Las Ofrendas

The COVID public health emergency was recently ended. Before we get started with Season 3, we weigh in on the implications of this transition for, well, the health of the public.

It's your research. So why is it so hard to feel like you can just change it?

The first episode in our hidden curriculum series, we discuss how we made our decisions, things to consider when choosing your own, and what we wish we had known if we had it all to do over again.

The hidden curriculum - those unwritten rules about navigating academic spaces that make all the difference between just trying to survive and actually thriving. We decided to make it a series! In this season's bonus episode, we introduce the concept and what we hope to accomplish with the series.

This week, we discuss peace corps from the perspective of people who have never been in the peace corps, come from places where people like to go save our people, and have worked with returned peace corps volunteers. Spoiler alert: it gets spicy. 

This week, we talk about the lie that is imposter syndrome.

This episode, we discuss diversity hires, how they are band-aids to structural issues and yet also weaponized to other and diminish people's accomplishments?! We fail to make it make sense but have a blast along the way. 

So we've got these PhDs. A few years post-graduation - do we still think it was worth it? Listen to find out.

Adulting sucks sometimes. This week, we talk about it. 

Are you a thinker? A doer? A little bit of both? We discuss the pros and cons of being either.

What if it takes longer than you think it should to get your PhD?

This episode, we discuss allyship - what it means, where it helps, where not so much, and if we even think its a thing.

This week, we talk academic jobs - what they are, pros, cons, and how to figure out if you even want one.

Kicking off Season 2, this week we discuss non-academic jobs - what they look like, pros, cons, and will Yesenia ever figure out what she wants to be when she grows up?

We're ending 2021 with a BONUS UNCUT EPISODE! In this episode, we discuss visiting family for the holidays, including annoying questions like "Y el novio?" and "When are you graduating?" as well as what we hope to do in the new year. 

See you in 2022 for Season 2!

For our last 3 episodes of season 1, we're spotlighting each of our co-hosts! This week, Dra. Barrios volunteered as tribute.

For our last 3 episodes of season 1, we're spotlighting each of our co-hosts! This week, Dra. Wallace volunteered as tribute.

For our last 3 episodes of season 1, we're spotlighting each of our co-hosts! This week, Dra. Merino volunteered as tribute. 

This week, we discuss finding your people, your tribe, your squad as a grad student because survival.

This week, we talk about trying to explain to parents, family, and people you grew up with what exactly it is that you're doing in grad school and how you're a student but you might not take classes and maybe you teach them instead but you're not a professor and no, you don't live in a dorm. Spoiler alert: at least one of us continues to fail regularly at this...

This week, we talk about ethnic names in academia and why is it so hard to just look at how the name is spelled in the email that you're responding to?! 

Oh, bless our hearts. We really thought COVID was gonna let us be great... This week, we talk about trying to hot girl summer as an academic (including how to balance thoughts and the desire to THOT), with high hopes for at least a lukewarm summer in the middle of a panorama. 

This week, we discuss the monies. Trying to get enough of it during grad school, negotiating salaries and compensation, and the ever present need for side hustles. 

This week, we talk about (the struggle of) trying to date while in grad school and trying to manage the desire for fun when you're constantly being forced to adult or student. 

This week, we talk about that empty feeling when you finish something huge like a dissertation or degree and what it's like trying to regain a sense of self and balance.

In this episode, we discuss centering and decentering yourself in issues of antiracism and other social justice type things, because sometimes, it's not about you. 

Welcome to Las Ofrendas podcast! In our first episode, we talk about how the podcast came to be (including someone else taking credit for the idea), who we are, and what we hope to give the world with our discussions.