Your Shadow Advisor

Darrel Wanzer-Serrano: Thanks
again for listening into your

shadow advisor, a weekly program
about navigating higher

education from a first
generation person of color

perspective. I'm your host,
Professor Darrel Wanzer-Serrano.

Why am I back with another non
episode? Well, every week until

the official release of episode
one, I want to bring a short

message to introduce myself and
the podcast and ask for your

help and getting your friends
and peers interested in the

show. So what about me? Why am I
here talking to you right now?

Well, I'm a tenured associate
professor of Communication at

Texas A&M University, and a
former director of Latino

Studies at the University of
Iowa. More importantly, for this

program, though, I'm Latino, and
was a first generation college

student who went to a college
that cost more in tuition that

my single mom made in the year.
I ended graduate school with six

figures of student loan debt
despite a full grad

assistantship, and probably not
the best plan for making my way

forward, because I didn't have
access to the hidden curriculum,

that benefits of those with the
most privilege; but now I'm in a

position to share what I've
learned along the way. As I

mentioned before, your shadow
advisor is an attempt to level

the playing field to demystify
the hidden curriculum so that

people like me, people who are
entering higher education as low

income first generation
underrepresented people of color

can access the opportunities and
behaviors necessary to succeed,

thrive and transform the
organizational cultures of

higher ed. Every Wednesday,
starting August 24. I'll post a

new episode answering key
questions about this hidden

curriculum in ways that your
primary advisors simply may

never have thought about. If you
have a question, send it to

questions@yourshadowadvisor.com
or head to the website to submit

an audio question that I might
air on the podcast. Until then,

please please, please subscribe
to the podcast on Apple

podcasts, Spotify, or whatever
app you use. And if you're

feeling up to it, share this
with your friends. Thanks again

for listening in. I'll be back
with another quick message next

week.