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Tamara, Northwestern Law & LSE, on human rights & being a first-gen student
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
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By Inna A EffressTamara 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