• Road to Orientation: Connecting with your Career
    Sep 15 2025

    Starting grad school often brings up anxiety about their careers. Take a deep breath, exhale, and join Assistant Director for Outreach Liyao Zhao and Associate Director Alex Stonehill for a conversation about connecting your passions to your career path, and making the most of the many opportunities to grow while in the Comm Lead program.

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Events

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    18 mins
  • Road to Orientation: Connecting with your Classes
    Sep 8 2025

    What classes should you take in grad school? Are there other ways to make the most of your learning?

    Associate Director Gretchen Ludwig and Assistant Director of Academic Services Heather Werckle give advice for following your passions in choosing courses, and charting a path through Comm Lead that supports your goals.

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Events

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    22 mins
  • Road to Orientation: Connecting with your Community
    Sep 1 2025

    It's very likely that when you walk through the doors at your grad school orientation, you won't know a single other person. How do you make friends? How important is that?

    Assistant Director for Outreach Liyao Zhao and Associate Director Alex Stonehill join for a conversation about the many opportunities to connect with community at Comm Lead.

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Events

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    17 mins
  • Road to Orientation: Connecting with your Campus
    Aug 25 2025

    How can incoming students make the most of a small graduate program at a big university? Associate Director Gretchen Ludwig and Assistant Director of Academic Services Heather Werckle offer insights on how to get oriented, and share the best things about UW, from activities to facilities.

    Mentioned in the episode:

    IMA | UW Libraries | Grad student housing

    | Recording studios: COM * Odegaard * Open Scholarship Commons | Handshake | Career Center, Wardrobe Checkout & Headshots

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook



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    21 mins
  • First Generation (Grad) Students
    Aug 11 2025

    Today we're talking with Margarita Aguado and Michelle Rojas, two students who are the first in their families to attend grad school.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Leading the Way

    02:53 Meet Margarita Aguado and Michelle Rojas, today's guests and first generation students

    20:52 The role of mentors and advocates

    41:41 Pursuing grad school as a first generation student

    1:14:22 How grad schools can support first gen students

    Mentioned in the episode:

    College Bound Scholarship

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook

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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Using Grad School to Change Careers
    Jul 21 2025

    Today we're talking with Dane Garfield and Gautam Malyala, two students who have and are using grad school to shift careers.

    Chapters

    0:00 Welcome & Introductions

    2:22: Dane's journey

    7:18: Gautam's journey

    19:50 the value of networking and real-world applications

    41:10 navigating grad school challenges

    50:59 Advice for prospective grad students

    1:10:26 final thoughts and farewell

    Connect with Comm Lead:

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Grad School and Mental Health
    Jul 21 2025

    Welcome to our very first episode of Leading the Way! Today we're talking with Amy Niu and S'Morr, two students about to finish graduate school, about their mental health journeys through the Comm Lead program.

    Chapters

    00:00 Intro to Leading the Way

    04:40 Amy's Story

    7:15 Imposter Phenomena

    20:45 S'Morr's story

    36:45 Mental Health Practices that work

    Mentioned in the episode:

    Mental Health at UW | UW Counseling Center | UW Crisis Services

    Connect with Comm Lead:

    Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook

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    57 mins
  • Trailer: Leading the Way
    Jul 17 2025

    A podcast guidebook for navigating grad school, from the University of Washington's Communication Leadership Master's Program. Leading The Way is your guide to making the most of your graduate school experience. Hear how students are navigating everything from career drama, to mental health, to visa regulations, and more to find their own unique path to success.

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    1 min