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The Disproportionate Burden of Caregiving · AccessCo Leaders Career Conversations

• Ilyne Deliquina: Welcome back to AccessCo Leaders Career Conversations. I'm Ilyne. get to host this with our student co-host from Taconia Academy Charter High School. We have an incredible guest, Hess, who is the founder of Oceeto and also an attorney and owner of ACH Consulting. Welcome, to the show. Andrea Hess: Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. Ilyne Deliquina: Awesome. Well, Andrea, tell us what is Oceeto What are you guys doing? What is the product? We're excited to hear more about it. Andrea Hess: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it is the ⁓ business that I founded ⁓ my husband has joined me in that. And basically our aim is to ⁓ the life of caregivers so much easier. So whether it's caregiving for yourself, whether it's caregiving for littles or for ⁓ seniors adults in this country, ⁓ women in particular, they are a disproportionate burden ⁓ when it to caregiving. whether it's paid or unpaid. And so just trying to come up with products that make that life, that burden, that lift a lot easier. And our first product, which we were blessed enough to have patented, received the patent late in 2024, is called the Carrot Again. Happened to be wearing it, but it's really just a garment that's meant to be easy on, easy off, and helps keep the person who's wearing it clean. When it comes to caregiving, it seems there's like tons of stuff and products for babies and... older people and those who need the care, even pets. I don't know if you can hear my dog, but when it comes to the people that are actually doing the work, that heavy lift, having to do all the things in their life, there's not a ton of products out there. So we're hoping to change that and bring revolution and better support and visibility to those who do the silent care of, silent work of caregiving. Ilyne Deliquina: weekend. ⁓ The carrot again. I love that. love it. And we also know that you are an attorney by trade and that you are also the owner of ACH Consulting. And what is that you guys doing with ACH Consulting? Andrea Hess: Yeah, ACH Consulting is really just the, I guess, the other side of my brain, right? The legal and sort of operational side of my brain. It's, ⁓ it last year. It's ⁓ a small consulting firm. It's just me ⁓ with clients, primarily in the legal space, going back to my ⁓ days, if you will, and really trying to ⁓ sharpen and refine legal offerings. As you all know, perhaps better than me, with the advent of technology. has meant that those ⁓ provide legal services have had to keep up ⁓ get sharper and better in their service offerings. And so I just ⁓ in, I partner with clients and try to analyze, assess where there are gaps and offer them potential solutions for making it better and more scalable. Fun fact, you all, this might be funny to you when I first started when I was a baby, itty bitty baby attorney. ⁓ We had a partner that was just a couple seats away from me and he did not use email. He never grew up with it. He didn't use it. He didn't know what it was. ⁓ so his secretary would come in and dictate, he would dictate to the secretary ⁓ she'd write it down on a pad and then she would go and like type it out for him. ⁓ that's how much technology has changed even since I started the practice of law. Ilyne Deliquina: Andrea, that must have been in the 1900s. I've seen so long ago. All right, so speaking about the past, tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are today, being able to continue to be an attorney for your own firm, and then also investing the time in a company that you created for a product that you have patented. let's start off with, where did you grow up? Where are you located now? And how did you get to where you are today? Andrea Hess: Yeah, I was. Absolutely, so I am a proud child of immigrants from the Caribbean. So I'm first generation American. My parents came to the States and they initially made their home in New York City, like so many do. And then because of work, they were led to come to the great state of Delaware. And that's where I grew up. So I grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, again, not far from the Philadelphia area. And really at that time when I was younger, I just saw life as like, you know, maybe three or four potential careers. It never occurred to me that I could do anything other than like be an engineer, like everyone in my family, or like a nurse or something. And then I had an incredible fifth grade teacher and there was like, there was a dust up when she left the room. of the students like tore up a bulletin board and she like questioned everyone and everyone was silent. So all the witnesses were silent. And she was like, you know what I'm going to do? ⁓ going to identify counsel. for the guilty parties. She had found one student who was like, you know, in the act. And she said, and I'm gonna get counsel for myself. And so she identified a student for each to represent the two parties. And we learned about the judicial system and what it's like to go to court. And that put a bug in my head ever since. over the course, I decided, wow, I'm really good at arguing. My mom can attest to that. And I think it'd be fun if I could do this for a living. And so I just... started down a legal path, but to the question as to how I made those shifts, ⁓ it was incremental, step by step, and eventually I got here. Ilyne Deliquina: I love that. Well, I am not going to ask any more questions We're going to start off with Elizabeth. Andrea Hess: Okay. Elizabeth: Did you play any sports in your high school or middle school years? Andrea Hess: I actually did. So I played volleyball and basketball in middle school. I'm almost six feet tall. So it was like a given someone would grab me and make me play those sports, at least basketball. And then I went on to play volleyball in high school. And then I actually played D1 volleyball in college. I had a chance to go to the NCAA tournament. We were trounced, but it was an incredible experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Ilyne Deliquina: Love that. I did forget to ask what you did in middle school and high school. So thank you for teeing that up, Elizabeth. You're so experienced. Zakaria Karroum: Alright, my question for Andrea is do you have any siblings and like where do you fall in that order? And like did they impact like what you ended up doing or like your choices? Andrea Hess: Absolutely, that's a really great question. So it's two of us, my sister and I, my older sister. And her path absolutely impacted my own. In fact, she's the one who came home and said, hey, I wanna play this sport called volleyball. And so after she gave it up, I continued on with it. Many of the same endeavors that she entered into in high school and middle school, I did as well, primarily because of the exposure that I gained from it because of her. I will say though, it took some time, I'd say into my young adulthood to accept and acknowledge and be proud about the ways that while we're very similar, we're also quite different. And to have to say, you know what, that is awesome for her, but not necessarily a great fit for me. And she ultimately went on to be a professor. She's a professor at a school in Westchester, Pennsylvania. and ⁓ is fantastic at that. But that is probably about where our paths diverge there. ⁓ a lot of similarities and a lot of similar experiences, but still it was important for me to forge my own. Ilyne Deliquina: love that you recognize that at a young age too that you can be related, you can grow up together and still have different interests and still be very successful in the things that you value and what you want to do and you're still family. So that's awesome. Let's go to Nashla, your first question. Miguel Cardona: As I was noticing your LinkedIn, you have in your bio that you are a mother, daughter, attorney, and the inventor of the carrot again. And as you just mentioned, you are the child of immigrant parents. So it seems like you've had a lot of experiences, a lot of achievements within your life. So first, congratulations. But I also wanted to know what is your motivation throughout all this time? What keeps you going? What keeps the blood pumping? Andrea Hess: That is a great question. I think it has changed over time. I would say initially it was, you know, middle school, high school, college, it was very much about, you know, not just on my bell accolades, how much exposure and experience can I get. Over time it's changed to things like pace, the ability to stay and be with and connected and supported by and with and to my family. coupled with the fact when it comes to work in particular, it's about making a lasting difference that I think matters. ⁓ that, especially it comes to Oceto, and even to some extent with ACH Consulting, how can I make this better for other people? I love that. I love innovating. I love finding problems. My kids can attest to that, ⁓ right? Their is never clean enough. ⁓ I'm like, about that? And I love helping people, you know, I love thought partnering with people to make things better. ⁓ on both sides of the house, whether it's Oceeto or consulting, I like I get a chance to flex that quite a bit. Ilyne Deliquina: And again, you're seeing great question, Chris, Miguel, great question. And Andrea, I love how you're able to show the students that you are integrating all the things that you value and all the things that make you who you are in, as you say, both sides of your brain. So thanks for showing that. Nashla Aponte: I saw that you play volleyball in high school, said. I want to know if you would taken the route of that would you have taken a route in like a sport ⁓ kind of ⁓ career and related to volleyball? Andrea Hess: So that's a really great question. So I played volleyball in high school and in college. I did two years of D1 volleyball, which was an incredible experience. I wouldn't change it for the world, but I actually walked away from it. And for a couple of reasons. One, when you are at that level, it becomes your job. And it became very clear to me early on that I loved it, but I didn't want that to be my job. at least during those days, the pre-NIL days, everything is planned out. Your day-to-day is planned out. Your workout schedule is planned out. Your off season is planned out. Your holidays are planned out. And I liked the rigor, but I knew I wanted more than that. And I didn't feel like I could do that for four years, where it was like, this is my job. This is what I do. And so I made a decision to walk away from it, which was so hard, because I started playing in sixth grade. And so to walk away at that point was the better part of my life. And I remember it being very, very difficult, but I also remember this very sweet moment. I had walked away and I had decided to join a political campaign in Philadelphia. And I I think I was about to go meet the then president because that particular race was really pivotal ⁓ in Philadelphia that And so the then president, the sitting president was coming to campaign last few weeks in the run-up. and wanted to meet some of the staff and the volunteers. And I remember being so excited. I was like, man, I get to meet the US president. And there was a bus that was going to take us to a particular spot to meet him. at the same time, I looked over and I saw my former teammates coming in from their latest match. And everyone looks sort of tired and they've got all their bags and they're heading back to get all their things washed, do their homework and try to get back and for the week. And I felt like in that moment, I knew I'd made the right decision. Like I loved that, but I wanted something more than that. Now in ⁓ times of NIL, I don't know, that could have been very different. ⁓ at that time I knew for a fact I wanted something else. I thought it was gonna be politics or law and I wasn't sure, but I wanted to pursue it and I wanted the chance to do that in college. Ilyne Deliquina: What a beautiful illustration that you walked out making a hard decision, something you've invested all the way from sixth grade into college, making that pivotal decision, and then seeing like the rest of your future right in front of you. That's awesome. So our students, you've heard many, many other career stories about pivots and making those decisions, but that happen as soon as your undergrad years and even in high school. ⁓ Let's to Doha, Doha Gueddar: Okay, so my question is, like you obviously do a lot, like Miguel listed, you're a mother, you own two businesses, you're a daughter, like that's all like great accomplishments, so congrats again. But how do you find like the time for yourself? Like how do you balance everything in your life to like not feel so like stressed out by it? Andrea Hess: When I have an answer, I'll come back and tell you. No, I'm kidding. I think that the reason why I said that in jest as a response is because I think it's always a moving target. think life, whether you're in high school or you're my age or older or younger, I think it can often be in waves and seasons. And so it's really like riding that particular wave. My sort of go-to's. for me though personally, regardless of season, is to have a really clear schedule. So I like to know what's on ⁓ docket, you know, early on. So it gives me the ability to plan as as is possible. The other piece is I've had to say, you know what, I might have to get up really early so I can have that quiet time. I can have that time for me because I have to understand that, you know, my kids have their life, my husband has his life, some other caregiving I was doing for my own mother. that meant that I had to be on during the main hours of the day. So whether it's in the evening or whether it's first thing in the morning, I need to eke out that time where it's just quiet for me. I know that regardless of season that I have to find that. So whether it's early in the morning, whether it's in the afternoon, whatever case may be, I have to make sure that I maintain that for my own mental health. I would say that eating well and to varying degrees ⁓ exercise is also really important. I often tell my boys that your body is like a, it's like a car. And so if you never, if you put bad fuel in it, if you never get a tune up, if you never rest it, it's not going to go very far, right? Like we always talk about NASCAR and Formula One. Those Formula One cars sit there and they just rest. When they're not out there going really hard and fast, they are literally like in a garage, just like quiet, resting, downloading new software. They really treated like, the valuable pieces of machinery that they are, and you only get one you, and you only get one brain and one body. And so I try to take the same approach for this body that I've been given. Ilyne Deliquina: So good, valuable machinery right there. OK, again, another beautiful ⁓ ⁓ go to Chris, Andrea Hess: you Chris Reyes: had said you like played volleyball and like many different sports. ⁓ So were a leader on that team? And if so, ⁓ does that ⁓ help you you know, lead your company to like success and stuff? Andrea Hess: That's a great question. That is a great question. I would say in middle school, I was a leader without the skill. In high school, I was a leader primarily with the skill and learning the craft of being a leader, an impactful leader. And then in undergrad, I actually was, I believe, a leader, again, back without the skill. Like every time I went up in a level, I had to learn again the craft, the skill of what it looks like to impact those around me, to have influence in a good way and to wield it and steward it well at each level. In terms of, did it help? I think it did. I think it did. I think there is something to be said. about how you move in space, how you perceive groups others? Do you see them as a teammate or a threat? So do think in some ways it is sort of in my core when I connect with or interact with others on either front, whether it's the consulting side or it's on Oceeto. I ⁓ think do. It's a great question. Ilyne Deliquina: Yep, these students, going to get you, They've got some great questions. Andrea Hess: You Sophia Rivero: question is do you ever wish you had done things differently? Andrea Hess: Yes, I do, I do. A couple of things ⁓ come to mind. I may have taken a year off ⁓ in between and high school, or even just a little bit of time. Some other things that I wish I would have done, I wish that I would have looked at the cost associated with higher education and had a more thoughtful ⁓ consideration of that. when I was looking at schools, both at the graduate ⁓ undergraduate level, I was really focused on things like location ⁓ ⁓ maybe their and what I get in that regard. I didn't really think as critically about the long-term financial implication ⁓ of those choices was making. And that I definitely wish that I would have looked back on and spent time to be more informed that. So those are two that come to mind right away. Ilyne Deliquina: that's so good. We don't even say regrets, just different decisions we could have made. So ⁓ you for sharing that, ⁓ Great question. ⁓ Andrea Hess: Yeah. Elizabeth: So I know you have a caregiving business on giving products to caregivers. I want to know how that came as a business idea. How did that cultivate? Ilyne Deliquina: we are. Andrea Hess: Yeah, was all organic. I had my first son ⁓ and never up with babysitting. I'm actually the youngest on both sides of my family. Actually, wait, no, that's not true. I have a cousin who came much later, ⁓ but I grew up sort of in that culture of taking care of others. I was always the one being taken care of. And then I had my first son ⁓ and that like caregiving at a max. ⁓ The long short of it is he spit up everywhere all the time. And I was like, there's got to be a solution for this. I don't understand. And so I started trying to come up with a solution for myself. And over time, I realized other moms had that same experience. process of product development and patenting was a longer time horizon than I envisioned. And so in the process of getting to where am today, things like happened. And then in more personally, my mother was diagnosed with dementia. And the reason why I live in Delaware now and not in the DC area is because we made the decision to come back and to ⁓ help take care of her. that's when it really hit me like, wow, caregiving is a job. It is really a hard job. And so it came out of my own personal experiences and then being intellectually curious, like, am I the only one? Are there other people doing this? do they sustain it? And when I realized that it is, there is this silent movement of people who are engaged in caregiving on a regular basis, sometimes at a very high level, and that's not their job. It may be a labor of love, like it was for me and my mom, but then there's this whole, you know, they have a full-time job and they have kids and they have all the other things. And I really came to appreciate. the power and the weight of what it means to be a caregiver. Ilyne Deliquina: That's so beautiful. Andrea, I remember when you guys made that decision to move to, you know, to support the family and such. It's so noble to and the good thing is I feel like there's more resources coming out and you're just among many of the ones that we're starting to see. That was a great question, Liz. So Liz is one of our students who ⁓ is ⁓ in what grade, the 10th grade. She's interested in being a police officer. We've shared the story. recently, she shared that ⁓ she understands it's a very male dominated field. So ⁓ Andrea, can you share a little bit about those kinds of environments that you've been in where you may be the only person that looks like you or that has the same kind of experiences as you? ⁓ you encourage ⁓ young ladies on our call and those that are listening about what they can do and gravitate to in their careers? Andrea Hess: Yeah, that is fantastic. I love that. In terms of the question, I would say... ⁓ not compromising yourself. I think it is easy at times when you do stand out, whatever the case may be. I think sometimes it can be easy to try to blend in. And I have found that your power, your value, your superpower is really in who you are and your own experiences and what you bring to the table. so not shrinking back from that, not trying to dodge ⁓ That is fantastic. Always being authentically you is incredibly important, especially in those spaces and places. The other part, I think, is universal. Being a good friend, being a good teammate, being just good at what you do will make it much easier, cut down on any potential friction. And I think it even allows for conversations that might be surprising. to you, but ensuring that you are really good at what you do, that you are, whether it is the technical side of your work and understanding it, or whether it's being a teammate or a team player or a colleague or a friend, that that's critical, that it's part of how you show up and investing in that for yourself is going to pay dividends, not only in those places and spaces, but also in the long term, the long run of your career. Ilyne Deliquina: Thank you for that. Andrea gave you some encouragement about of the things that you want to do in your career. Can you share a little bit with Andrea, like, why you want to be a police officer and detective? Where did that come from? Andrea Hess: Yeah. Elizabeth: So when I was like really, when I really like sat down and I was thinking about what career or like what path I want to go down to, I've always as like when I was little, I just wanted to help people. And of course, nursing was like the main route for that, you know, as a little girl and like going into hospitals and just seeing the work environment and just like the vibe just in it. It wasn't for me. I can tell that it wasn't for me. Andrea Hess: Thank Elizabeth: So I didn't see that me going into that path. But then I also saw that like I have a very, like very strict lifestyle with like my family, whatever. So I thought, you know, maybe military, but no, maybe police officer. But I have a very curious mind, a very investigative mind. So I thought maybe investigating would be good for me too. Ilyne Deliquina: we lost her. Okay, we'll come back to ⁓ if we have a chance, but we're Zach, what is your next question for Andrea? Zakaria Karroum: My next question is, I noticed that you do have a website for your product and I was going through it and looking at ⁓ some the reviews and I noticed how ⁓ much are appreciative of it ⁓ and much they thank you for making this product and how much it makes their life easier when they're caregiving. And I wanted to know, ⁓ does play a role in what you do and why you made this product? Being able to help people who are in your position. Andrea Hess: Absolutely. And kudos to you for taking a look at the site. I can't tell you how many calls I've been on ⁓ people that are supposed to know my business and don't even look at it. So good for you. But to your question, it absolutely does. Every time I think about this product, what I am thinking about are the people's lives that it impacts and my own experiences of feeling like, man, I just wish I can make this load a little bit lighter. ⁓ And is the primary driver. remembering, thinking about, again, bringing more visibility and more tools to the people who do the work of caregiving, because it's wonderful and we need it, but it's also challenging. And so I absolutely, I hold onto them. ⁓ I them sometimes to remind myself ⁓ when get hard, that is absolutely a large part of the why. Ilyne Deliquina: So Andrea, Zack has an interest in finance and accounting. Shout out to all the CPAs today, April 15th, all the taxes are due. don't you share with Andrea how you got interested in finance and your interest in going in that direction. Andrea Hess: What? Zakaria Karroum: So I took an internship last summer about personal finance and entrepreneurship and all that that that kind of entire field and it kind of really opened my eyes and I was good at it we did a lot of like practice projects and presentations about stocks and ⁓ Investments a lot of stuff like that and I found out well, I'm good at it I like it and so like why not pursue it as a career and I'm like I really just noticed how much of interest had for that subject. Andrea Hess: That is awesome. Someone, one of your colleagues asked me if I had any regrets. Well, not regrets, but like would I choose something different? And that is also something I would definitely choose different. That is awesome that you took the chance, that you took the stretch, you've applied it and that you love it. That's fantastic. That's awesome. Ilyne Deliquina: With finance, how having some basic knowledge in business accounting, how has that helped you in both your businesses with Oceto and ACH? Andrea Hess: I couldn't even articulate it. It really is the driver. you don't have a good handle on your finances, it's very difficult to where you're going. I used be afraid of that. And so again, my hat goes off ⁓ to you trying something new and different and then discovering you like it. But ⁓ to the question, it really is like a roadmap. a tool. It's like a flashlight that lets you see where you're going next. If you have a good understanding ⁓ of ⁓ your quarter-to-quarter, ⁓ you know, ⁓ financial projections. It's what allows you to make decisions and make them in an informed manner. And even it permits you to get more. So I have been in situations where I was for groups, whether it's investors or ⁓ grants. And in those settings, they really want to make sure you understand the finances. And so no matter what, you are going to be well prepared, whether it's entrepreneurship, whether it's another route. Having a good understanding of finances and liking it and not being afraid of it is gonna be huge. ⁓ Ilyne Deliquina: Awesome. We got the cheering on from the dog there too. let's go over to you. Nashla Aponte: question is how you, most encounter you were ⁓ putting your business out there ⁓ how you overcame it and advice would you give to people in the same shoes ⁓ that they were or that you during that time? Andrea Hess: Yeah. So ⁓ I'm a very what's called like risk adverse person. Like I want to know all the contingencies. I want to plan. I want everything laid out. to some extent, that's what the practice law can be, right? Like you're very ⁓ ordered. You it all under control in theory. And business and entrepreneurship is the exact opposite. ⁓ And so one I'm having to learn to do is go out there even if I have an 80 % solution, even a 70 % solution. For me, that is, ⁓ is a challenge. So I'm constantly having to push myself beyond what feels uncomfortable. And ⁓ sometimes not as successful the first time and I have to get back up and try again. And other times I surprise myself, but because that's my ⁓ natural every situation that I have to be willing to face that. and say, okay, I chose not to do this. Was really because that's the decision or was I falling back into that natural pattern? And so I think no matter how you're wired, being self-aware, having people around you that are willing to share ⁓ honestly with you maybe some patterns that they're seeing, and then ⁓ being willing to take time and spend the time to develop some tools that help you overcome. whatever that natural friction point is for you is gonna be crucial. And I think that's, again, no matter how you're wired, whether you're like me or whether you're like my husband, my husband's like, we'll just build the plane, it's fine while we're in the air. And so no matter how you're wired, you're still gonna have to realize how you're built and the areas where you need to work hard and develop those tools to move through and over the friction point. Ilyne Deliquina: Well, Andrea, ⁓ Nashla is one of our seniors and she's interested in coding and programming. So I know that she's a little bit disciplined there. Nashla, why don't you share with Andrea how you got into your interest of coding and programming and what are your next steps after you finish high school? Nashla Aponte: How I got into programming and coding was during, ⁓ I always like to something So I was thinking of what should I learn? So I was like, I saw this class that I had the year prior and I just ⁓ went to the website that we to use and I thought, let me just continue what the teacher was teaching us. And I actually ended up liking it. So I was like, ⁓ let me continue ⁓ my learning. So, and then it turned into a hobby, which is now that I continue to use. But after high school, I'ma still use coding. I'ma have it like, probably I'm a minor, but ⁓ my main career is gonna be in the health career. I want to become a nurse and then I wanna transfer to become a surgeon. Andrea Hess: That is incredible. incredible. My goes off to you. The fact that you were intellectually curious to not just ⁓ think about, hey, what else could do? But the fact that you then pursued it, that's incredible. And that, think, will serve you well throughout life. That's not just a now thing. So that is fantastic. I'm really curious to see coding and all the tech side of things shifts and grows and develops in this new sort of age that we're coming into. So it's so fun that you have the ability to pull on that and then also your desire to be in healthcare, which is, mean, I think it is the big thing. I think it's the next big thing because we always need healthcare. That's never going anywhere. So is fantastic. That's awesome. Ilyne Deliquina: love that you said it's not just a now thing. That is sustainable, guys. means that you will have a job. ⁓ love that. ⁓ go to our next senior, Miguel. Miguel Cardona: So my question is, as I was looking on your LinkedIn, I noticed that you had went to Temple University. You also went to the American University in Washington, DC. had studied abroad in Argentina and Chile. So been all over the place, mid-Atlantic and international. ⁓ But I really wanted to know ⁓ is, know, during these experiences, who was somebody who was always there for you, that you could always fall back on, that if you needed advice, you could just send them a text or go up to them. Andrea Hess: in different ways, my mom and my sister. they have always been there. I couldn't done anything, I without them. So my mom was, she was a tough love, kind of old school woman, but you that her heart was always there for you. And so anytime I was down, I needed encouragement. She was often that source. And my sister and just have a really good rapport. Even though there's an age difference ⁓ between us, we... I think we just know that we're both on each other's team, other's biggest cheerleader. And having someone like that in your life, whether it's family or it's family that you've made or selected is, I think, crucial. think everybody needs that. Ilyne Deliquina: That's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that, Andrea. We're going to spend some time here with Miguel. He's ⁓ like I said, he's one of our seniors and I've seen him in the past three school years. ⁓ ⁓ wants to go into biomedical engineering. Miguel, why don't you share a little bit with Andrea how you came that decision of biomedical engineering. Miguel Cardona: Yeah, so it really was a wonky way. At first, I wanted to be a dentist. I wanted to go into dentistry. And then afterwards, ⁓ I I didn't want to be a dentist. I didn't want to be in people's mouths for my entire life. So I thought about computer programming. And I did attempt to learn ⁓ computer programming, different languages, but it just didn't work out for me. So I kind of went on to the next thing that I was interested in and that was engineering. And so as I learned more about engineering, I realized I kind of needed a specific area of study. And that was another obstacle where I didn't know what I wanted to do until I think I was looking through Drexel's page of degrees I found it ⁓ biomedical engineering and that was everything I wanted. Obviously the engineering aspect, also bio, like biology and the medical. So. That's kind of how I landed to it. ⁓ I do have other hobbies that I have thought about, you know, working in such as linguistics, but I think biomedical engineering is where I would really flourish. Andrea Hess: That is fantastic. What I love about what you shared is that you going. You were like, yep, it's not this. Yep, you persisted. And that is ⁓ crucial. ⁓ think, that's the kind of ⁓ skill the personal wherewithal that's going to serve you well through all seasons of life. So I love that. To the extent that it's relevant for you, check out the University of Delaware. They have an incredible biomedical engineering program. I had the opportunity to actually work with some of their students to help with my garment, the Caredigan And so they've got a lot of cool resources if you ever want to even just check them out on their website, just so you get a good sense. But you are in a good spot in this kind of southeastern PA area. And even if you decide to pivot again, you've got a lot of great options with that. So that's fantastic. And then also on a quick tip, there is a company in southern Delaware. and they work with NASA in part of their spacesuits. And that's part of their like biomedical engineering So you're like in a great spot ⁓ if want to further explore that. That is fantastic. Got a long one. Ilyne Deliquina: Shout out to NASA. That's awesome. Great tips, Andrea. One more thing with Miguel. Miguel, like I said, ⁓ seen you do these interviews since the 10th grade. Now you're a senior. Can you share with us a little bit how these interviews have helped you ⁓ be you are today? Like, what was 10th grade Miguel like compared to what these interviews have helped you become today ⁓ in senior year? Miguel Cardona: Yeah, so I'd ⁓ if I was to compare contrast myself from 10th grade to year, I definitely was more, you know, closed in, you know, to myself. I wasn't really as outgoing as I would say. And that was kind of for, you know, freshman and sophomore year until I ⁓ joined this program. And it kind also helped me, know, get up on that like social anxiety ladder, or I guess get down from it. you know, starting to realize who I am, talk with these amazing people, such as yourself, Andrea. You I always enjoy looking at people's LinkedIn's or their stories and hearing about them, you know, how far they have come, you know, especially from people who may have just came to the country or their, you know, children of immigrant parents, know, I myself as a child of immigrant parents, it kind of, you know, it's home to me. So I think with these interviews, I definitely have, you know, came to know who I am, what I want to do. you know, ironically enough, during that transition from, you know, engineering to specifically biomedical engineering, I was in this program. And so I would, you know, I kind of had credit to the program to finding out what exactly I wanted to do because, you know, talking with these great people realize how many fields of, you know, specific studies I could go into, but I just needed to find out which one it is. that's kind of where I'm at right now, you know, definitely more outgoing, definitely more confident. ⁓ You could put me in any setting and I'd probably find a way to talk to at least three or four people or maybe the entire room. what I would say. Ilyne Deliquina: Well, congrats to you, Miguel. We're so proud of you, having seen you grow these past three years. And we're excited to see what happens after high school and all the things that you'll be doing in your biomedical engineering degree. go on to Doha. Doha Gueddar: So my question is, because I am also a daughter of two immigrants, so how did you navigate the way, when, like I know like home life is completely different than like school life and stuff like that, so how did you navigate the cultural differences like throughout daily life? Andrea Hess: That is a great question. I will say I had a little less friction than my sister, because I was the younger one. So she sort of paved the way for me. I say that I really didn't appreciate it up until I left home, honestly. It was a constant, like, mommy, but all my friends are doing this. Or mommy, nobody has in their lunch. Like, nobody. No one. ⁓ I promise you. she's like, it's fine. And so I think. As I got older, like from middle school, middle school, felt really hard, but even in high school a little bit, I started just owning it. Like this, this is who they are. And even investigating a little bit more about their experiences. And it helped frame things for me a lot better to realize like, wow, they left everything they knew, everything on a chance. That's incredible. Like that, I don't know if I would have the wherewithal to say, yep, I'm just, I'm gonna go to a whole new place. And I think what it did as I ⁓ little moments of ⁓ ⁓ questioning over time, it made me so thankful for what they did because ultimately, yes, they did that for themselves, but the idea that they were searching for a place where they would have all these incredible opportunities. At their age, the reality was they were looking for the opportunities for me and my sister who weren't even born yet. And that just made me so thankful and so proud. something that I am incredibly proud of. I always say that from this small, ⁓ emerging my parents in one generation were able to turn out a PhD and a JD. ⁓ And that really can't happen anywhere else other than the United States. So I'm so proud. I love it. it also gives me a real, I don't feel burdened, but I feel like ⁓ that famous quote, right? Like not necessarily pressure, but I feel the call really do my best, to really steward well the opportunity that they paved for me. But I definitely like my mom on sleepovers. Like why can't I have sleepovers? And she was like, I don't get it. I don't get it. And so that was just a life thing. And I had to just say, OK, I'm going to win some battles. I'm going to lose some battles. Ilyne Deliquina: That's amazing, amazing. So Doha, earlier in ⁓ the conversation, we heard Andrea talk about the and the right brain, the two sides. Andrea, Doha is another one who is a creative but likes data. ⁓ So Doha, can you share a little bit with Andrea you got interested in data? Doha Gueddar: Yeah, so I remember ⁓ year we were having some struggles with finding like some staff to teach math and I'm like, well, why don't I just teach it to myself? And so like being able to like kind of see how my brain like figured out the way to like read a graph or to know how the data works in like real life ⁓ kind of made like the experience like really nice and like I could like read it how I wanted to read it. Like nobody else was telling me how to read something or like how to do something. Like I got the like ability to do it for myself and like that made me like comfortable with reading graphs and also like graphs like they're just like so different. They differ for every single thing and they're like global. There's nothing you can change about a graph where you won't see it in like South Africa or you won't see it in Saudi Arabia. So like I wanted to like find something that was also very global, but I liked like doing it and trying to figure out what it's supposed to mean. mentioning the left and right brain, like ⁓ love, love, love like when people mention left and right brains because ⁓ like, ⁓ love art. I love music. I love dance. like cultures, languages, I love that, but I also really do love like the math and the sciences. So like I love when people like tap into their left and right brain. Andrea Hess: That is incredible. I love that you were able to teach yourself that. And that's such a great analogy that graphs really are like a language, right? You're right. You could go anywhere, and someone's going to be able to interpret that. So that's incredible. that is absolutely where our industries and spaces and places are going. The ability to speak language, take. There's AI that's going to be able to still take and. interpret at this point the way and be creative with the interpretation the way that like a data scientist can or someone who depicts that for interprets that for others. So that's so cool. I love that. it's like you're Renaissance woman. You got both sides of the brain going on. Ilyne Deliquina: That's right, Renaissance woman. Doha, we have seen you come alive in these conversations. You've really opened up. ⁓ have you picked up from our conversation with Andrea? Doha Gueddar: So some things that I've picked up is like, you just keep going. Like you find what you're passionate about. Like you find what you're good at. You find what you're passionate about. And it's okay to like, like she, she's good at being an attorney, but then she opened another business where she cares about something so deeply in that, like it's okay to like have that like divide in the two, but also combine the two where you care about like something so much, but then you just like keep going with what you're good at. So like, Like I said, like the left and right brain, like she, she put both parts together and she just continued with it and she persevered through it. Ilyne Deliquina: Love that, love that. That's amazing. So Chris is like you, another athlete, and he has figured out that he wants to be able to do some kind of business that involves both his passion for being an athlete and still have a job. Can you give ⁓ Chris a little bit of encouragement there? He's in 11th grade, so he still has another year in high school. Andrea Hess: for it. Awesome. I love that. think that's fantastic that you already know what you want to do. couple of things I would say. One, you can certainly look at different teams ⁓ that are the area. You're so fortunate you're in a big city ⁓ and see they have internships. It's going to give you a lot of exposure to different jobs. ⁓ I was looking and one of the teams ⁓ just happened to be looking for someone in the law. ⁓ They have of internships and opportunities to open your mind. Also, you might want to check out start either Googling or using whatever AI ⁓ tool you like. Those who were in sports or like sports and industry. I did a pitch competition and lost to ⁓ a man who had played basketball. And this was right here in Delaware. ⁓ And ⁓ played college. ⁓ And then thought it was so hard, the process of going to college, that he came up with an app that allows high school students to connect with ⁓ college coaches. that's what he's doing now. He's leveraging that. And then I know someone else who was a basketball player overseas and decided he wants to train and teach other people how to be really fit. And so he opened his own gym. So I think there's actually a ton of people out there coming up with new and novel ideas, how to meld the thing that they love with a really sustainable ⁓ business all their own. So definitely search for those. You have a lot of resources available to you in an urban area, like Philly. That's fantastic. Ilyne Deliquina: Thank you, Andrea. Yeah, Chris, we're going to see him one day on the sidelines as an trainer. Excellent, excellent, Chris. All right, we're going to land here with Sophia. I like to call her our student recruiter. I'd say like almost half of the students in our program come from an 11th grader who has experienced our program interviewing people ⁓ for a couple of school years now. so Andrea, what kind of encouragement do you have for an ⁓ 11th grader who goes out there and tells her friends about 10th grade? See, I thought it was a 10th grade, but you know have the maturity of a junior. So there we go, I promoted you a little bit. ⁓ What encouragement do you have for someone like Sophia who just goes out there and tells her experience and is able to get others to join along, come along, ⁓ and ⁓ just her first interview for a job? Andrea Hess: Congratulations on that. I would just say that keep doing what you're doing. There is nothing that can replace relationships and connections. And if you are the person who can do that and does it naturally, that is priceless. That is absolutely priceless. I think a world where we look at technology and hard skills, we forget that we're still people. It's still about connecting. It's still about storytelling and sharing. So that is ⁓ fascinating and incredible. And I would encourage you to push yourself. to begin telling stories in different places, in different spaces, and working on that. That is priceless. That is, you can't, you really can't buy that. Like you just have it or you don't, and it sounds like you have it. Ilyne Deliquina: It sounds like she has it and we've seen it. So Sophia, we are excited to see you next year, of course. we're down our last minute here. What final words encouragement or wisdom can you share with our students at Tacony Academy? Andrea Hess: I would just say keep going, keep going after the things that you want. And I would also say, make sure that you're regularly checking in with yourself, with your own heart. Sometimes we can be going down a path and there's so much inertia and you don't realize like, ⁓ I've lost the love for it. Or this isn't actually what I want to do. And it sounds like from some of your personal stories already, you've had experiences with that. Keep making space for yourself and your own heart and how you're feeling. just keep at it. You guys are incredible. I can't imagine where I would be if I were where you are at this age. Ilyne Deliquina: That's right. Keep at it. Andrea, can you share with us the websites for Oceto or ACH Consulting? Andrea Hess: Absolutely. for it's www.oceeto.com. And that is the best place you can find me. You can check me out on LinkedIn. I would love to connect with you there. Definitely on Instagram as well. And actually for ACH Consulting, I do not have a website, but that is strategic and on purpose. But feel free to out to me on LinkedIn and I'd be happy to connect with you. ⁓ This has been incredible. And you guys. should be really pleased with how much hard work you put into this. It shows. Ilyne Deliquina: That's amazing. Well, thank you again, Andrea, for being with us here today on AccessCo Leaders with our student co-hosts from Tacony Academy Charter High School, including Zach, Nashla, Miguel, Doha, Chris, Sophia, and their incredible ⁓ liaison, Mr. Jed Smith. You guys all have a great rest of the school year, and we will see you back next time. Nashla Aponte: Thank you so much.