The First Gen Madrina

Dear First Gens, 

Welcome to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! In this powerful premiere, Sara dives into the heart of this season’s theme: taking risks as a first-gen even when it feels terrifying, uncertain, or guilt-inducing. From moving away from home, to quitting her 9-5 without a safety net, to taking financial risks to build her dream business, Sara shares the top three leaps that changed her life and how t...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Eduardo Placer, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Pride as a First Gen!

A dynamic keynote speaker, charismatic event emcee, and global facilitator, he is a former professional actor who has a rare ability to help people find common ground through compelling narratives that inspire and unite.

He is the fo...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Emanuel Anzules, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Pride as a First Gen!

Emanuel was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1993, at the age of 7, to join his parents and sister. He attended school in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University in 2007. Emanuel was an active l...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Naty Diaz, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!

Today we have a new special guest for this month's theme Mental Health as a First Gen. This is a little different than what we usually do, but we are really excited for you all to tune in! This week we have Sara's mom, ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Erica Priscilla Sandoval, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!

Erica is a passionate licensed clinical therapist dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Erica holds a Post Master’s in Clinical Adolescent Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from New Y...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Dr. Paul Rivera, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!

Dr. Rivera holds a PhD in Economics from University of Southern California and a BS from Texas A&M. He has been recognized globally as a strategist, speaker, facilitator, and dynamic educator. He has worked with NGOs, a...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into May's theme: Mental Health as a First Gen. 

In this heartfelt and powerful episode, we dive deep into why mental health matters—especially for first-gen, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.

Host Sara explores how mental health is more than just a trending topic—it’s about education, compassion, and action. She discusses the emotional weight...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara wraps up this season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!

In this episode, Sara shares more information about neurodiversity and shares resources that supports the community. Sara also reminds everyone that this is not meant to diagnose or be therapeutic in any way. For more info...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Felicitas Nungaray, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!

Felicitas is a 1st Gen. Neurodivergent coach, and a Licensed Psychotherapist based in California. Feli has served as the Neurodiversity Social Skills Facilitator in Higher Education, developing neurodivergen...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Isaac Akinde, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!

Isaac Akinde is an ADHD coach, qualified teacher and passionate advocate for neurodiversity. With a unique perspective as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia as an adult, Isaac's personal journey...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Victoria Charrington Chavez, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!

Victoria is a celebrated storyteller, TEDx speaker, and expert branding strategist blending creativity, communication, and community into powerful narratives. As founder of Lilac & Aspen Creativ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into April's theme: Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen. 

In this episode of the podcast, Sara shares the importance of bringing awareness to neurodiversity and what this means as a first gen. This season, we will interview 3 guests that will share their stories of celebrating neurodiversity as a first gen. Keep checking back ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into March's theme: Supporting First Gens. 

This week we feature special guests, Hannah Roza and Jenna Maurer from Aspire Institute. Aspire Institute is a nonprofit organization which was co-founded in 2017 by Harvard Business School professors. Their mission is to prepare low-income, first-generation university students and recent ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into March's theme: Supporting First Gens. 

This week we feature special guests, Anthony and Emily Surratt of First Gen Society. The National Leadership Society of First-Generation College Students, (FirstGen Society), is a national social organization dedicated specifically to first generation college students and alumni that provi...

Dear First Gens, 

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into March's theme: Supporting First Gens. 

This week we feature special guest, Dr. Stephanie Bannister, VP of First Gen Forward Network. FirstGen Forward is the premier source of evidence-based practices, professional development, and knowledge creation for the higher education community to advance the success of first-generation students. ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into March's theme: Supporting First Gens. 

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, we’re spotlighting organizations that empower first-gen students and professionals. With recent funding threats, it’s more important than ever to advocate for these essential programs.

We’ll discuss common first-gen challenges—financial barr...

Dear First Gens,

Welcome to the final episode of this month's theme on Advocacy as a First Gen! In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, I reflect on my personal journey with advocacy as a first-generation professional. I dive into the cultural and historical barriers many first-gens face when learning to advocate for themselves, while offering relatable anecdotes and insights.

I share my experiences growing ...

Dear First Gens,

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Kristine Leslie, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand new episode for this month's theme, Advocating as a First Gen!

Kristine Leslie is a multiply neurodivergent Strategy and Development Consultant who offers support in creative capacity building to communities and organizations as Chief Transformation Officer of Integrative Arts ...

Dear First Gens, 

In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Alondra Canizal Hsu, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand new episode for this month's theme, Advocating as a First Gen!

Immigrating to the Midwest from Mexico at the age of 6, Alondra always understood the vehicle to the American Dream to be hard work and higher education, but she quickly realized that as an immigrant, the journe...