Quad Cast

Tamara, Northwestern Law & LSE, on human rights & being a first-gen student

Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at London School of Economics, and now back at Northwestern, where she is earning her law degree. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories.  Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away.  Cover art by Raisa Effress “Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress 00:00 Intro to Tamara, Northwestern Law 02:18 From Guyana to New Jersey 06:12 Navigating Inequity in High School 10:49 Finding mentors in high school 12:12 How travel opened doors 15:26 Applying to Northwestern & leaving for Chicago 18:48 What was suprising about college 20:24 Deciding to study abroad 21:20 Finances: Choosing London School of Economics over Columbia 23:57 Kids in Need of Defense 26:05 Intersection of law and social policy 28:58 Becoming editor of Journal of Human Rights 31:18 Stay true to yourself: parting words #northwestern #londonschoolofeconomics #collegeapplications #firstgeneration #firstgen #lowincome #mentors #collegelife #highereducation #lawschool #lawschoolapps #DEI

Tamara, Northwestern Law & London School of Economics

Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at London School of Economics, and now back at Northwestern, where she is earning her law degree. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories.  Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away.  Cover art by Raisa Effress “Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Tamara, Northwestern Law 02:18 From Guyana to New Jersey 06:12 Navigating Inequity in High School 10:49 Finding mentors in high school 12:12 How travel opened doors 15:26 Applying to Northwestern & leaving for Chicago 18:48 What was suprising about college 20:24 Deciding to study abroad 21:20 Finances: Choosing London School of Economics over Columbia 23:57 Kids in Need of Defense 26:05 Intersection of law and social policy 28:58 Becoming editor of Journal of Human Rights 31:18 Stay true to yourself: parting words

Hugh, Stanford '29, on campus bike culture, the beauty of math, and finding community

In this episode, Hugh Cheng talks about writing problems for Stanford Math Tournament, Taiwanese Culture Society, favorite classes, playing alto sax in a musical for the first time, and riding his bike with no hands. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories.  Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away.  Cover art by Raisa Effress “Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Hugh, Stanford '29 00:46 Writing for Stanford Math Tournament 03:14 Alto Sax at Stanford 05:14 Taiwanese Cultural Society 06:24 Stanford vs MIT 09:16 Math is beautiful 15:20 Finding community 16:56 Upcoming events & closing thoughts #stanford #altosax #math #taiwanese #roommate #campuslife #paloalto #stanfordmathtournament

Samantha, USC '29, on Chinese International Students, Housecleaning & Basketball

Samantha Gao, USC ‘29, shares her journey from China to USC, her involvement in Chinese Women’s Basketball, content creation while working as a housecleaner, advice on joining clubs, and the anxieties facing international students today. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories.  Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away.  Cover art by Raisa Effress “Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Samantha, USC '29 01:35 Chinese Womens Basketball at USC 03:29 Anxieties of Chinese Students 05:10 Policies & attitudes towards international student 06:32  Housecleaning with Tidy Trojans 09:35 U.S. campus life & Chinese cultural dynamics 11:01 From China to USC 13:42 Playing the guzheng to the bass guitar 15:32 Japanese class & multicultural friendships 16:43 Applying to USC & essays on unique interests 20:22 Wisdom on joining clubs

Jackson, Yale '29, on designing airplanes, getting a pilot's license, and Jazz.

In this episode, Jackson, Yale '29, shares his love of flying, designing a record-breaking aircraft with other engineering students at Yale, and campus life. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Jackson, Yale '29 01:30 Learning to Fly a Piper Archer 05:52 Saxophone Story 07:57 Yale Social Life 09:38 Egyptology Reading Room 11:05 Surprises at Yale & New Haven Jazz 13:53 Project Jet & Yale Undergraduate Aerospace Association 21:04 Applying to Yale & Personal Narrative 23:39 Current Pressures on Universities & Student Perspectives 25:46 Summer plans 26:38 Engineering at a Humanities-Centered School About the show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and their programs. Hear about new frontiers in science, real medical research, and departmental STEM innovations. Feel the wonders of arts and humanities. Hear directly from students about their internships and summer programs, unique career paths, and making the most of their potential in a shifting world, all through personal stories.  Inna’s love for education began when she emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S., and her family had to start from scratch in a foreign language. After college, she became a writer helping American public figures and lawmakers tell their stories. Now, she works with students applying to top schools. She helps them go after their niche through the transformative force of education, knowing that once a person has it, no one can take it away.  Cover art by Raisa Effress “Cathedral of Salt” (intro/outtro) composed by Abe Effress #Yale #learningtofly #aero #engineering #engineeringstudent #Jazz #campuslife #newhaven #egyptologyreadingroom