Hear From A Student : Recent Episodes
Breanna Ivey
The Hear From A Student podcast is presented by B.I.G.S.I.S, which stands for Boldly Impacting and Growing Students in STEM.
In each episode, I speak with an individual from a STEM major, and we discuss their academic trajectories, their likes and dislikes about the major, their misconceptions, their advice to future students and more.
The goal of the Hear From A Student podcast is to embrace, encourage, and empower, the next generation of great minds and underrepresented youth in STEM!
For the season final, I’m joined by a special guest, Dorsey Beckles! Dorsey is a GT graduate and computer engineer for Raytheon but this episode is all about this trek through Georgia Tech. He discusses how his curiosity led him to Computer Engineering and how his academic journey changed (both the good and bad) after his transfer from the University of West Georgia. He shared what his journey to overcoming imposter syndrome was like after transferring and the impact that ORS (The Opportunity Research Scholars Program) had on his development and his future overall. He also gives insight into how he prepared to move across the country after graduation.
In this episode I am joined by Daisy Cueto, a mechanical engineer and a graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago. Daisy shares how her commute to high school impacted her thinking on what education should be like and how a single SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) event changed the trajectory of her academic future. We discuss the importance of giving yourself grace and how she enjoyed her previous role as an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer.
Jalyn is a civil engineer and a fellow Yellow Jacket graduate. In this episode Jalyn shares her academic experience with honesty and transparency. We discuss her path to overcoming academic struggles and the fear of failing along with the keys that help her succeed in the end to become a graduate of THEE Georgia Institute of technology and a Civil Engineer. Amongst the insight she shared on conquering challenges, we also take a dive into the world of civil engineering, her favorite sub-disciplines within civil engineering, and her current role.
Alton Stovall is a computer engineer and a fellow graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. We were travel buddies during our internship together in New York, which Alton speaks about in this episode along with his adventures during his study abroad program in Madrid! We also discuss his motivation for becoming a Computer engineer, his interest in marketing, his current role as a software engineer with a focus on cloud computing and the importance of an engineering mindset. He even shares what he feels computer engineering taught him about himself!
Obi is a graduate of the University of Toledo where he studied Biomedical Engineering with a minor in chemistry. In this episode, we get into a discussion on breath vs depth as it relates to biomedical engineering and the importance of joining organizations and building community. Obi also tells the funny, embarrassing, yet inspiring story of his first time pursuing a job at NBSE conference and the important lesson he learned from that moment.
Katie Snyder is a co-worker, friend, a Biomedical AND Electrical Engineer. In this episode, Katie shares her experience taking on a double major, some advice to students pursuing STEM degrees and what skills she wishes she could take from a different major. We also discuss some of her favorite classes during her time as double major, her favorite projects, and some words of wisdom from a few old professors.
On this week’s episode, Georgia Tech graduate and Civil engineer Giordan shares his experience studying civil engineering at Georgia Tech and how he had to grow into good study habits. We have a great discussion about what skills he has carried with him from Tech into his career, Construction vs Construction Management and his current role as a project manager. Gio share’s his lightbulb moment, when he finally learned how he was going to conquer Georgia Tech, and what his journey taught him about himself.
This week, I was joined by Tu, a Georgia Tech graduate, and a current Finance Software Update Program Manager. She shares how she ended up as a math major after starting as an architecture major, transitioning to an industrial design major and even trying out CS! We all take math classes as STEM students, but Tu gives some insight into what math classes for math majors look like and how they differ from those general math courses that we all have to take. In this episode, she also shares her experience as a black woman in that space and her very important advice on building a community.
In this special part 2 of the bonus birthday episode, Breanna will wrap up her recap of her Georgia Tech experience. She discusses the skills she gained from Georgia Tech, professional development and her internship experiences. She also shares her advice to students and the most important characteristics that she thinks helped her succeed during her time at Georgia Tech.
Come celebrate our hostess with the mostest Breanna with a very special interview. Breanna is the host and showrunner of this very podcast. She majored in Electrical Engineering at the rigorous Georgia Tech, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science. This two-part episode explores the entirety of Breanna’s experience of college. We cover important tips and tricks, words of wisdom and good practices to stick by, while simultaneously delving into the emotional and mental challenges of achieving success. Breanna discusses the importance of knowing oneself, believing in oneself, and continuing to be brave in the pursuit of your goals. Over the course of Breanna’s college career and in the time after, she’s developed a love for serving others and throughout this episode she imparts some valuable lessons and ideas that we hope will serve you on your journey as well!
It's the season finale ! This episode features a very special guest who is a close friend of mine and my previous college roommate of four years! Aiyanna had no idea what she was getting into when she applied to Tech but it's a decision she’s glad she made. Aiyanna Lowery is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S Economics and International Affairs and a minor in International Business, Language and Culture. She is currently a Global Customs Analyst at Flexport.
In this episode Aiyanna discusses her journey to choosing Tech as her school of choice and Econ as her field of study. She talks about her struggles and triumphs during her educational journey and the impact of her study abroad experience. We also get the inside scoop on her revolutionary thoughts as it relates to the state of the economy, Avatar the Last Airbender and anything else that came to her mind!
Kate is a biomedical Engineer and a graduate of Marquette university. She now works for GE Healthcare but her original goal was to be a pediatrician. In this episode she discusses how she was able to grow confidence in her abilities as a Biomed in different spaces. She also shares how her goals transitioned from pediatrician to engineer and her advice to future students.
Marlow Durbin is in his 5th and final year of the Chemical engineering PhD program at Georgia Tech. I met Marlow in a Biomedical Sensing class, which further emphasizes a theme throughout this episode, how versatile Chemical Engineers are. In this episode, Marlow shared how he became interested in chemical engineering, some of his project and internship experiences and what aspect of Chemical engineering he is focusing on during his PhD journey.
Savannah Richardson studied Biology at Georgia Tech on the Pre-Med biology track. She took a few moments to share with me why she chose to attend Tech for biology, how mentorship has impacted her academic journey and her future plans post her undergraduate career at Tech.
Christopher McCrary is an Architecture major and a future graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. I was able to catch Chris for a few moments in between org meetings and he shared with me why he chose Architecture over civil engineering, how architecture has impacted his experience in different spaces and something that he hopes to design in the future.
Aimée Ogando is a Civil Engineering student from the Dominican Republic. In this episode, I was able to speak with Aimée after a recruitment event and learn more about her experience as a Civil Engineering major. We talked about what it means to humanize a structure and how that improves our human interactions with structures. We also discuss the importance of sustainability and how Aimée is able to express her passion for people through her major.
Srijan Duggal is a two-time Georgia Tech graduate with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. In this episode, I was able to catch up with Srijan the lab and learn more about the project he was working on and why it was important to him. We also discuss why he chose to study Mechanical Engineering, what he enjoys about it and why he decided to get his Master’s degree.
Johnathan Radcliff is a Computer Engineer and a Georgia Tech graduate, who is currently an engineer at Google. In this episode, Jonathan talks about his switch from Electrical Engineering to Computer engineering and the knowledge that he gained from both. He also shares the importance of letting yourself fail and pitching your ideas. Tune in to hear who took an interest in one Johnathan’s ideas and the opportunities he earned by putting himself out there.
Patrice Gill is a Biomedical Engineering student from the island of Barbados. She is months away from being a Georgia Tech graduate and she made time in her busy schedule to talk with me about her academic experiences. Tune in as she shares some of her misconceptions about BMED, what types of things she learns in her classes and why she decided to add a CS minor to her BMED major!
Destiny is a Computer Scientist and Georgia Tech Alum from Stockbridge, Georgia. She is currently a Data Engineer at Slalom Build. She is not only a friend but a former study buddy from our very chaotic but also very memorable Calc II days. In this episode, Destiny shares her struggles and triumphs as a CS student at Tech and how she overcame her imposter syndrome.