Ola Idris (BA '22) and Safyya Cissé (BSc '22) sit down with a current student to talk about the exciting (and scary) transition to post-graduation life.
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Despite working for it for years, graduation can feel unexpected. It's the end of an era, the beginning of a new one — a big, surreal transition. No one knows this better than Ola Idris (BA '22) and Safyya Cissé (BSc '22). Members of Waterloo's Class of 2022, they joined the podcast to look back on their time as students, share the advice they'd give to their younger selves, and discuss that surreal feeling of being a new grad.
(3:23) Safyya shares the career lessons she learned as a co-op student
(6:30) Ola shares the growth she found through the Black Associate for Student Expression
(8:00) COVID learning curves and creating a digital community
(11:52) What do you wish someone had told you in first year?
(14:42) "You can plan … but it's not up to you"
(16:59) "I don't regret anything"
(20:06) It's okay to pursue something outside the degree you have
(22:15) Why start a podcast and what will come next for it?
(30:04) What's happening post-graduation? #Rest
(37:02) Ola and Safyya end the episode with "curated for the culture," a segment taken from the Concept: Culture podcast
UW BASE: University of Waterloo Black Association for Student Expression
UWASA: University of Waterloo African Student Association
Kyeramapp.com: See the design work by Kyera Mapp (BGBDA '20), friend and podcast co-host to Safyya and Ola
Concept: Culture: Listen to the podcast created by Ola, Saffya and Kyera.
The Year of Yes: Read one of the books that Ola suggests for fellow graduates
All About Love: Read one of the books that Ola suggests for fellow graduates
Girl Girl Grrl: Read the book that Safyya suggests for fellow graduates
Made it by Teyana Taylor: Watch the music video that Ola and Safyya suggest for fellow graduates
Beyonce's graduation address to the class of 2020: Watch the full address, as recommended by Safyya
