college

20:24 Deciding to study abroad

21:20 Finances: Choosing London School of Economics over Columbia

23:57 Kids in Need of Defense

26:05 Intersection of law and social policy

28:58 Becoming editor of Journal of Human Rights

31:18 Stay true to yourself: parting words

In this episode, Hugh Cheng talks about writing problems for Stanford Math Tournament, Taiwanese Culture Society, favorite classes, playing alto sax in a musical for the first time, and riding his bike with no hands.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Hugh, Stanford '29

00:46 Writing for Stanford Math Tournament

03:14 Alto Sax at Stanford

05:14 Taiwanese Cultural Society

06:24 Stanford vs MIT

09:16 Math is beautiful

15:20 Finding community

16:56 Upcoming events & closing thoughts

#stanford #altosax #math #taiwanese #roommate #campuslife #paloalto #stanfordmathtournament

Samantha Gao, USC ‘29, shares her journey from China to USC, her involvement in Chinese Women’s Basketball, content creation while working as a housecleaner, advice on joining clubs, and the anxieties facing international students today.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Samantha, USC '29

01:35 Chinese Womens Basketball at USC

03:29 Anxieties of Chinese Students

05:10 Policies & attitudes towards international student

06:32  Housecleaning with Tidy Trojans

09:35 U.S. campus life & Chinese cultural dynamics

11:01 From China to USC

13:42 Playing the guzheng to the bass guitar

15:32 Japanese class & multicultural friendships

16:43 Applying to USC & essays on unique interests

20:22 Wisdom on joining clubs

In this episode, Nora shares why she chose Olin over other engineering programs, the soft skills that will be invaluable in any industry, and her amazing work in parasite detection and removal from fish fillets, for a company that will benefit from Nora and her team's ingenuity in applying this technology. 

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Nora, Olin Engineering '26

02:43 Choosing Olin vs. Carnegie Mellon & traditional programs

05:43  HEAL Lab and Phantoms

08:15 Redesigning a Course as an Undergrad

10:22 Soft Skills & Career Opportunities at Olin

11:56 Ethical Clinical Trials

13:46 Curiosity Mindset

14:56 Punk Rock & Putting Soft Skills To Work

19:02 Parasite Removal from Fish Fillets: Capstone

25:37 The Right Fit

#olin #engineering #collegelife #research #engineeringstudent #collegestudent

In this episode, Jackson, Yale '29, shares his love of flying, designing a record-breaking aircraft with other engineering students at Yale, and campus life.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Jackson, Yale '29

01:30 Learning to Fly a Piper Archer

05:52 Saxophone Story

07:57 Yale Social Life

09:38 Egyptology Reading Room

11:05 Surprises at Yale & New Haven Jazz

13:53 Project Jet & Yale Undergraduate Aerospace Association

21:04 Applying to Yale & Personal Narrative

23:39 Current Pressures on Universities & Student Perspectives

25:46 Summer plans

26:38 Engineering at a Humanities-Centered School

About the show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

#Yale #learningtofly #aero #engineering #engineeringstudent #Jazz #campuslife #newhaven #egyptologyreadingroom

In this episode, Ella Graber, Vanderbilt '29, shares her experiences playing trumpet at Vanderbilt, her path to science research and pre-med studies, and making the most of community service and social life, on and off campus.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Ella, Vanderbilt '29

01:52 Trumpet & Overcoming Stage Fright

03:46 Auditioning for Jazz at Vanderbilt

06:29 Favorite Practice Space at Vanderbilt

07:05 USC Summer Research Experience

09:23 What's Cognitive Studies?

10:40 Undergrad Research at Vanderbilt

13:05 Aspirations in Medicine and Research

16:24 Applying to Vanderbilt

18:35 Speaking Spanish in Health Work

20:14 Social Life at Vanderbilt

#Vanderbilt #STEM #collegeapps #campuslife #greeklife #jazz #bigband #audition #vandy #studentlife #collegelife

Kenna, a first-generation student at Northwestern Law, shares how she overcame educational barriers and translated her athletic scholarship into a college degree and later, admission to one of the top law schools in the U.S. as the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Kenna Flores, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

01:41 Family immigration story

03:05 Impact of discrimination lawsuit

07:00 Overcoming educational barriers in underresourced schools

08:48 Discipline and family values

10:09 Athletic scholarship and discovering Northwestern

12:44 Studying for the LSAT while juggling jobs and sports

17:03 First-Gen at Northwestern and Overcoming the Education Gap

19:52 Editor-in-Chief 

21:13 Influential Professors and Mentors

23:07 Collaboration and Social Life

25:03 Adding Ladders to Lift Others

28:03 Full Circle at MALDEF

In this episode, Beckett shares why he chose St. Andrews in Scotland and talks about tradition, local cuisine, friendships, his family’s literary legacy, and his dual passions for German language and history. 

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Beckett Osher, St. Andrews University

02:00 Scotland Weather and Traditions

03:51 Campus Life and Town

05:11 German and History Studies

07:10 History: Early Influences

09:34 Historical Perspectives at St. Andrews

11:10 Edinburgh Castle

11:56 Europe Travel

12:15 Being American at St. Andrews

13:15 Friendships and Social Circles

14:06 Family Legacy and Literary Influence

15:05 The Intersection of History and Writing

15:48 Advice for Prospective Students

17:47 UCAS and Applying to St. Andrews

18:45 Local Exploration

19:45 Study Habits and Library Life

20:18 Connecting With Family in the U.S.

21:01 Dining in Scotland

In this episode, Naomi shares how she chose between Columbia and Cal Tech. She talks about her passion for building rockets, social life on campus, favorite museums and ice skating in Manhattan, plus what it's like to be an international student at Columbia today.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro to Naomi
01:49 Brazil to Miami to NYC
03:02 Columbia vs. Cal Tech?
04:08 High School STEM & Service
07:34 MIT Siblings & Comparison to Columbia U
08:27 Favorite NYC Spots
09:17 Making Friends on Campus
10:25 Rockets Team
12:33 Aerospace as an International Student
14:45 From Robotics to Rocketry
16:34 Team Culture
20:08 Clubs and Campus Life
22:11 Students Mentoring Students
24:14 International Community
27:47 Scuba Diving

About the Show:

Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories. 

Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away. 

Cover art by Raisa Effress

“Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress