Born and raised between France, Guadeloupe and Martinique, Jess found a passion for language and decided that teaching others how to love languages would be part of her professional journey.    

Jess is her mum's only daughter and her dad's oldest daughter. Due to  working conditions in the French West Indies and her desire to live her passion, she decided to teach in China- an unexpected career detour and far from what she originally planned career wise.    

We hope that  Jess' time in China helps her grow in all the ways that she desires.

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

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Nathanael is a 21-year old student from Kadoma, Zimbabwe. He was offered a scholarship to study in China. While in Beijing, he's been studying engineering and is also a start-up entrepreneur.  

He comes from a large family, three boys and two girls.  His family experienced a significant life-changing event with the death of his father in 2012. He is inspired by his hard-working mother and the memory of his late father. 

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

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During this panel discussion, Black expat educators discuss a wide variety of topics and share their experiences working in cities such as Beijing, Abu Dhabi, and Melbourne. 

The purpose of this panel was to gain a first-hand account of their lives inside and outside their classrooms and offices, from varying vantage points, to work as Black educators in diverse international settings.  

There are numerous opportunities to work abroad in education if you know what you want, where you are interested in living, if you have a passion for educating kids/young adults, and you like to travel. Hopefully, someone is inspired to seek out opportunities to work abroad.   

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

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Originally from the Mid-West, Diara Parker is a senior executive and equity consultant, passionate about elevating and centering marginalized voices and perspectives into policy and systems change.   As the COO and Chief Organizational Development Consultant for EQT By Design - a consulting firm based in the United States - Diara supports organizations and communities as they redesign, build, and implement strategic initiatives through an equity and justice-centered lens. Prior to joining the EQT By Design team, Diara worked in the nonprofit and domestic violence fields, where she experienced significant burnout.This reality invited Diara to examine her own complicated and challenging relationship to wellness and rest.   

After years of reflection, therapy, and deep shadow work, Diara and her husband moved to Lisbon, Portugal - sight unseen - to embark on a new life journey centered around healing and exploration, and they haven’t looked back! Diara has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Development from the University of Colorado Boulder and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.   

She is passionate about creating more just and equity-centered communities and systems while also creating space for her own joy and liberation.  Diara's quote to remember is, “We cannot realize the world we want without our own healing and transformation” - Adrienne Maree Brown  If you want to follow or connect with Diara, visit her profile on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/diaraparker/.  

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

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Andrew hails from the beautiful Caribbean twin island State of Antigua and Barbuda. He is the oldest of three boys in his family.   

He started college, taking up courses in Banking and Finance but later realize that that was not his calling. After completing that program, Andrew was awarded a Chinese Government Scholarship to further his studies abroad. He left everything behind and journeyed to China at the age of 20. This was his first international travel and bursting with excitement, Andrew was about to put his 100% in the life before him. Failure was never an option.To-date, marks 13 years since Andrew landed in the city of Beijing, China. He completed both his Bachelors and Master’s Degree; of which he obtained full scholarship and graduated with honors. 

Andrew is more than just his academics. Andrew dabbles in hair dressing, make up artistry, baking and fashion designing; and even now…..CANDLE MAKING!   As a self-taught tailor (still learning), he founded the brand Oshun Signature. It’s a clothing accessories one-stop brand with handmade unique pieces crafted for the ‘powerful sophisticated woman’.   

Andrew is a very humble and fun person to be around with. Trustworthy, loyal and kindhearted are some of the adjectives that best describes the fabric of his very being. Andrew is now working as a Human Resources Manager/Recruiter at one of the top international bilingual schools in Beijing. He sits in a role that is very fulfilling as he helps foreigners settle in their positions abroad, Beijing for that matter. Now that he speaks fluent Chinese and is embedded into the culture, he aims to help and advocate for foreigners whose shoes he once walked in.    

If you'd like to follow his journey, Andrew can be found on Instagram at @keithroyjohnson.   

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

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Sharolyn, is a social entrepreneur who promotes racial equity, social advocacy, and community empowerment. She is the founder and CEO of Xpat, Inc. and creator of The Xpat App, which connects the global Black community that works, studies, and lives abroad. With representation from over 120 countries & territories across the globe, the app includes the world's largest online directory for Black expats, nomads, and study abroad students. 

Equipped with insights from her global experience, Sharolyn is on a mission to improve the social mobility and overall wellbeing of the Black community by providing exposure and access to experiences, networks, and opportunities abroad. 

Originally from Detroit, the Spelman grad currently resides in Lisbon, Portugal where she devotes her time to growing the Xpat community, exploring new cultures, and investing in passion projects. "Go where you grow and never stop exploring" is a motto that guides Shar's life. 

If you want to connect with Shar and support the pivotal work she is doing, follow her on the following platforms:  

Shar: @FeetMeetsLand on IG 

Xpat: @XpatChats on IG and https://www.xpatinc.com/  

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

Be well and remember to prioritize your mental health today!

Chanel, a Digital Innovation teacher, English teacher, and baker from Illinois came to Beijing the summer of 2016 with the hopes of furthering her career in education. What she obtained in return was worth more than a salary and teaching experience combined.  Her life in China has helped establish the relationships she has aspired to have with her friends, colleagues ,and most importantly herself.  

If you would like to follow Chanel's journey, you can connect with her on the following platforms: 

Wechat: EccentricQueen 

Wechat: SugaMama90 

Instagram: @eccentricqueen90 

TikTok: eccentricqueen90 

LinkedIn:  Chanel Trammell   

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

Be well and remember to prioritize your mental health today!

Dr. Shannon A. B. Evans, born in Freeport Grand Bahama, is a 6th grade English teacher that currently resides in Beijing, China.   

Dr. E knew she wanted to be a teacher by the age of 7, and she worked diligently toward that goal. She has an undergraduate degree in Primary Education, and she left The Bahamas at the age of 21 to pursue a master’s degree in School Counseling. She worked in various therapeutic settings until she returned home in 2016. After two years at home, she moved to Beijing in 2018.  

Shannon's original plan was to stay in Beijing for 14 months; however, three and a half years and two jobs later, she's not yet ready to leave. To add another accomplishment to her list, in the midst of the numerous transitions Dr. Evans managed to complete her PhD in counselor education and supervision.  

If you want to learn more about Dr. Evans' journey abroad, how she impacts her community, and how she makes her mental health a priority, you can follow her on Instagram at @drbaby_bgib.  

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback.

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

Be well and remember to prioritize your mental health today!

I felt this series was vital in order to reframe the narrative about Black people of the diaspora living their best lives, traveling, impacting their communities, and making their mental health a priority.  

This series is will hopefully spotlight the importance of us taking up space throughout the world, driving our own narratives, and creating opportunities for others in our community.   

The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives.

Be well and remember to prioritize your mental health today!

thank you for tuning in to the show today.

In the spirit of transparency, I wanted to share with you that The Black Expat Experience was rebranded shortly after the first season was completed; therefore, as you listen to episodes from season 1, you may hear the episodes in this season being referred to by the podcast’s former iteration, Black and Abroad. I was unaware that there was another group by this name, and in honoring their hard work and wanting to differentiate myself and rebrand in a way that was more aligned and original, the Black Expat Experience was born.

I can assure you, however, that all of the sessions and conversations after the show's rebrand are just as impactful, entertaining and engaging.

Thank you for understanding. We look forward to your continued support, and we vow to offer you quality, honest, and relelvent content.