Mina Sfondilis

Mina joined our psychology program with the intent of pursuing the clinical path. When an exciting part time job opportunity entered her life, she was met with a choice to continue that path, or move toward a career in research for a large name brand company...We also talked about the most recent Homecoming celebration, emojis, and a surprising find in the "horror" genre.Mina became a guest on the show through networking on our GroupMe platform. If you are interested in checking it out, register through this link https://groupme.com/join_group/112018511/w7DfKiku

I work with a lot of alumni in my position, and one of the phrases I hear most often is, "Is Gary still with the department?"I'm not looking forward to answering, "no," going forward...We are all happy that Gary is finally taking a much needed break after 26+ years leading up our talented advising team. Even if we will miss his presence in the building.We got together over Zoom one more time for an unedited, unfiltered, and awkward audio laden chat.Enjoy these ten questions with Gary.

Jimena was kind enough pause her studies during finals week to chat.She is the sitting President of our Psychology Leaders group in the final year of her undergraduate degree.We reviewed a productive and fun year of activities, presentations, workshops, and stress relievers...while also taking time to anticipate the upcoming summer break!

AI is THE hot topic in all walks of life these days. So, I found an alum who "empowers people to confidently champion AI technology."Erica is a self starting entrepreneur who founded "Nerdette Ventures," a beacon of light for women who are underrepresented in tech.Now she has 3 apps in development, strong opinions on chocolate chips, and nothing but love for Illini hoops.Keep an eye out for "Warrior Walkup" in the app store to maximize your child's plate appearance.

This season, the plan is to expand the content of the podcast and feature more students, organizations, faculty, and staff.I figured the perfect start would be to focus on UIUC's Undergraduate Psychology Journal, "Psych Bites."We spoke with Jess Chen and Hannah Lamb about the creation, evolution, and focus of this exciting new project.Listen to how you can consume and/or get involved!*Spoiler Alert* Following on Instagram is the best first step. :)https://www.instagram.com/psychbites.uiuc/

Sitting down with Brittany reminded me that a job doesn't have to be work. She is an accomplished keynote speaker, panelist, and frequent podcast guest. She could've steered the ship on her own. I loved hearing about how she sculpted her path out of the gate. Collaborating with our amazing advising staff, Brittany knew exactly what she wanted to do and checked all the boxes to get them done. Using that same determination, she started her own LLC that offers the services that feature her greatest strengths.All while self-publishing her book on the side, "The Things I Wish I Knew: A Millennial's Guide To Learning The Mental And Emotional Concepts The School System And Our Parents Didn’t Teach Us." https://www.amazon.com/Things-Wish-Knew-Millennials-Emotional/dp/B0997SN3CWBrittany warned me at the beginning that she loves to talk. I had the pleasure of being invited to listen.

"Sometimes you gotta learn to roll..."I had an enjoyable time talking with Eli, and when we finished on that quote, it really summed everything up perfectly. Eli is one of those guys that rolls with it. He has accomplished so much in his career while balancing a lot on his plate, but the way he describes it all in such an easygoing manner, it almost seems effortless—and we all know it was anything but that.Tune in to hear about finishing grad school while raising a family, then taking that plan halfway around the world and back again. Then, continuing to expand his thirst for psychology while pushing forward a thriving business, all while still trying to learn how to surf. :)I may have also inadvertently scored a news scoop! Keep an eye on dedoose.com...

Katie Glaser is a Senior Innovation Manager with a well-established career in brand management with some powerhouse companies. In this episode, we discuss how her interest in I/O psychology, specifically the Emotional Labor Lab, sculpted her interest in matching psychology with marketing. Plus, the observations of the perfect sandwich, favorite emojis, and the complex nature of cereal mascots.

Amanda Fitts held a narrow focus when choosing where she went to college. Ultimately, it led to the UIUC Psych program and one course taught by Eva Pomerantz. Now she is currently the College and Career Counselor of Oak Park High School in California, and opening a world of opportunities to her students. Plus, giving our host a few playlist pointers during the "Fast Five"...

Tom Haig visited the University of Illinois to consider joining the diving team and stayed because of the educational opportunity. After graduation, Tom and his brother took a unique trip to Italy, and they made "The Bridge to Venice Rule." The focus is on taking the more difficult route in life to live it to the fullest. After traveling the world as a professional diver, Tom was in an unfortunate biking accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. In this episode, we discuss all of this and more because the rule is still in effect, and Tom has not slowed down while he still treks the globe as a public speaker, documentarian, and consultant. Due to time constraints, I had to leave out some of his adventures, including his Mas Bravos Award while Cliff Diving in Acapulco, a brief "prison stint," and his tours in Dubai and Oman... You'll find all of that goodness and then some in his book "Global Nomad." https://wsupress.wsu.edu/product/global-nomad/