Quad Cast

Spencer Davis shares his experiences as a rising senior in the joint program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University and his role as the 150th university news editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, the independent student newspaper at Columbia. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, studen...

Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at...

Tamara Kissoon shares her story as a first generation student who emigrated from Guyana as a child. Through life-changing mentor relationships with high school teachers who encouraged her to travel, Tamara overcame the inequities of being a low-income student from a different school, and she began her pursuit of higher education, first as a Northwestern undergraduate, then as a Master’s student at...

In this episode, Hugh Cheng talks about writing problems for Stanford Math Tournament, Taiwanese Culture Society, favorite classes, playing alto sax in a musical for the first time, and riding his bike with no hands. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus lif...

Samantha Gao, USC ‘29, shares her journey from China to USC, her involvement in Chinese Women’s Basketball, content creation while working as a housecleaner, advice on joining clubs, and the anxieties facing international students today. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal ins...

In this episode, Jackson, Yale '29, shares his love of flying, designing a record-breaking aircraft with other engineering students at Yale, and campus life. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Jackson, Yale '29 01:30 Learning to Fly a Piper Archer 05:52 Saxophone Story 07:57 Yale Social Life 09:38 Egyptology Reading Room 11:05 Surprises at Yale & New Haven Jazz 13:53 Project Jet & Yale Undergradua...

In this episode, Ella Graber, Vanderbilt '29, shares her experiences playing trumpet at Vanderbilt, her path to science research and pre-med studies, and making the most of community service and social life, on and off campus. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into...

Kenna, a first-generation student at Northwestern Law, shares how she overcame educational barriers and translated her athletic scholarship into a college degree and later, admission to one of the top law schools in the U.S. as the daughter of Mexican immigrants. About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and...

In this episode, Beckett shares why he chose St. Andrews in Scotland and talks about tradition, local cuisine, friendships, his family’s literary legacy, and his dual passions for German language and history.  About the Show: Quad Cast is a weekly show hosted by speechwriter turned higher ed advisor, Inna Effress. In each episode, students and faculty share personal insights into campus life and t...

In this episode, Naomi shares how she chose between Columbia and Cal Tech. She talks about her passion for building rockets, social life on campus, favorite museums and ice skating in Manhattan, plus what it's like to be an international student at Columbia today. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Naomi 01:49 Brazil to Miami to NYC 03:02 Columbia vs. Cal Tech? 04:08 High School STEM & Service 07:34 M...

Alexa Chang shares her insights on BU's international culture, boys and mental health, singing as a Tenor I with the BosTones, Boston life, and her experiences as a Psychology and Brain Sciences major working towards her PhD.

In this episode, Glennis Woosley shares her story of how her passion for journalism unfolded from personal challenges and a desire to connect with people. We talk about her experiences covering impactful events in her school and community and connecting those events to teens, winning multiple awards, earning the School of the New York Times full-tuition scholarship, and a memorable summer at North...