1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,600
Welcome to the Classroom Narratives Healing and Education Podcast, the space where education meets resilience.

2
00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:14,080
I'm Dr. Joey Weisler, and in each episode, we dive deep into the personal stories of educators, students,

3
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:20,480
leaders, and frontline advocates who are navigating the complexities within modern education.

4
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:26,000
Whether you're just starting your teaching journey or are a seasoned professional looking for inspiration,

5
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:33,280
we'll explore how to foster meaningful change, prevent burnout, and build trauma-informed communities within our schools.

6
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,680
Now, let's take a seat at the front of the classroom as we get started.

7
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:43,760
Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. I'm so excited to welcome Mario Steven Cornejo into today's conversation.

8
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:50,880
And Mario is the Assistant Director of Academic Achievement in the Center for Student Success at St. John's University.

9
00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:59,360
And Mario is also a first-generation Salvadorian-American professional with a powerful story on navigating burnout and building resilience.

10
00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:10,880
And Mario's journey through nonprofit work, youth coaching, and higher education offers invaluable lessons on supporting students and embracing mental health awareness.

11
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,880
So, Mario, welcome to the podcast.

12
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:14,880
Hi, Joey. Thank you so much for having me.

13
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,760
So great to have you. So, Mario, the first thing I wanted to ask is about your role.

14
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:25,040
As the Assistant Director of Academic Achievement in the Center for Student Success at St. John's,

15
00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,440
what do you work on in that space and what led you to that particular position?

16
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:39,280
Yes. And so my role as Assistant Director of Academic Achievement involves working under the Department of the Center for Student Success at St. John's University.

17
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,920
Previously to the past year or two, it used to be referred as the Freshman Center.

18
00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:50,000
And so we work under the department that supports all first-year incoming students at St. John's.

19
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:57,040
My role also works under a sub-department under the Center for Student Success that's called the Academic Achievement Team,

20
00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:03,600
specifically working in the University Learning Commons, which is the tutoring center of the university.

21
00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:09,840
And so me and my team, the Academic Achievement Team, help to hire staff, student workers,

22
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:19,840
and build a team that can provide tutoring services for first-year students, but also all students of all years at St. John's University.

23
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:25,840
Yeah, thank you so much for that. And Mario and I were able to network in the fall 2024 semester,

24
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:34,640
most in part because Mario had a chance to speak with my first-year freshman seminar course and help acclimate them to the university as well.

25
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:44,160
And Mario, as a bridge to your own personal story, I wanted to ask, what advice could you give to other college professors who might be listening,

26
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:53,120
or even high school teachers who are working to ensure that their students feel acclimated and welcome to specifically a university environment?

27
00:02:53,120 --> 00:03:03,040
I'd say to definitely, especially at the beginning, when a student is coming in, making sure we treat our students like individuals

28
00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:08,160
and not just as a case number or a statistic or a metric.

29
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:13,840
And what I mean by that is from the moment a student comes into a university, no matter where they're from,

30
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:23,520
no matter what background or things like that they have coming in, a lot of times they may be a bit nervous or a bit unsure of what the next four years,

31
00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,840
at least, of their life is going to be coming and entering a space.

32
00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:37,720
And so typically, whether it be on the first day or the first week, a lot of the first people that those students can meet can have such a positive impact in their time in undergrad.

33
00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:45,640
And so really taking note of building a positive and welcoming environment, asking the student, how are they, where are they from,

34
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:52,440
what are their goals that they have for the next four years or so, giving them an opportunity to meet someone directly,

35
00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:59,240
or at least one person that can physically be with them or tell them that we're here to help them,

36
00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:08,160
I think makes a big difference, especially from the start of a student's undergraduate career and further, to build a network for that student.

37
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:18,440
For sure. We need to have that partnership in which students and people around them in the university who have agency can help them feel comfortable, safe and acclimated.

38
00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,680
And you mentioned the word network in terms of building a student's network.

39
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:35,040
But a lot of my own students in that class that we met earlier this year mentioned that one of their biggest concerns when starting college is actually trying to network and make friends amongst their peer groups.

40
00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:44,440
So what advice would you give to college students who are listening here who are still lingering with that need to network and broaden the horizons within the university?

41
00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,160
What's the best way for them to get involved? What can they do?

42
00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:52,760
I think it could be easy to get a bit intimidated by the idea of networking.

43
00:04:52,760 --> 00:05:03,080
I think especially from my experience growing up, when I would hear the word networking, I would think, 'oh, I need to go to a lot of the professional networking events where I know no one,

44
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:11,160
learn a one to two minute pitch about myself, memorize it, tell that to people, and then whoever I connect with, I can connect with'.

45
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:24,640
Yes, that is a big part of networking, but you can even start it so small and already with the network that you have existing, whether you see it or not, for example, students at this point are taking similar classes with other classmates.

46
00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:41,080
And so it can be, for example, if you notice that you sit around the same people or you notice the same people around you taking a step, whether it be coming into class first thing in the morning or whenever the class starts and just asking any student,

47
00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:50,360
'hey, what did you think of last week's class?' Or , 'hey, did you do X, Y, and Z assignment?' Or, 'what do you think of this content in class?' Or, 'how do you feel about this next exam?'

48
00:05:50,360 --> 00:06:01,520
Some way to build that relationship with anyone and someone from the start to then get into if you want to, 'oh, what's your major? Oh, what are your academic and career goals in the future?'

49
00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:13,800
It all doesn't have to happen at once and in one sitting, but it does take a first step. And usually the first step can be the hardest one. But once you take that step, then the next parts of that becomes easier.

50
00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:24,200
And it feels more genuine because you're walking and talking with people that are either in the same boat, are doing the same things or taking the same classes, maybe are part of the same clubs as you.

51
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:39,200
So, again, really using the metaphorical network that you already have as students on campus, I think is a perfect first step to then build into that and realize the potential you have and realize the network that you already have and utilizing that further.

52
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:47,680
Yeah, and I can echo that because one of the most important ways that I tell my own students to get involved is to just be present in the classroom community.

53
00:06:47,680 --> 00:07:00,160
I said it starts when you're in class, participate and or listen to the voices that are participating and gravitate towards those who have ideas that you can collaborate or synergize with.

54
00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:07,960
And once those minds come together, just in those four walls of the classroom, it can greatly expand very quickly outside of the classroom.

55
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:13,600
I wanted to also ask about the different hats that you wear in terms of you're also a student right now, right?

56
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:14,120
Yes.

57
00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:23,760
So I wanted to hear about that and tell us a little bit more about what you're doing now as a student and how those skills blend into your role as the assistant director.

58
00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:40,440
That is a great question because the mental dialogue, especially before coming into this fall semester, my first semester entering grad school was, 'oh, man, how am I going to navigate this again after it's been a minute since I last took classes myself as a student?'

59
00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,680
And I graduated in 2018, so this was before the pandemic.

60
00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:56,600
And so remote learning and online learning and things like that, even though I've helped students over the past few years with finding ways to navigate that, I hadn't really had the first hand experience of navigating that myself.

61
00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:01,400
But I knew in the long run, it was really going to help me in not only my own work, but how I help students.

62
00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:12,720
But then there was always that little bit of uncertainty about how I would navigate taking classes with a full time job for the first time, balancing my work and school now with my personal life.

63
00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,640
That was really the consistent conversation I was having in my mind.

64
00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:28,840
And so this semester was kind of a really interesting experience of navigating different points where at the beginning, I was very hyper aware and was very structured with my time.

65
00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:37,040
I felt that I was really doing well to balance time studying with time that I had for my own personal commitments with work.

66
00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:48,320
Then when midterm season hit, things started getting a bit pushed and lines started getting a bit blurry in terms of the sort of mental boundaries that I had between that.

67
00:08:48,320 --> 00:09:00,080
And so it did get to points where I just sort of felt like I had to really pivot and there were times where I just sort of felt like I was mentally a bit struggling and feeling a bit burnt out myself.

68
00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:07,600
And so it took a lot of checking in with myself through those points to know that it's not all going to be perfect.

69
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:13,440
It's not all just a straight line up in terms of the path to success and growth.

70
00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:23,520
It can be a whole roller coaster, it can be circles going up and down, the highs and lows that can all happen even within the context of a semester.

71
00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:32,560
But as long as you keep going and push through and find people that can help you and that can support you and connecting with your own values and goals,

72
00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:40,240
then it makes all the difference in the long run to continue and build upon what you have established and what you are establishing,

73
00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,400
which is why now I'm at a point where it's only been one semester,

74
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:59,920
but I feel that I do take a sense of pride in getting through this first semester to now then take the next step and use this experience to help me and to also build my skills in terms of how I can help students even further navigate academic challenges of their own,

75
00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:09,640
sharing personal stories of my own that can also resonate and in a way self-disclose that can help build positive rapport with students navigating similar struggles in an academic setting.

76
00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,000
Yeah, you remind me of one of my favorite shows, "What About Bob?"

77
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,520
And in the movie, they say that you need to take baby steps.

78
00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:23,360
So I love mentioning that just the importance of your survival, if you will, is taking those baby steps.

79
00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:32,320
And it makes me think about how you've already spoken about navigating burnout, especially within your first semester and both of these roles as a student and as an assistant director.

80
00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:46,000
And I want to ask what were some pivotal experiences that taught you the importance of finding resilience in those moments and how do you continue to maintain them going into what is now going to be your second semester of that work?

81
00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:51,840
Yeah, I think it's been helping me in the recent times that I feel that I've been going through burnout.

82
00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:59,480
And a lot of it, I realize, also comes from my early days in a sense of my professional career, even though for me, it doesn't feel that long.

83
00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,520
It was only maybe like five years ago that I first started working professionally.

84
00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:17,640
But even then, I do remember in the first month of one of my first full time jobs in the field of nonprofit, there was a point where I experienced such heavy burnout, especially at the time that I wasn't familiar with before,

85
00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:24,840
where I just sort of broke down really for the first time in front of someone else that was not a family member of mine.

86
00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:34,520
And the context of it was that there was a major quarterly deadline that I needed to follow in terms of fulfilling certain reports in the field of work that I was doing.

87
00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:39,360
And most of it fell on me at the time, and it was within the first month of me starting this job.

88
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,080
And this job didn't really have a specific job description.

89
00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:48,280
It was a new title, which also made it worthwhile challenge for me sort of creating that as I was learning the ropes.

90
00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,880
But then it kind of became to a point where I was being asked repeatedly for certain deadlines.

91
00:11:52,880 --> 00:12:04,840
And it just felt that the only way I was going to achieve them was by staying past five o'clock, working nights, sending emails, doing phone calls, doing outreach during my own personal time.

92
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,760
In the beginning, I was like, OK, I need to just do this because it needs to get done.

93
00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:19,600
It's being asked of me. I didn't really know how to not say no, but be wary of my boundaries and really understand the consequences of me sort of putting that to the side.

94
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:29,000
And it took that moment where I was on a phone call with my direct supervisor and she actually noticed that I wasn't my regular self.

95
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:36,600
And the moment I knew that she saw that, it's sort of like the wall just came down and I vented everything about how I was feeling.

96
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,880
I was worried about whether or not I was fit for the job, if I would get fired.

97
00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,800
But then for me, that was a pivotal moment and something that I've used for the most parts in which I felt this way,

98
00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,680
because for me, it's a reminder of the fact that it's also OK to ask for help.

99
00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:58,480
And for me, that's one of the biggest struggles I've had, even up to this point, in terms of understanding that you can't take it all on your own.

100
00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,760
And it's better to work smarter, not harder.

101
00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:14,280
And really, in terms of navigating burnout, learning how to check in with yourself as well to then realize that if I go and continue through this path, it's only going to bring me down.

102
00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:18,880
And if it brings me down, the quality of my work is also going to go down.

103
00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:29,360
So really, there's no long term benefit to putting yourself through the constant hustle of thinking I need to work myself to the ground to get these objectives done.

104
00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:35,840
And so for me, it's been understanding those points, checking in with myself, knowing when to ask for help.

105
00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:41,280
But also, especially as I've gotten older, asking myself, what are my values?

106
00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,920
What are my goals? What are the things that are important to me in life?

107
00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:52,080
Because that has also helped me to navigate times where I feel like I'm reaching burnout, but also reminding myself this is my why.

108
00:13:52,080 --> 00:14:00,240
So not in this sense, I'm going to just put my feelings of burnout to the side, but it's a reminder of why I'm continuing in this path.

109
00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:07,000
Yeah, and a lot of my students will come to me at the very end of the semester, like during my final exam week.

110
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:15,880
And they'll come to me with a very low grade in the class on that borderline D or F or as I pointed to be the F minus sometimes.

111
00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:20,480
And they will ask me for ways to improve in the course.

112
00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:28,480
And when I say, well, I mean, you're coming to me in week 16 of our semester, I'm not quite sure what I can do at this point.

113
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,520
Their answer is usually, 'I wanted to come to you earlier, but I was scared.'

114
00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:38,120
And even if I asked them at midterms, they'll say I was too scared to respond to you.

115
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:46,000
What advice would you normally give to students who come to tutoring with that attitude as to I want help, but I'm afraid to ask for it?

116
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:54,360
What's the best advice you can give to students that are trying to still find success, but find fear in their resources to do so?

117
00:14:54,360 --> 00:15:01,520
Yeah, I believe the best way for the students in terms of really navigating and understanding what are those barriers,

118
00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:14,120
the mental barriers to getting that support is throwing it back to the student in a sense or asking them what are they afraid of or what are the things that are stopping them from getting that help,

119
00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:22,720
whether it be at the beginning of the semester or any point that they need that help and having the student really do that internal work in a sense,

120
00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:32,640
even if it's for the first time, even if it means having those awkward silences where a student might think, oh, I've never I've never been asked that question.

121
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:43,720
I've never had to really think about what it would mean to, for example, not get an A in the class, because I've had conversations with students where in high school, for example,

122
00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,920
they're used to getting A's and B's.

123
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,440
And so in college, the narrative is it's a different ballgame.

124
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:50,840
And part of that is true.

125
00:15:50,840 --> 00:16:01,120
And so there can be a lot of times where for students, a lot of that pressure and fear comes from perceptions, especially academically,

126
00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:12,000
where they're entering a space where they're going from getting A's and A minuses to now possibly being at risk to getting C's or maybe they got a B minus for the first time.

127
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,240
And that is scary.

128
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:20,640
They're so used to letting their grade be a definition of themselves and their intelligence because they've grown up in an academic system that kind of encourages

129
00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,440
that or has them work towards that end.

130
00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,400
But there's more to your academic career than just your grades.

131
00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,480
Yes, they're still important, but then there are other factors.

132
00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:32,240
There's other commitments.

133
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,840
Students might have to take on part time jobs.

134
00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,520
They want to be involved in clubs.

135
00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:40,560
It's a time to also discover yourself and more about yourself and who you are.

136
00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,280
But for a lot of students, it's the first time that they've ever had to really deal with that.

137
00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:55,240
And sometimes, especially in the first gen student community, they don't have family members or people that have gone through the ropes of it to tell them, hey, it's going to be OK.

138
00:16:55,240 --> 00:17:01,200
Or yes, you got a B minus to see on this exam, but it's the first one.

139
00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:02,800
We can work towards the next midterm.

140
00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,400
We can work towards the final.

141
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,120
You can also reach out to the professor.

142
00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:07,840
There are ways to do that.

143
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,400
But sometimes a lot of students are intimidated.

144
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:20,480
I don't know how, or worst case, some professors are a bit distant and they don't necessarily do much outreach in terms of how to help students.

145
00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:25,400
But that shouldn't discourage students from learning how to get that help and advocate for themselves.

146
00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:34,200
And so this is the perfect opportunity for them to step into that field and learning how to not be discouraged by those really hard times.

147
00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:46,480
Understandably so, it can be hard to think about the long term successes when you feel that in the moment there's so much pressure, there's so much new experiences and things that you're taking in that you don't know how to handle.

148
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:56,120
But a lot of times it takes checking in with yourself, connecting with times where you have to admit that, yes, this feels rough, but this doesn't define me.

149
00:17:56,120 --> 00:18:05,560
The best help comes from the student getting that help themselves, as opposed to me or us saying, this is what you need help with, so go and do this.

150
00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:13,080
I want to quote from Jen Rafferty, who aired a second with us back in November 2024 on the superhero narrative.

151
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:18,280
And what she says is that "your work does not define your worth".

152
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:25,640
And in thinking about that statement, I wanted to also ask, especially for you, Mario, and growing up in that very machismo culture,

153
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:33,840
how did you and how can students as well try to really challenge that stigma around mental health in our schools?

154
00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,560
And what advice would you give to others who face similar barriers?

155
00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:46,760
Yeah, so I'd like to first kind of give my definition of machismo, too, because I think it has a lot of different iterations and interpretations even within different cultures.

156
00:18:46,760 --> 00:19:03,680
For myself in the Hispanic culture and for me, it's sort of meant an exaggerated, strong sense of masculine pride that a large part of it derives from exhibiting a sort of dominance and even aggression towards anything that's perceived socially to be inferior.

157
00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:13,240
And again, in that social context, a lot of that can be an example of gender or socioeconomic status, sexuality, etc., etc.

158
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:21,560
In terms of navigating the stigma of mental health within the perspective of machismo, for me growing up in that culture,

159
00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:28,120
it's learning how to be in tune with my mental health as much as I was in my physical health.

160
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:36,120
When I was in college, I started going to the gym, for example, and a mental note, I think it's also been an important time.

161
00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:41,600
And I think for anyone, it's a great time to also put yourself through, in a sense, a metaphorical mental gym,

162
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:48,000
in a sense, where you practice checking in with your emotions, checking in with your thoughts,

163
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,480
and specifically the thoughts that cause certain feelings that you have in general,

164
00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:57,680
and give yourself the space to feel comfortable with having all spectrum of emotions,

165
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:09,160
because especially under a machismo culture, a lot of young men, for example, are only given the space to release those emotions of anger and stress,

166
00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:21,120
whether it be around their friends or around family, but there's not really much space to express sadness, to express anxiety, to express fear of uncertainty,

167
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:25,040
but we all experience those emotions at the end of the day.

168
00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,600
For me, a big strategy that's helped me be in tune with that has been journaling.

169
00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:35,600
For a lot of people, it can be a lot of different things, whether it be listening to music, playing music, playing sports,

170
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:42,720
navigating it from an individual level is a first step to then navigating it and advocating for positive mental health on a community level,

171
00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,040
and then even farther than that in terms of policy, public policy,

172
00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:55,040
so that more people that are experiencing similar feelings don't have to feel like they're going at it alone.

173
00:20:55,040 --> 00:21:02,760
Also, for me, in terms of the advice that I can give for first generation students navigating higher education,

174
00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:08,360
the first point, and I think I mentioned this already before, but just giving yourself grace,

175
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:16,120
it's been an important part of my life because I know it's one of the hardest things that I've struggled with in doing for myself,

176
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:22,880
and I know a lot of the reasons for that is because it's easier for me to think of the things that are on my plate,

177
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:30,480
the people that I feel depend on me, or at least the people around me that I know, or I believe my successes reflect on,

178
00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:35,520
whether it be my family, the people that are around me, and my long-term goals,

179
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:42,520
it can feel that there's no space for mistakes, there's no space to take a pause in life,

180
00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:48,040
there's no space sometimes to really check in with yourself without first checking in on the people around you,

181
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:56,200
but again, as I mentioned before, if you are not in a good place to even do that, then there's no point in trying,

182
00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:02,400
in a sense where you need to first check in with yourself and be your own best friend, in a sense,

183
00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:10,120
and that can be a very challenging and new aspect for a lot of people, but again, it takes small steps,

184
00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:15,880
whether it be asking yourself, "how are you?" when you wake up in the morning, and before you go to bed,

185
00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:22,360
asking yourself, "how are you? How was this day for you?  What were the best parts of your day,

186
00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:29,120
what were the least best parts of your day?", checking in with yourself as you would check in with a friend or best friend,

187
00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:37,080
anyone that's important to you in your life, because over time, you then learn how to feel comfortable to give yourself that grace,

188
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:43,280
give yourself space to take time to be in tune with those emotions, because once you do that,

189
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,600
the next thing that you can do is then you can also find your communities,

190
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:53,880
find different communities of other students that are navigating similar struggles or navigating different struggles

191
00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:59,160
that you can empathize with to then feel that you don't always have to take it alone,

192
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:04,200
because I know that a lot of times it can feel that when you're in the thick of things,

193
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:11,640
when you're in those rough patches of life, it can be very easy to want to self-isolate,

194
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:19,600
to stay away from people because you might feel that you might be a burden by sharing your struggles with others,

195
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,040
you'll only be bringing them down as opposed to finding people that want to help,

196
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:30,640
but really, again, in checking in with yourself, that'll help you find the right people that do care,

197
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:37,160
and again, they do care, and this goes in tune with the previous two points I mentioned,

198
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:43,080
but taking time to then not only give yourself grace and find the people that can connect with you,

199
00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:51,760
but also find time to celebrate you, to celebrate who you are, because everyone has a unique story,

200
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:59,240
everyone has what's called an intersectionality of different identities, whether it be race, gender, sexuality,

201
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:08,080
ableness, things that define you, whether it's for quote-unquote good or quote-unquote bad, they have formed your life,

202
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:13,640
and they have formed the obstacles that you have overcome and the points to where you are at now,

203
00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:20,800
and so that is something that is worth appreciating and celebrating, because again, if you're not doing it for yourself,

204
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:25,480
then it's going to feel very hard to find that recognition or appreciation elsewhere,

205
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:30,880
and that can be a very risky road where you're just seeking that validation from the outside world,

206
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,160
but that definitely needs to come from your inner self, your inner work,

207
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:39,840
because you will then have the confidence to take on any and all challenges that come your way,

208
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:46,800
and you'll also find people that will also appreciate those different identities of who you are and uniquenesses,

209
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:54,280
and will see that as your superpowers and not so much as things that hold you back in life.

210
00:24:54,280 --> 00:25:00,000
That's a bit of a mic drop statement right there. I love it. I love it. Thank you.

211
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,320
And to our listeners, thank you again for joining us today to hear Mario's conversation,

212
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:13,240
and his dialogue is a reminder of the importance of staying together and being our own authentic selves when it comes to navigating our own journeys.

213
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,080
So if you've enjoyed today's episode or if you're moved by it, definitely feel free to follow us, leave a review,

214
00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:25,480
and then until next time, let's be sure to keep the conversation alive to make small changes one step at a time.

215
00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,760
Thank you for joining us on the Classroom Narratives Healing and Education podcast.

216
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:34,440
If today's episode inspired you or made you think differently, I'd love to hear from you.

217
00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:43,200
Drop a comment or review wherever you listen to podcasts and stay connected with us on the at Classroom Narratives podcast over Instagram and Facebook.

218
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:50,240
Remember, together we can transform our scars into stars in education, one conversation at a time.