My First Year Story

S2E6. UConn Majors: Biology with Dr. Kline and Naydu

This week, the My First Year Story Podcast returns to the major series, welcoming Dr. Elizabeth Kline and Naydu Nunno from UConn’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) Biology Department and Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) Department. Dr. Kline is a professor in both departments, teaching introductory biology courses along with higher-level MCB writing courses. Naydu, a pre-med student, facilitates Dr. Kline’s BIO 1107 Supplemental Instruction (SI) and works in a research lab on campus. This episode covers themes of support, purpose, and taking your time, as our guests talk with Tomaso about pre-med culture, the struggles of graduate school, learning to focus on yourself, and so much more. Anyone, from first-year students starting off in a STEM field to those not sure about what to do after graduation can learn something from this episode.

S2E5. UConn Leaders: Live from the Benton Museum!

For this week’s episode of My First Year Story Podcast, we join Tomaso, not in the usual recording space, but at the Benton Museum of Art at UConn. This very special episode was recorded live during the First Thursday event and features four guests! We had individuals at the First Thursday event submit their college confession for our guests to react to. The first session welcomes Will Raccio and Nicole Mealha, two Academic Achievement Center (AAC) mentors. Listen to them react to different college confessions from anonymous students and then how they would navigate these situations. In the second session of this episode, Tomaso welcomes Cat Silva (UConn Women in Business President) and Jody Kung (LCEC President) for more reactions to college confessions. If you are wondering when to skip a class or how to balance social life and self-care, tune in to this special episode with amazing free-flowing dialogue!

S2E4. UConn Majors: Engineering with Nick & Valerie

On this week’s episode of the Major Series, the My First Year Story Podcast welcomes Nick Delaney and Valerie Lee from the School of Engineering (SoE). Nick, while now promoted to a new position within the college, was an advisor. He has worked in the College of Fine Arts and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences before finding his place in the SoE. Throughout his time with engineering, he has found a unique community filled with diversity in mind and work styles. Valerie is a junior Mechanical Engineering major, who fell in love with engineering in middle school. She discusses her appreciation for all the SoE advisors who work so hard to support their students and be the best resource they can be. This episode is filled with a lot of love for the hard working advisors of the School of Engineering, so make sure not to miss out!

 

For more information about UConn's School of Engineering, visit https://www.engr.uconn.edu/

S2E3. UConn Leaders: Qianqian Chen, First Year Experience Mentor & TA

On this week's episode, Tomaso welcomes another student leader, Qianqian Chen, a previous First Year Experiences (FYE)  mentor and a current FYE TA. Being an international student from Wuhon, China, Qianqian has faced many challenges such as homesickness, the language barrier, and culture shock. However, through her experiences in the FYE program, she was able to find her place on campus. Now, she is giving back to the program, mentoring first year students and other FYE mentors. Qianqian stresses the importance of getting involved, especially for international students, and how the FYE program allowed her to explore campus. She also shares how much she cares for her mentees and wants to see them grow. If you are participating in the FYE program, are an international student, or interested in learning about both, make sure to tune in to this episode! 

S2E2. UConn Majors: ACES with Micah & Ashley

This week, we are kicking off a new series with our host Tomaso: Every other episode this season will focus on a major or college at UConn. To kick off this series, we felt it was only right to have guests Micah Heumann & Ashley Gospodarczyk talk to us from ACES: the Academic Center for Exploratory Students. Ashley was once a transfer student with Micah as her mentor, connected through his class, “Making Major Decisions.” Both Micah and Ashley emphasize some important takeaways about college majors in general with nuggets of wisdom from their own experiences, breaking down the common misconception that students who enter college looking to explore are at a disadvantage or can’t make up their minds. Be sure to tune in to listen to the ins and outs of the ACES program through a student and longtime Advisor perspective.

Listener Note: Conversations in this episode mention Suicidal Ideation and the Holocaust.

S2E1. UConn Leaders: Mason Holland, Undergraduate Student Government President

The “My First Year Story Podcast” is back for season two, and we are starting the season off with UConn’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President, Mason Holland. In this episode, listeners get the inside scoop on Mason’s decision to come to UConn (and how he pivoted from his original plan of majoring in Business). He talks about his experience in ScHOLA²RS House, and the impact it had on his first year. As his discussion with Tomaso continues, Mason also touches upon his decision to run for USG President and how he selected his running mate- or rather how his VP candidate chose him! This episode has a strong theme in diversity and intersecting identities, as Mason encourages all voices and re-imagines relationships on campus. You don’t want to miss this season-opening episode!

Introducing Season 2 of My First Year Story

Season 2 of the My First Year Story Podcast is just around the corner!  Join returning host, Tomaso Scotti, as he continues his journey at the University of Connecticut. With a focus on highlighting the variety of academic majors offered by UConn, this season, Tomaso will be sitting down with professors, advisors, staff, and other student leaders as they share their insight into their respective fields and offer advice for navigating all that UConn has to offer.

Schooltime Survival Guide #6: Navigating Mistakes & Your Academics

Wherever you are in your life story, we hope you’ve enjoyed our Schooltime Survival Guide about living (or commuting), learning (in-person or virtually), and thriving at the University of Connecticut. This final episode is going to focus on how you can practice academic resilience and learn from challenges and mistakes you might make along the way. Make sure you check out our Season 1 episodes if you haven’t already, and don’t forget to stay tuned for Season 2 which is coming soon!!

Schooltime Survival Guide #5: Living, Eating & Working at UConn

As the start of the fall semester nears, we have a special surprise for our listeners this month: we’ll be releasing one more episode, so make sure to come back for the final installment of the Guide! This episode of our summer Schooltime Survival Guide features tips from our staff about University life: from living in a residence hall with a roommate, to working as a student employee, to finding the best dining hall or local spot to eat. Tune in and take note as you make final preparations for the semester!

Schooltime Survival Guide #4: Getting the Most Out of Your Time at UConn

With the start of the semester being so close, we have a special surprise for you this month: We’ll be releasing two more episodes before the semester begins, so make sure to come back next Thursday for another episode! In this fourth installment of our Schooltime Survival Guide, we wanted to focus on some of the ways you can maximize your UConn experience while navigating the complexities of such a large university.