April 19, 2025 • 43 mins
Alvin and German conduct a powerful conversation with public health leader and community advocate Dr. Paula Madison Ryner ’92. With over 30 years of experience in the public health sector, Paula has devoted her career to advancing health equity, empowering communities, and championing the well-being of underserved populations. She holds a Doctorate in Health Leadership from Seton Hall University and a dual Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. A highly decorated leader, Paula was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in New Jersey for four consecutive years (2018–2021) by NJ Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg. In 2024, she was honored with the United States President's Leadership Award from the UNESCO Center for Peace for her transformative contributions to development, peace, and leadership in communities of African descent. Since graduating from Colgate, Paula has been a dynamic force for change, service, and leadership. She is the Immediate Past President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (Bergen/Passaic chapter), where she led the chapter to be named a national model for four consecutive years. Her community involvement continues through leadership roles including Vice President of the Board of Bergen Volunteers, Vice President and Programs Chair of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Bergen County Chapter), and appointed positions on several local government advisory boards. In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Dr. Madison Ryner is the co-founder of Ryner and Associates, an organizational consulting firm, and is preparing to launch P.Mad Consulting Group, along with a new podcast supporting African American caregivers of loved ones with dementia. At Colgate, Paula was a Night Flight radio host on WRCU, a member of the Sojourners, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology/African American Studies.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following podcast is being brought to you by the
Defile Life podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Aftergate, Powered by the Defile Life Network.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Are You all Ready?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Aftergate is a podcast series highlighting Colgate alumni of color
in their professional endeavors. Aftergate.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Are You all Ready?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Aftergate?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Is hosted by Alvin glymp Aka al and Herman Dubois
Akaa Jerry.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Are you all ready?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
We are doing Aftergate because Colgate University has produced innovators
who have changed the world every day, Yet many alumni
of color and the mainstream Colgate community are unaware of
the amazing accomplishments of alums of color.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Are you all ready? Welcome? Welcome, Welcome. This is Aftergate
and we are in the midst of season five. Allod
I think we are still creeping up on a hundred shows.
We ain't got there yet, but we are getting there,
and I'm just honored to be part of this Aftergate journey.
(01:09):
After Gate remember is that podcast totally focused on documenting, amplifying,
bringing the stories of Kogate's alumni color talking a little
bit about what their life was like for Kogate during Kogate.
After Coogate, It's been fascinating. This is Alvin Clint aka L.
I'm here with my co host mister Hedmind Dubois. What's
(01:31):
going on, Jerry? How you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Brother?
Speaker 5 (01:33):
Brother glynt fall as well. Less to be here, looking
forward to another amazing show. Uh, how's life in the
atl talk to me?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Come on, man on the street.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Is that you hot right now?
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I'm hotting them streets. Oh it's been you know, I've
had some good weeks. The weather's been good. But professionally,
you know, working in the United Way, I'm really enjoying it.
And so presented at that APT the conference, so yeah
of black philanthropic UH individuals throughout the world had the
opportunity to present, sit on a panel to talk about
(02:06):
the work we're doing with the child with being index.
So just enjoying this space, brother, and just trying.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
To rats man continue to rise, Yes, sir, Yes, Lessons
upon blessings.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Blessings upon blessings and blessings. And in that note, let
me shout out the alumni color Kogate because I do
appreciate the social media love. As we're sharing our posts,
they are definitely recreating them and putting it out in
their universe as well, so shout out to Kogate alumni. Color.
I appreciate that a lot of that came from that
gathering you had, oh that they had up in New
(02:39):
York City in March.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
I kind of you know, I was like, Yo, come on,
get on board. We shouted, we highlighted y'all, so show
us some love. So I guess it was well received.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
How you doing? Excellent?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Excellent? Wrapping up another shooting a neuro project and historic
Tyler Brownsville, Miami, which I got some some data to
say that. I learned that Brownsville was the first area
in Dade County where African Americans could own property and
own a business. And so although it gets overshadowed by
(03:13):
overtown at Liberty City, historically those were rent the communities
and so the first real middle class, Black middle class
of Miami settled in Brownsville. So we just completed a
mural legacy project to highlight the various leaders that were
elected officials and local community leaders to tell the story
visually at a park in Brownsville. So we've got a
(03:36):
big unveil in coming up in May. Excited about that,
and you know, it's a good look. It's a good
look for all involved.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So congratulations, hope murals continuing to do that thing that
just remember the sponsor. But you'll hear that commercial in
the break. So with that in mind, can I get
your blessings This week's guest into the studio.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
As always, Deaconell Churches. Amen, bring unto the Aftergate.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Platform, into the after Gate studios. It is my honor
after Gate listeners, AOC family, the one the only Paula
Madison Ryaner class of nineteen ninety two, Doctor Paula, Welcome
(04:34):
to after Gate.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
My thank you, thank you. I'm excited to be joining
you guys tonight.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Long overdue.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
It took.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
What I gotta ask is it's the fifth season.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
Wow, you know and l a few times to join
he did. I saw a few messages, but I was like,
you know what, now is the time. Let me let
me do this.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
That's okay, it's your story, your time. Thank you, Thank
you for taking the step of faith and become a
part of the after Gay family. Because we are excited
to share your story. We always start to show with
the perspective of do we know the guests? Do we
have we have prior contact with the guests or is
this somebody that we're meeting for the first time like
our listeners. And so I'm proud to say that you're
(05:23):
one of a handful of sisters that I know as
part of AOC that I actually had the pleasure going
to high school with. And so we go back shout
out to a Randolph.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
A campus high school.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Hard are those who know, no we call the campus.
It wasn't even Randolph, it was campus we were, I mean,
just so you put in context, we were a high
school that was based on the campus of c.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
C N Y In Knowledge College.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
And now I know as an educated we were an experiment,
you know, but so so so pellanthropic folks saying, you
know what if we get a couple of black and
brown kids from every borough and stick them in in
school with some really select teachers and a very college
bound intention, we think, and and and and at the
(06:15):
time was specifically a lot of us to be targeted
to go into the health sciences, to the Medical Progress,
which was a program you applied in eighth grade to
be admitted into this program. Competing with kids throughout the city.
The joke was we were all the we were all
the ones I got rejected from bron High School to Science.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
I was just about doctor. We were on part with
Bronx Science Brooklyn Text at this time.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
Jerry, Oh, I'm not. I'm proud. I rep campus all
day and so that's where I crossed paths with.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So we don't go back to high school. But knowing
that we were all on the same time, along with
Gina being from campus, along with y'all being cool and
hanging out a lot, got to relationship right, right. But
what's so cool about these shows is that with the
(07:20):
people that you might have had relationships with on campus,
this show officers an opportunity to say, what was Paula's
life like before? So take us back to before you
get the Colgate. Let us know what your world is like.
What do you remember about that time? What's happening in
the world. How would you describe before Colgate? In your world.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
Before I got to Cogate? Oh god, I not the
worst long term memory, but trump born and raised in
the boogie sound Bronx.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Oh Yeah Street, What Street.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Mars Avenue, Hunt Street?
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Wrong?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Where'd you go to middle school?
Speaker 6 (08:04):
Artural? Tuscanini won forty five junior high school one on
Teller on Teller Avenue and one hundred and sixty fifth
Street and Lebronx.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
She wasshood.
Speaker 6 (08:16):
I was in the hood. My mother was a teacher
at the middle school and then.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Uh oh wow I middle school.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
Yeah, she was a teacher at the middle school. And
like you said, wound up. I always wanted to go
into the hell field, wanted to be a doctor, and
wound up at a Philip Randolph in a mazy medical program.
And how did I get to Cogate? I think at
the time our counselors were really pushing Cogate at the
(08:46):
time because a lot of us from campus wound up
at Cogate. And I distinctly remember we went to sub
Frosh Weekend and God, I hated it up there. It
was no way I was going to that school is snowed.
We got stuck up there. I think we had to
(09:07):
stay an extra day because it was a snowstorm. I
remember we went to a hockey game, but it was
just like, there's no way in hell. Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I'm sorry for the record, that's fine, for the record.
This might be this might be the first admission that
sub Frost Weekend was not a good experience. Because that
has been a very consistent theme. And most of our
guests who went who said it was that weekend that
(09:35):
made that they got love with Kogate, and it's very
interesting to hear a different perspective.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Oh no, it was sub frosh weekend and made me
realize that I did not want to be there because
we got stuck. We went to a hockey game. It
was a cool weekend. I think that was probably my
first weekend away at a college like that, but it
was no way. I had no interest in Kovid whatsoever,
and I really wanted to go to Hampton. But my parents,
(10:02):
you know, they were a little older, they were from
the South. They would not let me go to an HBCU.
Really they would not. And I distinctly remember my package
came in from Kogate and I'm doing I think we
had to pay. I think our commitment was like two
thousand dollars and my mother was like, that's where you're going.
(10:24):
And I was like, I want to go bed the
furthest place I want to be and she was like,
well that's where you're going. So I really had no
choice but to be there because they wouldn't let me
go anywhere else. So that's how my wands back kode exactly.
The financial and that's why when my kids were looking
(10:45):
at colleges, I was like, wherever you want to go,
because it's not you know, it's difficult being somewhere that
you didn't want to beat.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So do you remember, scot when you were in the
scholars O US program?
Speaker 6 (10:57):
I was, of course, we all so, yes, So we
came up early. I came late after the rest of
my class. I know, I got a story. I came late.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I told you I don't even want to be here.
I don't.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
I had had surgery. So I came up maybe like
a week or a couple of days later, after the
rest of my class. So I kind of had to
fit in. And you know, luckily, I think it was
six of us that were in that year from campus
that were in the US. It was six of us,
six from one high school, from one high school.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
We had five in my class.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Wow, that's pretty impressive. Eleven and two years from one
high school.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
So I'm trying to tell you we're.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
On campus deep up in now.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Yeah for real.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
Yeah. So, I mean the summer program was great o US.
It was a great way to you know, make friends, bond,
to just get acclimated before you started, uh, the real world.
And so yeah, so that's how I got it.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Did you feel with Macy Med and what they tried
to push with the college classes, did you feel more
equipped in your summer or did you was like yo,
what is.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
This in the summer? Yes, you know, the summer was easy.
It was a good transition, but once.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
We started in August September, that was a different ball game.
Most of us who came from campus and were in
the Macy medical program, I remember we took.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
Biology that first semester, and I think we all withdrew
from biology that first semester, even though we had taken
classes at City College, because that was the thing with campus,
you were able to take classes at city college, so
we took actual college campuses. But once we got into
(12:54):
biology at Kogate, it was a different ball game and
it was like, oh, maybe we're not as prepared as
we thought we were for this track we're on. So
a lot of us changed our mages very quickly. We
thought we were going into pre med, but that changed
after the first semester, probably before the first semester was over.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, So, if I remember correctly, you stayed in HRC.
So what do you remember about them early years? Like
the transition? Just life for you? That first year at Kobe.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
So HRC was the bomb holl In Renaissance and we
were all together. I loved HRC. You know, we had
some friends who didn't live in HRC in their experience
was very different. But it was great to be together
amongst our people, to live together, and the experience was different.
(13:53):
It made the transition a lot easier to be with
people who looked like you, who had the same mindset
as you. So it made the experience much more easier
to applimate into the college life.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, first year was HRC. Where else did you live
your four years?
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Like? What else?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
I lived h r C all through junior year and
then senior year. I had an apartment. We lived down
in that apartment apartments.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
You were there, I came now roommates.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
I I might have been roommates with your wife.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
You was you? Was you? Was?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Now that I remember? So I remember you on the radio, right,
you had a radio show.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
So tell us, tell us some of your extracurriculus had
a radio show. Wasn't that? I was in a rap
group with you guys. Let me tell you something. When
I tell my kids I was in a rap group,
I forgot about that, remember, okay, I distinctly remember. We
did the Wait Wait Self Destruction. Elvis was a hero
(15:06):
to most, but it never meant was racist and playing
mother and John Wayne because I'm black and I'm proud
and I'm hiding, I'm ready, I'm most of my heroes
on a piano stamp. Yes, so we went to rap
group together, yes, yes, yes, I was miss Melody of
the group.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we killed it.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
What else the radio show I was in so Journals
we were all in sank kopha together. Yes, so we
were all in sank Kopa running back on Sundays to
make sure we get back in time.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Just yo. Those were some good days, yes, you know,
and I.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
Was thinking about this earlier. I think Kochate was a
lot about finding our identity mm hmm and really yeah, yeah,
really tapping into the culture, into our culture. So yeah,
those those are some good old days.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So did you work any any of student employment with us?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
You know, work study was part of that package.
Speaker 6 (16:18):
Come on, I did not. I did not, Okay, I gotta,
I gotta, I gotta tell this joke. I ran into
Aldren Crazy Aldren, Aldrin Bordia. I ran into him years ago,
maybe about I'll just say about ten years ago at
(16:40):
a funeral and very prominent man that I worked with,
and he had worked with him as well. He did.
He ran a youth organization in the city. We both
worked there at different times. And I had on a
mink coat and Aldrin goals. You had a mink in college,
the only person with a min coach And he said,
(17:02):
I will never forget. You were in financial aid office
telling them you needed more financial aid. But you had
a man I've never understood that. He's like, And here
you are, all these years later, still rocking the Minx. No, No,
I didn't work all have Ben has style.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Don't get it twisted then has style? Not surprised, Not
surprised at all. So when you look at your time there,
I mean, I know you you mentioned it is about identity,
But when you look over your tongue, what are the
things that you accomplished, like socially, academically, what do you
(17:39):
look at as highlights, things that you're really proud of.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
The things that's the thing that stands out most is
the friendships and the relationships. You know, friends for life
still get together. We have a group. We have our
group chat, the Kogate Ladies that live in New York,
New Jersey, Sharon Gale, Sham Aaron Audrey, Chariz, Pat Michelle, Natasha,
(18:05):
Estaia Marsha. So we get together all the time. Yeah, yeah,
and we have a ball. So those friendships, those lifelong friendships,
really meant a lot. And you established those friendships in college. Socially,
(18:27):
I always tell everyone, I think, you know, when I
look back on it, I think I was a little
depressed because it wasn't the greatest social life. We had
to make our own social life, you know, because it
was so few of us. We had a great time.
But if I had to do it over again, I
(18:48):
don't know if that's the place for me. But the
experience was the best. Academically, it was a great experience.
I remember some of my good friends going to Hampton
in which I really wanted to go to, and other
colleges and near academic experience was not the same. I'll
just say that it was not the same. And you know,
(19:14):
at this point in my life, I don't know if
a p W I would be what I would choose.
But I think because we were on a p WI,
we were at a PWI and it was so few
of us, we really tapped into our culture. So I
don't know if I would have gotten that history and
(19:34):
really exploring what it means to be black in the
world into the you know, the big the bigger world.
That was a great experience, So I can't take.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
It started out as pre mad, like I say, and
wounds up with sociology, anthropology slash African American studies.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Same same, same, same.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Yeah, yeah mm hm. So you know, the funny thing
is my daughter is a sophomore in college and she's
in the period where she's changing her major, and she
and I having some TIFFs about her changing her major.
But I thought about it and I was like, well,
I did change my major along the way, and my
parents were not so involved. We did what we had
(20:20):
to do to get out, and so.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
We figured it out right, right, we.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Figured it out. So I'm like, Okay, can I be
so upset with her that she's doing the same thing.
She has to do what's.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Right for her.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
So yeah, I think about that story a lot because
we all had that similar experience. And you know, it's
not until now in hindsight, that I realized that it
would have been a lot worse trying to explain to
them why I got academically disqualified from Colgate because I
was taking coursework that was beyond my capacity. And my
(20:51):
dad was said, why wouldn't you just switch your major
so you congraduate, right, And so that's the bigger plan,
the long game.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
So exactly, this is just one little piece in the puzzle,
a small piece pie.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Really think about life and kind of what we got
going on. It's funny as you was kind of talking.
One of my memories was uh graduation and your family
that came up.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Like uh strong were everywhere right.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Like strong, a lot of folk loving, Just a good
memory of that weekend, just celebrating your graduation.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
When I walked across the stage, the president, he was like, dang,
it's a love of.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Young We went came through like we were here, we're
here for this.
Speaker 6 (21:42):
And we're still like that family strong.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, we're gonna take a quick pause here so we
can show some love to our sponsor, and we're gonna
come back and finish this conversation. With Paula Madison Yer. Yes. So,
this episode is sponsored by Hope Murals. Hope Murals is.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
A nonprofit that provides adolescent youth with an interactive experience
of creative expression via an urban arts platform that stimulates
both mental and physical development. Please visit that website at
www dotmurals dot org to learn more and find ways
you can support the work they do.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Welcome back. We are here for the second half of
this conversation. What's good y'all? Looking forward to having another
robust conversation with Paul looking forward to hearing what life
has been like since graduation. But before we do that,
let's take a moment to thank our sponsor, Hope Murals.
You heard a little bit about what they are into
earlier in this episode, but just know we truly appreciate
(22:49):
all the work that they're doing with our youth, exposing
them to the power of urban arts and fostering their
personal and creative development. So, if you're looking at support
an organization and make a meaningful pat show some love
the Hope Murals as they are working to shape the
next generation of leaders. We also have our network, the
Defied Life Network. Their website is go to find Life co.
(23:13):
You can check that network out and other dope podcasts
besides after Gate show, some love to the file Life network.
Remember we are on all of your major podcast streaming services, Apple, iPod, Spreakers, Spotify,
all of them. Make sure you like us subscribe when
you are listening so you can get an alert when
we release the next episode. I'll pass it to Jerry
(23:36):
so we could take us into the second half of
our show.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Welcome back AOC family and after Gate Immunity. We are
with the illustrious doctor Paula Madison right, class of ninety two,
aka campus alum. Shout out to my campus cougars as
we transition and come back to the second half of
the show and hear about life post Colgate. I'd love
(24:00):
to get your perspective on sort of this subject matter
around paying it forward. So I think the politically correct
term or where folks use a lot is commonist community service, right,
and that takes on a lot of shapes and forms
that can be packaged a lot of ways. But I've
always been fascinated that there are just some people in
(24:21):
the world that don't really care community service, and then
there are those who do. And for those who do.
I'd be very interesting getting your take on, like, where
do you think that comes from? Is it the way
you raise Is it a certain experience you have in
life that then makes you recognize the need for it.
Speaker 6 (24:37):
But so I am very big on community service. You know,
service is the rent that we pay, and I think
it definitely comes from your upbringing. I remember growing up
in the Bronx. My mother was part of the Democratic Committee.
I can remember being six years old and going with
(24:59):
her to envelopes and she was always involved. I was
always going to meetings with her. She was on this
organization and on this board, and I guess that was
ingrained in me. And so now as an adult, I
am very involved, to my husband's dismay, too much involved
(25:21):
in community service. And I see it now manifesting in
my daughter, who since the time she was two years old,
was going with me to meetings. And you know, I'm
on so many different organizations and so many different boards,
and I think we have to give back to our community.
(25:44):
If we want to see change, we have to be
the change makers. And so community service involvement is so important.
It's such a huge part of my life and it's
such an important part. Again, we have to be the
change that we want to see in the world. So
when we see things that are not right, we have
(26:06):
to be involved, whether it's politically, whether it's you know whatever,
organizations where you're passionate about you have to be involved
and give back. So it's a huge part of my life.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Dope, we are I let the service is the rent
you pay? Yeah, yeah, I might put that on the
back of a T shirt or something, because I just,
like you believe the world would be a lot better
if all of us did something.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
Absolutely, we can't just sit back and you know, complain
about things, and you have to be involved to make
change and to make things happen. So I am very involved.
I'm on so many different boards. I've been presidents of
different organizations and nonprofits, and I'm just really involved in communities,
(27:00):
servis and I encourage anyone and everyone from young people.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
I remember when my daughter was in high school when
she was complaining that they didn't her high school wasn't
doing anything for Black history mom, and so I encourage her.
So at a petition, go to the school board. MHM,
express your concerns. But if this is something that you
want to see happen, then you have to be the
person to step up and maybe lead the charge. So
(27:28):
it's so important to me and in my life.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Great to hear, great to see. Also, because you are
you do share some of that on social media, and
so please continue that for those of us who you
know ain't up in the Northeast and don't get invited
to y'all h cole gay up in New York get togethers.
It's nice.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
We're going to open it up.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Please, it's nice to see y'all. See you in the world,
making making the world a better place. So keep trying,
keep sharing, keep sharing, and keep doing.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
I'm trying doing my little to do whatever I can.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Love it, Love it, love it. So let's talk about
who all it is now? Give us the what has
life been like? Who are you now? Who have you
been since graduate?
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Since ninety two?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Give us a sense of what your life like? The journey.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Sure, right after Kogate, I went to Tulane down in
No Leans, Okay, to the School of Public Health. I
went to Tulane get my master's degree in public health
because you know, although I didn't become a medical doctor,
I decided to study preventive medicine, public health, which is
(28:41):
the other side. Stay down in New Orleans a little while.
I thought I would stay there, But New Orleans is
really a different beast of its own.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
It's like a country especial.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I always tell everyone great place to visit, not to live.
It's kind of like living in a third world country.
It was different. So I thought I would stay in
New Orleans. But I was like, no, I'm not making
any money down here. They're a little too slow for
me down here. Came back to New York, New Jersey,
(29:15):
worked worked in health care, nonprofit. Moved from nonprofit. I
ran a health department, was a director of a health department.
Then I went into the other beasts of managed care,
so working for health insurance companies, Corporate America did that
(29:37):
for a while up until a year and a half ago.
So I've always been in healthcare up until a year
and a half ago. And in the meantime I did
my doctorate, completed my doctorate at Seaton Hall University and
health leadership, and so a year and a half ago.
Kind of after COVID healthcare, it was difficult to rebound
(30:04):
after COVID with the financial piece of it and I
was laid off in the end of twenty twenty three,
but I saw it coming because our company just couldn't
bounce back after COVID. And since then, I have been
doing consultant. I've been doing my own thing.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
You know.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Everyone tells me, like, why do you even work? I
don't know if I could say what I want to say, like,
you know, why do you work on the plantation? You know,
you need to be doing your own thing. So in
the meantime, I've been doing a lot of consulting, helping
my husband working for his business, and that was one
of the reasons why I went back. I always said
(30:47):
I was going to be a doctor, but I had
to let him know he wasn't going to be the
only doctor in the house, and he wasn't the smartest
one in the house, right so, you know, even though
he likes to say he's the first doctor ryer, but
it's okay. So now where I am definitely very involved
in my philanthropic work, but I am starting my own consultant,
(31:11):
business healthcare consultant and organizational consultant. I work a lot
with different organizations and nonprofits, helping them with their programs
and their strategic planning. So I am doing my own
thing right about now. I've registered my business and I'm
about to launch it. So the interesting part is throughout
(31:34):
all of this, my mom got sick and I became
the caregiver for her, and I noticed, you know, when
I was caring for her, my kids were still younger,
a little bit younger. They were in school, that Sandwich generation,
caring for your parents and caring for your children. My
(31:54):
dad had passed a couple of years before then, and
I would say to my husband, life, I'm just not
feeling right, you know, I'm anxious, anxiety, all of these
things I was experiencing as a caregiver. And I started
doing research, and the research shows that as a caregiver
(32:18):
of a person with dementia, you have higher rates of stress, anxiety, depression, morbidity,
and mortality. So as you're taking care of this person
with dementia and all of these other factors. And that's
what my dissertation was that looking at African American caregivers
(32:38):
of loved ones with dementia. Because you have the cultural piece,
you have the financial piece, and so many different pieces.
So part of my new path is launching this business
awareness of caregivers and the health of caregiveing, and especially
(33:01):
the cultural piece of it as African Americans. So that's
where I'm at right now. I think so many of us,
especially in our age group, we have parents that are elderly.
We're in a position that we're taking care of our parents.
Some of us are taking care of our parents. So
just looking at it from that perspective of caregiver health.
(33:23):
So I'll be launching a podcasts soon and some other
things along with looking at caregiver health.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
If you're a business looking to get your brand in
front of a loyal, supportive, successful market, you need to
become a sponsor of Aftergate. Our network recognizes the opportunity
to work with co Gates, a lum of color, to
leverage the reach of the show to increase awareness and profitability.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
For your business. Reach out to the Defile Life.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Podcast network and we will work with you throughout the
entire process. We have special packages to get you started.
Attact us at info at godefirelife dot com.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Every week.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Professionals of color ranging from politicians to educators, to judges,
to entrepreneurs, to lawyers, corporate leaders, and even retirees aftergate
reaches an array of successful bipod listeners, contact us to
learn more about how we can benefit you.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Well, as someone my mother in law lived with us,
and so as being a caregiver to the extent that
I am, but more importantly watched Gina as a caregiver
to her mother. Are on to something, and I applaud
you for supporting this growing demographic, a demographic that, to
(34:46):
your point, often as they are given, given, given, given given,
aren't doing the necessary self care for themselves. And so
I applaud you. I encourage you, please support her as
she launches her business. Know that you can always shoot
us some information. We'd love to promote AOC's ventures and
(35:10):
so if there's any help we can do in terms
of promoting your cause, know that that's that's why we
do what we do.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
So thank you, and the podcast will be called Who's
Caring for Me? Because you're busy caring for everyone else.
You're caring for you know whoever. You're caring for your kids,
your husband, and your spouse, But who's caring for me?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
So let's ask you this question a little bit about perspective. Right,
So if you think about Paula, who is going into Kolgate.
What are some words of advice she might offer that
young lady. And then if you also think of Paula
as she's graduating Colgate, if you go whisper in her ear,
what will be some words of whispering shit?
Speaker 6 (35:55):
Hmmm, Paula going into Kogate. Be open to different experiences,
different ideas. Again, growing up in the South Bronx, you know,
my experience was limited as far as my exposure to
(36:21):
the world, but I think Kogate definitely broadened my exposure.
Meeting so many different people, different backgrounds, different experiences. I
cannot take away from that experience and what I learned
from Kogate from the relationships again, the friends, not only
with those in HRC, but the broader, the broader piece
(36:44):
of things. The Paula leaving Kogateugh, gosh, that's difficult, I
guess the Paula leaving Kogate. My would be this is again,
this is only a small part of your world, and
(37:07):
there's so much more in this world that's ahead of you.
And again, be open, be open. It's a great experience.
Make sure you leverage your relationships, Leverage your friendships, leverage
(37:27):
the opportunities Koga gave us. We had a lot of
opportunities at Kogate and it's up to you to take
advantage of whatever opportunities are presented to you. So that
would be my advice to any any young person.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Last final question is ready went up quickly. Hey, sitting
the kitchen tables. What would you promote and share? What
do you want to promote and share? Like, we have
AOC listeners, students, just got people who can support something
(38:09):
that is important to you. So we always offer this
platform to our guests to say, hey, here's something that
matters to Paula and check it out, whether it's a website,
whether it's an opportunity just deploys yours. Would you like
to promote and share?
Speaker 6 (38:25):
Well, I've talked about my podcast that will be coming
out soon, so I'll definitely share that and share that
information and I look forward to leveraging some of the
guests and even you talked about Gina and her mom
as she's a caregiver. So there's lots of opportunities in
this Codate network. Take advantage of it, you know, don't
(38:50):
be in a silo. Don't There's so much that is
open to you, and so definitely be open to all
experiences and the world is yours.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (39:06):
After Kogate Kogate. One of my line sisters, her son
goes to Kogate, and before he went there, I kind
of gave him some words of advice and which came
true for him. But it's it's a great school. It's
an awesome school there. The education is top notch education
(39:32):
he's finding now. And again, I don't want to sound
like a broken record, but the relationships and the friendships
will last you a lifetime or those for a lifetime.
You know. I know I can call any of my
Colgate friends and say this is what I need, this
is what I'm doing. You know, let's get together or whatever.
So it's a great experience and take it for what
(39:57):
it's worth and just run with it. You know, this
is just a small piece of the puzzle in your
larger world and what's to come. But it's such a
great piece of the puzzle. And so you know, the
world is yours. Sound like Nino Brown, the world is yours?
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Any final word before we get out of here.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
No, this has been great. You know, this doesn't even
seem like it's been it's been that we talked as long.
But this is great. I'm glad you guys are doing this.
All the best to you, however, I can support. I
have not given back to Colgate as I should. I
haven't been back in how many years? Ninety two? Although
(40:43):
she is I haven't been thirty something years, Dick, I
have not been back. I'm going to change that though.
I was trying to take my daughter when she was
looking for college, so she was like, absolutely not. But
you know, I guess my words of advice is live life,
live it to the foolish. Do things that you're passionate about.
(41:05):
That's that's so key. Live your passion because if it's
something that you're passionate about, then you're more inclined to
really hone into it and do well and really go
far with it. So that's my words of advice.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
First, let me say thank you for coming on. Our
archives wouldn't be complete if we didn't have an interview
with Paula Madison b Reiner. I mean, honestly, spend a
lot of time hanging out with you, Glad to hear
what your life has been like and that life is
(41:46):
good and it's still smiling. And still bringing. I mean
I didn't share this in the show, but I always
have loved your energy like Paula has always brought a
just a vibe, a good vibe to a room. And
just know I've always appreciated that way back then and
(42:07):
loved being around you because you enjoyed yourself. We have
fun while we were together. So just shout out, shout
out to you and your family and wish you all
the best. And when you are ready to share the
show the consulting business, we all were in nonprofits. We
know people. The network is yours. If we can help,
we'd love to help.
Speaker 6 (42:28):
So thank you.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
I appreciate that this has been another episode after Gate
season five. Thank you to our guests, Thank you to
our listeners. After Gate is always powered by the Defive
Life podcast Network. Make sure you check us out in
the future. We are on all of your favorite podcast
(42:50):
streaming platform. Many more dope episodes that follow. And the
COVID of your day is not the coviate of today,
and it's certainly not the cogate of the future. Peace family.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
You hear that listen closer that my friend is the
definis out of focus, it drowns.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
Out all the useless noise that can clutter. The only
nay sayers don't exist.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Haters, smaters, the peanut gallery.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Who's that.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
When you're in your zone, all that noise.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
And all that buzz is just eleventor music. So enjoy
your journey, focus on your goal, and bask.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
In the choiet role that is progressed, Because when it's
your time to shoot that shot, spit that verse, or
close that deal, the only voice that matters is yours.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
The fire life
The following podcast is being brought to you by the
Defile Life podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Aftergate, Powered by the Defile Life Network.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Are You all Ready?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Aftergate is a podcast series highlighting Colgate alumni of color
in their professional endeavors. Aftergate.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Are You all Ready?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Aftergate?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Is hosted by Alvin glymp Aka al and Herman Dubois
Akaa Jerry.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Are you all ready?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
We are doing Aftergate because Colgate University has produced innovators
who have changed the world every day, Yet many alumni
of color and the mainstream Colgate community are unaware of
the amazing accomplishments of alums of color.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Are you all ready? Welcome? Welcome, Welcome. This is Aftergate
and we are in the midst of season five. Allod
I think we are still creeping up on a hundred shows.
We ain't got there yet, but we are getting there,
and I'm just honored to be part of this Aftergate journey.
(01:09):
After Gate remember is that podcast totally focused on documenting, amplifying,
bringing the stories of Kogate's alumni color talking a little
bit about what their life was like for Kogate during Kogate.
After Coogate, It's been fascinating. This is Alvin Clint aka L.
I'm here with my co host mister Hedmind Dubois. What's
(01:31):
going on, Jerry? How you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Brother?
Speaker 5 (01:33):
Brother glynt fall as well. Less to be here, looking
forward to another amazing show. Uh, how's life in the
atl talk to me?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Come on, man on the street.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Is that you hot right now?
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I'm hotting them streets. Oh it's been you know, I've
had some good weeks. The weather's been good. But professionally,
you know, working in the United Way, I'm really enjoying it.
And so presented at that APT the conference, so yeah
of black philanthropic UH individuals throughout the world had the
opportunity to present, sit on a panel to talk about
(02:06):
the work we're doing with the child with being index.
So just enjoying this space, brother, and just trying.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
To rats man continue to rise, Yes, sir, Yes, Lessons
upon blessings.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Blessings upon blessings and blessings. And in that note, let
me shout out the alumni color Kogate because I do
appreciate the social media love. As we're sharing our posts,
they are definitely recreating them and putting it out in
their universe as well, so shout out to Kogate alumni. Color.
I appreciate that a lot of that came from that
gathering you had, oh that they had up in New
(02:39):
York City in March.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
I kind of you know, I was like, Yo, come on,
get on board. We shouted, we highlighted y'all, so show
us some love. So I guess it was well received.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
How you doing? Excellent?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Excellent? Wrapping up another shooting a neuro project and historic
Tyler Brownsville, Miami, which I got some some data to
say that. I learned that Brownsville was the first area
in Dade County where African Americans could own property and
own a business. And so although it gets overshadowed by
(03:13):
overtown at Liberty City, historically those were rent the communities
and so the first real middle class, Black middle class
of Miami settled in Brownsville. So we just completed a
mural legacy project to highlight the various leaders that were
elected officials and local community leaders to tell the story
visually at a park in Brownsville. So we've got a
(03:36):
big unveil in coming up in May. Excited about that,
and you know, it's a good look. It's a good
look for all involved.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So congratulations, hope murals continuing to do that thing that
just remember the sponsor. But you'll hear that commercial in
the break. So with that in mind, can I get
your blessings This week's guest into the studio.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
As always, Deaconell Churches. Amen, bring unto the Aftergate.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Platform, into the after Gate studios. It is my honor
after Gate listeners, AOC family, the one the only Paula
Madison Ryaner class of nineteen ninety two, Doctor Paula, Welcome
(04:34):
to after Gate.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
My thank you, thank you. I'm excited to be joining
you guys tonight.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Long overdue.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
It took.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
What I gotta ask is it's the fifth season.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
Wow, you know and l a few times to join
he did. I saw a few messages, but I was like,
you know what, now is the time. Let me let
me do this.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
That's okay, it's your story, your time. Thank you, Thank
you for taking the step of faith and become a
part of the after Gay family. Because we are excited
to share your story. We always start to show with
the perspective of do we know the guests? Do we
have we have prior contact with the guests or is
this somebody that we're meeting for the first time like
our listeners. And so I'm proud to say that you're
(05:23):
one of a handful of sisters that I know as
part of AOC that I actually had the pleasure going
to high school with. And so we go back shout
out to a Randolph.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
A campus high school.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Hard are those who know, no we call the campus.
It wasn't even Randolph, it was campus we were, I mean,
just so you put in context, we were a high
school that was based on the campus of c.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
C N Y In Knowledge College.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
And now I know as an educated we were an experiment,
you know, but so so so pellanthropic folks saying, you
know what if we get a couple of black and
brown kids from every borough and stick them in in
school with some really select teachers and a very college
bound intention, we think, and and and and at the
(06:15):
time was specifically a lot of us to be targeted
to go into the health sciences, to the Medical Progress,
which was a program you applied in eighth grade to
be admitted into this program. Competing with kids throughout the city.
The joke was we were all the we were all
the ones I got rejected from bron High School to Science.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
I was just about doctor. We were on part with
Bronx Science Brooklyn Text at this time.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
Jerry, Oh, I'm not. I'm proud. I rep campus all
day and so that's where I crossed paths with.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So we don't go back to high school. But knowing
that we were all on the same time, along with
Gina being from campus, along with y'all being cool and
hanging out a lot, got to relationship right, right. But
what's so cool about these shows is that with the
(07:20):
people that you might have had relationships with on campus,
this show officers an opportunity to say, what was Paula's
life like before? So take us back to before you
get the Colgate. Let us know what your world is like.
What do you remember about that time? What's happening in
the world. How would you describe before Colgate? In your world.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
Before I got to Cogate? Oh god, I not the
worst long term memory, but trump born and raised in
the boogie sound Bronx.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Oh Yeah Street, What Street.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Mars Avenue, Hunt Street?
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Wrong?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Where'd you go to middle school?
Speaker 6 (08:04):
Artural? Tuscanini won forty five junior high school one on
Teller on Teller Avenue and one hundred and sixty fifth
Street and Lebronx.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
She wasshood.
Speaker 6 (08:16):
I was in the hood. My mother was a teacher
at the middle school and then.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Uh oh wow I middle school.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
Yeah, she was a teacher at the middle school. And
like you said, wound up. I always wanted to go
into the hell field, wanted to be a doctor, and
wound up at a Philip Randolph in a mazy medical program.
And how did I get to Cogate? I think at
the time our counselors were really pushing Cogate at the
(08:46):
time because a lot of us from campus wound up
at Cogate. And I distinctly remember we went to sub
Frosh Weekend and God, I hated it up there. It
was no way I was going to that school is snowed.
We got stuck up there. I think we had to
(09:07):
stay an extra day because it was a snowstorm. I
remember we went to a hockey game, but it was
just like, there's no way in hell. Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I'm sorry for the record, that's fine, for the record.
This might be this might be the first admission that
sub Frost Weekend was not a good experience. Because that
has been a very consistent theme. And most of our
guests who went who said it was that weekend that
(09:35):
made that they got love with Kogate, and it's very
interesting to hear a different perspective.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Oh no, it was sub frosh weekend and made me
realize that I did not want to be there because
we got stuck. We went to a hockey game. It
was a cool weekend. I think that was probably my
first weekend away at a college like that, but it
was no way. I had no interest in Kovid whatsoever,
and I really wanted to go to Hampton. But my parents,
(10:02):
you know, they were a little older, they were from
the South. They would not let me go to an HBCU.
Really they would not. And I distinctly remember my package
came in from Kogate and I'm doing I think we
had to pay. I think our commitment was like two
thousand dollars and my mother was like, that's where you're going.
(10:24):
And I was like, I want to go bed the
furthest place I want to be and she was like,
well that's where you're going. So I really had no
choice but to be there because they wouldn't let me
go anywhere else. So that's how my wands back kode exactly.
The financial and that's why when my kids were looking
(10:45):
at colleges, I was like, wherever you want to go,
because it's not you know, it's difficult being somewhere that
you didn't want to beat.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So do you remember, scot when you were in the
scholars O US program?
Speaker 6 (10:57):
I was, of course, we all so, yes, So we
came up early. I came late after the rest of
my class. I know, I got a story. I came late.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I told you I don't even want to be here.
I don't.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
I had had surgery. So I came up maybe like
a week or a couple of days later, after the
rest of my class. So I kind of had to
fit in. And you know, luckily, I think it was
six of us that were in that year from campus
that were in the US. It was six of us,
six from one high school, from one high school.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
We had five in my class.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Wow, that's pretty impressive. Eleven and two years from one
high school.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
So I'm trying to tell you we're.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
On campus deep up in now.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Yeah for real.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
Yeah. So, I mean the summer program was great o US.
It was a great way to you know, make friends, bond,
to just get acclimated before you started, uh, the real world.
And so yeah, so that's how I got it.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Did you feel with Macy Med and what they tried
to push with the college classes, did you feel more
equipped in your summer or did you was like yo,
what is.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
This in the summer? Yes, you know, the summer was easy.
It was a good transition, but once.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
We started in August September, that was a different ball game.
Most of us who came from campus and were in
the Macy medical program, I remember we took.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
Biology that first semester, and I think we all withdrew
from biology that first semester, even though we had taken
classes at City College, because that was the thing with campus,
you were able to take classes at city college, so
we took actual college campuses. But once we got into
(12:54):
biology at Kogate, it was a different ball game and
it was like, oh, maybe we're not as prepared as
we thought we were for this track we're on. So
a lot of us changed our mages very quickly. We
thought we were going into pre med, but that changed
after the first semester, probably before the first semester was over.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, So, if I remember correctly, you stayed in HRC.
So what do you remember about them early years? Like
the transition? Just life for you? That first year at Kobe.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
So HRC was the bomb holl In Renaissance and we
were all together. I loved HRC. You know, we had
some friends who didn't live in HRC in their experience
was very different. But it was great to be together
amongst our people, to live together, and the experience was different.
(13:53):
It made the transition a lot easier to be with
people who looked like you, who had the same mindset
as you. So it made the experience much more easier
to applimate into the college life.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, first year was HRC. Where else did you live
your four years?
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Like? What else?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
I lived h r C all through junior year and
then senior year. I had an apartment. We lived down
in that apartment apartments.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
You were there, I came now roommates.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
I I might have been roommates with your wife.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
You was you? Was you? Was?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Now that I remember? So I remember you on the radio, right,
you had a radio show.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
So tell us, tell us some of your extracurriculus had
a radio show. Wasn't that? I was in a rap
group with you guys. Let me tell you something. When
I tell my kids I was in a rap group,
I forgot about that, remember, okay, I distinctly remember. We
did the Wait Wait Self Destruction. Elvis was a hero
(15:06):
to most, but it never meant was racist and playing
mother and John Wayne because I'm black and I'm proud
and I'm hiding, I'm ready, I'm most of my heroes
on a piano stamp. Yes, so we went to rap
group together, yes, yes, yes, I was miss Melody of
the group.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we killed it.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
What else the radio show I was in so Journals
we were all in sank kopha together. Yes, so we
were all in sank Kopa running back on Sundays to
make sure we get back in time.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Just yo. Those were some good days, yes, you know,
and I.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
Was thinking about this earlier. I think Kochate was a
lot about finding our identity mm hmm and really yeah, yeah,
really tapping into the culture, into our culture. So yeah,
those those are some good old days.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So did you work any any of student employment with us?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
You know, work study was part of that package.
Speaker 6 (16:18):
Come on, I did not. I did not, Okay, I gotta,
I gotta, I gotta tell this joke. I ran into
Aldren Crazy Aldren, Aldrin Bordia. I ran into him years ago,
maybe about I'll just say about ten years ago at
(16:40):
a funeral and very prominent man that I worked with,
and he had worked with him as well. He did.
He ran a youth organization in the city. We both
worked there at different times. And I had on a
mink coat and Aldrin goals. You had a mink in college,
the only person with a min coach And he said,
(17:02):
I will never forget. You were in financial aid office
telling them you needed more financial aid. But you had
a man I've never understood that. He's like, And here
you are, all these years later, still rocking the Minx. No, No,
I didn't work all have Ben has style.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Don't get it twisted then has style? Not surprised, Not
surprised at all. So when you look at your time there,
I mean, I know you you mentioned it is about identity,
But when you look over your tongue, what are the
things that you accomplished, like socially, academically, what do you
(17:39):
look at as highlights, things that you're really proud of.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
The things that's the thing that stands out most is
the friendships and the relationships. You know, friends for life
still get together. We have a group. We have our
group chat, the Kogate Ladies that live in New York,
New Jersey, Sharon Gale, Sham Aaron Audrey, Chariz, Pat Michelle, Natasha,
(18:05):
Estaia Marsha. So we get together all the time. Yeah, yeah,
and we have a ball. So those friendships, those lifelong friendships,
really meant a lot. And you established those friendships in college. Socially,
(18:27):
I always tell everyone, I think, you know, when I
look back on it, I think I was a little
depressed because it wasn't the greatest social life. We had
to make our own social life, you know, because it
was so few of us. We had a great time.
But if I had to do it over again, I
(18:48):
don't know if that's the place for me. But the
experience was the best. Academically, it was a great experience.
I remember some of my good friends going to Hampton
in which I really wanted to go to, and other
colleges and near academic experience was not the same. I'll
just say that it was not the same. And you know,
(19:14):
at this point in my life, I don't know if
a p W I would be what I would choose.
But I think because we were on a p WI,
we were at a PWI and it was so few
of us, we really tapped into our culture. So I
don't know if I would have gotten that history and
(19:34):
really exploring what it means to be black in the
world into the you know, the big the bigger world.
That was a great experience, So I can't take.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
It started out as pre mad, like I say, and
wounds up with sociology, anthropology slash African American studies.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Same same, same, same.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Yeah, yeah mm hm. So you know, the funny thing
is my daughter is a sophomore in college and she's
in the period where she's changing her major, and she
and I having some TIFFs about her changing her major.
But I thought about it and I was like, well,
I did change my major along the way, and my
parents were not so involved. We did what we had
(20:20):
to do to get out, and so.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
We figured it out right, right, we.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Figured it out. So I'm like, Okay, can I be
so upset with her that she's doing the same thing.
She has to do what's.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Right for her.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
So yeah, I think about that story a lot because
we all had that similar experience. And you know, it's
not until now in hindsight, that I realized that it
would have been a lot worse trying to explain to
them why I got academically disqualified from Colgate because I
was taking coursework that was beyond my capacity. And my
(20:51):
dad was said, why wouldn't you just switch your major
so you congraduate, right, And so that's the bigger plan,
the long game.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
So exactly, this is just one little piece in the puzzle,
a small piece pie.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Really think about life and kind of what we got
going on. It's funny as you was kind of talking.
One of my memories was uh graduation and your family
that came up.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Like uh strong were everywhere right.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Like strong, a lot of folk loving, Just a good
memory of that weekend, just celebrating your graduation.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
When I walked across the stage, the president, he was like, dang,
it's a love of.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Young We went came through like we were here, we're
here for this.
Speaker 6 (21:42):
And we're still like that family strong.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, we're gonna take a quick pause here so we
can show some love to our sponsor, and we're gonna
come back and finish this conversation. With Paula Madison Yer. Yes. So,
this episode is sponsored by Hope Murals. Hope Murals is.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
A nonprofit that provides adolescent youth with an interactive experience
of creative expression via an urban arts platform that stimulates
both mental and physical development. Please visit that website at
www dotmurals dot org to learn more and find ways
you can support the work they do.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Welcome back. We are here for the second half of
this conversation. What's good y'all? Looking forward to having another
robust conversation with Paul looking forward to hearing what life
has been like since graduation. But before we do that,
let's take a moment to thank our sponsor, Hope Murals.
You heard a little bit about what they are into
earlier in this episode, but just know we truly appreciate
(22:49):
all the work that they're doing with our youth, exposing
them to the power of urban arts and fostering their
personal and creative development. So, if you're looking at support
an organization and make a meaningful pat show some love
the Hope Murals as they are working to shape the
next generation of leaders. We also have our network, the
Defied Life Network. Their website is go to find Life co.
(23:13):
You can check that network out and other dope podcasts
besides after Gate show, some love to the file Life network.
Remember we are on all of your major podcast streaming services, Apple, iPod, Spreakers, Spotify,
all of them. Make sure you like us subscribe when
you are listening so you can get an alert when
we release the next episode. I'll pass it to Jerry
(23:36):
so we could take us into the second half of
our show.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Welcome back AOC family and after Gate Immunity. We are
with the illustrious doctor Paula Madison right, class of ninety two,
aka campus alum. Shout out to my campus cougars as
we transition and come back to the second half of
the show and hear about life post Colgate. I'd love
(24:00):
to get your perspective on sort of this subject matter
around paying it forward. So I think the politically correct
term or where folks use a lot is commonist community service, right,
and that takes on a lot of shapes and forms
that can be packaged a lot of ways. But I've
always been fascinated that there are just some people in
(24:21):
the world that don't really care community service, and then
there are those who do. And for those who do.
I'd be very interesting getting your take on, like, where
do you think that comes from? Is it the way
you raise Is it a certain experience you have in
life that then makes you recognize the need for it.
Speaker 6 (24:37):
But so I am very big on community service. You know,
service is the rent that we pay, and I think
it definitely comes from your upbringing. I remember growing up
in the Bronx. My mother was part of the Democratic Committee.
I can remember being six years old and going with
(24:59):
her to envelopes and she was always involved. I was
always going to meetings with her. She was on this
organization and on this board, and I guess that was
ingrained in me. And so now as an adult, I
am very involved, to my husband's dismay, too much involved
(25:21):
in community service. And I see it now manifesting in
my daughter, who since the time she was two years old,
was going with me to meetings. And you know, I'm
on so many different organizations and so many different boards,
and I think we have to give back to our community.
(25:44):
If we want to see change, we have to be
the change makers. And so community service involvement is so important.
It's such a huge part of my life and it's
such an important part. Again, we have to be the
change that we want to see in the world. So
when we see things that are not right, we have
(26:06):
to be involved, whether it's politically, whether it's you know whatever,
organizations where you're passionate about you have to be involved
and give back. So it's a huge part of my life.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Dope, we are I let the service is the rent
you pay? Yeah, yeah, I might put that on the
back of a T shirt or something, because I just,
like you believe the world would be a lot better
if all of us did something.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
Absolutely, we can't just sit back and you know, complain
about things, and you have to be involved to make
change and to make things happen. So I am very involved.
I'm on so many different boards. I've been presidents of
different organizations and nonprofits, and I'm just really involved in communities,
(27:00):
servis and I encourage anyone and everyone from young people.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
I remember when my daughter was in high school when
she was complaining that they didn't her high school wasn't
doing anything for Black history mom, and so I encourage her.
So at a petition, go to the school board. MHM,
express your concerns. But if this is something that you
want to see happen, then you have to be the
person to step up and maybe lead the charge. So
(27:28):
it's so important to me and in my life.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Great to hear, great to see. Also, because you are
you do share some of that on social media, and
so please continue that for those of us who you
know ain't up in the Northeast and don't get invited
to y'all h cole gay up in New York get togethers.
It's nice.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
We're going to open it up.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Please, it's nice to see y'all. See you in the world,
making making the world a better place. So keep trying,
keep sharing, keep sharing, and keep doing.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
I'm trying doing my little to do whatever I can.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Love it, Love it, love it. So let's talk about
who all it is now? Give us the what has
life been like? Who are you now? Who have you
been since graduate?
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Since ninety two?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Give us a sense of what your life like? The journey.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Sure, right after Kogate, I went to Tulane down in
No Leans, Okay, to the School of Public Health. I
went to Tulane get my master's degree in public health
because you know, although I didn't become a medical doctor,
I decided to study preventive medicine, public health, which is
(28:41):
the other side. Stay down in New Orleans a little while.
I thought I would stay there, But New Orleans is
really a different beast of its own.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
It's like a country especial.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I always tell everyone great place to visit, not to live.
It's kind of like living in a third world country.
It was different. So I thought I would stay in
New Orleans. But I was like, no, I'm not making
any money down here. They're a little too slow for
me down here. Came back to New York, New Jersey,
(29:15):
worked worked in health care, nonprofit. Moved from nonprofit. I
ran a health department, was a director of a health department.
Then I went into the other beasts of managed care,
so working for health insurance companies, Corporate America did that
(29:37):
for a while up until a year and a half ago.
So I've always been in healthcare up until a year
and a half ago. And in the meantime I did
my doctorate, completed my doctorate at Seaton Hall University and
health leadership, and so a year and a half ago.
Kind of after COVID healthcare, it was difficult to rebound
(30:04):
after COVID with the financial piece of it and I
was laid off in the end of twenty twenty three,
but I saw it coming because our company just couldn't
bounce back after COVID. And since then, I have been
doing consultant. I've been doing my own thing.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
You know.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Everyone tells me, like, why do you even work? I
don't know if I could say what I want to say, like,
you know, why do you work on the plantation? You know,
you need to be doing your own thing. So in
the meantime, I've been doing a lot of consulting, helping
my husband working for his business, and that was one
of the reasons why I went back. I always said
(30:47):
I was going to be a doctor, but I had
to let him know he wasn't going to be the
only doctor in the house, and he wasn't the smartest
one in the house, right so, you know, even though
he likes to say he's the first doctor ryer, but
it's okay. So now where I am definitely very involved
in my philanthropic work, but I am starting my own consultant,
(31:11):
business healthcare consultant and organizational consultant. I work a lot
with different organizations and nonprofits, helping them with their programs
and their strategic planning. So I am doing my own
thing right about now. I've registered my business and I'm
about to launch it. So the interesting part is throughout
(31:34):
all of this, my mom got sick and I became
the caregiver for her, and I noticed, you know, when
I was caring for her, my kids were still younger,
a little bit younger. They were in school, that Sandwich generation,
caring for your parents and caring for your children. My
(31:54):
dad had passed a couple of years before then, and
I would say to my husband, life, I'm just not
feeling right, you know, I'm anxious, anxiety, all of these
things I was experiencing as a caregiver. And I started
doing research, and the research shows that as a caregiver
(32:18):
of a person with dementia, you have higher rates of stress, anxiety, depression, morbidity,
and mortality. So as you're taking care of this person
with dementia and all of these other factors. And that's
what my dissertation was that looking at African American caregivers
(32:38):
of loved ones with dementia. Because you have the cultural piece,
you have the financial piece, and so many different pieces.
So part of my new path is launching this business
awareness of caregivers and the health of caregiveing, and especially
(33:01):
the cultural piece of it as African Americans. So that's
where I'm at right now. I think so many of us,
especially in our age group, we have parents that are elderly.
We're in a position that we're taking care of our parents.
Some of us are taking care of our parents. So
just looking at it from that perspective of caregiver health.
(33:23):
So I'll be launching a podcasts soon and some other
things along with looking at caregiver health.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
If you're a business looking to get your brand in
front of a loyal, supportive, successful market, you need to
become a sponsor of Aftergate. Our network recognizes the opportunity
to work with co Gates, a lum of color, to
leverage the reach of the show to increase awareness and profitability.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
For your business. Reach out to the Defile Life.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Podcast network and we will work with you throughout the
entire process. We have special packages to get you started.
Attact us at info at godefirelife dot com.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Every week.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Professionals of color ranging from politicians to educators, to judges,
to entrepreneurs, to lawyers, corporate leaders, and even retirees aftergate
reaches an array of successful bipod listeners, contact us to
learn more about how we can benefit you.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Well, as someone my mother in law lived with us,
and so as being a caregiver to the extent that
I am, but more importantly watched Gina as a caregiver
to her mother. Are on to something, and I applaud
you for supporting this growing demographic, a demographic that, to
(34:46):
your point, often as they are given, given, given, given given,
aren't doing the necessary self care for themselves. And so
I applaud you. I encourage you, please support her as
she launches her business. Know that you can always shoot
us some information. We'd love to promote AOC's ventures and
(35:10):
so if there's any help we can do in terms
of promoting your cause, know that that's that's why we
do what we do.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
So thank you, and the podcast will be called Who's
Caring for Me? Because you're busy caring for everyone else.
You're caring for you know whoever. You're caring for your kids,
your husband, and your spouse, But who's caring for me?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
So let's ask you this question a little bit about perspective. Right,
So if you think about Paula, who is going into Kolgate.
What are some words of advice she might offer that
young lady. And then if you also think of Paula
as she's graduating Colgate, if you go whisper in her ear,
what will be some words of whispering shit?
Speaker 6 (35:55):
Hmmm, Paula going into Kogate. Be open to different experiences,
different ideas. Again, growing up in the South Bronx, you know,
my experience was limited as far as my exposure to
(36:21):
the world, but I think Kogate definitely broadened my exposure.
Meeting so many different people, different backgrounds, different experiences. I
cannot take away from that experience and what I learned
from Kogate from the relationships again, the friends, not only
with those in HRC, but the broader, the broader piece
(36:44):
of things. The Paula leaving Kogateugh, gosh, that's difficult, I
guess the Paula leaving Kogate. My would be this is again,
this is only a small part of your world, and
(37:07):
there's so much more in this world that's ahead of you.
And again, be open, be open. It's a great experience.
Make sure you leverage your relationships, Leverage your friendships, leverage
(37:27):
the opportunities Koga gave us. We had a lot of
opportunities at Kogate and it's up to you to take
advantage of whatever opportunities are presented to you. So that
would be my advice to any any young person.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Last final question is ready went up quickly. Hey, sitting
the kitchen tables. What would you promote and share? What
do you want to promote and share? Like, we have
AOC listeners, students, just got people who can support something
(38:09):
that is important to you. So we always offer this
platform to our guests to say, hey, here's something that
matters to Paula and check it out, whether it's a website,
whether it's an opportunity just deploys yours. Would you like
to promote and share?
Speaker 6 (38:25):
Well, I've talked about my podcast that will be coming
out soon, so I'll definitely share that and share that
information and I look forward to leveraging some of the
guests and even you talked about Gina and her mom
as she's a caregiver. So there's lots of opportunities in
this Codate network. Take advantage of it, you know, don't
(38:50):
be in a silo. Don't There's so much that is
open to you, and so definitely be open to all
experiences and the world is yours.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (39:06):
After Kogate Kogate. One of my line sisters, her son
goes to Kogate, and before he went there, I kind
of gave him some words of advice and which came
true for him. But it's it's a great school. It's
an awesome school there. The education is top notch education
(39:32):
he's finding now. And again, I don't want to sound
like a broken record, but the relationships and the friendships
will last you a lifetime or those for a lifetime.
You know. I know I can call any of my
Colgate friends and say this is what I need, this
is what I'm doing. You know, let's get together or whatever.
So it's a great experience and take it for what
(39:57):
it's worth and just run with it. You know, this
is just a small piece of the puzzle in your
larger world and what's to come. But it's such a
great piece of the puzzle. And so you know, the
world is yours. Sound like Nino Brown, the world is yours?
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Any final word before we get out of here.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
No, this has been great. You know, this doesn't even
seem like it's been it's been that we talked as long.
But this is great. I'm glad you guys are doing this.
All the best to you, however, I can support. I
have not given back to Colgate as I should. I
haven't been back in how many years? Ninety two? Although
(40:43):
she is I haven't been thirty something years, Dick, I
have not been back. I'm going to change that though.
I was trying to take my daughter when she was
looking for college, so she was like, absolutely not. But
you know, I guess my words of advice is live life,
live it to the foolish. Do things that you're passionate about.
(41:05):
That's that's so key. Live your passion because if it's
something that you're passionate about, then you're more inclined to
really hone into it and do well and really go
far with it. So that's my words of advice.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
First, let me say thank you for coming on. Our
archives wouldn't be complete if we didn't have an interview
with Paula Madison b Reiner. I mean, honestly, spend a
lot of time hanging out with you, Glad to hear
what your life has been like and that life is
(41:46):
good and it's still smiling. And still bringing. I mean
I didn't share this in the show, but I always
have loved your energy like Paula has always brought a
just a vibe, a good vibe to a room. And
just know I've always appreciated that way back then and
(42:07):
loved being around you because you enjoyed yourself. We have
fun while we were together. So just shout out, shout
out to you and your family and wish you all
the best. And when you are ready to share the
show the consulting business, we all were in nonprofits. We
know people. The network is yours. If we can help,
we'd love to help.
Speaker 6 (42:28):
So thank you.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
I appreciate that this has been another episode after Gate
season five. Thank you to our guests, Thank you to
our listeners. After Gate is always powered by the Defive
Life podcast Network. Make sure you check us out in
the future. We are on all of your favorite podcast
(42:50):
streaming platform. Many more dope episodes that follow. And the
COVID of your day is not the coviate of today,
and it's certainly not the cogate of the future. Peace family.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
You hear that listen closer that my friend is the
definis out of focus, it drowns.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
Out all the useless noise that can clutter. The only
nay sayers don't exist.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Haters, smaters, the peanut gallery.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Who's that.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
When you're in your zone, all that noise.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
And all that buzz is just eleventor music. So enjoy
your journey, focus on your goal, and bask.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
In the choiet role that is progressed, Because when it's
your time to shoot that shot, spit that verse, or
close that deal, the only voice that matters is yours.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
The fire life
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