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Transcript
Macey
Hey everyone, welcome back to The Redlands Rundown, your official podcast of Redlands
Community College, where we're committed to helping you find success in college, with
your career, and everything in between. We're excited for this episode today. We're
kind of calling it our recap of season one, and so we're going to go through and talk
about some of our favorite moments, some of our favorite lessons that we took away.
And, this has been a really fun project for Sydney and I. We came up with this idea
last summer and really had a lot of support here, and I feel like there's been a lot
of good that came out of it. So, I'm excited to talk about our favorite moments. So,
I'll let Sydney start us off with some of her favorite episodes.
Sydney
I'm excited to talk about it. I feel like we had so many fun guests this season, and
you and I also just had fun conversations [Yeah, we did], and that was a note that
I had made as we were going through and talking about, you know, what we wanted to
talk about this episode was one of the things I wrote was I just loved doing it with
you. I had such a good time. It's kind of dangerous. They put us on an amp, but like
I, I just had so much fun doing it with you. But the first episode I wrote down was
Professor Tabor's. I have made so many comments about the impact he's made on me and
how much I love him and adore him, and he has just really as a person, as a professor,
has made such an impact on my life. And getting to sit here and tell him about the
impact he made for me, just-not just on my educational journey, but in who I am as
a person. And then to get to hear him talk about the impact that he has had on people,
but also the impact that his students have made back on him was really, really special
to see and to hear. And I, I hope it gave kind of like a grounding or humanity almost
to professors, because I know they can be really intimidating to students. And I know
sometimes it feels like, well, I don't want to go tell my professor like that I'm
struggling or that I need help or whatever it might be. And I felt that with a lot
of people, but I never felt that with him. And so I really try as a professor now
to kind of do the same thing that he did. When I think about how I want to come across
as a teacher, how I want to come across as a person. [Yeah.] And so just getting to
hang out with him for, you know, like 30 minutes to an hour and get to hear his stories
was so much fun for me.
Macey
Yeah. I think it's a good testament to the fact that our faculty really do care about
our students.
Sydney
Yeah, for sure. And it was also really fun to see-like he got to walk through the
halls, obviously, to see his old friends and all of the other faculty members were
like, oh my gosh, Professor Tabor. He was like a celebrity. And so it was really cool
because it was cool to see, like the impact he also made on his peers. And just I
know because of how excited they were to see him, it's because of how great he is
and how great they are. So that was really cool for me. I also wrote down Nathan's
episode, which is my little brother. I have talked about it before. I'm not going
to say that the content in that episode was fantastic, but the experience I had with
him was so much fun and I just felt like we were kids again. [Yeah.] There's only
four years between us and we did not get along when we were little. And so it was
like a do over, almost, of getting to hang out with him and to hear about things he's
going through right now. And what I really wanted him to talk about was his transition
from college to work, and kind of where he struggled out with that, and he did not
necessarily touch on that. I think he evaded every question I asked, which was kind
of impressive, but I still have seen him grow through those challenges and figure
out kind of his path and figure out a way that it works for him and the balance he
needs with his life and with his work and everything like that. And it's been really
cool to get to see him kind of grow up and grow through it. And I also hope it was
even though he wasn't necessarily as forthcoming as I hoped he would be as his big
sister, I hoped it was encouraging to students to hear, you know, like, it's okay
to not know. [Right.] And that was something that I feel like was a recurring theme
throughout the season was like, we don't know a lot of the time. And that's okay.
Macey
Yeah. It's okay to embrace the unknown a little bit. And I think it's good to mention
that that transition from college to career can be challenging. You and I have talked
about how that was challenging and, you know, your life and some of your habits just
shift a little bit, but it doesn't mean you have to lose yourself or even that your
identity has to be wrapped up in your career. Like a lot of young people feel that
pressure, that their identity really leans a lot on what they want to do with their
career. And that doesn't have to be the case. So yeah, I think, I think that there
was a lot of good that came out of talking, talking through that.
Sydney
Yeah. And I think like that's been a really cool part of this season. I feel like
is I walk away with every-from every episode with some kind of thought of my own after
talking to someone or some kind of realization. But I was thinking about even just
like themes throughout. And one of the things I kept coming back to was: it's okay
to ask questions and you don't know what you don't know. And I think that's something
that we've talked about a lot, is like how you don't know it, you haven't done this
before, so it's okay. And whether that's being here for the first time, whether that's
starting your job, you haven't done any of these things before. So it's okay to not
be sure of it. [Right.] And the third one I wanted to talk about was our student episode
with Treston Gage. I-This episode really stood out to me because getting to hear from
him as a student athlete, someone who is first generation, he moved from a different
state to come here. Just all the different things that he had kind of gone through
in his life and the experiences that he's had on campus and the friends he's made
and the impact of the school has had on him was really, really special. I just thought
about being 18 and, you know, taking on a new challenge and this new adventure, and
to hear the way that he was navigating that change so gracefully was really cool to
hear and very inspirational. And I think it was actually one of our most viewed. So,
shout out to Treston for that. I am sure it was a lot of his basketball team and his
family, but I'm glad that they listened because he had a lot to say. And I also always,
always, always quote him saying that, you know, there's still kids and they want to
do activities and things outside because they're still young. And it makes me laugh,
but it also makes me feel so ancient because I was like, oh, okay, [Because I want
to be inside.] I want to be inside. I want to be in the air conditioning. But I really
I loved his episode and I hope that other students listen to it and kind of took away
like the lessons that he has learned and either saw themselves in him or just learned
a really cool story about him. [Yeah.] And then the last one, it's actually one of
our most recent, and it was with Tori Davis, and it's already a favorite of mine.
She talked to us a little bit about Upward Bound, and she also told us just about
her educational and career journey. And it was very moving to hear the different things
that she has accomplished. If you don't know Tori very well, one of the things that's
so spectacular about her is that she's done everything she's done as an adult. So,
every degree she has gotten, she has been working during it, has been an adult during
it, and is a single mom, and is just a phenomenal human. And so hearing about what
she's doing for those kids and then also getting to reflect on TRIO, which I think
you're going to talk about that episode a little bit, which is another one of our
favorites that we did. But I just really enjoyed getting to sit down and talk with
her, and I got to have a really cool moment with her, because one of the things that
I tell my students a lot and that I'd say on here a lot, is that no one can ever take
your knowledge from you. She's actually a big reason why I went on and got my master's
degree, because I was kind of sitting and thinking like, do I want to do it? And I
sat down in her office and that's what she said to me. And it stuck with me. And I
got to tell her, like, you're the person that gave me that, essentially. And so it
was very full circle for me and just fun to get to sit with a friend and hear her
story.
Macey
Yeah, that's really impactful.
Sydney
Yeah, it really was. I want to hear about your favorite moments.
Macey
Okay. I went back through and looked at kind of all the episodes that we did, and
we had so many good ones, and so it's hard to not get super long. [Yeah.] One of our
early episodes, I think, was with Amy Graham talking about our TRIO program. And if
you haven't listened to that, that's our first generation support program here at
Redlands. And one of my favorite things that she talked about is how TRIO really meets
our students, where they're at and helps them with their each individual goals. And
so I love that the program isn't designed as a one-size-fits-all, you know, and puts
them all in this box and gives them all a template. It's like, hey, what are your
goals? [Right.] Let's cater and let's work around those. So, I love the support that
that gives our students walking by the fishbowl every day and seeing those students
in there. It's just it's an awesome program and an awesome resource for them. And
they do such amazing work.
Sydney
They do. It is probably my favorite thing about Redlands campus, honestly. And I tell
Amy all the time, she was, she was and is instrumental to me in how I handle students.
I feel like she has done such a good job of seeing needs and meeting them, and that's
such a big lesson that I have taken from her. And I just watch her and, you know,
it's always like, Where's Miss Amy? She's the one that everyone wants to see. So it's
really cool.
Macey
Yeah, absolutely. Another one of my favorite episodes is when we had President Marr
on. [Yeah] I loved hearing about her background, and I learned some things that I
didn't know. And I think that she has an experience with her college education that
a lot of our, you know, students, especially nontraditional, I don't really like calling
them that because I think everyone has a place here, [Yeah] but she, you know, was
married with a new baby, working a full-time job when she was in college. And we have
a lot of students that can relate to, you know, a piece of that, if not all of it.
And so I think that that's also another testament that we have people at Redlands
that a, you know, can relate to the situation that you're in and that it's a place
for everyone, you know, no matter what stage of life that you're in. [Yeah.] And so
I loved her getting to talk a little bit about her background. And then I also loved
her talking about the motto that she put in place for the year. And we talked about
that a little bit on the episode. She introduced it at Fall in-service last year.
'Lead by example' was the motto and really talked about how, you know, at Redlands
we don't expect anyone to be too big or too small to do the little thing. [Right.]
You know, whether that's walking a student to an office or a classroom that they're
looking for, taking the extra time to make sure that we're meeting their needs, or
even just simple things like picking up a piece of trash. I think that that was a
great motto that, you know, I think sometimes we can look over the little thing, [Yeah.]
and really pursue these great, big goals, but the little things are really what make
such a difference, I feel, like in the culture at Redlands. And so I love that that,
you know, was our motto for the year.
Sydney
Right. I think that was really impactful. And I think just to touch back on what you
said about her background and everything, so cool hearing it from anyone, but I think
especially as the president of the college like to know, at the highest of levels
that's still achievable. You know, like everything that she did, it could not have
been easy. And I know it's not easy for a lot of our students. And so seeing that
and hearing that must have been really rewarding for a lot of people.
Macey
Yeah, yeah. Not only is it relatable, but also there are no goals that are too lofty
that you cannot attain. Yeah, yeah, I thought I thought that was a really fun episode.
I think one of the best resource episodes that we did was probably our conversation
with Paris from Financial Aid. And I feel like for students-that can be kind of an
intimidating conversation to talk about, and one that can cause some stress and anxiety,
especially anytime you're talking about finances. Everything's, you know, everything
is expensive. [Yeah.] So knowing that we have a small but mighty team in our Financial
Aid office, Paris and Mackenzi, and they are, you know, happy to help with FAFSA.
We have a lot of students that use PELL. We have tons of internal scholarships that
we offer. I'd say, you know, between our tuition waivers, regents and presidential
and foundation, I would say upwards of, you know, 150, $160,000, so [I was about to
say.] yeah, there's a lot of financial support. So, it was great to talk about, you
know, those resources for our students and kind of put a face with an office in, in
a concept that can be-
Sydney
And she is a wealth of knowledge. So, she knows so many things about so many different
things. And so I think, like you said, one of the greatest resources we have, and
it extends across all of campus is just knowing, like, even if I don't know, we'll
get you the right person. And that's a great example of that.
Macey
Yeah, and she loves helping. [She does. I feel like people are in there all the time.]
Yeah. So if you need help with the forms doing your FAFSA application, they're happy
to help with that. So I thought that was I thought that was fun. And then our mental
health conversation with Julie right before Christmas break. I thought the timing
of that was great. And it's so important to talk about, you know, let's not ignore
the fact that school and life is really overwhelming sometimes. And so we talked about,
you know, ways that we can recognize when we need to rest and reset, when we're getting
on the verge of, you know, burning out versus normal pressure. That can be motivating.
[Right.] And talking about that, that balance.
Sydney
Yeah. Because there is a difference. And I think that episode was really impactful
because I feel like even outside of just students, for employees, for anyone that
listened to it, because we all get to a place sometimes where it's like, is this too
much? You know, like, am I just being inspired or am I being overwhelmed? And so she
also is just so good at what she does and so great to talk to.
Macey
Yeah, absolutely. And she's a great resource for our students on campus. Okay. One
of my favorite episodes from the year was when we had Ken Thompson on. [He's amazing.]
I love that guy. I think that his story is incredible and so inspiring. If you're
thinking about going back to school or you love your career, it doesn't matter. I
think what stage that you're in, his story is, is one that I love. So if you haven't
heard that episode, I would definitely go watch it. [Yeah, a really great one.] But
Ken, he was working at a-in a high school setting. He has a master's degree in English
and decided to come back and is pursuing a nursing degree. And he shared so much insight
and, and knowledge and wisdom with our listeners. And, you know, one of my favorite
things is that how he really highlighted lifelong learning and how there's a lot he's
excited to apply what he has learned as a teacher into the nursing field, because
we talked about, you know, that transition from teacher to nursing. And he mentioned,
you know, I kind of feel like I'll always be a teacher in some facet, you know, even
in the nursing field. [Yeah.] So, I thought that that was really interesting to, to
be able to say, even though I'm transitioning, there's still so much good that came
out of my experience as a teacher as I'm moving into this new field.
Sydney
Right. And what a good example of a, you can start whenever, whenever. But b, he's
not really even starting over because he's still going to use-and I will say, my sister
worked with him at Kingfisher, where he taught and said he was everyone's favorite
teacher, that he was a phenomenal teacher. And so I know just from that that everything
he learned there, he will he will be a phenomenal nurse.
Macey
Yeah. And another comment that he made that really stuck with me too was, you know,
sticking with your passion over expectations that you feel like people around you
or even society puts on you. You know, it's easy to feel like, well, people expect
this from me or this is the safe option, [Right.] and to go with that and kind of
ignore your gut feelings, sometimes. And so his point of, you know, pursue something
that you care about, not just for external validation, I thought was a fantastic point.
[Yeah.] Because it's easy to fall into that.
Sydney
Oh yeah. It's so easy. And I think, you know, there's that quote all the time that
says like, 'time is going to pass anyways.' And I think he's a great example of that,
of knowing, you know, whether I stay in this job that maybe isn't my greatest passion
or I go on and do this either way, that those years are still going to go by, so why
not do something I love or I not do something I'm passionate about? [Yeah.] Which
is really, really moving.
Macey
Yeah. So those are kind of my episodes that I really wanted to highlight. And there
are so many good ones [Yeah.] that we didn't even mention. And so if you haven't been
a regular listener for the season, I would encourage you to go back because there's
so many good episodes. But, you know, there's kind of a lot of big themes that we
can take away. And I feel like even as we went through and talked about it. There's
a lot of commonalities between each of those. You know, I feel like we talked about
how everyone's path is different, and we talked about through TRIO and, you know,
some of our other students and their experiences and, you know, life changes. And
so that might mean your path shifts a little bit. [Right.] And, you know, at Redlands,
we're kind of here to meet you wherever you're at on that path. [Yeah.] So, I feel
like that was one of the good takeaways that we had. You know, we also talked about
support systems. Not only do we feel like our students at Redlands have great support
systems, but also, you know, we've had a lot of students that talk about their outside
support system, [Right.] and so really leaning on those. And if you don't feel like
you have someone outside, know that we at Redlands are happy to be the people for
you to support you through, through that.
Sydney
Absolutely. And I think, like we've talked about so many times, that's one of the
best things about being here.
Macey
Yeah. And then just taking the first step. We've talked about how thinking about things
and making those changes can be really overwhelming. But like we said, we don't want
that to be something that prevents you from taking that first step. And so we've talked
a lot about how, you know, if you have questions, if there's a way that we can help
you at Redlands, we want to be that person. And so, you know, if there's anything
that you're on the fence about that you've been thinking about, if it's going back
to school, if it's getting a certification, you know, you feel like financially this
isn't viable for you, whatever, whatever it might be that you're thinking about, just
take that first step and reach out to us, and it we'll talk through what options that
you have and how you know we can help you.
Sydney
Yeah, and I think that's one of the other things too, is there are so many options.
You know, maybe you feel like you want to start out, but it's overwhelming. We can
put you in just one class, you know, and then we can talk to financial aid about how
we can help with finances. So, there's just so many different routes that you can
take that might ease that pressure.
Macey
Yeah, absolutely. So, a lot of good takeaways I feel like from this season. [Absolutely.]
And I'm looking forward to the next season. We're going to take a little bit of a
break over the summertime. We might work on some content and start back up in the
Fall, and unfortunately, we're not going to have our special co-host Sydney, anymore.
Sydney, do you want to share about your new opportunity that you're pursuing?
Sydney
I would love to. So, I-for the past year-and-a-half, I guess now, I have been in a
split position between Redlands and USAO doing career services, and I was given the
opportunity to expand my role at USAO and go there full-time. And so with that, that
has taken away my opportunity to be here, obviously. And so today is actually my last
day. This is actually my last podcast, unless Macey wants to have me as a guest sometime.
Macey
We may, we may do that. We're gonna put that on the table.
Sydney
Yes. But I have just I loved doing this specifically with you. I think it has been
one of the most fun things I've gotten to do since I've been here and one of the most
impactful. I just think, like, I've been able to reach so many different people in
different ways, and I think you have, that maybe we weren't reaching before. And so
I'm really lucky you came up with this idea and you pitched it to me and we got to
do it today.
Macey
Yeah, I'm really glad too. It's been such a fun project. And, you know, you shared
your experience and I feel like, you know, a lot of the guests that you've had on
too, like, it's been awesome for our listeners, and there's no one else that I would
have wanted to start this project with. And so it's been a lot of fun. I'm super sad
that you're leaving us, but I'm glad that you mentioned that you'd be open to coming
back, because we might have to do that. And I think, I think that your experience
moving from career to, you know, kind of same field, but taking advantage of new opportunities,
[Yes.] that's something that we can talk about later on too. So, I think that would
be good. Let's, let's plan on that. [Put it on the calendar. I'd love that.] Awesome.
Okay. Very cool. Well, we're excited for next season. Keep an eye out for Sydney to
be joining us in season two. Some time to talk about her new position, but we want
to thank you guys for joining us through season one and has been so much fun working
together with our team at Redlands. We're excited for season two, and if you guys
have ideas or things that you want us to talk about in our next season, feel free
to reach out to us and let us know. We want to know what's helpful to you guys, and
so let us know what content that we can continue to work on. But I think with that,
we'll kind of wrap up and we'll see you guys next time. Bye, guys.
