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In What is a Graduate Student: Learning the Higher Ed Hidden Curriculum on the Fly, LT and Sam welcome special guest Dr. Tracy Buenavista—professor of Asian American Studies at Cal State Northridge and the very person who first named LT’s first-gen identity—to unpack what it really means to navigate grad school as a first-gen student. From late-night “mentoring on the run” to underfunded programs and hidden rules no one explains, LT and Tracy swap stories about how they stumbled into graduate school, survived its financial landmines, and built pathways to lift up the next generation through the UCLA McNair Program and beyond. They dig into the cornerstones of real first-gen grad student support, the importance of expanding what kinds of fields students dream about, and what keeps them fighting for access—especially in today’s climate of attacks on DREAMers and shrinking support programs. Plus, they time-travel back to the songs and albums that defined their own grad school days.

Perfect for current and aspiring graduate students, first-gen professionals, educators, and anyone curious about higher ed’s unspoken rules, this episode blends real talk with practical insights—and will leave you inspired to fight for access and equity.