The Welcome Back Episode

Sam Butler: Welcome back to BroncoTales season two, episode one, in the new studio that we’re borrowing. This is the second episode that’s been filmed. So, welcome in.

My name is Sam, and I am the new podcast host. I’m a health science major with a science emphasis major hoping to be a PA. And in my free time, I’m a videographer and photographer. That is why I am here. And go ahead. 

Joelle Powers: Okay, great. And I’m Jo Powers. I am the new, as of July 1st, Dean of the College of Health Sciences. 

Makena Chase: Whoop, let’s go!

Joelle Powers: Yep. I’ve been here for 12 years. I started in the School of Social Work. Social Work is my background, but I’ve loved every bit of it. So, happy to join you today, Sam. 

Sam Butler: Thank you. 

Makena Chase: Hi, my name is McKenna. I’m a nursing major. I’m in my senior-ish year. So, I have a year and one semester left. I’m originally from San Diego, so I came up to Boise and learned what seasons were. I have loved the Treasure Valley, love outdoorsy stuff, hiking, snowboarding, and really loved the people here. So yeah, I’m really excited to see what the future holds, whether it’s here or elsewhere. But yeah, love Boise State. Love my girl, Tryphene. Super excited for this upcoming year, so yeah. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Hi everyone, my name is Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo. I am a senior in the College of Social Work. I love it so much, and yeah, I’m really excited to be here today. I’m originally from Cameroon and Congo, but I have been in Idaho since I was eight. So, I am a potato girl through and through. 

Sam Butler: Awesome. Well, Tryphene and McKenna, you guys are both in ASBSU. Do you want to tell us a little bit about that and kind of how all of the students can benefit from it? 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah, of course. I can start first. So, a little bit about ASBSU. It’s the Student Body Government at Boise State. And we try to get as close as possible to representing the student body. The student body at Boise State is so diverse. We have undergrads, master’s, students who are veterans, and so many different people. And so we try to keep that in mind when we are creating a group of people to make initiatives to just help us out. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, so ASBSU is divided into really unique kinds of–I guess you could say branches of government. So, we have an academic summit, and we also have an academic assembly. Assembly is unique in the fact that the positions aren’t necessarily elected, but the assembly allows us to represent a larger portion of the student population. So, instead of just representing a selective college, we have assembly members who represent underserved populations, commuter students, and out-of-state students. And these positions, again, are not elected. It’s really cool for students who maybe don’t really want to go through the whole campaign process to still be involved in representing students or being involved in ASBSU in general.

We also have two boards in ASPSU that aren’t as popular–not necessarily popular, but a lot of students aren’t really familiar with what they are and what they do. So, we have the funding board. And so, when clubs come to ASPSU to receive funding, they have to go to a hearing. This board is an accumulation of individuals who have to be approved by the Senate. And, so they are actually a paid position, which is really cool for students who are looking to get involved. But maybe they still have to work or pay for school. They can at least get a little bit of money for the time that they’re spending to support ASBSU in clubs. 

We also have a review board. The review board is unpaid. But again, super cool opportunity with maybe a little bit of less of a time commitment than you would have being a full Assembly or Senate member of ASBSU. And the review board essentially hears complaints that happen within ASBSU. We’re a student government, so obviously there are going to be some things. Some people may not get along with each other, or maybe there’s things in the code that have conflicted with bills that we’ve passed or things like that. And so it’s nice to have a board that’s outside of ASBSU a little bit that can look at things without any bias or any sort of thing like that. So that’s also a really cool way to be involved in ASBSU without being directly an Assembly or Senate member.

And what’s cool, too, is that not a lot of people know ASBSU meetings are open to all of the students. So, even if you can’t participate or vote, you can still come. You can listen to bills that are being passed. You can come chat with your representative afterwards if you have things that you want, kind of like to be…initiated. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: 100% and I think…

Makena Chase: Yeah, go ahead. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Also, we’re on the website, especially McKenna and I, as the College of Health and Senators, and so I think one of the coolest ways we’re able to make change is when people come to us and kind of tell us, like, within our college, here are some things that are lacking, and so we’re able to then listen to what they say. Then, take it to ASBSU and try to come up with initiatives, but also, ASBSU has such bigger ideas. Like, the thing about ASBSU, it started with an idea, and now–the campus food pantry started as an idea by ASBSU students, and now it’s such a huge thing here on campus that helps out so many students. And so, it’s just ideas that get turned into initiatives and help out the community; it’s really awesome. 

Joelle Powers: And, I like that we have ASBSU reps in our college because I see you all as liaisons between our college. But, I love that I can also come to you and say, what are the other cool things you hear other colleges are doing to support their students Because you’re exposed to that. And I think it helps us be better as a college. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, I think it’s a really unique bridge to help student voices in like larger administration and university decisions, like just being able to get to know Jo and like going to lunch and just working on initiatives with her. I feel like that really bridges a gap that is kind of scary for students between like…what students think is best for them, versus what the university might think is best for them.

So, being able to kind of like bridge that gap is really, really cool, especially since Tryphene and I come from complete opposites of the College of Health Sciences–maybe not complete opposites, but we kind of get to provide like social work, and then nursing is obviously very clinically oriented. And, I think it’s cool that we kind of get to represent different populations, but we still can come together, come to Jo and work on things that kind of like–she said help the college as a whole. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah. And we also get to know a lot of things, and then being able to pass that on has been the most beneficial part about being in ASBSU for me, like being able to tell my cohort. For example, we’re gonna get into some academic conferences, and McKenna and I have both benefited from this, but I was able to attend a Model United Nations in New York with the support of ASBSU. And, it’s really helped further my career. And I’ve met some really cool people, and I’ve been able to network. I know McKenna had a similar experience, and so being able to tell that to my cohort and people in the college of ASBSU want to support you and want to help you grow your network has been really important. 

Joelle Powers: So, they tangibly supported you with funding. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah. 

Joelle Powers: That’s incredible.

Makena Chase: Yeah, so for students who may not be aware kind of some of the details are that any student at Boise State who wants to attend an academic conference or something along those lines can receive up to $800 per student to attend these events. So like Tryphene’s trip for Model UN was funded by ASBSU. Maybe not the whole thing, but like it makes opportunities that like would be unfeasible, like in any other circumstance, be like…at your fingertips, which is awesome.

And even like with–you know, club funding as well, each club is able to receive up to $4,000 per academic school year to fund events, fund, you know, pretty much anything that they could really need. And, so like for my organization already, like we’ve been able to host events with food or supplies or–I know, like I mean, we have–I couldn’t even tell you how many organizations we’ve helped fund over the last few years. We even had like a budgetary increase to increase funds in our budget that goes directly towards the funding board, which therefore like directly helps students, which I think is huge. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: It just goes to show that the need is there and students want to be able to have all these different opportunities. And so we’re able to support that and especially being senators like we’re able to vote on such things to increase the funding and do all that. So, it’s been cool, it’s very full circle for me being able to like receive the funding and then vote on it as well. 

Makena Chase: Yeah for sure.

Sam Butler: And, what other bills–you guys are talking about reviewing and passing that affect students just like in our everyday life? 

Makena Chase: Yeah, so last year we passed a lot of things over the years, but one that stood out to me specifically was increasing the amount of money in the Student Emergency Fund, which is another fund that like–I think what’s so cool about being able to be on this podcast is that there are so many resources to students that aren’t utilized simply because they don’t know that they exist.

And that was one thing that Tryphene and I really wanted to focus on this year was increasing not only exposure to our college, but to every college, because there are so many resources that even I would have had no clue even existed if I hadn’t been involved in ASBSU. And so for students that may not even know what ASBSU is, like at all, especially incoming freshmen, having this episode out at the beginning of the year is so awesome. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah, and especially too with the student emergency bill, it’s really cool to know that Boise State and ASBSU acknowledge that life happens. Someone in my life, a Boise State student, got into a car accident, and it really upset them. That emergency bill quite–she’s told me quite literally like saved her ability to be able to continue to be in school because she’s an out-of-state student, so she was really lost.

So, helping students when life happens is really important, but another initiative through ASBSU that we were gonna get the ball rolling on was–the student ID card is something a lot of students always have on them because you can need it for multiple things, and so an initiative that was started is on the back of the cards moving forward. It’s not gonna have numbers such as like the suicide hotline. Mental health resources around campus and so that’s been really cool because as senators, we try to have information but it can be a lot to like remember and so for each student to be able to have that for themselves, and I always have my card on me too so to be able to just like take the card out and show it, that’s been a really cool initiative as well.

Joelle Powers: And was that a student-led initiative? 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yes. 

Joelle Powers: I love it. 

Makena Chase: What’s awesome is that it’s really students helping students, and I think that’s a really unique kind of opportunity to have. I feel like that’s what’s been so special for me, is that like…we’re helping other students directly and it’s not–it’s obviously like things that are passed on from admin or things that happen university-wide impact student life but to be able to have like a firsthand impact and also like receive feedback from students or receive initiative from students. Again, I think as Tryphene mentioned, one thing that we really wanted to do is like be available for our college, and so if there are initiatives that anyone wants to pursue or if there are areas on campus that they feel ASBSU needs to be more involved in or can kind of help like build to be something bigger like please reach out to us.

I know that we’re working on some marketing just in terms of ASBSU as a whole so keep an eye out for some posters, they should have QR codes that you can scan. We’re on the website, now you know what we look like so if our pictures are up there like please email us with literally anything that you could need. We’ll do our best to kind of represent that need in ASBSU.

Joelle Powers: That’s great. 

Sam Butler: And Jo, what about you? Do you have any other ways that students can help get involved, not just in our own college, but as a whole university? 

Joelle Powers: Yes, I would say our students spend a lot of time out in the community, just because so many are required to do clinicals and field placements. But there are always opportunities to volunteer. We just–our Dean Suite just went and spent an hour at the food pantry today to help stock it up. So, there are always things like that. But we do a lot of cool events, like welcome back barbecues, Bronco Day, Welcome Day–what’s the other one? Bronco Welcome? Bronco Welcome. And then I just learned of a new resource today. What’s it called again? 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Campus Groups. 

Joelle Powers: Campus Groups, which I had never seen. There are every single club and organization. 

Makena Chase: It’s new. 

Joelle Powers: It’s so cool, especially for new freshmen who want to engage and get involved and meet new people who just might not know. They’ve got a whole list, and they can just find what they’re interested in. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: 100%

Joelle Powers: Yeah, I love that we’ve updated that. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: My roommate is an international student, so she’s from Japan. So being able–she’s like, what can I do? I was like, well, let’s see. Let’s get into that. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, I think the events page, I clicked on it today has like 706 already.

Joelle Powers: Yeah, it’s amazing.

Makena Chase: And, it’s the first week of school. Campus Groups have been awesome for any of you guys in student orgs had to use engage…enough said…campus groups have been so nice.

Joelle Powers: Yeah, I was impressed!

Sam Butler: Yeah, and building off the community, what do you guys like to do in the community and in your free time as well…to kind of relax? 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I can start. I really love–I love to cycle, like cycling classes–not like out in the street. I’m too afraid, I’m gonna get hit or something. I’m not that coordinated, but I do go to the rec, and I do their cycling classes. I actually have one for later on today, so I’ll be doing that. And then I like to read, and then I like to cook. I love to make salmon and pesto pasta. I got you. So those are my things to unwind.

Sam Butler: With salmon? 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Salmon, yup. I love salmon. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, I have kind of increased my like outreach on campus a lot this year, and so community-wise, I was able to start up the Special Olympics Club at Boise State here last year. So, kind of increasing my community involvement with them has been really special, but outside of like kind of campus-oriented things, I’m a big into the gym…love like weightlifting, outdoorsy, hiking, snowboarding, and that kind of thing. I play the piano, which is a fun fact I feel like not many people know about.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I didn’t know that!

Makena Chase: Yeah, so I had a like big piano at my house house that I was able to spend the summer this year. And, so I have like a dinky little keyboard in my room that I mess around on, but yeah so definitely got into playing a lot more this summer, just with having more free time. It’s a really nice like escape from everything because I’m just like playing in my room, so yeah, it’s kind of keeping me busy. I love working. I work in the ER. I’m kind of an adrenaline junkie in that fashion, and so I really enjoy working as crazy as that sounds like especially being a nursing student. So yeah, that’s kind of me. 

Joelle Powers: So some of mine overlap with you. I’m an avid reader, but this is controversial. I’ve switched to all audiobooks. 

Makena Chase: Really?! 

Joelle Powers: I can’t do it. 

Makena Chase: I also love reading. I read more this summer than I have in a long time. 

Joelle Powers: It’s good. 

Makena Chase: I haven’t gotten on the audiobook yet. 

Joelle Powers: Well, because I cook when I’m reading, but I have maybe over obligated my–I’m in two book clubs, which means other people dictate what I read a lot of the time. So you just have to have an open mind. But I love it. I also have two teenage boys, and so I do a lot of cooking for them. And, this is my season where I’m about to spend every weekend at a swim meet. Yes, yes. We’ve got a swimmer in the family, but I love spending time with family and friends for sure. 

Sam Butler: What about–I saw a lot of books in your office this morning, have you read them all? They were paper books, not audio. 

Joelle Powers: I do get gifted a lot of books, so I’m behind on a couple. But a couple of those, I have downloaded the audiobook.

Sam Butler: Okay, I was wondering.

Makena Chase: I was on an audiobook kick when I was driving, but then I felt like that was unsafe for me because I picture a lot in my head when I read. Then, I’d be driving and you’d be like, oh my gosh, I cannot listen to an audiobook right now because I’m like picturing in my head what’s going on. I’m like, oop, stop light. 

Sam Butler: But, I can’t say the same thing about reading, unfortunately. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Oh, you know what? 

Sam Butler: I’m a slow reader. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I think everyone reads, you just need to find your book. 

Sam Butler: That’s part of my problem.

Makena Chase: That sounded like a Pinterest quote. 

Joelle Powers: It really did! 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Thanks, guys! 

Joelle Powers: That’s just me on a pillow. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, like a throw pillow. 

Sam Butler: That’s what everyone says.

Makena Chase: I feel like reading for me was hard during the school year because I read so much text like textbooks. 

Sam Butler: And you never want to pick up a book. 

Makena Chase: Like at the end of my night, I’m like the last thing I want to do is read another book on a page, which was why I’ve like forced myself to read this summer. I’m really glad that I did, but I don’t know if I can read during the school year. I’m gonna be so honest.

Joelle Powers: That’s fair, that’s okay. 

Sam Butler: What about some most–or one of your most memorable moments here in college? Doesn’t have to be academic, can be, even in the summer, something school, friend, group related or anything of that nature. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: This is going to sound so on brand with what we’re doing. But before I start, it’s going to be ASBSU. But just to give context, I was an online student up until last semester. And so even until last semester, so last fall when I did ASBSU, I would just come to school on Thursdays. And so first of all, I was like, Ok, I’m seeing humans other than my family once a week. But really, for me, it was like my first break.

And since ASBSU, I’ve been able to do so much. But being fully online up until last semester, ASBSU has been so special. I get to meet so many cool people with such cool dreams and aspirations. They just really care about Boise State. It’s fun, and we just have so much fun. And especially McKenna and I being able to work closely to figure out initiatives and just figure out what we want to do and how we want to leave our mark has been so special to me. So that has been a great point. 

Sam Butler: Do you have one moment that you can think of that you refer to?

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I have one moment, it was at Bronco Giving Day. McKenna and I got on this little…it’s this machine where they take your video, and then it goes around. I feel like a celebrity. They actually posted it. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, we were like the face of Bronco Giving Day on the website. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I didn’t know they were posting it, but yeah, that was just so fun because it was–it was so short to you. We just came, like, got to be with each other and got to like take some photos and really like do some stuff. I really like that.

Sam Butler: I feel like I remember watching that happened because I’m a videographer for visual services. Sean, I think he took your picture, I was standing right behind you. 

Makena Chase: You probably were there. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: It’s like my favorite moment. So, that would probably be–yeah, that’ll be it. It was just so fun and special 

Sam Butler: Yeah, I was gonna take a video, and then you guys were done too quick. I was too late, but…

Makena Chase: I think there’s like a–it’s not really a video. It’s almost like a boomerang of us doing the little…thing. 

Sam Butler: Yeah

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I like it. It was such a fun time, and Sydney was there and so everything was fun. Yeah, I like that moment.

Makena Chase: One moment is so hard. I feel like one thing that was really cool for me this past year was–I was able to attend a national conference in Chicago. It was a competition, and it was through the Business Professionals of America. So, obviously, I am not a business student, but they have a category now, recently called health administration, and so I–later in my career, would love to be more in like health admin and kind of like overseeing policies and procedures once I’m, like you know, have done my years in bedside. Obviously, like still being able to help people but on like a larger scale, and so I actually got to compete in three categories for health administration.

And, they flew us to Chicago–shout out to Kobe. Kobe helped a lot, and it was really cool because it kind of brought like a health aspect to business. I feel like that’s a really unique thing, but I ended up placing first in my categories at the national competition, which was unlike anything I’d done before. And just being able to like be in Chicago and travel around the city, like I would have never been able to do that if it hadn’t been for Boise State. And, yeah, I did a health presentation on whether nurse practitioners should have medical autonomy.

As a nursing student who was looking to become a nurse practitioner, it was really cool for me to speak about something that–it just like happens to be the topic for that year, so I was like oh yeah, I’m in. But being able to kind of take that title home for Boise State, and like you know, being able to advocate for something that I want to do in the future at the same time was like a really, really special moment for me.

Joelle Powers: Oh, that’s awesome. OK, for me. So I mean, it’s tough to–right 12 years. That’s really tough.

Makena Chase: I know 12 versus like three. 

Joelle Powers: But just recently, probably two months ago, I got to go meet up with an alum who was in my first class I ever taught at Boise State. And he’s just killing it. So social worker. He is now working for the National Association of Social Work. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Wow!

Makena Chase: Oh my gosh!

Joelle Powers: And he’s just a massive advocate and is like really impacting policy. And it was just so cool to get to see that. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: You had a part in that. That’s so cool. 

Joelle Powers: Oh, it was amazing. Yeah, it was really cool. 

Sam Butler: That sounds great. 

Joelle Powers: Yeah. 

Makena Chase: Now that we’re talking about like moments, they are filling into my head that I’m like oh that was really cool too. 

Sam Butler: I feel like that’s the tough part about the question. Jo, what about all of the other things?

Joelle Powers: Did you share your moment? 

Makena Chase: He’s like, I wasn’t prepped for this, you guys. 

Sam Butler: I really like to snowboard as well, and I went snowboarding a lot last year because my semester was fairly easy. I think just being out–this is my–I’m from California, so I go to the snow a lot there, but it was cool living in the snow; I think just being outside was really great. 

Makena Chase: What part of California are you from?

Sam Butler: The Bay Area. 

Makena Chase: Oh, really? 

Sam Butler: Yeah, Livermore. 

Makena Chase: Okay, sick. Yep. We’re neighbors, basically. 

Sam Butler: Okay, yeah.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Idaho! 

Makena Chase: Did you go to Big Bear, or is that where you would ski, or Mammoth? 

Sam Butler: I go to Kirkwood and Tahoe. 

Makena Chase: I guess not Mammoth, I meant Tahoe, sorry. 

Sam Butler: Yep, I love Kirkwood. 

Makena Chase: I’ve never been there. I didn’t snowboard until I moved here because there wasn’t much snow in San Diego, and Big Bird was expensive. So I never went up there. So I actually just bought gear for like the first season, this season. Up until then, I was just renting and trying to stay on my feet. 

Sam Butler: Yeah, it’s tough to learn.

Makena Chase: But I really like it now that I’m not falling…chronically. 

Sam Butler: What about–so what I was going to go back to was Jo being the new dean. What are you most looking forward to or have in your plans for this year? 

Joelle Powers: That’s a great question. So, I would say the way I kind of summarize the job as a whole is that my job is totally to support faculty and staff so that they are freed up to support students, right? So that’s–what a cool job, right? 

Sam Butler: Yeah.

Joelle Powers: I get to support great people who are doing great work. And part of that is sometimes problem-solving and removing barriers, but I have the best people in the college, right? So I would say that’s my favorite thing.

Makena Chase: Our staff rocks.

Joelle Powers: I just trust the team, the faculty, and staff are amazing. Even though, right–like you talked about different disciplines. I mean, we’re big now, we’re the second largest–close to being the largest college on campus, but there’s this tie that binds because everyone sees themselves as a helper. And so it’s really an amazing privilege to get to be in this role.

I think one of the most important things we’ll be helping our college transition to a new budget model here within the next–that will impact every single unit across the campus, really. And then we’ve got a couple of important positions that we’re going to fill that we have not had. We’re going to have a new full-time associate dean for research, which is great because the goal is–we want to increase student opportunities to be involved, which will be amazing.

And then, because of our growth, we are going to hire a new marketing person. Just so, what we want is, I think, one of you said something the other day that made me think about it more. Students often come into our college knowing, I want to help people, but they don’t really know what their options are. I think it was when you were talking to me about advising and certificate programs. 

Makena Chase: Yeah. 

Joelle Powers: We just want our students–right for sure when they get here, but even when they’re considering Boise State, just to know. So, those will be exciting resources to have in the college. 

Sam Butler: That’s what I’m hoping for the podcast now that it’s filmed. 

Joelle Powers: Oh, good!

Sam Butler: We can use it on Instagram. So you guys will be seen more because I think people–like I see a lot of podcast clips online, just short little one-question or two-question, as opposed to listening to the whole thing, because I know not everyone wants to do that or has the time. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, but that definitely draws people in. Because if you see one snippet that you’re like, oh, that was interesting, like I wonder what else they talked about. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Especially if it relates to you, you’re like oh I’m a college of health science like major like what’s this.

Makena Chase: But yeah, that’s going to be huge because again, I feel like outreach is big for the college and for ASBSU just in general–because again, like we were talking about all of these resources I didn’t even know that they existed until I was in ASBSU. So just kind of having that like exposure, especially with social media, like it’s going to be awesome. 

Sam Butler: Yeah, I think that’ll help. 

Makena Chase: Especially in terms of like what Jo was talking about like a lot of people come in, they’re like, I want to help people, but like does that mean nursing, respiratory care, physical therapy, social work, like and–even just like I didn’t know that there were like certificates or minors that existed. Even minoring in a language is really beneficial if you want to work somewhere that’s close to a border or if you want to work internationally in health care, like there’s just so much knowledge out there that it’s really overwhelming.

Especially, like being a first-gen college student like I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea, like–FAFSA, I don’t even know what that is–even just like in terms of again, like minoring and certificates. Resources like marketing are gonna be huge, and even like smaller moments like this, I feel like it’s a really unique way for the university to kind of get their name out there.

Sam Butler: And that also brings in another good point. Any advice to students?

Makena Chase: Oh yeah, I’ve got a lot. 

Sam Butler: Hopefully, something interesting that you know you don’t see on like every website, and tips for freshmen, something kind of fun.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Well, I don’t know if it’s fun, but mine is just more so… I like any summer, but really… 

Sam Butler: Interesting, at least?

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: You’re the only you. Okay, I’m gonna give for reference.

Makena Chase: She’s back with the picture.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I always have to give a reference. So someone once said, there’s a lot of, you know, makeup out there. If Rihanna had never gotten into makeup, she never would have been as successful. If she saw it as, oh, there are so many people, like, what do I bring to the table?

And so I think just the logic that I bring is like every room that I’m in, I’m like, there could be someone who has my same major. There could be someone who’s literally doing the same exact thing as me, but they’re not me. And so when you’re filling those spaces, just remember that, especially with leadership, you have your own superpower and you bring something no one else can. And so that’s what I’m trying to remember when I’m going into rooms. 

Joelle Powers: Good for you. 

Makena Chase: Yeah, that’s awesome one piece of advice again–

Joelle Powers: What’s your pillow phrase?

Makena Chase: Oh, yeah, my pillow phrase. It’s like something that a mom would post on Facebook, it’s like a quote. It’s just like saying yes to every opportunity. My freshman year, I was just overwhelmed with moving to a new school, moving away from my friends and my family that like I didn’t really know what campus involvement would look like for me. And if I hadn’t just kind of like taken the risk and just said yes. I would like not to be the person that I am today like not only as a student, but just an individual in general.

Even in ASBSU, I know we keep going back to this, but it really has been like that, monumental, we are all from such different backgrounds. We’re all from different majors, but we all share a common goal and that common goal is to help students. And so just being able to be a part of something like that has been–like literally life-changing. 

So, I think like even if it’s starting small, like–there are tons of orgs on campus that aren’t service related. They aren’t government-related, you know–like there’s a line dancing club I’m going to tonight. And, so like little things like that, where like you meet new people, you meet people that are different from you. Do not be afraid to become close with people who are different than you because I was definitely in like a little SoCal bubble. I was really not interested when I came here and exploring people that had like such different–even hobbies than I did, and so being able to get to know people that are so different from you–that will change your life. That’s definitely something like take the risk, I know it’s scary, but like just dive in headfirst. And, I promise you won’t regret it

Joelle Powers: Okay, mine is, remember that your faculty wants to know you. 

Makena Chase: That’s a big one.

Joelle Powers: It breaks my heart when I hear that a student did not reach out to their faculty. That they may have needed something or were struggling like just so–I always say to my boys, like that’s literally what they get paid for. This is really their job, and they’re here because they’re so passionate about it. Like so, how cool was it for me to get to go see–his name is Joe. Joe, in case you’re ever watching this. My alum from my very first class like so cool to have that relationship now. And right now, it’s not faculty and student, now it’s colleagues. It’s friends. It’s just so cool, and just remember your faculty are so proud.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: It’s my senior year. Please don’t make me crown. 

Makena Chase: No, but I think, like in high school, it’s really scary to think about, like giant lecture halls with professors that have hundreds of students. And like, again even going back like freshman year, I didn’t really talk to many of my professors at all. This past year, like some of them work in the hospitals with us, and like I have very close relationships with professors. And, they have given me some of the most knowledgeable advice, even in my career and in life. Like, they are really here for you, and it is not as scary–even if they’re a scary lecturer–I have some teachers where I’m like, that was a rough lecture, but they are like awesome people. Don’t be afraid to get to know your faculty. That’s such a big one.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: It’s okay to be scared, but the thing is do it scared, do it nervous, but literally just do it–Nike. Like you have to. And I think to myself, I’m an extrovert, but my first day of ASBSU–I was living at home with my parents. I think I took the city bus, and I was three minutes late. The nerves that I had, I literally was just like–I was walking up the stairs, and I was like, actually I’m just not gonna do ASBSU, and I left. And I don’t know how, but Kalista saw me, and she, I’ll never forget, she said, come up here, we have a seat for you.

And that changed my life. S,o it’s like, do it scared. I mean, I’m not naturally–like I don’t get nerves like that, but in that moment I was like, I don’t wanna walk in here. And, it’s changed my life. So just do it. 

Makena Chase: Yeah. I also feel like it’s hard not to like faculty–like they are people too. They’re moms, they’re sisters, they’re friends, like they are people outside of just the class that they teach. So, even if–you know, I feel like just starting the conversation can always be hard, but even if you just start by asking for an expansion on something that you learned in class. Then, maybe–you know, like starting small doesn’t have to be like I need to be like I need to get a letter of rec from this teacher like we need to be best friends. Even just starting small, like it will come naturally because, like they’re people, they want to get to know you. So, that’s a big one. Sorry, I didn’t mean to take over that one, but really, I was like, yeah that’s huge.

Joelle Powers: Yeah, and do you have any tips?

Sam Butler: Well, today’s my first day of my second year not being a freshman. So, I was kind of listening for myself.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Glad we could be of service. 

Sam Butler: And, I think…all of them were good. I liked…trying to do as much as possible. I think even this job and my other job have helped. Like, I wouldn’t be sitting here…and as well as just doing it. 

Makena Chase: No, you kind of just have to go like at first. But I also think that taking time for reflection is big too, like don’t be afraid to take time and step back and look at how far you’ve come. I feel like I have bad imposter syndrome. You could tell me over and over again that, like I’ve accomplished something, but in my head, maybe I think like, oh it wasn’t good enough oh like I could have done more than that, or like comparing yourself to other students and like landmarks to us, like to where they are.

I think like forcing yourself to really take the time to like congratulate yourself on your own accomplishments is huge because I was terrible at that like absolutely terrible. And, it really does like help with burnout, like celebrating small wins and even when things get rough because you will get stressed. You will have a lot on your plate, I mean, I guess it depends on how much you sign up for. So, don’t ask me for advice on saying no to things, but I think just celebrating small wins and having grace with yourself is huge. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah, that’s such a good one. 

Sam Butler: Yeah, I started…my hobby of videography, filming high school, like homecoming and sports and stuff. In my junior and senior years, mainly my senior year, I took pictures my junior year. And then, like last year, I was–like my dad saw me on TV at the football game, like filming. And I think recognizing how far you’ve come is like a big, big thing to kind of keep yourself going as well. 

Joelle Powers: Good for you.

Makena Chase: The big thing in the nursing program that a lot of faculty will remind us of is to remind yourselves of your why. I feel like that’s a big thing, not just in health care, but in social work and anything that you’re pursuing, like remembering your why when you just feel like giving up is–that for me is always something I can lean back on. Remember your why, and I’m like okay fine like two more hours like whatever it is. But, if you have your strong sense of why you’re doing something, I feel like even if it’s–again, like clinically I have a strong why as to like why I wanted to pursue nursing. But I feel like that, alongside, you know, celebrating your wins is like a big thing that helps like keep me going.

Joelle Powers: And in social work, we talk a lot about self-care. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: You have to–and so like going back with like marking everything. I’m still big on goals, and I’m still big on boundaries. Something I’m learning like–even today I started my internship, I have a Google voice number and so like being really able to separate even like–being a student and then just being Tryphene. Being able to separate those two to just like make sure I have things set up, and it’s very important to me. 

Sam Butler: I have a question for you, Makenna. 

Makena Chase: Yeah. 

Sam Butler: I’m also–well PA is very similar like looking at all the science classes that I’m going to have to take. I’m kind of the same thing like worried like why am I doing this? And like how difficult was all of it or has it been? 

Makena Chase: I will say coming in the prereqs can be really scary. When you look at your class schedules, and you’re like oh cool, I’m taking like anatomy and physiology at the same time as chemistry at the same time as UF100, like all of these things like it’s definitely scary. But, I think like–you know this is kind of context as to–I had a really severe case of pneumonia in third grade. I’ve always been interested in medicine; my favorite TV show as a second grader was Untold Stories of the ER. I don’t know why my parents let me watch that stuff, but I was like no I don’t want to watch Dora, turn on TLC. 

I’ve always been fascinated with medicine. I had a really severe case of pneumonia, and I was hospitalized for a little while. One of the things that like really made me feel like I was going to be okay was my nurse. It’s because your nurses are with you the whole time, and that doesn’t discredit providers’ work, but I think that I wanted something that was more directly patient-related. So, remembering that feeling of, I was so scared, like terrified as this little kid that had like no idea what was going on, I’m like, wow, this is way cooler to watch on TV. 

But being in the patient bed is like absolutely mortifying. So, just remembering like the feeling of having someone tell you that you’re going to be okay, like that feeling is what I want to give to other people. When I’m sitting there, and I’m really struggling for like an A&P test because…it’s A&P.  I think back to that feeling. I’m like this may be a small step on my way, but this step needs to be taken in order for me to achieve my why. And, that why will look different for everyone, and it may not be like you know–like a sob story–I guess it may not be like a sob story. It may not have that same sentimental value, but I feel like going back to your why.

It’s huge in terms of technical things, like being organized when you have all of those classes. I’m a big planner advocate. I will write everything by hand, even if you have like a Google calendar, because some of those classes can be like really overwhelming. I think having everything laid out in a schedule or a planner really helped me. I’m also a little OCD, so I need that anyway. I also think studying and like–sorry, I have a lot to say about this, but study in increments. I think a lot of people are like I need to sit down and study for like four hours straight because there’s so much knowledge. Take breaks because your brain physically cannot retain that large amount of information in one given time, so know that it’s okay to take a 10 to 15-minute study break. Don’t look at your phone, don’t doom scroll on Instagram, like get up, walk around, fold some laundry, or do something else. I think that really helped with burnout in terms of studying.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: And the moment you don’t understand–I was a nursing major before I switched over to social work, so it’s like the moment you don’t understand something that’s when–because at first I was like I don’t understand, but I’m going to try to figure it out on my own. By then, it’s like we’re too deep, and so it’s like the moment I don’t understand, best believe I’m meeting my teacher. We’re going to talk about this for 30 minutes.

Makena Chase: Yeah, lean on your faculty and a lot of the…learning centers here are really helpful too. Especially with chemistry, the Chem Learning Center is awesome. I know, the math center helped a lot with like stats and stuff like that. And so lean on your resources, don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Because I promise you–I would rather, you know, knock down my ego a little bit and ask for help, than suffer by not knowing this knowledge or suffer by getting a bad grade and kind of taking that step backwards. So like, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Because again, your faculty wants to help you, like they truly want to help you. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: All good stuff. 

Sam Butler: Yeah. Does anyone have any final remarks before we wrap it up? 

Makena Chase: I don’t know. 

Joelle Powers: This was really cool. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Yeah.

Makena Chase: This was really awesome.

Sam Butler: Well, thank you all for being here.

Makena Chase: I guess I just want to shout out. I know we mentioned it earlier, but students, please reach out to Tryphene and I. We’ll have our contact information hopefully posted. Even smaller initiatives, like I know ASBSU even had Narcan available on campus, which is a drug that’s used in overdoses. It’s not harmful if a student isn’t overdosing, so if you give it, it wouldn’t hurt you anyway. But even small things like that, we didn’t initially pay for it, but ASBSU was a supporter of that. And so even smaller things, if you have little ideas like that, please reach out to us because we will absolutely do our best to make sure that your voice is heard.

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: I would just say if you don’t see yourself in a room, you can be that person. I always say, I’m maybe the first, but I want to ensure I’m not the last. And it’s like, because of you opening that door, so many people are going to come behind you. So, it’s like, don’t be afraid to be that first person, and your opinions matter, and you. You will make a difference, and you’re bringing such an important lived experience. And so just lean on that, and that’ll set you straight.

Sam Butler: Well, thank you for being here for our first episode of season two. 

Makena Chase: We’re so happy to be here. It’s not like anything we’ve done before, and so it’s been really awesome. 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Thank you so much!

Sam Butler: I think it went well, and… 

Tryphene Bulape-Mishambo: Boise…State!