In this episode, we continue our New York series by naming the parts of our experience that were heavy, isolating, and difficult to carry.

We reflect on being people of color in a predominantly white graduate program, navigating classroom conversations about race, feeling pressure to educate others, and holding emotional labor that was never formally acknowledged. We talk about the discomfort, the exhaustion, and the moments that shaped how we understand ourselves and our work today.

This conversation is rooted in honesty and reflection. We’re sharing our personal experiences and how they impacted us recognizing that these reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

This episode is about naming what was hard, honoring what we survived, and creating space for conversations that are often left unspoken.

*Disclaimer: We’re sharing our personal experiences from grad school. These reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

We’re kicking off the new year, and a brand-new series, by taking you back to where so much of our story began: New York City.

In this episode, we reflect on starting graduate school together in NYC, what it was like to uproot our lives, and the parts of New York that felt exciting, energizing, and full of possibility. From the magic of the city to the sense of independence and community we found, this conversation is all about the highs of our New York era.

We know we can sometimes be a little evasive when we talk about New York, so we’re intentionally starting here. This episode focuses on the joy, the growth, and the moments that made the city feel special, before we dive into the harder parts in the next episode.

Think of this as the honeymoon phase with more to come.

**NYC Series Disclaimer: We’re sharing our personal experiences from grad school. These reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

In the final episode of our Behind the Mic series, we shine the spotlight on Morgan — doctoral student, anxiety warrior, maternal mental health advocate, and the host who always keeps us laughing even in the deep moments.

Morgan takes us inside her doctoral journey in Counselor Education & Supervision, including her upcoming dissertation centered on maternal mental health — a passion fueled by experience, advocacy, and community care. She also opens up about her own relationship with anxiety and the power of therapy and medication in helping her show up fully in her life and for her clients.

We get to know Morgan outside of the therapy chair too — the lessons clients have taught her, the healing she’s actively doing, the comfort foods she could enjoy forever, and what alternate career she’d chase if she wasn’t in the mental health world.

It’s personal, it’s inspiring, and it’s the perfect conclusion to this heartfelt series.