Congratulations, Graduates! As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, our host and founder, Yoli Tamu invites you to pause and reflect on the difference between performing for approval and living with purpose. Using her personal freshman-year story as the backdrop, she explores how boredom, peer pressure, and the desire to fit in can quietly shape our choices if we’re not paying attention. If you have ever felt caught between image and authenticity, this episode will challenge you to look beneath the surface, trust your values, and choose a more intentional way of living.

Yoli completed her M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Teaching at National University, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre at Howard University in Washington, DC. She has fused her thirst for creativity and entrepreneurship with 25 years as a resolute educator/motivator, podcast host, speaker, author, and recording artist. In August 2020, Yoil created The Back to Me Podcast: College and Beyond-a weekly podcast that she also hosts and serves as Executive Producer. In her weekly thirty-minute shows, Yoli seamlessly shares enlightening, engaging, and entertaining conversations that feature monthly themes and a wide array of special guests from different social classes and professions. Her arsenal of talents also includes developing a professional career as a songwriter/singer, live performer, independently publishing a book as an author, and working as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) coach. To learn more about Yoli’s college journey, check out her self-published book, “Back to Me: A Devotional Walk for the College Freshman Woman” and visit our website at TheBacktoMePodcast.com.

Our ‘Campus Care Collective’ series for Mental Health Awareness Month continues with Elise Sturdivant, Vice President of Student Affairs at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead. Mrs. Sturdivant shares how higher ed chose her after growing up surrounded by educators, advocates, admissions recruiters, and financial aid support that helped her feel she belonged, even as a young mom in college. Now serving as the only African American woman at her college, she leads with cultural awareness, visible presence, and a deep commitment to the whole student through positive intelligence coaching, nervous system regulation, and early alerts that help students access the support they need.

Mrs. Sturdivant completed her MBA in Strategic Management at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she received her Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management and Communications at University of Michigan. She is a mission-centered executive with over two decades of experience leading strategic transformation, operational growth, and cross-sector collaboration across higher education, nonprofit, for-profit, and civic organizations. Mrs. Sturdivant leads enterprise-wide initiatives supporting 10,000 students and oversees a multimillion-dollar operating budget across 15 departments. Her leadership has driven record-breaking enrollment and retention, secured multimillion-dollar federal grants, and modernized enterprise technology infrastructure to improve access, equity, and efficiency. To learn more about Mrs. Sturdivant, connect with her via email at [email protected] or visit her at Minnesota.edu.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we continue our ‘Campus Care Collective’ series with Dr. Jerell Hill, Dean of Counseling and Guided Pathways at Los Angeles City College. This Education Leader, author, and international speaker feels privileged to transform student struggles into strength. From full academic scholarship recipient to administrative healer, Dr. Hill shares lived wisdom from his new book, "Developing Conscious Gratitude in Schools.” He teaches aspiring educators how to shift students from burdens to brilliance and recognize that "the wound is the data," not the problem. Find out how to use your struggle as the beginning of progress while Dr. Hill demonstrates how he loves students into their purpose.

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Dr. Hill completed his Doctorate of Education at William Howard Taft University in Denver, Colorado, and he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at University of California, Irvine. His work sits at the intersection of educational justice, trauma-informed leadership, and conscious leadership development. Dr. Hill's research spans teacher preparation, student motivation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and urban education. He is a passionate advocate for equity and excellence and brings that conviction to every stage, classroom, and community he enters. To learn more about Dr. Hill, visit his website at JerellHill.com and LACC.edu/student-services/counseling or connect with him on LinkedIn.

It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and we're launching our “Campus Care Collective” series with William Middlebrooks, Deputy Athletic Director, Leadership Strategist, and Basketball Program Director at Lincoln University in Oakland, California. From college basketball player to high school coach at age 18, Coach Middlebrooks shares how mental health fuels athletic success and lifelong prosperity. He warns against desperation-driven sports decisions while coaching parents to prioritize personal value over financial prospects. Through programming designed with his wife, athletes build mental resilience, conflict resolution, organizational skills, and real-world grounding through jobs and community service. After leading teams to championships, he teaches true success balances on-court wins with off-court intentionality, which is where most athletes actually build their wealth.

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Coach Middlebrooks completed his MBA in Finance, Policy and Law at Southern Utah University, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Sports and Recreation Management at Ashford University in Chandler, Arizona. He is known for developing high-performing teams while prioritizing mental wellness and personal growth. Often called “The People’s Coach,” Middlebrooks blends athletics, leadership, and life development to help student-athletes and professionals build resilience, manage pressure, and lead with purpose. His programs have produced championship teams, academic standouts, and transformational personal outcomes — all rooted in a culture that values mental health as a cornerstone of sustained success. To learn more about Coach Middlebrooks, connect with him on IG @williampmiddlebrooks or visit his website at WilliamMiddlebrooks.com or LincolnUCA.edu.

This Financial Literacy month has truly been inspiring our students to take their financial futures to the next level! Our ‘Money Masterclass’ series continues with Eric Clay, Financial Wellbeing Coach at Operation HOPE, who turned his own student credit struggles into a mission teaching families how to build credit health that lasts. Mr. Clay reveals how credit tells your life story and breaks down the 65% revolving vs. installment credit strategy. Discover why skipping rent-builders for smart revolving credit beats debt traps every time. Plus, tap into Operation HOPE's free services for budget plans that include purchases you love and business plans for young entrepreneurs.

Mr. Clay’s skills and background include ten years of managerial experience and over 20 years of related experience in the loan and banking industry, as well as substantial knowledge of understanding the importance of strong credit. He is a native Los Angelino, who thrives on sharing the knowledge of Financial Literacy throughout the community and beyond. To learn more about Mr. Clay, visit him at OperationHOPE.org and connect with him via email at [email protected] to access his free resources.

Our ‘Money Masterclass’ series for Financial Literacy Month continues with Anika Jackson, USC Annenberg Professor of Digital Media Management, founder of Your Brand Amplified, and co-host of Mediascape and Zen Power Hour. This entrepreneurship powerhouse shares how she went from club promoter to thriving brand-builder by teaching clients and students to first know themselves as a brand. Ms. Jackson breaks down her proven system and explains how she turned her ‘side hustle’ into scalable success without hiring a team too quickly. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, learn how to amplify your authentic voice across niches and take advantage of her AI clone for instant branding tips!⁠

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Ms. Jackson is a MBA Candidate at Villanova School of Business specializing in AI/ML and Marketing. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration at the University of San Francisco, and she is master-certified in Allan Knight's Zen Empowered program. Ms. Jackson creates ecosystems where technology, education, and philanthropy converge to address global challenges. As founder of Your Brand Amplified®, her business podcast ranks in the top 0.5% globally and top 10 on Apple Podcasts for US Marketing, charting across multiple countries. Her podcast production and consulting company, Your Branded Podcast, offers comprehensive podcast production services and online courses and coaching for entrepreneurs. At USC's Annenberg School, she shapes future communicators as faculty for both the MS in Digital Media Management and the MS in Digital Social Media programs, creator of the Podcasting for Brand Building elective, and co-host/producer of the Mediascape podcast. To learn more about Ms. Jackson, visit her at Annenberg.USC.edu/faculty/anika-jackson and connect with her on LinkedIn to access her free resources.

We’re back from Spring Break and we hope you had some time to rest! Financial Literacy Month is here and our ‘Money Masterclass’ series of well-sought after financial educators and professionals are going to make you want to share them with all of your friends! This series opens with Patricia Kelly, University of California, Santa Cruz Lecturer, Speaker, and Financial Literacy Advocate, who is also the mastermind behind the popular course, COWL52 Personal Finance and Investing that is now available throughout the University of California system. From initially 30 students to now over 1,000 students enrolled, this former Wall Street Analyst shares the five pillars of finance and offers great tips from her course on how to start implementing them in your financial plan today. Don’t miss the free financial templates and resources she offers as well.

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Ms. Kelly completed her MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics at University of California, Santa Cruz. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, she received a grant from the Office of the President of the University of California to produce an online version for UC Systemwide. The course now reaches 1,000 students per term throughout the UC System. Ms. Kelly's professional career was spent in the financial industry, beginning as an investment banking analyst on Wall Street in the 1980s, to a partnership at a Palo Alto-based investment management firm responsible for managing $2.5 billion for institutional clients, including the Vanguard Equity Income Fund. She was a past President of the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California and is on the Harvard Business School Alumni Board. She also serves on the investment committee of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. To learn more about Ms. Kelly and her work, visit her website at PatKelly.Sites.UCSC.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Our ‘Women Leading with Heart’ series for Women’s History Month closes powerfully with the return of Dr. Theresa Price, CEO and Founder of The National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) - home of the renowned Black College Expo and Latino College Expo. This beloved community trailblazer shares her philosophy and secrets to living and investing in a spiritually filled life. She believes being smart is not enough, but being overprepared and well-rounded can ensure you thrive in a world not designed for everyone’s success. Find out how you can thrive with NCRF’s holistic wraparound services, student-athlete programs, financial literacy, and transfer portal tips that have unlocked over $200 million in scholarships for students just like you! College scholarships are waiting and Dr. Price urges all “creatives” to apply now!

Dr. Price completed her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast/Journalism with a minor in Speech Communications at California State University, Long Beach. In 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Virginia University of Lynchburg. After noticing a surge in high school dropout rates, primarily among the underserved and underrepresented students, she was determined to make a difference. Since NCRF's inception, this Compton native’s organization has secured and distributed more than $5 billion in scholarships & grants and has helped over 700,000 students (over two-thirds first generation students) get into college, hosting over 300 College Expos produced by NCRF. In addition to The Black College Expo™, a fifteen-city U.S. tour, NCRF also offers the Latino College Expo™, and the Students Think S.T.E.A.M. Expo. In 2022, Dr. Price worked with HBCU presidents to launch a dual enrollment program for high school students to get college credits. To donate, support and learn more about Dr. Price and her work, connect with her on IG @ncrfoundation and @blackcollegeexpo or visit her website at NCRFoundation.org.

Our ‘Women Leading with Heart’ series for Women's History Month continues with Dr. Khalilah Doss, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management at California State University, Fullerton. This first-generation Jamaican track scholar became an educational trailblazer who simply wanted to “be who I needed.” Dr. Doss shares why seeing the humanity in students—as someone’s children—guides every decision she makes. She models heart-led leadership and relationship-building with a deep commitment to ensuring students never feel like a bother—only seen, valued, and supported. Find out why asking for help, admitting “I don’t know,” and understanding that seeking support is actually a strength, not a weakness.

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Dr. Doss completed her Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Higher Education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and she received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics, Finance and Marketing at McKendree University. She has been in the field of student affairs for over 20 years and most recently served as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). In this capacity, Dr. Doss had oversight for a portfolio of units that are germane to the successful transition, support, and engagement of the students who call MTSU home. Throughout her career, Dr. Doss has been successful in developing and executing innovative programs that are rooted in diversity and inclusion; and has been known to foster a culture of evidence-based decision making, that is tied to community and campus wide partnerships on the campuses she has served. To learn more about Dr. Doss, connect with her via email at [email protected] or visit her at Fullerton.edu.

Women’s History Month continues with our ‘Women Leading with Heart’ series! In this week’s episode, we spotlight an emerging change-maker in education, the Assistant Director of the First Gen Scholars Program at Jackson State University, Ms. Shandell Lewis. She is a first-generation college graduate, former counselor, and passionate advocate for Mississippi education that is bridging K-12 and higher ed to empower the next generation. Drawn to Jackson State’s standalone first-gen program, she brought her K-12 lens to fill critical gaps—modeling transparent engagement rooted in her own first-gen journey and counseling expertise. Find out how she builds student agency by showing how “love is in the details” when recognizing the family sacrifice to attend college. Her approach helps students and families choose schools that match their ambitions, proving one woman’s calling can transform lives across generations.

Shandell completed her M.Ed. in Counselor Education at the University of Mississippi and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. She is known as a light-giver, community servant, and temperature changer in education. As a proud first-generation graduate herself, her work is deeply personal and rooted in expanding access, support, and opportunity for students navigating college for the first time. A proud Southern belle from Vicksburg, Mississippi, she served as a licensed school counselor for four years before transitioning into higher education at Mississippi State University, where she began her career in Higher Education. Shandell is also the Founder and Owner of A Touch of Magnolia Fragrance Company, a southern luxury fragrance brand inspired by scent memory and her Mississippi roots. She is also a proud active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. To learn more about Shandell, connect with her on IG @ATouchofMagnolia or email her at [email protected].