The Back to Me Podcast

214. The Power of Belonging, Support, and Student Wellness with Elise Sturdivant

Our ‘Campus Care Collective’ series for Mental Health Awareness Month continues with Elise Sturdivant, Vice President of Student Affairs at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead. Mrs. Sturdivant shares how higher ed chose her after growing up surrounded by educators, advocates, admissions recruiters, and financial aid support that helped her feel she belonged, even as a young mom in college. Now serving as the only African American woman at her college, she leads with cultural awareness, visible presence, and a deep commitment to the whole student through positive intelligence coaching, nervous system regulation, and early alerts that help students access the support they need. Mrs. Sturdivant completed her MBA in Strategic Management at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she received her Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management and Communications at University of Michigan. She is a mission-centered executive with over two decades of experience leading strategic transformation, operational growth, and cross-sector collaboration across higher education, nonprofit, for-profit, and civic organizations. Mrs. Sturdivant leads enterprise-wide initiatives supporting 10,000 students and oversees a multimillion-dollar operating budget across 15 departments. Her leadership has driven record-breaking enrollment and retention, secured multimillion-dollar federal grants, and modernized enterprise technology infrastructure to improve access, equity, and efficiency. To learn more about Mrs. Sturdivant, connect with her via email at elise.sturdivant@minnesota.edu or visit her at Minnesota.edu.

213. From Burdens to Brilliance with Dr. Jerell Hill

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we continue our ‘Campus Care Collective’ series with Dr. Jerell Hill, Dean of Counseling and Guided Pathways at Los Angeles City College. This Education Leader, author, and international speaker feels privileged to transform student struggles into strength. From full academic scholarship recipient to administrative healer, Dr. Hill shares lived wisdom from his new book, "Developing Conscious Gratitude in Schools.” He teaches aspiring educators how to shift students from burdens to brilliance and recognize that "the wound is the data," not the problem. Find out how to use your struggle as the beginning of progress while Dr. Hill demonstrates how he loves students into their purpose. ⁠ Dr. Hill completed his Doctorate of Education at William Howard Taft University in Denver, Colorado, and he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at University of California, Irvine. His work sits at the intersection of educational justice, trauma-informed leadership, and conscious leadership development. Dr. Hill's research spans teacher preparation, student motivation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and urban education. He is a passionate advocate for equity and excellence and brings that conviction to every stage, classroom, and community he enters. To learn more about Dr. Hill, visit his website at JerellHill.com and LACC.edu/student-services/counseling or connect with him on LinkedIn.

212. Athletic Mental Health Beyond the Court with William Middlebrooks

It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and we're launching our “Campus Care Collective” series with William Middlebrooks, Deputy Athletic Director, Leadership Strategist, and Basketball Program Director at Lincoln University in Oakland, California. From college basketball player to high school coach at age 18, Coach Middlebrooks shares how mental health fuels athletic success and lifelong prosperity. He warns against desperation-driven sports decisions while coaching parents to prioritize personal value over financial prospects. Through programming designed with his wife, athletes build mental resilience, conflict resolution, organizational skills, and real-world grounding through jobs and community service. After leading teams to championships, he teaches true success balances on-court wins with off-court intentionality, which is where most athletes actually build their wealth. ⁠ Coach Middlebrooks completed his MBA in Finance, Policy and Law at Southern Utah University, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Sports and Recreation Management at Ashford University in Chandler, Arizona. He is known for developing high-performing teams while prioritizing mental wellness and personal growth. Often called “The People’s Coach,” Middlebrooks blends athletics, leadership, and life development to help student-athletes and professionals build resilience, manage pressure, and lead with purpose. His programs have produced championship teams, academic standouts, and transformational personal outcomes — all rooted in a culture that values mental health as a cornerstone of sustained success. To learn more about Coach Middlebrooks, connect with him on IG @williampmiddlebrooks or visit his website at WilliamMiddlebrooks.com or LincolnUCA.edu.

211. Your Student Credit Blueprint with Eric Clay

This Financial Literacy month has truly been inspiring our students to take their financial futures to the next level! Our ‘Money Masterclass’ series continues with Eric Clay, Financial Wellbeing Coach at Operation HOPE, who turned his own student credit struggles into a mission teaching families how to build credit health that lasts. Mr. Clay reveals how credit tells your life story and breaks down the 65% revolving vs. installment credit strategy. Discover why skipping rent-builders for smart revolving credit beats debt traps every time. Plus, tap into Operation HOPE's free services for budget plans that include purchases you love and business plans for young entrepreneurs. Mr. Clay’s skills and background include ten years of managerial experience and over 20 years of related experience in the loan and banking industry, as well as substantial knowledge of understanding the importance of strong credit. He is a native Los Angelino, who thrives on sharing the knowledge of Financial Literacy throughout the community and beyond. To learn more about Mr. Clay, visit him at OperationHOPE.org and connect with him via email at eric.clay@operationhope.org to access his free resources.

210. From Side Hustle to Your Own Empire with Anika Jackson

Our ‘Money Masterclass’ series for Financial Literacy Month continues with Anika Jackson, USC Annenberg Professor of Digital Media Management, founder of Your Brand Amplified, and co-host of Mediascape and Zen Power Hour. This entrepreneurship powerhouse shares how she went from club promoter to thriving brand-builder by teaching clients and students to first know themselves as a brand. Ms. Jackson breaks down her proven system and explains how she turned her ‘side hustle’ into scalable success without hiring a team too quickly. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, learn how to amplify your authentic voice across niches and take advantage of her AI clone for instant branding tips!⁠ ⁠ Ms. Jackson is a MBA Candidate at Villanova School of Business specializing in AI/ML and Marketing. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration at the University of San Francisco, and she is master-certified in Allan Knight's Zen Empowered program. Ms. Jackson creates ecosystems where technology, education, and philanthropy converge to address global challenges. As founder of Your Brand Amplified®, her business podcast ranks in the top 0.5% globally and top 10 on Apple Podcasts for US Marketing, charting across multiple countries. Her podcast production and consulting company, Your Branded Podcast, offers comprehensive podcast production services and online courses and coaching for entrepreneurs. At USC's Annenberg School, she shapes future communicators as faculty for both the MS in Digital Media Management and the MS in Digital Social Media programs, creator of the Podcasting for Brand Building elective, and co-host/producer of the Mediascape podcast. To learn more about Ms. Jackson, visit her at Annenberg.USC.edu/faculty/anika-jackson and connect with her on LinkedIn to access her free resources.