Beyond the Bell Tower: Recent Episodes
TRIO Programs at NC State
This is Beyond the Bell Tower, a podcast for students enrolled in the TRIO Programs at NC State. Current students, alumni and community members share their personal stories to offer support and guidance to TRIO Program students. The episodes focus on all things related to academics, finances, career and personal development and culture to promote undergraduate and graduate school success relevant to the low-income, first-generation college student experience.
You don’t want to miss this episode! Morgan Alexander and Mya McDowell are both seniors at NC State. They discuss their college experiences here at NC State and how they found themselves in leadership positions. They also discuss tips that help them to be effective leaders as women. Mya talks about her experience as a Goodnight Scholar and how she has managed balancing her academics with her social life. Morgan talks about the pressures behind being the President of the Uninhibited Praise Gospel Choir here at NCSU, and how she finds pleasure in building relationships with the people that she leads in the choir. Lastly, find out what they look forward to in terms of their futures as graduating seniors, and where they see themselves in the coming years.
Listen to this great episode where we sit down with Mike Ferrell of Ferrell 27 Creative Media to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur. Mike, an NC State alum, talks about his time here at NC State and his transition to the professional world. He also mentions the challenges that he overcame when it was time to start his own business while giving advice to any young mind who is interested in going down a similar path. Finally, Mike and Josh hit on an important topic in today’s world when they talk about mental health. Listen to how Mike takes care of his mental health and how he overcomes the stigma associated with it.
For as far back as we can remember, gender identity and sexuality have always been restricted between the two sexes: female and male. Today, those restrictions have been opened up to include a variety of identities and sexualities, from gender-fluid and nonbinary to pansexual and asexual to many more. Yvonne Damon, a sophomore in biochemistry and TRIO Ambassador, identifies as a cis-gendered pansexual. On this episode of “Beyond the Belltower,” Yvonne (she, her, hers) and Riki (she, her, hers) have an enlightening conversation about pronouns, derogatory terms, and the LGBT climate both on campus and around the world.
In this episode of Beyond the Bell Tower, Gabby talks about study abroad at NC State. Using her own travels to Belize as a teaching tool, she also go in-depth with the confusing process of travel, from how to prepare for your trip to how to make the most out of your experience. Gabby is a senior in human biology and a first-generation TRIO student. She hopes to use the service that she’s provided on her travels to help her help other people in the future.
On August 21, 2018, the young women of TRIO met with Dr. Kathryn Edin to have brunch and discuss the themes of her book, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America. These women reached back into their earliest memories, talking about how certain moments in the book reflected moments in their actual lives, with some revealing things they’d never talked about before. This conversation opened the door for students to feel more comfortable talking about one of the most taboo topics on a college campus: money. The most inspiring message that came from this brunch was one of perseverance and survival. Despite all that these women have been through, they continue to thrive in an environment that is set up in every way for them to fail. On this episode of Beyond the Bell Tower, kick off Women’s History Month with host, Riki Dows, and TRIO women — Joelle Fuchs, Jacqulea Anderson, and Khadija Parker — as they share their stories of living on almost nothing in America and how they continue to fight (and survive through) these same obstacles on a college campus.
Buying a car is one of the first investments young adults learn to make. But what exactly goes into that purchase? This process can be even harder for students for many students and even more so for students from lower income backgrounds. Taylor Adams, a graduating senior and TRIO scholars, has gone through the car-buying process. He shares with us his experience in buying his used car, the benefits and disadvantages of buying new versus used, and ways he’s maintained his car over the years.
Jess Errico, first-generation college student and NC State Student Body President 2018-2019 and Lily Neal, TRIO student and NC State Student Government Board of Elections Chair discuss how and why students need to be involved in student government and campus activities beginning in their first year on campus. How does a low-income first-generation afford to run for a campus leadership position – Jess shares what funding is available to you. The power students in leadership positions have to improve the lives of under-resourced students on campus is real! It was under the leadership of Jess that the university started the Pack Meal Share Program which students donate their guest meals for students experiencing food insecurity to access. The food was available in the dining halls and Student Government made sure the students in-need accessed it.
Jess Errico graduated May 2019 with a B.S. in Engineering. To learn more about Jess:
www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/2019/04/10/…ng-and-advocacy/
Lily Neal will be graduating NC State in May 2020 with a degree in Psychology. Upon graduation she will be pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. Lily has been an active leader on campus involved with student government in various capacities, as an Orientation Counselor and work-study student for the Psychology Undergraduate Academic Advising Office.
To learn more about the Pack Meal Share program – NC State Pack Meal Share Program.
Kier Way, TRIO Alum and first-year veterinary medical school student, speaks with current TRIO students and current veterinary medicine applicants about his origins, his journey through State, and how he stays humble throughout the highs and lows of being a student. Be ready to rock it with this stoic front-runner.
Kyana Miller, TRIO Chair of the Peer Mentor Program and senior in Animal Science program will walk you through her truth. She’s an out of state student, a study abroad ambassador, and an advocate for exotic animal medicine. In this interview, she’ll tell you the reality of being a POC in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences while keeping it more than upbeat. You’ll hear tips, tricks, accomplishments, and lessons learned in this field.
Kier Way was a celebrated leader on campus during undergrad at NC State. His achievements range from Outstanding Achievement in Classical Studies to executive board member for National Pan-Hellenic Council (governing body of all Black Greek organizations). Academically he made the dean’s list, but not every semester. Even though it may seem like perfection is necessary to be admitted to vet school, it is not. Kier’s experience working in a exotic animal practice, research, and study abroad experiences, in addition to a diverse accumulation of animal contact hours and passion prepared him to be accepted.
Both Kier and Kyana share their passion for the profession along with the hardships of being a pre-vet student, living the vet life while juggling classes, friends, and working on veterinary school applications. It takes more than a love for animals to reach vet school, and TRIO was an instrumental resource. Kier and Kyana also share their experiences of being people of color on campus as animal science majors. If you are thinking of applying to vet or medical school – this is for you!
As a first-generation college student and graduate of the Poole College of Management, Dontavis overcame the odds of earning a bachelor’s and graduate degree. Listen as Dontavis shares tips and strategies on budgeting, saving and investing while balancing adulthood.
Only 33% of parents graduate with a bachelor’s degree. And with childcare costing so much more than the price of tuition, many parents struggle with balancing the responsibilities of raising a child and continuing their education. Connie Gatlin, a recent graduate in Horticulture Science and the TRIO program, defied the odds and succeeded despite them – all with her daughter, Jelina, beside her every step of the way. Tune in to hear Connie and Jelina talk their journey, including what it was like for Connie to bring her daughter with her to class, how Jelina has benefited from her time as one of the youngest students to ever attend NC State, and all the different ways they overcame what was supposed to be impossible.
As a first-generation student, Bri recalls the days and weeks leading up to the start of her first year of college and first months on campus. These days were filled with uncertainty, and she was afraid to ask questions. Every day, she continued to realize how much she didn’t know. Now, she screams to the top of her lungs with joy “I am a proud first generation college student” because that has indeed shaped her experience in undergrad and graduate school. Bri has not let anything “dim her light” and she wants you to do the same. Bri Elum is Community Director for University Housing.
Joelle shares the good and bad of her four years at NC State. Engaging in undergraduate research and benefiting from a cast of female mentors have been her motivating force. She excelled in research studying the effects of BPA on the brain and was selected for summer research at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, which ranks first in the country. But, during that time, she had no possibility of securing housing when she returned to campus – making her homeless. Joelle not only shares more of her experiences excelling in school while being food and housing insecure, but offers solutions. Moving forward, Joelle is going to continue with a career in research – to find the answers to the problems she experienced.
Dominick made a huge impact at TRIO being the first President of the TRIO Student Ambassadors. It was obvious he was meant for great things. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s in Accounting from NC State. Today, he is an auditor with Cherry Bekaert LLP. Dominick’s path was not always a straight line. Within his first two years at NC State, Dominick had been a math major and applied to the Colleges of Engineering and Design. Discouraged is not in Dominick’s vocabulary – when he was turned down for summer internships, he just kept preparing himself for his career. Not getting an internship with NASCAR did not stop him from being a car fanatic.
Clay Chaney is the TRIO resident meteorologist. Currently a TV Weather Center Intern for WRAL local TV station, Clay covered Hurricane Florence and Michael, creating a weather graphic of Hurricane Florence that had over 1 million views and 15,000 shares on social media. In this episode, Clay shares the literal sweat and tears he shed to reach his goal of being a storm chaser. He relied on Greek life, intramural sports, undergraduate research and TRIO to be the first one in his family to graduate college and go onto graduate school. We do wish him luck to reach another goal, winning a championship in intramural flag football.
TRIO Student Support Services and Student Support Services STEM is an organization that provides a supportive community for an underrepresented and under-resourced demographic at NC State – the low-income, first generation students. In this community, students feel safe, understood and supported. Outside of this community, however, it’s hard not to feel judged. Because in a society where social justice has reached an all-time high, with support for marginalized groups like minorities, the LGBT community and women, we still need to have the conversation about why our society hates the poor.
Aalanah Valentine and Riki Dows are TRIO students who know this feeling of being judged all too well. In this episode of “Beyond the Bell Tower,” Aalanah and Riki talk about the stigma society has of the poor, share their own personal struggles with being low-income on an elite campus like NC State and prove to anyone listening that they don’t have to be ashamed of their background. They hope to inspire low-income, first generation students to be proud of where they’ve come from because it’s the reason they’re here today and to show them that no matter where they’ve been, their strength is going to take them amazing places in the future.
Are you a future graduating student? Are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree? Would you like to connect your post-graduate experience to someone else’s? This episode will answer those tough questions and provide clarity to individuals who are facing these issues as well as dating life talk.
Dorcas is a recent graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, receiving her Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Nutrition and currently working towards a PhD in Community Health Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences from NC State University when she was an active TRIO leader.
During this podcast, we tackle a series of issues such as student life, relationships, graduate degrees, and more. This is a timeless episode for students at any stage of their career. This episode is very useful for students thinking about or entering their journey to graduate programs as well as for students wondering what college life is post graduation. We also touched on relationships after graduation which is huge for the college student wanting to continue to build their social skills.
This episode highlights the study abroad experience of TRIO student Gabrielle Neal. This was Gabby’s first experience leaving the county as well as first time flying! The road to South Korea was uphill for Gabby as she managed the Covid-19 restrictions for both the United States and South Korea as well as completing all of the Visa applications as well as confirming her budget and financial aid resources. The opportunity to study in Sol, Korea was a top goal for Gabby and she achieved it! During this episode, we tackled student life at NC State versus student life abroad, benefits of TRIO from high school to college, and life abroad.
Andrea Wallenbeck
Counselor, Post Master’s Fellow
NC State University Student Counseling Center
In this episode we tackled multiple mental health issues from a student perspective and faculty perspective. Both Isaiah and Andrea shared their own experiences with mental health challenges and seeking support. The transitions students experienced with Covid-19 and continuing in college has not left any student without personal, academic, health and financial challenges. And the effect of Covid-19 is still challenging for the student population. We also mentioned various mental health resources for students and faculty to use throughout their time here at North Carolina State University. If you would like to strengthen your mental health please reach out to the following resources ncsu.rints.com/, ncsu.miresource.com/ and contact your TRIO Coach with any questions.
Robin Batsuli is a student at NC State University Majoring in Business Administration and an active TRIO student. He completed a Co-Op position during COVID19. During this podcast, we tackled tough conversations surrounding race, professional internships, academics, moving across the country and more. We do a deep dive into Robin’s co-op experience and what he went through as an African-American male in a completely different part of the country.
Many of our students at North Carolina State University go through internships experiences every year, this episode takes a deeper look into the individuals experience during their internship. Are you a student that doesn’t know anything about co-ops or internships? Have you had an abnormal internship experience? Would you get a glimpse of what it is like to take a co-op internship during undergrad? This episode will answer those questions.
Miguel Ortiz-Cruz and his family living in Pender County experienced devastation to their home and lives by Hurricane Florence in September 2018. For over one year, Miguel’s family lived in FEMA shelters while the family waited for their jobs to return and roads could be restored so the family could begin rebuilding their house.
There was a silver lining to Miguel’s experience. In this podcast he shares how he learned the benefits of asking for help and leveraging personal experiences to become an advocate for other college students managing homelessness while earning a degree. Miguel accessed the Hurricane Emergency Grants offered by NC college students as well as all of the assistance NC State made available. Normally avoiding any attention, it was during the experience of living through Hurricane Florence and the after-math he became vocal in the media with local, state and national media.
Miguel graduated from Magna Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in Technology, Design and Engineering from the College of Education. While at NC State he was active in the Marching Band, Bellydance Club, and TRIO.
Mohamed is an Industrial Engineering major and is looking forward to work for a Design Consulting Firm after college. He plans to eventually start his own practice.
Fun fact: Mohamed: “I make music and it’s available everywhere! Just search “Shmoneymo” on your streaming platform
Sarah Aljaafari is a Junior at NC State. She has received various certifications for first aid, suicide prevention, and crowd management. Sarah has worked with four departments at NC State spanning from Event Manager to Global Ambassador.
Fun Fact: Sarah is certified in QPR+ Suicide Prevention Training.
In Charlotte, N.C, one of our students has already made an impression in her community. Unique Patton’s journey started in middle school, where she started her journey helping local artist, Tom Stanley, create public artworks for Charlotte’s Blue Line Extension. Unique’s work on the HOME public art project focused on reflecting upon her community and what home can mean to others. Her belief in how everyone is an artist has really shaped her community as a member of the Black Artists Coalition and an active design studies student. She is always interested in seeing how public art can affect infrastructure and people’s views on their own and other’s communities. Now, as a sophomore in the Design Studies major with a concentration in Business Administration, Unique is still continuing her journey by helping on Tom Stanley’s newest installation in Charlotte.
Unique’s success continues as both a peer mentor for the TRIO program and as a winner of the first Communities in Schools Student Innovation Challenge and 2019 Imagine Mecklenburg Student Art Contest. Her accomplishments show the value of community and giving back to the places you call home. Recorded fall 2020.
“It was over there, so we didn’t have to worry about it,” Shelyn Williams who is a freshman at NC State University talks about the start of the pandemic. She has experienced first-hand what life on campus is like during a pandemic. As one of the freshman students who requested to stay when the university decided to transition fully online in Fall 2020, she explains what it is like to live on campus during a pandemic along with the difficulties faced by having had her senior year of high school finish during the beginning of the pandemic as she recognizes how quickly the virus spread in North Carolina and how our views changed about the pandemic overtime.
Miranda Peruesk is a transfer student and senior at NC State who is able to recall what campus life is like for students like Shelyn who have not been on campus before the pandemic, “it was like we lived in our own mini-city, our own social ecosystem”. Miranda plans to graduate from NC State in Spring 2021, she takes to heart the struggles that Shelyn faced as a senior in high school.
Together, these students look at the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole, and what the university and the state of North Carolina can do as we head back onto campus. Recorded fall 2020.
“It was over there, so we didn’t have to worry about it,” Shelyn Williams who is a freshman at NC State University talks about the start of the pandemic. She has experienced first-hand what life on campus is like during a pandemic. As one of the freshman students who requested to stay when the university decided to transition fully online in Fall 2020, she explains what it is like to live on campus during a pandemic along with the difficulties faced by having had her senior year of high school finish during the beginning of the pandemic as she recognizes how quickly the virus spread in North Carolina and how our views changed about the pandemic overtime.
Miranda Peruesk is a transfer student and senior at NC State who is able to recall what campus life is like for students like Shelyn who have not been on campus before the pandemic, “it was like we lived in our own mini-city, our own social ecosystem”. Miranda plans to graduate from NC State in Spring 2021, she takes to heart the struggles that Shelyn faced as a senior in high school.
Together, these students look at the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole, and what the university and the state of North Carolina can do as we head back onto campus.
Recorded fall 2020.
NC State Junior Ruby Shah is a Sombers Neurochemistry Research Lab Volunteer and a previous WISE mentor. Her experience as a science major was shaped by struggles, but with the support of her family, her TRIO peer mentor, and her WISE mentor, she has succeeded and is looking towards going to grad school. Her experience as a first-generation college student is one many can connect to and is an identity she embraces as a sign of her strength and her struggles as she learned to navigate campus and succeed without the knowledge others have coming into college. Ruby shares her own advice to students wishing to connect more with other students and staff during the pandemic.
NC State alumna Roshaunda McLean rejoins us for her second episode of the podcast to celebrate as she gets close to the finish line of receiving her PhD. at the University of Georgia. Tia Canada, a freedom fighter, TRIO Alum and now first year graduate student at NC State College of Education joins Roshaunda to reflect on their similar experiences with impostor syndrome. This emotional episode takes us back to the feelings Roshaunda had three years ago with the added hope and celebration of both women’s accomplishments, the value of resting, sisterhood and their steps forward that will lead to paving the way of a better future as African Americans in higher education. Both women were able to connect with each other through staff and how tightly-knit the community at NC State is. Roshaunda and Tia talk about research projects, and Roshanda’s work in Athens, Georgia about underrepresented populations in higher education including African Americans students and community members in predominantly white college towns. The conversation ends with “You are not the imposter! You worked harder than anyone in the room to be here! You earned this with what you have done everyday of your life.” Recorded in fall 2020.
Esmira Poladova joins Sarah Wright in this conversation, only a month after participating in NC State’s largest philanthropy celebration of the year. Esmira Poladova was one of the select TRIO scholars to share her story with NC State’s top donors. Beyond her role in this event, Esmira unfolds her life story from the lens of an immigrant refugee. She also talks about how she chooses to engage with the world and specifically other individuals on NC State campus, as an individual who has survived and witnessed things that the average person could not even imagine. From engaging in challenging academic conversations to humbly living in “the other world”, Esmira demonstrates that there is always more to an individual than their script, that she specifically is a human before she is ever an immigrant, and that all of her experiences have made for a resilient and wise graduate. This episode was recorded Fall 2019.
TRIO Alum Abriana Johnson shares exciting news with the growth of her company being able to quit her “day job” to focus full-time on Black Unicorn Creative LLC a creative solutions firm that helps businesses in the horse industry establish their digital hoof print and show up for their community online blackunicorncreative.com/. This summer, she was sought out by the New York Times and other media outlets for expertise on diversity in the equestrian industry. Abriana is the author of the Cowgirl Camryn children’s book series following an African-American girl who is passionate about animal husbandry and farm-life and she is a host of the popular podcast Young Black Equestrians www.youngblackequestrians.com/. As an Animal Science major at NC State (2010-2014) Abriana’s passion for horses, veterinary medicine, and being in charge was unbridled. Going to Vet School was her primary goal, however, when she was denied in her first attempt she pivoted and the rest is history!
Abriana wants listeners to learn a few things from the episode:
Don’t be afraid to pivot in your life plan. No one is in control of your outcomes but you.
You can be multi-passionate and still be successful. Figure out how to make your passion work for you.
Balance doesn’t exist, only prioritizing for the moment.
Impostor syndrome is developed when you are living by someone else’s standards and not your own. Create your own standards of success.
Surround yourself with people who are where you want to be, not where you are coming from. Only then can you elevate to the next level. This episode was recorded Fall 2020.
TRIO Alum Abriana Johnson shares exciting news with the growth of her company being able to quit her “day job” to focus full-time on Black Unicorn Creative LLC a creative solutions firm that helps businesses in the horse industry establish their digital hoof print and show up for their community online blackunicorncreative.com/. This summer, she was sought out by the New York Times and other media outlets for expertise on diversity in the equestrian industry. Abriana is the author of the Cowgirl Camryn children’s book series following an African-American girl who is passionate about animal husbandry and farm-life and she is a host of the popular podcast Young Black Equestrians www.youngblackequestrians.com/. As an Animal Science major at NC State (2010-2014) Abriana’s passion for horses, veterinary medicine, and being in charge was unbridled. Going to Vet School was her primary goal, however, when she was denied in her first attempt she pivoted and the rest is history!
Abriana wants listeners to learn a few things from the episode:
Don’t be afraid to pivot in your life plan. No one is in control of your outcomes but you.
You can be multi-passionate and still be successful. Figure out how to make your passion work for you.
Balance doesn’t exist, only prioritizing for the moment.
Impostor syndrome is developed when you are living by someone else’s standards and not your own. Create your own standards of success.
Surround yourself with people who are where you want to be, not where you are coming from. Only then can you elevate to the next level. This episode was recorded Fall 2020.
Toinette, Brianna and Isaiah sat down in Summer 2020 to discuss current issues including the Black Lives Matter movement. They looked into changes at the university and what could be done to better African Americans’ experience at NC State University and what programs and initiatives that could be put into place to make steps forward into furthering the diversity at the university. Focusing on how the university can improve long-term and increase diversity in not only the student population but in administration and faculty positions is one of many topics discussed in this podcast. Toinette, Brianna and Isaiah are also members of the Caldwell Fellowship program and talked about being a member of Caldwell has helped them and can continue to help them succeed. This episode was recorded Summer 2020.
Grace fantasized about celebrating her graduation from NC State from the first day on campus. It was the graduation ceremony that motivated her to devote every hour of each day to earning her degree with high grades and working three jobs. Her graduation ceremony remains a fantasy as the ceremony was cancelled due to Covid-19 circumstances. Grace graduated in May 2020 with a B.S. degree from The Poole College of Management. She has remained at NC State pursuing a graduate degree in Global Luxury Management. She details her strategies in facing hardships such as physical fatigue and developing her identity as a successful woman. Grace shares her life-long passion for Disney beginning with watching all the Disney movies with her mom in Ghana. She has a deep connection to Stitch from “Lilo and Stitch” as she was mischievous as a child. During her time at NC State she landed her dream Disney internship. How to build credit as a college student to be able to buy a car with no family support is super helpful. The episode ends with her sharing her experiences being hungry and homeless during her college career and developing a support system as she had no family to rely on. Grace will be your role-model for sustaining your motivation and commitment to earning a degree while only having herself to rely on. This episode was recorded Summer 2020.
In the Summer of 2017, Eric Graham shared on the podcast how he had managed personal, financial and academic hardships. In the Summer of 2019, Eric returned excited to share updates only a few days after receiving a job offer from SPX FLOW, Inc. as a Product Manager. Eric recently graduated from NC State with a B.S. in Textile Technology, Supply Chain Operations and shares with us how his NC State experience (serving as a Chancellor’s Leadership Scholar, working multiple part-time jobs, contributing to several campus leadership organizations, and much more) has allowed him to become a well-rounded individual. Eric also testifies that despite some of the challenges he faced in undergrad, he was able to design a unique professional education background in both engineering and textile technology. With lived experience in his toolkit, Eric is now an open-minded and adaptive individual as well as a modern day employee who is equipped to excel in a diverse environment.
In the Summer of 2017, Eric Graham shared on the podcast how he had managed personal, financial and academic hardships. In the Summer of 2019, Eric returned excited to share updates only a few days after receiving a job offer from SPX FLOW, Inc. as a Product Manager. Eric recently graduated from NC State with a B.S. in Textile Technology, Supply Chain Operations and shares with us how his NC State experience (serving as a Chancellor’s Leadership Scholar, working multiple part-time jobs, contributing to several campus leadership organizations, and much more) has allowed him to become a well-rounded individual. Eric also testifies that despite some of the challenges he faced in undergrad, he was able to design a unique professional education background in both engineering and textile technology. With lived experience in his toolkit, Eric is now an open-minded and adaptive individual as well as a modern day employee who is equipped to excel in a diverse environment.
Kahila Phillips spoke with BTB in Summer 2019 before she left to begin her graduate career at George Washington University. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy, with a concentration in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, that falls more in line with her political interests and Black feminist/womanist ideologies.
In May 2019, Kahlia graduated with a B.S. in Accounting. In this podcast she shares why and how she made such great leaps from Accounting to Gender Studies. Those of you conflicted between a “logical” major and a “passion” major will gain a great deal from how you can have both.
In the podcast, Kahlia also shares her scholarly research,”Jezebel, the Virgin: A Critique of the Sex Positive Feminist Movement”, was centered on the complexities of Black women, the social construction of virginity, and the concept of mainstream sex positivity. Essentially, it’s a literature review that looks at the socio-historical context that Black women’s sexuality is situated, a historical understanding of “virginity”, and the critical gaps within the mainstream sex positive feminist movement.
Kahlia Phillips is a Rocky Mount native and was active in TRiO Student Support Services and McNair Scholars Program at NC State.
Esmira Poladova joins Sarah Wright in this conversation, only a month after participating in NC State’s largest philanthropy celebration of the year. Esmira Poladova was one of the select TRIO scholars to share her story with NC State’s top donors. Beyond her role in this event, Esmira unfolds her life story from the lens of an immigrant refugee. She also talks about how she chooses to engage with the world and specifically other individuals on NC State campus, as an individual who has survived and witnessed things that the average person could not even imagine. From engaging in challenging academic conversations to humbly living in “the other world”, Esmira demonstrates that there is always more to an individual than their script, that she specifically is a human before she is ever an immigrant, and that all of her experiences have made for a resilient and wise graduate.
Jean Ferman, a third year student, double-majoring in Polymer and Color Chemistry and Human Biology with a minor in Nutrition, joins us right after the first general body meeting of his new student organization, F1RST. Jean describes existence on NC State’s campus for him thus far, how he got here, and the details of building a representative pool of resources for students. Jean uncovers personal struggles both with and beyond identifying as a first-generation college student, while also taking time to triumph on a few of his greatest accomplishments and memories as an engaged scholar. Despite discouragement, food insecurity, academic challenges, and often falling through the cracks of federal support systems, Jean has begun to pave the way for a successful future in dentistry with strong relationships, with familial values, and with the courage to learn from experience. Jean offers hope for helping other young trailblazers and inspiration for empowering under-represented students from the beginning of their college application process and throughout actual life on a large campus.
Live from the 2019 TRIO Fall Conference, NC State alumnus and economic intellectual, Ahmed Monley and senior undergraduate student, Esmira Poladova, talk financial investments, insecurities, and inspirations. Following Ahmed’s formal presentation, the two talk one-on-one with TRIO advisor, Sarah Wright, to recap some major take-aways. They address the reality that there is no “get rich quick scheme” to sustain us all nor a single profession that can automatically grant us the wealth we wish to have. Ahmed and Esmira share some hard truths, as well as humorous adages, about managing the kind of money and financial stability that every TRIO student aspires to have. They also share how the TRIO Fall Conference itself, has given them the opportunity to reflect on similar experiences in their chosen career paths and given them a space to appreciate all that life has to offer as underrepresented individuals in the professional world.
Studying abroad can be expensive, it can be scary, and it can be life-changing; which is why it is only important that you do it! On this episode of Beyond The Bell Tower, Citlali Rubio, a senior studying Political Science and International Studies, as well as French, describes what it’s like to be a globally conscious student. Citlali details how she managed to achieve a unique study abroad experience and even outlines the process for studying abroad for NC State students with tips and recommended scholarships. Citlali shares her best and worst memories of studying abroad alone. Citlali reflects on how her service break experience to an immigrant detention center challenged her personally and she encourages listeners to take advantage of all opportunities through the university to be socially active.
Protests, parties, and petitions have all been the college trademark for many students, and on this episode of Beyond the Bell Tower, John Robinson-Miller IV, program coordinator for the African American Cultural Center, talks both systemic change and self-care. The burn-out in advocacy, as a young adult and especially as a member of a minority group, can have huge consequences on the social well-being of students. John Robinson-Miller IV, a self-identified queer, an African American, a double NC State alumnus and staff member, speaks to the balance of fighting the long fights, addressing inequality in a way that is truly impactful, and remaining optimistic. John offers his perspective as a faculty member who is just as entrenched in student organization and student issues as students themselves.
What many identify as the “housing situation” and the plague of financial instability on college campuses, has led to alarming high rates of homelessness and food insecurity, even at NC State University. Dr. Mary E Haskett, a NC State professor in the Department of Psychology and Co-Chair of the NC State Student Food and Housing Security Initiative, reminds us on this episode of Beyond The Bell Tower, that these issues are NOT inevitable. Dr. Haskett shares her passion behind the work that she does to raise awareness for homelessness and food insecurity, as well as expresses the urgency for systemic change in students’ support systems. Dr. Haskett shares her call to action for reducing the number of students that feel they must sleep in their cars in order to graduate or go without food to survive their college experience, but she also challenges faculty and students alike to take active roles in transforming campus culture.
Follow Dr. Haskett’s other work https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article10877324.html , http://abc11.com/5903485/, and check out resources at https://dasa.ncsu.edu/pack-essentials/campus-food-resources/
In this podcast, Toinette, who is studying abroad Fall 2019, shares how she leads a life of purpose and serves others authentically, all while navigating the obstacles on the path to greatness. Toinette describes how positive affirmations have shaped her experience as a student leader, friend, and scholar at NC State. Toinette is a sophomore majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Global Relations with a minor in Spanish, and has activated her resources as a student at NC State to take advantage of opportunities, such as traveling the world, that may not have otherwise been available to her. Toinette plans to attend graduate school and obtain a doctorate degree and because Toinette is indeed “destined for success”, in the future she will own her own nonprofit organization, an international business, and assist and support homeless families and high school students. Toinette aspires to continue to meet new people, gain a variety of perspectives, and make a long-lasting difference in the lives of others.
NC State TRIO Alum Khalia Braswell travels back to campus for this podcast in May 2019. After graduation in 2013, Khalia quickly became a power player at Apple, motivational speaker on the Ted Talk stage and highly acclaimed entrepreneur and social activist for her business INTech. We are lucky to have Khalia share the secrets of building a professional and social network including executives from Fortune 500 companies and some of today’s most innovative entrepreneurs while promoting girls in technology and pursuing graduate education.
With all of this experience and success she still became anxious when she walked back into DH Hill library to record the podcast remembering the sleepless nights making it through her computer science courses. Khalia will inspire you to continue the hard work in the library as it is a necessary part of the journey to earn an income while making an impact.
To learn more about Khalia: www.khaliabraswell.com/home and intechcamp.org/
Everyone on campus seems to know Gino Fernandes II – as an accomplished entrepreneur, an active leader in Biochemistry, TRIO and Campus Enterprises, as King Gino a professional rapper and as the face of NC State student basic needs. Gino shares how has reaped success as a biochemistry student, starting an internship with Biogen all at the same time as managing his professional entertainment career creating music, performing and managing a label. How is this event possible? Gino appears to have it all – but it did not start that way, in high school he did not even know he had to apply to college and look where he is now. With his humor, passion and lived experiences you will be inspired by him. He will show you how you do not need to choose between your college degree and pursuing another career at the same time.
Indira Gutierrez is a TRIO student studying psychology with minors in biology and cognitive sciences, all of which tie into her passions for change in financial insecurity. Not only has she experienced both food and housing insecurity herself, but she is also she’s using her time at NC State to actively fight hard against the stigmas surrounding it. Under the direction of Dr. Mary Haskett, Indira has conducted research and collaborated on the Food and Housing Insecurity Initiative Among NC State Students. She has made strides towards positive changes on campus like keeping residence halls open during breaks and promoting visibility and accessibility to resources on campus like Pack Essentials.
On this episode of Beyond the Bell Tower, Indira implores listeners to realize that food and housing insecurity can look like many things, come in different forms and that you don’t have to be considered “low-income” to experience either one. NC State is a campus with a variety of resources for you to use. She hopes that in telling her story, she will convince others that there is no shame in using them.
For more information on these resources, important changes at NC State and how you can get involved, make sure to join the NCSU Basic Students Needs Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/347086259247513/
Wade has done it all: CO-OP and part-time employment in a high paying industry, accepted to graduate school before graduation with a B.S. degree and a diverse network of professional contacts and mentors. These accomplishments did not come easy to Wade. Learn about the tough decisions he made and the risks he took leading him to become financially and professionally secure.
Jesse Lopez, a TRIO Upward Bound Alumni, is now a lead librarian at Arizona State University. Before achieving this administrator position, he earned a very competitive and esteemed position at NC State libraries when he shared his story for the podcast in October 2017. Learn how Jesse negotiated a better salary at ASU, pursued a career as a librarian and struggled to transition from a predominately Hispanic community in Los Angeles to an affluent PWI.
Qulea is a proud second-year TRIO Student Support Services STEM student at NC State. In this podcast, Qulea shares her story of caring for her chronically ill parents and then dealing with their death while in high school. Listen to Qulea, as she shares her story of homelessness and how utilizing TRIO, the Counseling Center and other support systems have been beneficially to her ultimate success. As Qulea states, “There is always someone out there watching over you.”
Eric entered NC State as an engineering major. Like a great number of college students, after two years in the Biological Engineering program it was apparent he needed a change his major. After considering several other majors, Eric shares his story of feelings of failure and frustration to now achieving academic success and committing to career in textiles. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Graduating in May 2018, Brooke discusses the best decisions she has made at NC State – attending CMAST (academic semester at NC State’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology), seeking out mentoring relationships and presenting her research at national conferences. The multiple part-time jobs she has worked since 16, never deterred her for being so invested in her future of earning a Ph.D. This episode was recorded Fall 2017.
Riki is a third year student at NC State studying communication with a concentration in media, minoring in dance, a reporter in Student Media, a University Theatre actor, and recently, a TRIO SSS student. Throughout her college education, she, along with many other low-income, first generation students, has felt the extreme pressure to succeed in the college expectation of being able to “do it all” – get good grades, build a resume by joining extracurricular clubs, and make money to survive. In this episode, she talks about dealing with the stress of being overwhelmed, bouncing back from rejection, and how to best take care of yourself when it doesn’t seem like your schedule allows for it. Riki is the newest staff member assisting in the production of Beyond the Bell Tower.
Eighty-five percent of college students report feeling overwhelmed by everything they have to do in college. Bradford shares his personal experiences with managing the stressors of applying to graduate school, ending relationships and transitioning to a career in counseling. Bradford currently works as the Academic Success Coordinator for TRIO Student Support Services Programs at NC State. Bradford earned his undergraduate degree at North Carolina A&T State University and his graduate degree in Counseling from UNC-Pembroke. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Eighty-five percent of college students report feeling overwhelmed by everything they have to do in college. Bradford shares his personal experiences with managing the stressors of applying to graduate school, ending relationships and transitioning to a career in counseling. Bradford currently works as the Academic Success Coordinator for TRIO Student Support Services Programs at NC State. Bradford earned his undergraduate degree at North Carolina A&T State University and his graduate degree in Counseling from UNC-Pembroke. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Graduating in May 2017 Morgan reflects openly and honestly about how she overcame working too much, eating too little and spending more time stressing than studying. While at NC State she advocated for students to access quality and affordable health care on campus. She is passionate about access to healthcare based upon her experiences struggling to access healthcare. And now with a B.S. in Nutrition Sciences from NC State she is working in the public health field. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Graduating in May 2017 Morgan reflects openly and honestly about how she overcame working too much, eating too little and spending more time stressing than studying. While at NC State she advocated for students to access quality and affordable health care on campus. She is passionate about access to healthcare based upon her experiences struggling to access healthcare. And now with a B.S. in Nutrition Sciences from NC State she is working in the public health field. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Lakeisha is a lauded for being a mother of four, low-income and non-traditional student. Lakeisha earned her B.A. degree in 2016 and is now pursuing her M.S.W. degree at NC State. She shares her secrets to success managing family, part-time work, school work and overcoming self-doubt. This episode was recorded Fall 2017.
Lakeisha is a lauded for being a mother of four, low-income and non-traditional student. Lakeisha earned her B.A. degree in 2016 and is now pursuing her M.S.W. degree at NC State. She shares her secrets to success managing family, part-time work, school work and overcoming self-doubt. This episode was recorded Fall 2017.
Owning a home is the American dream. Kalysha bought her first home last year while pursuing her graduate degree at NC State. Learn how she did this as a low-income student. Kalysha is now pursuing her M.S. degree in the College of Natural Sciences at NC State and was a SSS student as an undergraduate. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Owning a home is the American dream. Kalysha bought her first home last year while pursuing her graduate degree at NC State. Learn how she did this as a low-income student. Kalysha is now pursuing her M.S. degree in the College of Natural Sciences at NC State and was a SSS student as an undergraduate. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Battling and overcoming the “imposter syndrome” as an undergraduate student, in graduate school, and even as a professional, plagues many. Roshaunda shares her personal experiences with an amazing amount of intimacy and vulnerability. Gain support, perspective and hope for overcoming “imposter syndrome” from her. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Battling and overcoming the “imposter syndrome” as an undergraduate student, in graduate school, and even as a professional, plagues many. Roshaunda shares her personal experiences with an amazing amount of intimacy and vulnerability. Gain support, perspective and hope for overcoming “imposter syndrome” from her. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Jamal speaks to succeeding as a low-income first-generation African-American male in college and working toward earning a medical degree. Enjoy his vivacious personality and be inspired by his road to success. Jamal is a biology graduate of NC State and was an active member of SSS. He is currently attending Duke University earning a graduate degree in Bioethics and Science Policy. This episode was recorded Summer 2017.
Jamal speaks to succeeding as a low-income first-generation African-American male in college and working toward earning a medical degree. Enjoy his vivacious personality and be inspired by his road to success. Jamal a biology graduate of NC State and was an active member of SSS. He is currently attending Duke University earning a graduate degree in Bioethics and Science Policy. This episode was recorded Summer 2017. Jamal is now preparing to be a M.D. at Meharry Medical College.