Breaking Barriers: How One Scholarship Changed a Life with Kennedi Luckett

Marquette Counseling Center

Mental health challenges among college students are more common and more complex than you think. In this episode, the Kelly Albrecht sits down with Brenda Lenz, Director of the Marquette Counseling Center, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes when students seek support. Brenda clears up the biggest misconceptions about campus counseling, explains how crisis situations are actually handled, and uncovers the support systems most people don’t realize exist until they or someone close needs help. What really happens when a student walks into the Counseling Center in crisis? Could understanding these untold truths prepare you or someone you care about to handle a challenging moment on campus? Tune in for specifics you won’t get anywhere else. This episode features Brenda Lenz on the misunderstood world of university counseling and what caring for students truly looks like. Episode Highlights: 11:01 - But it's also, I think sometimes when other people don't necessarily know what to do and they're concerned, they should just call us. Putting your head together with somebody else is always a way to think better about next steps. Because I think we care a lot about what happens to our students. And it isn't just one person's job on our campus to take care of students. 25:12 - There are also a wide range of other things that students can do on their own to manage anxiety. And so that's why...the community being knowledgeable about how to help students or how to get them when they feel like they need more is really important. 29:39 - When we have significant incidents on our campus that involve our students, I'm never not impressed with all the folks that are willing to get involved and not only support students, but each other. I think it's about when we know that there might be certain people, staff and faculty are really involved in an incident, the ability for other folks, the willingness for other folks to say, is there something that we can do to help your team? Connect with the Office of Student Development [https://www.marquette.edu/student-development/staff.php]

Why University Advancement Is More Than Fundraising with Matt Gwin

Most people think University Advancement is just about asking for donations but Matt Gwin shatters that myth in this episode. Discover how Marquette’s Advancement Team impacts students before they even set foot on campus, supports them throughout their journey, and continues to invest in their future long after graduation. Advancement isn’t just fundraising, it’s about building a community of support that transforms lives through scholarships, emergency funds, and student wellness initiatives. Ever wondered what actually happens behind the scenes when a student faces a crisis or how alumni are inspired to give back in life-changing ways? Listen in for the insider stories that reveal why Advancement is a vital part of the Marquette experience. Episode Highlights: 05:58 - We really think of really unique ways to bring the Marquette experience to life with for our alumni, for our supporters, in really thoughtful and strategic ways that I think really set us apart and really stand the test of be the difference. 07:38 - That feeling of being able to provide an experience that changed your life to someone else is not only personally gratifying for our incredibly generous supporters, but I think it really carries the missional piece of Marquette through to others. 22:15 - Our whole purpose here is to really help guide those who are very passionate about Marquette in matching their interests with the priorities of the university. They want to make sure that they can help the next generation have those experiences. Connect with the Office of Student Development [https://www.marquette.edu/student-development/staff.php] Additional Resources: • https://give.marquette.edu/give-to-marquette [https://give.marquette.edu/give-to-marquette] • Parent Philanthropy // Alumni // Marquette University [https://www.marquette.edu/alumni/parent-philanthropy.php] • Contact Matt at matthew.gwin@marquette.edu [matthew.gwin@marquette.edu]

Breaking Barriers: How One Scholarship Changed a Life with Kennedi Luckett

Can a single scholarship transform someone’s college journey and maybe even their entire future? Kelly Albrecht sits down with Marquette’s first-ever Wade Scholar, Kennedi Luckett, for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on what true support and opportunity can look like on campus today. Many students never realize how much staff care or how accessible personal connections are at a school like Marquette, until someone opens the door for them. Kennedi’s story disrupts the old narrative of intimidating universities, instead highlighting how proactive outreach, belonging initiatives, and genuine staff-student relationships can create a launchpad for self-discovery and success. What would your college experience be like if your wildest ambitions were met not with barriers, but with hands reaching back to help? Hear how Marquette and the Wade Scholarship helped Kennedi Luckett not just survive, but truly thrive. Episode Highlights: 15:15 - I have like 3 quick things for that. One is Urban Scholars. That is my full tuition scholarship and the groups that I'm a part of just for, because Marquette is a PWI… sometimes it is, you can feel a little ostracized at some points. So being able to be a part of a program where there are a lot of Black and brown students who are dealing with the same sorts of things, being able to be seen in that area and have that community is very much needed. And I feel like it would've been hard to do things at Marquette without that space. 21:12 - Put your mental health first. Cause you're not gonna be able to finish college if your brain is not there. Like if you're mentally burned out, it's just not gonna, it's not going to work out well for you. And you're going to be very upset at how you lived your college life if you didn't actually get to enjoy it. Like I said before, it's genuinely like a safe space for you to mess up or for you to fall without being in real adulthood. 25:37 - I would say my We Are moment has been… Marquette gives you the space to really become whoever you want to become and gives you all, like, the outlets you can and to actually, like, live out what you want if you just go and ask someone. So the support that Marquette in general just has… I would say my We Are Marquette moment is definitely the support that Marquette has shown me with all the endeavors that I want to do, even with like the Visit Milwaukee internship… Just giving me different opportunities to figure out what I want to do or like to grow more into what I want to do. Connect with the Office of Student Development [https://www.marquette.edu/student-development/staff.php]

Roots & Wings: Real Campus Ministry Secrets with Steve Blaha

Kelly Albrecht welcomes campus ministry veteran Steve Blaha, whose practical wisdom exposes what really happens beyond faith on campus. Discover why "roots and wings" isn’t just feel-good talk. It’s a formula for how Marquette students thrive emotionally, spiritually, and in leadership. If you think campus ministry is only for devout Catholics, prepare to rethink everything. Steve Blaha breaks down how faith, service learning, and multi-faith engagement converge to build students’ confidence and resilience. He reveals how tough transitions, grief, and personal questioning are met with concrete support, not clichés. Wondering how a university’s spiritual core shapes students to lead, serve, and heal? Find out how Steve Blaha’s approach to campus ministry sets Marquette apart. Episode Highlights: 00:00 - Trust yourselves. Trust your kids. Parents, you got this. You've been doing this really well for 18 years with each of your kids. Keep leaning into that. Keep loving them. Keep giving them space. They're going to grow. 14:16 - Each time one of our students experiences a loss, and many of our students experience very big losses during their time at Marquette, it's just something that we just naturally need to like just wrap them up and support them and care for them and walk with them. And that's not a short-term thing. It is as long as they need us, we really want to be there supporting them. 26:50 - It's part of welcoming everyone in the world to come and study here together, to think on the big questions together, to try to work towards the world's needs together so that when students graduate, they've got that muscle memory. They're able to do that where they live and with whom they work. And that makes the world better. And so we're an important part of that equation. Connect with the Office of Student Development [https://www.marquette.edu/student-development/staff.php]

Hidden Curriculum: The Real Support Systems at Marquette with Zabrian Oglesby

Forget everything you thought you knew about college support. Marquette's hidden curriculum is more than just academics. In this episode, Kelly Albrecht, CARE Team Case Manager, and Zabrian Oglesby, Assistant Dean of Students, get real about the invisible systems and people that remove student roadblocks, from first-gen challenges to crisis management and CARE teams. If you’ve ever wondered who actually “does the intentional care work on campus,” this is your inside look at the stewards behind student success. Does your university truly support students, or do invisible obstacles hold them back? Find out which critical gaps Marquette bridges for students, parents, and even staff, plus the stories that seldom get told. Episode Highlights: 13:49 – Don’t ever forget that. Even if you make a mistake, even if you have a setback, that does not mean you are not a successful Marquette student because you do belong here, and we're going to help you get back on track. 25:57 – Students aren't numbers. They're individuals, and we uphold that all the time. For the spirit of equity, some of those folks need more unique support. Now that student is a junior and is thriving and doing amazing things. That was another time to me where I knew I could hand the care of someone, some individual student, to another person and not feel like it was going to fall. Nobody was going to drop that ball. 22:39 – That was like seeing that in action, seeing that happen. I was like, only at Marquette. That is a Marquette moment where we made that happen. I, in that moment was like, I'm not exactly sure what to do here, but I know we can do something right. But that student is going to go on to do amazing things with their life, and I was just proud of being a part of Marquette University in that situation. Connect with the Office of Student Development [https://www.marquette.edu/student-development/staff.php]