Latest / Corpus Christi Originals Podcast / #13 | Renita "Ree" Newton

Transcript

#13 | Renita "Ree" Newton · Corpus Christi Originals Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: What's going on now?
• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Listen to Queen Costa Originals.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: On this podcast, we had the pleasure of having uh Renita Newton who is the owner of Reese uh Sweets and Savory.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: She also has a t working on our doctorate in the counselor education.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: And we just have a chat.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're interested in that, stay tuned a little bit to the podcast.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're live.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the show, Renita.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Hello.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I like that name by the way, Renita.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's pretty unique.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: So uh Renita Newton, that's awesome.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: So you're from Louisiana originally.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_03: I am born and raised there all my life, and then I moved to the corpus about six years ago this year.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay, cool.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: So you moved on behalf of for me, it was school.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_03: So took on the master's program at the university.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: So did did like it, the school being like on an island attract you to over here, or I mean why why corpus?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: Well, the story to that is sort of long.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_03: Short end of it is that I had a friend who also uh was moving to corpus at the time uh to teach here at Veterans, um, at first, and then she ended up teaching at Veterans.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I was at the same time as she was looking for jobs, looking for graduate programs, and I was not going to come to Corpus.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_03: I was actually going to Illinois because my cousin lives in Chicago, and I had applied for um the university that was in Carbondale.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's where I was gonna go.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_03: I had gotten accepted in everything.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it was my friend talking to me.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_03: She says, Why don't you look and to see, you know, if Corpus Christie has, you know, master's programs in counseling.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um, sure enough, I looked and AM Corpus did have a master's in counseling uh program.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: And so I applied, got accepted.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and everything I should say was really quick with them.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: I actually drove to Corpus for the interview.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it was an eight-hour drive.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: I remember that whole thing.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: And um it was real quick.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like on the way home from the interview, it was a quick turnaround trip.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I remember checking my email.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um I wasn't driving, so I was checking uh checking my email, not driving and checking emails, but I saw that they had accepted me.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_03: And so I was like, wow, that was really quick.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_03: I just interviewed the day before, and I had already gotten an acceptance letter sent to me, emailed, and so I said, okay, well, at that time I was still waiting on Carbondale.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: I hadn't heard back from them just yet.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_03: And um, I ended up getting accepted there, but by the time they accepted me, sent me everything, I was already planning to move to Corpus.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: I had accepted housing, did financial aid, all that sort of stuff.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: And so it was just real quick, real quick and easy.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_03: And then, you know, Carbondale took a little bit longer, and I was eager to go ahead and make the transition, make the move, um, while I wasn't that scared, you know, uh to leave my family eight hours away or something like that.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_03: So I was like, let's just go ahead and do it.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um I moved out here, my friend moved out here.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we stayed together for a little bit.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and she moved to Dallas, so she's doing well there, and I stayed here.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: So that's how I got here and how I've been staying here for the past six years.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: So you are you are you planning on are you planning on staying here for a while?
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Or I mean, do you have pl do you look that far ahead, or how does that work for you?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I try to see, you know, what is out there on the horizon, explore my options.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I should say for right now, yes.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but lately Austin has been calling out to me.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: So uh that could potentially be one of the next spots.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not too sure just yet, but it is a place of interest as of right now.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I can see myself going thriving, um, you know, making a new life over there as well.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um so yeah.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: So so the does like the yeah, so does your your career and your uh like your entrepreneurial neural stuff have that have a factor into that choice to to decide to move?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: Definitely so.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, there's UT Austin there.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um I did decide once I'm done with my degree to go into the field of you know professorship um to teach, you know, I've been looking at universities, um, just potential of like where I would want to go if I decided to go that route.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: And then for sure, like business-wise, uh the markets that I have done there have been very kind, very culturally, just this whole vibe for me, um, culturally accepting.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, if I had to move um or have the opportunity to move there within a certain time frame, then that would be one of the places for sure for both work and school.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Nice, that's awesome.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: So, how much of a culture shock was it for you coming over here from where you're from?
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Where you're originally from uh Hammond?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so yeah, it was very much different.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um not so much different in the sense of like uh people, um, but food-wise, just um it being a bigger city, like my city is about 21,000 take, and to have 300,000 plus people um taking a freeway everywhere.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, SPID, what is that?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you know, I tell people I'm like, we only have like you know, two-way roads, you know, we have red lights everywhere.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you take your interstate I-10 or whatever, but to constantly use like uh something like SPID to get to just one side of town to the other, that's not really common um where I'm from.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_03: And then just you know, food and like H B.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_03: I love that store.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, cool.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like we need one back home because I fell in love with HEB when I moved here.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Why do you like HEB?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_03: I think just because it's different, you know.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um it's a bit better than Walmart.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's we have like Albertson's and like Rouse's, um, and those types of grocery markets, but I don't know, like you just have like a whole like little shopping store inside of the HEB.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's like everything in there to me.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, pretty, pretty different in terms of like a supermarket or a grocery store.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, awesome.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: I was listening to your interview with uh Brittany Mute on leading ladies, guys.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Go check that out if you haven't checked it out.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and y'all were talking about your palette, your your taste palette, how diff how different it is from uh Louisiana as opposed to here.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And you mentioned there's a main a major difference there.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I wanted to mention, like, I worked with the some people from New Orleans before, uh-huh, and I love new people from New Orleans because like they're like you're kind of like, yeah, Texas, y'all got y'all's thing.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's all it's cool, you know.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: But we got our own over here, too.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: I love that about uh Louisiana.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: You so I do you feel yourself going back there or I like to go back and visit for sure.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I don't know.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_03: I I believe, you know, whatever God's plan is, you know, like let's say Austin, right?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: But it could be going back home.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not too sure.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, I'm just like whatever God's plan is, that's the way that I want to go.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so if He does have me to go back home, then you know, I can't argue with that.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but my plan is to just kind of visit and then continue, you know, moving around to see where you know I plant myself.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: But um, if I had a choice, it would just be to visit, uh to go back and and live there.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_03: But you never know.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you mentioned God that that so I would imagine that has an effect on your lifestyle now, right?
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: So how much of has it always been that way for you?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Or uh, you know, did something happen to you know what I mean?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: What's that story?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, how did I, you know, develop my I guess love or or my faith?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, yeah.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um if I can recall, I might have been 11 or 12 when I got baptized.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um Oak Grove Memorial, uh Church of Christ Holiness, USA, um, back in Hammond, Louisiana.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, Pastor John W.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: Burr senior um has been my pastor all my life growing up.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_03: He was my mom's pastor, my grandma's pastor.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I just grew up in that church.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: And so um that started the foundation, and then just through just different life experiences, for me, it's I know that there is someone, God, um, who has orchestrated, who has been so gracious to just bless me with, you know, all that I have, even in the midst of adversities and trials and challenges and triumphs and victories, too.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, there have been many of both for me in my life for such a short time.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I just believe like just having that foundation and then continuing to go to church.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_03: I grew up in church.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um, the older I got, I sort of, you know, drifted away a little bit.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, then you know, we come back.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I've always been grounded in my faith.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think, you know, definitely life experiences, things that I've gone through, um, lets me know.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: Like, you know, God is definitely real, He's definitely an anchor for me in all that I do.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, when things are good, when things are bad.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, definitely someone that I can turn to in the midst of those um wins and losses, I guess you could say.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, faith has been very important to me.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's definitely been one of the main things driving what I do, why I do what I do.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um while I hope and pray to continue doing what I'm doing.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, if that answers the question.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, that's good.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's good stuff.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so and I had a thought there.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so what's something that you're what something that you say is like that you're struggling with now that you feel like he's gonna help you through?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: Definitely the dissertation.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: Working on a PhD is uh definitely not a small feat by any means.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I recommend all of my colleagues um who are going through the same process right now.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_03: We have gone before me with this process.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's definitely one that is a battle of the mind and the heart, you know, the body, all of it.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um is definitely something that has taken a toll.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: I guess I would say in like all areas, mentally, physically, um, emotions are definitely a huge factor as well.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um if you aren't grounded in something, whatever your faith might be, um, it's easy to falter.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, easy to just, you know, throw in the towel and say, you know what, I can't do it.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but there have been many a times where, you know, it's just been me and God just saying, okay, get me through this, get me through this semester.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, specifically in my second semester is when I lost my dad.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_03: I had just started the program.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, sorry.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, thank you.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: It was the second semester.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I started in the fall, he passed away that spring.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_03: I was in the middle of one of the hardest semesters that I felt like, you know, they got harder after that one, even uh, even still.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: But that to me at the time was one of the most difficult uh semesters.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_03: I was in advance advanced quantitative uh research methods.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, learning all the statistics and learning all the graphs and the all the stuff.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_03: And um, you know, so losing my dad during that semester, still having to come back and finish a midterm and a final exam, and still having to continue even in the midst of all of that.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_03: I ended up with a 4.0 that semester.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know how.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I do know how, you know, um, like I say, you know, God was over me with that one too, you know.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, just continuing on semester after semester, you know, I've officially completed 69 hours, so that was the full, you know, program, except for the dissertation.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, he's getting me through that too.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, just one day at a time with me, one day at a time.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, that would be a challenge right now.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_03: It's just getting through that part of this degree.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Man, that's awesome.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you stayed the you stayed the path, you stayed the course, even through at the adversity.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: And that says a lot about your character, definitely.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Man, that's that's amazing.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: So you're just uh so you're working on your dissertation.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you have that dissertation and was it uh counselor education?
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, counselor education.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: How long does it have to be a certain length long, like your dissertation, or how how do they grade you on that?
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it varies.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, right now my chapter one is about 18, 19 pages.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'm in the middle of chapter two.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_03: Chapter three is currently about like nine.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but then once I submit and get, you know, the first round of edits on that one, you know, she could say add more, you know, take this out.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: So it really just depends.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um on average, you might find them once they're completed, about 150.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_03: You know, some are 200 plus pages.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: It really just depends on the chair, how much they want from you, how much detail you need to give in each chapter.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it really does vary, you know.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_03: But I'm aiming probably, I think I'll finish up between no more than like 180, 180 pages.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's pretty good.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you get most of your research from?
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um, there's a lot out there.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, like EBSCO, uh I use like Quick Search with the library, uh, different databases, academic search complete, um, Google Scholar, um, journals for blacks in higher education because my research will be um involving uh first year African American doctoral students.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, awesome.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, just different journals uh in higher ed as well.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um mindfulness, contemplative practices, um, because I'll also be using uh mindfulness interventions.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh yeah, different journals like that, um health and wellness.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: So what's the most interesting piece of research that you found on your dissertation that you like you maybe you might not have known about?
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the retention rates of um black students, um, how it starts even in high school, uh, even before that, like middle school, uh, the path and the trajectory towards higher education success all depends on those foundations that they receive.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um like kindergarten, some uh articles would go way back to like what was their experience like in kindergarten, middle school, you know, high school, before you get to post-secondary education, what were those, you know, formal uh experiences like?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: That then determines whether or not that, you know, student feels like they are in what my other part of research is self-efficacy, whether or not they believe in themselves enough that they can go on uh to receive a bachelor's degree, um, and then you know, a master's degree, a doctorate degree.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it all starts with, you know, the belief in themselves and whether or not, you know, they feel like they can do it, but that also contributes to, you know, what was their educational experience like before.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so if it wasn't a good one, if they didn't have motivation, support, encouragement from their teachers, family, you know, all those, you know, support systems that would normally be in place or should be in place to help you, you know, thrive and succeed in your education, then more than likely they're not gonna go.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_03: So that's why you see, you know, uh they're stopping at high school, they're not really going on to college.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_03: If they do go into college, um, again, talking about being first generation without you know the knowledge or having someone having gone before to, you know, talk to you about the process, you know, share with you what their journey is like, going into a college classroom for the first time.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_03: If you don't have that, then you know, then you see the college dropout rates and it's just the whole cycle that continues to perpetuate itself.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: It's a system uh that I have as well.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, wow, that's a lot of stuff.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: You seems like you're real passionate about that, I can imagine.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: Man, so the upbringing that comes back back to upbringing.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that like you said, having a family around to encourage them to do that.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh, yeah, definitely.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: So is it is are there systems in place to help?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know I guess it seems like you're on that track to help people to you know attain higher education, especially uh in the black American community.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Is there things in place right now, would you say, that that do help with that type of stuff?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: So you do have certain programs like you know, trio programs, federally funded grant programs, um like the one that I work for is like Student Support Services STEM.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_03: So it's one that services, you know, primarily first generation uh students who have a financial need or a documented disability.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_03: That's once they get into college already.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but you do have other programs who are under that same grant, um, under the trio grant of like upward down, uh, you have talent search.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: So those are the ones that are in high schools.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um you know, some of the same criteria as well, targeting those specific populations.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, that's sort of right now what I know to exist.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then really, you know, hopefully in those schools, having a good, you know, uh middle school counselor, high school counselor using those types of support systems as well, um, to have those types of conversations with the students, I think would be, you know, some support resources that are out there to, you know, sort of start guiding and navigating them towards the you know idea or the possibility of going to college after they're done with high school.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: Even if it's like I think even if it's like a uh uh some kind of like trade school or something, you know what I mean?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Some type of education to help them financially later.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: So that way they're go ahead.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_03: I was saying for sure, and then to even educate that, you know, I always say realistically, you know, a four-year institution is not everyone's thing.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but you know, providing support and guidance in areas where, hey, maybe, you know, it is going to school for electrician, you know, plumbing, those are all still very good trades that can still be, you know, very lucrative in the sense of you know, you can support yourself financially.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um so yeah, also just providing advice, you know, on you know, going to, you know, community college might be, you know, something as well, but you know, just encouraging them to continue on in whatever that path might look like.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't always have to be a four-year institution.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: So did did your folks like encourage you to go to to because you're first generation, right?
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_03: I am.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: So my story is kind of funny.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_03: It wasn't really something that was talked about for me.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um, no, it was just I want you to do well, do good, so you can make a living for yourself, um, whatever that looks like.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_03: So I really didn't know about college.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: I had one cousin who um who graduated from college, and then I later learned that I had another one.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_03: So it wasn't something that was like discussed, talked about, not even really uh encouraged, so to speak.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, the goal was to finish high school.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_03: And so for me, I remember it was my senior year where my high school counselor, we were doing that last round of, you know, you need to set up your schedule, your last classes you're gonna take, what are your next steps?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, what colleges are you looking into applying to?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, I haven't looked into any colleges.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um have you started applying for scholarships?
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, what are scholarships?
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_03: I haven't done any of that.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so she sat with me, we met a few times.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, my mom was already deceased, and so she needed like some personal information for me and was like, if you don't mind, you know, I really think like your GPA is really good, like you should go to college.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, uh, okay, um, sure, let's do it.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_03: You know, like I've always been the person like I'll try anything at least once.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um, if it's gonna better me, if it's gonna motivate me to do better, to succeed, you know, to accomplish something, I'll do it.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh we sat and we applied for a couple of universities, and I ended up getting accepted into uh the university of my hometown.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I started school that summer once I graduated um from high school.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_03: So I've been in school since then.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I've not stopped the educational journey.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_03: I think that opened a doorway for me once I saw that I could do it.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: And it was a struggle going through um being first gen, not really knowing what college really was.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, she helped me apply for scholarships and financial aid and everything, but it still was like, okay, she's helping me do this.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not doing this on my own, you know.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, thankfully she did help me, but it was just like, you know, once I got there, it was rough figuring stuff out.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I made it through.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_03: And then I started working right after my first full-time job.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_03: And then I decided, you know, I want to keep going.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's how it's been since 2010.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_03: I've been on this educational pathway since then.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that's awesome.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's like she helped open that door for you.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: I like that you mentioned that you're like, uh, if it's uh um, I like do the I like the first time.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: What what would you say to try something for the first time?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, like I'll try anything uh once.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'll give anything a try if it's gonna help me to, you know, better myself, you know, to help me succeed in a different area to stretch, you know, stretch minds capacity.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's always good.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: I've been very optimistic uh most of my life.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm like, why not?
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_03: Let's just see how it works out.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: If it works out, fine.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: If it doesn't, I'll try something else.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: So is was that the was that the thought process when you created the Reese uh uh sweets and savories?
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_03: So that really it's sort of been in the work since I was younger.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um I think back, and I just told someone else, like I just had the other reflection of like me and my siblings used to sell out of a snowball stand.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, crazy.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so I was like, well, technically I've been doing sort of some of these things ever since my childhood.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_03: I just didn't know I didn't know what I was doing, I guess, you know, to get to this point.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_03: So all of those foundational food and customer service and you know, serving people.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_03: And then again, how I had mentioned before um in my previous interview, like serving stuff at church and uh just doing stuff like that, all of those like foundational pieces that were just sort of adding on to like what I love and enjoy doing with Reese.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and so I think it's just been in the works.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: I just didn't know when it was going to birth and come out and say, hey, this is what we're doing.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I literally I woke up one early morning, put everything together on a menu, talked to some friends, and I was like, Hey, I think I'm gonna go for it.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's like, yeah, you should.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: About time, you know.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: One of them, I'm like, okay, you know, I get you.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I'm I'm sure, you know, you've been waiting too.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: But um, it was kind of one of those better do it now than you know, do it while you can versus like, okay, keep putting it off because I have been putting it off for a while.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_03: Like, oh, I want to do something, but I'm scared.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_03: I want to do this, but I don't know how it's gonna turn out, you know, or if it doesn't work out.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I definitely was very optimistic.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: I took a risk, uh, stepped out on faith for sure, and was like, hey, we're gonna, we're gonna go for it.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so I'm almost in here in August.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: So what what was one of what was one of your fears before starting it?
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like what what what was like what were you hesitant on when you before you started it?
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_03: Uh for me, I think just meeting people um because of just my schedule, like you know, working full time, like how am I gonna put myself out there with a full-time job, you know, going to school full-time as well at the time.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_03: I still had classes every week, you know.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um my weekends were usually spent doing homework.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_03: So, like, how was this gonna work out?
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um how was I gonna get out there and meet people?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: And then it was like, well, you know people who know people, trust your people that you know who know people.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_03: So it was sort of just like, you know, that first initial fear of like, what if I don't really, you know, get myself out there how I want to to meet people, and you know, another fear of like, you know, what if it really just doesn't work out?
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what if people like, no, I'm not interested in your stuff, it's fine, you know.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that kind of thing.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_03: So just those general like self-doubts, those little noises that kind of talk to you and say, like, oh, you shouldn't do this because, you know, and there's a lot of reasons why you shouldn't do things, but or and there's a lot of reasons why you should do them.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so I decided to go with the reasons why I should instead of why I shouldn't.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, it's amazing.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we're here.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that that's a pretty cool.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um did you did you like learn that?
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: Did you learn that from like your folks along the way?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how did you figure like how did you learn that?
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like the whole uh just just doing it, just doing it, even though you have these doubts, you just gotta do it.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: You just gotta try it.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know what I mean?
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_03: Uh for me, life experiences, um you know, growing up where I'm from, you know, you have to have some type of you know, optimism because things can be pretty bad.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's really um having things come at you from like a growth mindset, in the sense of like, you know, seeing the positives, you know, seeing the things that are good, even in the things that are bad, if that makes sense.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_03: So while certain situations may not necessarily or ideally be, you know, all that good or you know, comfortable or um those sorts of things, still looking within them and saying, hey, there's still at least one inkling of hope.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: There's like one good thing that can happen out of this, you know, even though in the midst of it at the moment it may not feel like it or look like it, there's still you know, hope on the other side.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I again I think just my personality is just optimistic by nature.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um that's just sort of how I've always been, I guess.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_03: You know, that's just me.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um always looking for the good in something.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: Excuse me.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: It seems like you it seems like you care about the product, right?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: You care about people liking the product, yes, and then you you just care about how you present yourself to people, you know what I mean?
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: And and that seems like that's mostly thinking about others, for sure.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's like a a service thing that it's you wanna you wanna serve people, definitely.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um being being that like serving people is like one of the things that we like to do.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do you find it difficult whenever somebody is difficult?
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do you accounter that stuff?
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: How do you how do you deal with that?
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_03: So honestly, I haven't had many of those experiences just yet.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_03: If I could think there's probably just one where um I was doing like, I think my one of my first few pop-ups, it was still very early on, like later last year.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and someone comes up and like, you need to have samples on your table.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, Oh, I'm so sorry.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_03: I did have samples earlier.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you know, I'm you know, gauging like how much do you put out?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: I you know, I'm still learning, right?
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, I'm so sorry I did have samples out earlier.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I hate that you kind of arrived late, you know.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you missed out and just sort of some humor.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, oh man, you missed out, you know.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, you definitely need to have samples on your table because if I was if I was able to sample it, then maybe I would have bought something.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, Oh, I'm so sorry um that you weren't able to sample anything today.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_03: Hopefully, next time I see you, you know, you'll be able to sample something at the next event, you know.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_03: And so just really, I think approaching it with humor and kindness was just like, sorry I didn't have samples for you at the time.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_03: And I hope that the next time you see me, you're able to try something.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, I think just being kind either way.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um you have good customers and you have some who are, you know, a little challenging, at least.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, I still think just being kind, still, you know, offering that, you know, quality customer service, um, even if they can be a little difficult.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, smiling the whole time, you know, just being nice, um, I think is uh one way to counteract that.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's awesome.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_00: So uh when are you coming out with the cookbook?
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_03: You know, that was funny.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, my birthday two years ago now, um, one of my really good friends from a mattress program, she's like, Hey, you're gonna need something one day to write down all these recipes, right?
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, Yeah, you're right.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: I don't have anything.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_03: She's like, Well, what are you putting them in?
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, honestly, it's just stuff that I remember making growing up.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: I've learned some new things.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I just really keep everything in the notes section of my phone.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_03: So um I'm like, I prop my phone up and okay, what was what was that ingredient?
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_03: What did I need?
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: So she's like, you need to write that down somewhere.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: So she actually got me uh like this recipe cookbook um template, like book type thing.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I told myself, once I'm done with school, uh that is definitely uh a project that I would like to start working on.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_03: Uh quite funny.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: I've already played around with some templates um in like design based.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_03: I think like in Canva is what I was using, um, just to kind of play around and see like what are some templates I could mess with just to see.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but that is definitely a goal.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_03: So uh using of it right now.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, okay, that's another sign.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_03: You know, not hold off on that either.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's like uh as entrepreneurs, you're never short of ideas.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: There's always ideas, and yeah, for sure.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I like I'm not a big fan of like the spicy stuff, you know, and you guys from New Orleans love that stuff.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: I love spicy, yeah.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, everything is spicy.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, what kind of what kind of spicy stuff do you like from Texas?
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know it it doesn't go with your palate.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like sometimes you're like, okay, I I can do this.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: What kind of spicy stuff do you like uh it from over here?
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_03: The one thing that I have found, and I'm trying to think, I don't actually know the name of the dish to be honest, but it has like peppers, it has like different um, I don't know, I can't pronounce the name of the dish, it's blanking on me, but they're like the big green peppers, they grill them, and then usually it'll put like different like meats and cheeses, and they'll have like the sauce on the top, but I love like the red hot salsa.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_03: I'll put that on there, and so that one with the rice, the Spanish rice, so that's really good.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um, then mini tacos, of course.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_03: I like those, I like to put a lot of the red and green salsa on there too.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, crazy.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_03: It could be really spicy, yeah.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, that's probably my favorite.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: I can have tacos every day.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like let me add some spice just so I can have a little bit of home.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's awesome.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's awesome.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: So you're actually you're actually licensed, uh licensed professional counselor?
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_03: Uh counselor associate.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm currently pursuing hours uh to become fully licensed.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: So you are are you currently like is that your career?
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is that what you're working in now?
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is that how you make money?
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_03: I guess you can say not necessarily by degree, yes.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, profession-wise, right now, no.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_03: I'm a coordinator, but I get to use all my skills.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_03: And so I guess you can say yes and no.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but yeah, I meet with students uh in my role.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, we have weekly, sometimes um, sometimes weekly, mostly monthly meetings.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I'm able to like work with them on different issues.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, helping them out um if they are dealing with any struggles academically, uh, some personally and professionally as well.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_03: So I still get to use the skills in that role, but I have to be very careful uh not to uh duplicate services on campus because we have a university counseling center.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_03: So I would have to send students there if things got to be, I guess, too deep of an issue uh to resolve from my office, I would have to make a referral.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh wow, interesting.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_03: Even though I could counsel them, it's like hey, you have to send them over to the university counseling center.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, hey, I'm a counselor though.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_03: But I'm not a counselor in that position.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_03: I'm a coordinator.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I have to just make the referral out.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_03: Is there is there a c is there a common theme that that occurs among students?
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_03: What do you say?
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_03: Definitely uh academic stress, you know.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, most of the ones that I have, you know, they're all in a stem related field of some sort.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_03: So just by degree.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, the courses are very challenging.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, they take a lot of time, a lot of rigor.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so it can be a lot of stress on them.
• 33:13
  unknown: Yeah.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_03: So academic stress for sure.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, again, fighting through those, like, can I do this?
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_03: Am I really smart enough?
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_03: Can I really pass these classes?
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so self-efficacy, building that up.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what is that self-efficacy?
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_03: So that's just the person's ability to believe enough in themselves that they can accomplish whatever that goal might be, whatever that might be for them.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_03: So I want a bachelor's degree.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_03: How much do I believe in myself that I can accomplish that thing?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, a lot of them facing like self-doubt, there's lots of family issues.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I have some non-traditional students, meaning, you know, they've been out in the workforce for a while.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, some have married, had kids, now they're coming back for the first time.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um, still with that first generation status as well.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_03: So not only are they non-traditional, this is their first time coming to a university at all.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_03: Their parents sit and go.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, just working through some of those things, like ageism, where they, you know, uh they feel like they're discriminated against because they're older um than some of their peers in their classes.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_03: And so fighting through that, you know, and building them up like, hey, you know, they can learn from you just like you can learn from them, you know, sort of like equaling things out.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, so lists lots and lots of issues.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but the biggest one would be the academic stress and then time management, another one, you know, teaching them about procrastination because they'll wait till the last minute to do assignments and then they're stressed out that they won't be able to finish it in time, right?
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_03: Those sorts of things.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_03: So, yeah, those are some of the the main issues.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, wow, that's awesome.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_00: So the guys, the people that would come back after working, it seems do you think that they're coming back because they want to get a a higher salary or a higher, you know what I mean?
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: Why why would they go back to school after working for so many years, you know?
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the ones that I have talked to, um, one student in particular, um, she was working out in the field for a while, just working, working.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, she has small children.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and she's like, you know, my children aren't seeing me anymore.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'm always at work.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_03: Well, yes, I'm making money, but my children aren't seeing me.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'm never home.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, what can I do that's going to be just a temporary sacrifice, not a permanent one, such as working all the time.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, that I can still go home to them in the evenings, they'll still be able to see me.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it's just temporary.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_03: Once I'm done, I'll have a flexible job.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'll still have a pretty good income.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_03: But I need to be with my kids.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_03: And so for her, it was more of like, you know, she was tired of missing out on important family events, um, just spending time with her children in general.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_03: And so it was, what can I do right now?
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_03: That would be just a short little time away from them, a couple of years at most, just going to school during the day.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_03: I'm home at night.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_03: You know, she's home with them in the evenings now, before she wasn't, um, that I could just do this for a couple of years to get me through once I get my degree, you know, things would improve and you know, we still have a good steady income.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, that is one of the things.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_03: Some just have career changes, uh, where they're like, you know, I've done this for 10 plus years or so.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_03: I want to do something different.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_03: You know, to do that something different, I need this type of degree.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, having to go back to school for it.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_03: Some require the bachelor's degree, not just an associate's or a diploma.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so just different things, you know, but definitely career advancement is one of the most common ones that I see.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure in their careers.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, yeah.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_00: I used to work out, I used to work in the oil field a lot.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and I would be away from my family like three weeks at a time.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, I hated it.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: Because you know, and I had a my daughter was a baby, like two or three years old.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I even thought about going back, you know, for something for STEM.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_00: If a matter of fact, I think it was engineering and then uh and then um like computer science or something.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we have a lot of students in our program who are, you know, engineering computer science.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, they're they're there working hard.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_03: And so just being there to support them through that um is what I get to do right now.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it seems like the sciences, the sciences would help.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, instead of like different uh uh uh areas of study, I guess you could say.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you how do you not like take take this stuff home with you?
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like, because I imagine you you deal with a lot, I mean you not deal with a lot, you you help a lot of people, and how do you not take it all home, you know?
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's a really common question.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um that even in counseling I would get asked before.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you do, you know, I do like you hear a lot.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, like I said, it's not just working with, oh, you know, I'm stressed out about a test, you know.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_03: It's some serious stuff that sometimes comes up.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um and for me, I'm a huge empath as well.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: So sometimes a student will walk in and I can immediately say, okay, let's talk.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what's going on?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_03: I think it I feel it, what's going on?
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_03: And then I'm like, yep, I knew it.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_03: It was heavy.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: And so for me, I can't assure that I never take stuff home, but I practice what's called like dropping it off on the highway.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I'll just go for a drive.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_03: And once I get to a certain point, it's like, okay, on the turnaround, whatever you were thinking about on your way over here, don't think about it on your way back because you need to leave it over here.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just more of like a mental dumping of like, okay, I released everything that I heard today.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_03: No longer, you know, my responsibility to carry it with me.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_03: If it does come back up, you know, engage in some self-care, whether it's journaling about it, um, talking to friends about it, talking to my peers about it, like, hey, y'all, I really had this really tough situation.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_03: This is what we talked about.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_03: It was really rough, you know, and just kind of processing those feelings.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so sharing it, but just really not holding on to that because that can be uh a bit unhealthy, um, mentally not a good thing to do.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so just practicing the exercise of like releasing it, letting it go.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then if they come back with a different issue or the same issue the next day or at another point in time, you know, still just practicing that same thing of like, all right, well, we're gonna deal with it now.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_03: Once I leave work, take my life, you know, I'll ride down ocean or something, look at the waves at you know, one of the parks or whatever.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_03: And once I feel like, okay, I'm good to go home, you know, I leave it there.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_03: And then I don't pick it back up.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, awesome.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_03: Stuff is a little bit easier to let go than you know, other things because there, like I said, there's some serious things.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so the other ones that are a bit more heavy, you know, you process those and uh you seek help and support from your peers.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_03: That's what I would do.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's awesome.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's good stuff.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_00: It seems like I need to do that when I drive home from work.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_03: It really does help.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it really does, you know, like a quiet drive, processing what you experience throughout your day, you know, taking in some deep breaths along the way, you know, incorporating some deep breathing into there.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then just you know, allowing yourself to release it, you know, that that's definitely freeing, definitely helps me.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_03: I would say that helps me a lot.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I do that sometimes too, because sometimes I'll bring my my work stuff home.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: And man, it affects my family.
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_00: And oh, I hate I hate when that happens, you know.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, try the drive, try the drive, just you know, a quiet, quiet drive home, you know, letting the stuff go before you get out the car and go inside.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_03: Leave it at the car.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: Leave it in the car.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_00: You're canceling me here.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh, that's awesome.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, cool.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: So you're uh so you're working.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_00: This is your PhD?
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_00: You're almost done?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_00: Oh awesome.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_00: Congrats.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_03: Hopefully, December.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_03: December?
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_03: Oakley in December.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_03: That's nice.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's the goal.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome, man.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's first generation.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, bachelor's, master's, three first times in one shot.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's good, man.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_00: All of them, thank you.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, when uh one of the next uh pop your pop-ups you'll have for uh your sweets and savories.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_03: Let's see.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_03: I'll have to check my calendar.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_03: The ones I have coming up are um all out of town, to be honest.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_03: So I have a couple that are in uh Austin and San Antonio.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um so yeah, the ones I have.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_00: I need to look at my calendar, but I think I'm gonna get invited out there, or I mean did you look around or how did you how that came about?
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_03: For Austin, when I went for the very first time uh earlier this year, um, it was a really great turnout.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um, much, much, much, much success there.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so much so that I started getting all these like followings and uh DMs from people out in Austin.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh from there I was like, well, you know, it's a three-hour drive, it's not that bad of a drive.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um let me see, you know, what it's like.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I I don't mind it every now and then.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_03: And so um I would, you know, get back in touch with the you know organizers of these events, um, my calendar, of course, because you know, I don't want to overbook myself.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um then if I was free, I would say, okay, yeah, I'll go.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's pretty much how it happened.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: I booked some way in advance.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I'm like, oh shoot, June is almost here.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I'll be pretty busy next month, um, both in Austin and in San Antonio.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but yeah, these are people who've reached out to me, um, inviting me to their markets.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I was like, Well, I'm on a corpus.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_03: Is that a problem?
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_03: They're like, no, we love to have you.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_03: So that's pretty much how I how I got myself prematurely established there.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel like you're so you're gonna go full time with that?
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_00: Or I mean, how do you think about that?
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_03: So I've been getting that question a lot too, and um I really would like to.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, one of the big goals, honestly, I would see myself in some odd years, um, is with the food truck.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_03: That's one of my goals.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I do think at some point it probably would pick up and go full time.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, if not full time, definitely something I keep doing on the weekends.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know where my um professional career decides to go as well.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's awesome.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks for coming on the show, Reed.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: We appreciate you coming on.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's not a problem.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I guess I'll say goodbye.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is my abrupt stop.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's how I do things sometimes.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, not a problem.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we'll see you soon.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_03: Take care, bye-bye.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_00: All right, y'all.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_00: That was Renita Newton with uh Ree's Sweets and Savories.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, check her out online.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_00: I have links in the description if you want to support this channel or check out the merch at Corpus Christi Originals.com.