Your Shadow Advisor

Darrel Wanzer-Serrano: Thanks
again for listening in to 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.

It's been a week. So here I am
with another brief episode about

the show. Last week I talked
about my background and why it

is I'm doing this podcast. As
you probably guessed from the

title, this week I want to talk
about the name of the show. So

why in the world did I name this
Your Shadow Advisor? My

intellectual journey in grad
school was a little less than

linear. I think that's actually
one of the secrets about grad

school, a lot of us assume
you're supposed to know exactly

what you want to do when you're
admitted, and then execute on

that. But I can think of maybe
one or two people in my larger

circle who actually did that.
Most folks enter with one idea

of their big project and end
somewhere else. For me, I

entered with two ideas settled
into a third, and then veered

way off course with a whole new
program of research in what was

supposed to be my last semester
of coursework, something you can

read about in the intro to my
book, which I've linked in the

shownotes. That final turn was
only made possible by what I

came to call my shadow advisors,
mentors in my grad program and

across the country, who told me
the things my primary advisor

couldn't or wouldn't. Your
Shadow Advisor is there is

another chance for me to give
back to be a kind of arm's

length mentor for others who may
not know where to start, or

where to go. The official first
episode will air on August 24.

In the meantime, 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.