{"podcast":{"title":"Grad School Femtoring: Inclusive Grad School Stories, Personal Development, and Productivity Tips for  First-Gen BIPOCs","slug":"grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584","podcast_index_feed_id":20584,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/RhhQsM37","website_url":"https://www.gradschoolfemtoring.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/7aa6f97b-c402-4bc4-88c4-e95fa121d9b8/f4529056-57a4-4c2c-bea2-668544537d87/3000x3000/updated-202021-2024-20grad-20school-20femtoring-20podcast-20logo-20cover-20art.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Grad School Femtoring, LLC","episode_count":378,"summary":"The Signal Award-winning Grad School Femtoring Podcast provides first-generation BIPOC students and professionals with conversations about graduate school and growth to help you sustainably achieve your goals. I’m your host, Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu, a first-gen Chicana, mama, neurodivergent, and chronically ill grad school and productivity coach, consultant, author and speaker. For over fourteen years I’ve been empowering first-gen students of color along their personal and professional journeys, and I’m really excited to support you too. Listen every Friday to solo and guest episodes where you’ll be listening in on inclusive grad school stories. You'll also learn more about grad school and academic success, career and professional development, personal development and mindset, productivity and time management, social justice and community building, wellbeing and mental health, money and financial literacy, first-gen student of color experiences, and more! This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and share this resource with a friend.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-26T16:17:12.596703+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584"},"episode":{"title":"372: The Truth About Non-Linear Paths in Grad School with Bianca Alba","slug":"372-the-truth-about-non-linear-paths-in-grad-school-with-bianca-alba","published_at":"2026-05-15T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584/372-the-truth-about-non-linear-paths-in-grad-school-with-bianca-alba","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584","url":"https://www.gradschoolfemtoring.com","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/genuina.simplecastaudio.com/aa1399a4-dc5e-4a57-840d-0cb1caf5259b/episodes/a7689482-8e6e-4252-a071-b466119c5f5d/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=aa1399a4-dc5e-4a57-840d-0cb1caf5259b&awEpisodeId=a7689482-8e6e-4252-a071-b466119c5f5d&feed=RhhQsM37","summary":"In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I speak with Bianca Alba about the realities of taking a non-linear path through graduate school, career transitions, and life as a first-generation working-class Latina. Bianca shares her experience working multiple jobs while completing her master’s degree, navigating higher education without a financial safety net, and confronting the pressure many first-gen students face to “do everything right” in order to succeed. Together, we unpack the emotional and structural realities that shape non-linear journeys and why so many students feel forced into survival mode while trying to pursue their goals. In our conversation, we discuss the financial and emotional realities of working through grad school and the importance of building supportive communities that sustain us through uncertainty and transition. Bianca also reflects on her experience working in public health, job loss despite years of dedication and advancement, and eventually stepping into entrepreneurship. This episode is ultimately about giving yourself permission to move at your own pace, redefining success, and creating a life that aligns with your values.","meta_description":"In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I speak with Bianca Alba about the realities of taking a non-linear path through graduate school, ca…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2219,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584/episodes/372-the-truth-about-non-linear-paths-in-grad-school-with-bianca-alba/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grad-school-femtoring-inclusive-grad-school-stories-personal-development-and-productivity-tips-for-first-gen-bipocs-20584/372-the-truth-about-non-linear-paths-in-grad-school-with-bianca-alba.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}