In today's episode, Hossein is joined by Emily Nguyen and Cathy Chen, co-founders of Humans of Western, who started this club back in the 2013-14 school year. They initially met through the Shad Program as high school students and a few years later became roommates in Elgin hall during their first year at Western University. While living in residence, Emily and Cathy were so inspired by 'Humans of New York' that they created their own 'Humans of Western (HoW)' version back in the 2013-14 school ...
Dec 05, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In today’s episode, Milan and Ria are joined by Dr. Danny Bednar, a professor at Western University who teaches Geography 2090 - Space Exploration. As a published author, advocate for climate change and mental health, and space exploration enthusiast, Danny is a wearer of many different hats. The episode takes us on a journey through Danny’s unique experiences and how they shaped his academic career. Danny balances a number of different roles, from being a professor at Western to working at the ...
Nov 21, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In today’s episode, Emmanuel and Rose are joined by Cat Tang, a 4th year English student working for Western Gazette as a culture editor. Her latest recurring columns have been Cat’s Chronicle’s where she discusses her first experiences in the London dating scene through online dating apps. We discuss how Cat’s chronicles developed and her dating experiences that came with them. Topics from the creation of her dating profile to the swiping of people holding fish, to friends finding joy and livin...
Nov 07, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In today's episode, our co-hosts Hossein Raeisi Nafchi and Madison Crooks are joined by Brandon Sewell. During his time at Western, Brandon quickly realized that Medical Sciences wasn't for him, and he switched to BMOS, the program he graduated with. We also talk about Brandon's various experiences in the Tech industry and how he initially got involved in sales. As he built up more experience, he was able to take on roles with key companies like Linkedin, Salesforce, and Shopify. Today, Brandon ...
Apr 11, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In today's episode, co-hosts Medha and Milan are joined by Ates, a fourth-year Computer Science student! Ates has a great interest in Slacklining and even moderates a social group on Facebook for it! He has a strong passion for Artificial Intelligence and learning everything about the brain. Ates joins us today to discuss how he got into slacklining and the skills he was able to acquire from the sport!
Apr 04, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 14
[Trigger Warning: Sensitive topics being discussed from minutes 3:45 - 4:50] In today's episode, our co-hosts Hossein and Madison are joined by Gabriella Teixeira, a Western graduate from FIMS in Media and Public Interest. After a series of events, Gabriella, who initially had set plans to study Business at Queen's, changed her mind to pursue the MIT (and later MPI) program at Western. And that was enough for her to realize the importance of intentions in decision making. These days, she works i...
Mar 28, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 13
We are joined by the lovely squirrel care-taker, and harry potter election sign maker Dr. Wes Kinghorn. Outside of saving animals and exposing the magic world to muggles Dr. Kinghorn is the founder of a 3D digital imaging company based in London. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Geography from Western and is a PostDoctoral Scholar in Public History. Outside of that, he makes the time to give back to the community from leading workout workshops to being the president of the Urban League of London....
Mar 21, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In today's episode, our co-hosts Hossein Nafchi and Madison Crooks are joined by Jonathan Panigas, a proud Western graduate. Jonathan has been on an exciting journey in the Tech Sales industry and worked for big companies like Oracle, Linkedin, and DocuSign. Join us today to learn more about why you should connect with Alumni and learn from them. We also talk about the value of building relationships, dealing with customers, and gaining interesting insights into a Sales career (including the mis...
Mar 14, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In today’s episode, Zainab and Kevin are joined by Jan Cami, a professor and researcher in the Department of Physics & Astronomy here at Western University. His research involves using astronomical observations to study the surroundings of dying stars and the interstellar medium, and is part of large international collaborations, including researchers from NASA. He has also taught and is teaching multiple undergraduate and graduate courses at Western like physics 1202B this semester. Profess...
Mar 07, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In today's episode, co-hosts Medha and Milan are joined by Maddie Osborne, the VP of Student Support & Programming of the USC Executive team. As the VP of Student Support & Programming for the USC team, Maddie's responsibilities include managing student-run services and programs that help contribute positive experiences to the Western Community. Maddie joins us today to discuss how she entered the role as a VP with the USC team and all the projects she's passionate about (e.g. The Free t...
Feb 28, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In today's episode, co-hosts Medha and Milan are joined by Swathi and Shurabi, twin children authors who are in their first year at Western studying Medical Sciences. Swathi and Shurabi are twin sisters who started the TwinTales project earlier this year to advocate for healthy living and diversity through children's books. Alongside this new project, the twin sisters are exploring their first year at Western University and creating memories. Swathi and Shurabi join us today to discuss the origi...
Feb 21, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In today’s episode, Zainab and Kevin are joined by Cashmeira-Dove Tyson, who is a 2nd-year Neuroscience Masters student as well as a TA here at Western. She did her Bachelors of Science at Ontario Tech University. Now you can find her in the lab researching the relationship between Propionic Acid (PPA), a naturally occurring gut metabolite, and the onset of Autism, through… rats! We had a great time hearing about Cashmeira’s many experiences in TAing, graduate studies, and research! We hope you ...
Feb 14, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In today's episode, our co-hosts Hossein Raeisi and Madison Crooks are joined by Devesh Tilokani, a recent graduate of Western University and Ivey Business School. Devesh was born in Dubai, UAE and immigrated to Canada to attend Western. During his time, he was able to talk to so many people and build relationships. Those relationships helped him start a club at Ivey, start his own podcast, and even land a job in the Tech Industry. Join us today to learn more about the value of being an internat...
Feb 07, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In today’s episode, co-hosts Kevin and Zainab are joined by David Feeney, who works as a career coach in the career education unit department of Western. David is a seasoned career development practitioner, assisting students in navigating a path to help them fulfill their career goals. Changing paths himself, after leaving Graduate School, David has a unique perspective on change and career design. Whether through the facilitation of workshops or one-on-one appointments, David is committed to c...
Jan 31, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In today's episode, co-hosts Medha and Milan are joined by Abby Jiang, a first-year Masters student studying Business Analytics at Ivey. Abby is an international student who joined the Western community in August of 2021, starting in person but shifting to online near the end of the semester. While adapting to the new community, Abby was able to explore around and build many friendships in the past couple of months. Abby joins us today to discuss her experience with moving to London during the C...
Jan 24, 2022•19 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In today's episode, our co-hosts Hossein and Madison are joined by Sean Hashimoto, a recent graduate of Western University with Honours Specialization in Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE). Sean was born in Calgary and decided to attend Western for his undergraduate degree. He was able to step into roles and impact people around him by being a Soph, facilitating sessions for the Leadership Education Program, and even becoming a 'Humans of Western' interviewer. We talk about the various t...
Jan 10, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In today's episode, co-hosts Medha and Milan are joined by Kofi Brako, a third-year Medical Sciences student here at Western. Kofi joined the Western community in 2019, starting in-person but shifting to online in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To adapt to the situation, he spent his past two years as a Science Faculty Soph, where he assists incoming Western students and builds a bond with the rest of this Soph team. Kofi joins us today to discuss his experience and challenges with ...
Dec 20, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In today’s episode, Kevin and Zainab (our co-hosts) are joined by Dr. Joanna (Jo) Devereux, a professor in the Department of English and Writing Studies here at Western. Dr. Devereux did her undergraduate and master's degree here at Western and completed her PhD at the University of Toronto. Her research interests lie in the relationship between nineteenth-century visual arts, theatre, performance and poetry. She is especially interested in the work of Victorian women artists. She teaches drama,...
Nov 29, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In today’s episode, Hossein and Madison (our co-hosts) are joined by Nicole Baranowski, the founder of Hairstrong and a current Ivey MSc student. Nicole did her undergraduate studies in Kinesiology. We discuss how taking a 4th-year kinesiology course called ‘Entrepreneurship in Kinesiology’ changed her career trajectory and allowed her to turn a daily hair challenge from being in the rowing team into a business she is currently running. She will also share the importance of being resourceful and...
Apr 12, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In today's episode, Yash and Rushil are joined by Callista Ryan, a final year International Relations student. In this episode, we discuss personal growth and self-development in university. We also discuss Callista's experiences running in the 2021 USC presidential race.
Feb 28, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In today’s episode, Hossein and Madison (our co-hosts) are joined by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, a speaker, author, and expert in the topics of resiliency and wellness. She is also a Western alumnus! We discuss the meaning of resiliency in detail, what it means to today’s learners, and more importantly, how to position ourselves to become more resilient and deal with daily challenges. We also talk about how to appreciate life’s good and bad moments and connect more deeply with our own sets of value...
Feb 07, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In today's episode, Hossein and Madison (our co-hosts) are joined by Lesley D'Souza, Director of Strategic Storytelling & Digital Engagement at Western University. We discuss Lesley's personal story and her time as a graduate student in the US, including the challenges she faced as a student in a different country. Then, we dive into the five factors of thriving and what they mean to students and how they can take advantage of them. Finally, we talk about the initiative called 'Thrive online...
Dec 06, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 3
[Trigger warning: This episode discusses gender-based sexual violence] In this episode Yash and Rushil are joined by Allison Preyde, the Public Education Coordinator at Anova London. Anova London provides safe places, shelter, support, counselling, and resources for all abused/oppressed individuals and their children, hoping to find a new start. In this episode, we discuss how Anova works to eliminate patriarchal patterns that result in gender-based sexual violence/inequality, Allison's role at ...
Nov 22, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Voices of Western is a podcast series that delves into the personal experiences of students on campus - from guest speakers to personal stories, join us in today's episode with Radhika Thakkar as we delve into the repercussions of a COVID vaccine.
Nov 07, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1
