On this week's special Mother-Daughter edition of Unpolished MBA Monique welcomes her daughter Amerie to the show to discuss an upcoming opportunity that she will be participating in at Stanford University. Alongside a number of high school students from around the world, Amerie will be studying at Stanford as part of a special summer program targeted toward gifted students in areas of STEM and medicine.
In this episode, Monique and Amerie discuss this program while unpacking the importance of college prep and how this opportunity promises to open a number of doors for Amerie in the area of networking and mentorship.
In addition to discussing the Stanford program, Monique and Amerie also reflect on a recent trip they took to Martha’s Vineyard to attend a conference held by Bwise for diverse women in the field of medical innovation. Monique was invited to speak at this conference and decided to bring Amerie along in order to expose her to some of the incredible women who were both attending and presenting at the event.
In this episode, you will hear both Monique and Amerie’s reflections on the conference and their discussion on the importance of mentorship and strong leadership for minority women in the field of medical research and ongoing innovations!
Topics Include:
Link to Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-035-augusta-uwamanzu-nna-destined-for-greatness/id1525373601?i=1000544776791
Bwise Website: http://www.bwiseusa.org/
Follow Monique:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquemills/
Website: https://unpolishedmba.com/
Coming up on Unpolished MBA...
Amerie:Going into it you really just learn that medical schools, if you're
Amerie:smart enough to be a doctor you can do it.
Amerie:There's no, you know, you just have to be smart enough and pass
Amerie:the test and then you're good.
Amerie:But this definitely, it did teach me some other adversities and
Amerie:you know, different aspects that you don't really hear much about.
Monique:And the survey has confirmed that that's a lie.
Monique:This is not really a meritocracy.
Monique:This show is sponsored by TPM Focus, the strategy and execution consulting firm
Monique:focused on generating revenue and finding product market fit for new innovation.
Monique:Head over to TPMFocus.com to learn more.
Monique:Hi everyone.
Monique:It's Monique Mills here and welcome back to our most recent
Monique:episode of Unpolished MBA.
Monique:And if you notice, if you follow us and I hope you do, we have some loyal
Monique:listeners, and I appreciate that.
Monique:Last week, we did not release an episode.
Monique:And the reason for that is you can probably hear right now a little bit in
Monique:my voice is I suffer from allergies really bad to the point where I can sometimes
Monique:not even really talk or speak well enough to do a podcast episode or interview.
Monique:And so with that, many times I'll struggle through and you'll hear some of these
Monique:episodes with my raspiness and this time I decided...hey, you know what I'm not going
Monique:to push that too far this time around because it was really bad to the point of
Monique:having like coughing fits where I thought maybe I have COVID that's not uncommon
Monique:right now with everyone getting COVID.
Monique:And so I decided to just not release anything last week.
Monique:But also the week before that I spent some time in Martha's Vineyard
Monique:for an event that I was invited to speak at which involved black
Monique:women in science and engineering.
Monique:It's a group called BWISE and they were having a private event
Monique:at a resort in Martha's Vineyard.
Monique:And it was only for those that are in like medical innovation and entrepreneurship.
Monique:And they invited me to talk about how those who are in medical professions
Monique:or, you know, some type of healthcare, innovation and all that, and how it's
Monique:possible to convert that knowledge into some form of innovation and
Monique:entrepreneurship for themselves.
Monique:And so I got a chance to talk a little bit about that and venture
Monique:capital and how that works.
Monique:And it was awesome.
Monique:And I stayed for a while longer than the event, just to, you know, continue to
Monique:network, explore, you know, what other types of things are on the island that
Monique:could be great connections and business prospects, you know, as you all know,
Monique:I'm involved in a lot of different things and so my eye is always open.
Monique:But during that event, I took one of my children with me to the conference because
Monique:she is interested and has always known for a while since she was about five years
Monique:old, that she was going to be a doctor.
Monique:I've spoken about that on one of the episodes and I laugh because
Monique:I mention it and I'll be able to link to the episode that it was.
Monique:But I explained to you all, how recency of engagement with someone having a
Monique:positive experience with someone, it causes you to forget everybody else who
Monique:has been you know, a good connection or a good experience with, and I told you
Monique:guys a story about my daughter, where she always says she wanted to be a doctor
Monique:pediatrician and started out as that.
Monique:But once we had started her at this new swimming school, she loved the
Monique:experience and her teacher so much that when they went around at her school to
Monique:ask, you know, what are you gonna be?
Monique:And they filmed it.
Monique:And all of this, it was this big event and she told everyone
Monique:she wanted to be a swim teacher.
Monique:We're like, what?
Monique:Thank goodness she has come around and came back to her roots
Monique:of being in the medical field.
Monique:She's specifically chosen to be a surgeon and the area of the body or expertise
Monique:and focus has not been decided just yet.
Monique:So I'm really proud of the things that she's done, but also her and
Monique:I are gonna share a little bit.
Monique:What happened at that event?
Monique:The B wise event and Martha's vineyard that was for doctors and medical
Monique:professionals who are interested in possibly being in an innovation space.
Monique:We're going to talk about that event and I'm just going to share a little bit more.
Monique:I'm going to have her share.
Monique:I'm not going to share it.
Monique:I'm going to have her share a little bit more about, you
Monique:know, next steps for her career.
Monique:Now she's still in high school, so calm down but she is a junior and I am
Monique:dropping her off at Stanford university to take biomedical classes for the summer.
Monique:They accepted her for the summer to take real classes for real
Monique:credit and yes, real money.
Monique:I have to write a check for this, but it's going to be a great opportunity for her.
Monique:And we're going to just touch on that.
Monique:So let's hop in.
Monique:Hello Amerie, welcome to Unpolished MBA.
Amerie:Hello, thank you so much.
Amerie:Thanks for having me.
Monique:Of course, of course.
Monique:So I want us to have some discussion around because you know, I work with a lot
Monique:of entrepreneurs, innovators, folks all across the country, really all across the
Monique:world, many have some interest in things that actually you're embarking on now.
Monique:And I want to talk a little bit about that and the event we went to in
Monique:Martha's Vineyard last week for black women in science and engineering, which
Monique:was an event for medical doctors and innovationists and things of that nature.
Monique:So we're going to go down that journey a little bit, and I want you to start out
Monique:with sharing a little bit more about your perspective career and also about applying
Monique:to and getting into this program here at Stanford university, which enables you
Monique:to take classes this summer...college classes for college credit.
Monique:So you ready?
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:Sure.
Monique:All right.
Monique:So first of all, we didn't know anything about you applying to
Monique:Stanford and all this stuff.
Monique:All we know is we got to pay money for it.
Monique:So, talk to us about like how you even decided to apply and what
Monique:that whole thing was even about.
Amerie:Yes, of course.
Amerie:So Stanford is one of my dream schools.
Amerie:It's definitely the top school that I would love to get into once I graduate
Amerie:and start applying for colleges.
Amerie:So of course, when I get mail from them, I'm like super excited.
Amerie:I'm like wondering what it is, why, you know, Stanford's,
Amerie:you know, mailing me stuff.
Amerie:Like I want to see what it is.
Amerie:So a couple months back in November, this is shortly after we had just taken our P
Amerie:S A T testing and had received our scores.
Amerie:Stanford every year, sends out information about different programs they're
Amerie:offering with students that did fairly well on their standardized testing.
Amerie:So I get mail from them basically about the summer program they're having this
Amerie:year, which they didn't have in past years due to COVID and all of that, but they're
Amerie:starting the summer program for high school students where we basically get to
Amerie:go on campus and basically live as college students taking real courses and enjoying
Amerie:summer at Stanford as a college student.
Amerie:So I see this, you know, there's not that much information about it online,
Amerie:but I see this and this interests me, like, I want to go to Stanford.
Amerie:This is a great first step into that direction.
Amerie:So I go and I apply for it and I wait a couple months to do it.
Amerie:You know, I'm like, why not?
Amerie:You know, let's go ahead and just take the chance.
Amerie:You don't know what could happen.
Amerie:So I just go ahead, apply.
Amerie:And a few months later I get the email that I got in.
Amerie:And so I get in and you know, just started taking it from there.
Amerie:So...
Monique:Yeah.
Monique:Next thing I know next week, you know, I have to drop you off there, move
Monique:you into your dorm which is bananas.
Monique:Right?
Amerie:Right.
Monique:So, you know, one thing that I like that you said is that, you
Monique:know, you went on ahead and applied and what's the worst that can happen?
Monique:What they say no?
Monique:You can't, you can't come in.
Monique:Right.
Monique:And I think a lot of people are afraid, you know, especially
Monique:adults, you know, are afraid to try things because they fear rejection.
Monique:And I'm proud that that wasn't you in this instance, but a lot of
Monique:people don't try because they're afraid that it's not for them.
Monique:You know, people will say no anyways, and you just can't live your life that way.
Monique:So that's awesome.
Monique:But what are you planning to do with this experience?
Monique:Like why Stanford and what is it that you're going to be
Monique:studying or preparing for there?
Amerie:So let me first get into sort of what I aspire to be.
Amerie:I aspire to be a surgeon.
Amerie:That's kind of my goal.
Amerie:As far as the medical field goes, that's my goal to be a surgeon.
Monique:Well, I remember the days when you wanted to be a pediatrician,
Monique:since you were four or five.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:That has changed over the years.
Amerie:I've got more exposure to the different aspects, but yes, being a
Amerie:surgeon is where I'm at right now.
Amerie:Not exactly sure the specialty yet, but that's definitely
Amerie:an area I want to pursue.
Amerie:But with that goal in mind, I've been preparing myself through middle school and
Amerie:high school being involved in healthcare programs and things like that to get me
Amerie:prepared for special programs like these at Stanford and prepare me for college,
Amerie:where I will be taking pre-med courses and chemistry courses and biology courses.
Amerie:So for Stanford, specifically, Stanford was a great option.
Amerie:And it's my number one, not just because it's an IV school and has, you know, a
Amerie:great prestigious status to it, but it's also a great leadway into medical school.
Amerie:They have great programs there with amazing doctors
Amerie:that come from that school.
Amerie:So that was just, you know, a top school for that.
Amerie:And for this program, I was really excited about that because yeah getting
Amerie:to Stanford is a great way, but also getting exposure by taking these courses
Amerie:this summer, getting exposure to the professors and doctors that are there,
Amerie:that I'll be working alongside with and learning from in these programs, I'll
Amerie:be taking two science courses there.
Amerie:I'll be taking one of the neurobiology of pain and the introduction
Amerie:of cancer biology, which I'm very excited to learn about.
Amerie:These are very interesting.
Monique:Oh gosh, that's totally out of my range.
Monique:Right.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:So I'm very excited to take those courses and meet those professors and those
Amerie:graduate and undergraduate students that are already, you know, taking these
Amerie:courses to be where I hope to be one day.
Amerie:So I think this program was just perfect going into my junior year
Amerie:and getting ready to apply to colleges and just getting those
Amerie:networks and connections now...
Monique:Getting them established.
Amerie:Yeah.
Monique:Getting them established.
Monique:So you mentioned that, you know, undergrad graduates, high school,
Monique:as far as people that are there.
Monique:So this program, just to be clear, it's not separate classes outside of, you know,
Monique:the traditional classes that they offer.
Monique:They're just allowing a few college students from around
Monique:the world, really right?
Monique:To partake in their summer semester.
Amerie:Right, right.
Amerie:High school students, but right.
Monique:What did I say?
Amerie:You said college students, but it's okay.
Amerie:High school students from around the country and around the world
Amerie:that are going that got accepted will be going to this program.
Amerie:But yeah, the program it's literally just like, "Hey, you look good
Amerie:academically we'll let you, you know, take a couple courses here and
Amerie:just see how you do" kind of thing.
Amerie:Like, they're just kind of putting us in there.
Amerie:We're mixed definitely with the graduate undergraduate students.
Amerie:The classes I'm taking have both populations in them.
Amerie:So we're definitely going to be the youngest students there, but it's
Amerie:still great exposure and allows us to definitely make connections with
Amerie:those people that are already, you know, taking these classes for real
Amerie:and are trying to get to those places.
Monique:Well, I would would say you're taking these classes for
Monique:real, for real, because that tuition bill says it's for real, for real
Monique:and it comes with college credit.
Monique:So you actually get college credit for these classes just full semester.
Monique:So that's, that's exciting.
Monique:We're going to take a quick time out and pick back up in just a moment.
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Monique:One of the things that came up last week when we were at Martha's Vineyard
Monique:at the BWISE conference, was really how, you know, a lot of students don't
Monique:really know about these different options when they're in high school and
Monique:exposing students to more things and opportunities than they currently have.
Monique:So I took you along on the business trip to Martha's Vineyard to the
Monique:Women Hold Up Half the Sky conference that was hosted by BWISE and, you
Monique:know, the keynote speaker was Dr.
Monique:Stanford, a world renowned like bariatric doctor and she was simply incredible.
Monique:Right?
Amerie:Yes, very much.
Monique:Yeah.
Monique:And then the other person you met there who has also been on, she's been a guest
Monique:on Unpolished MBA, Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna.
Monique:So you remember meeting these phenomenal women, but I want you to share a little
Monique:bit about your thoughts on the conference, your experience there, what you learned,
Monique:you know, those types of things.
Amerie:Yeah, of course.
Amerie:So I really didn't know what to expect a lot of, I did know that there was
Amerie:going to be keynote speakers, but I kind of just went in there really
Amerie:hoping for the best and just you know, hoping to see what was going to
Amerie:happen and who I was going to meet.
Amerie:So Dr.
Amerie:Cody Stanford was in a phenomenal speaker.
Amerie:Her presentation was incredible and her just life story and profession, what
Amerie:she does now, which is really inspiring and it definitely taught me a lot about
Amerie:everything involving the medical field.
Amerie:Definitely things I didn't know about and it was just really insightful so
Amerie:she was really inspiring in that part.
Amerie:Miss Augusta, she was also...I really connected with her as
Amerie:well, because she is still young.
Amerie:Like she just graduated, you know?
Amerie:Well, she had her formal graduation this past couple weeks, but she
Amerie:graduated, you know, two years ago.
Amerie:So she's still on that younger level and can definitely relate more to what
Amerie:it's like to be a black, young woman now trying to pursue such a prestigious job.
Amerie:That's not necessarily that inclusive of, you know, minority women.
Amerie:So I think she's a great...
Monique:She's a great example.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:A great person, great example that I can definitely look up to.
Amerie:So she was also really like fantastic to see and to see where she's
Amerie:going for these next couple years.
Monique:Yeah.
Monique:Well, one thing you didn't mention, but people who didn't listen to her
Monique:episode and will link it in the show notes, but Augusta just graduated
Monique:from Harvard university, magna cum laude, which means top of her class,
Monique:which is crazy, right like, like who does that from Harvard university?
Monique:And so, you know, again, it's still a predominantly, you know,
Monique:white institution like Stanford is.
Monique:And so I think having that kind of relationship with someone who's
Monique:kind of been there and done that then in a similar situation and have
Monique:successfully navigated it, you know, it's a privilege to be able to have
Monique:those kind of relationships in place.
Amerie:Right.
Amerie:Exactly.
Monique:And now she has a full scholarship to medical school at
Monique:the university of San Francisco.
Monique:And so you guys will both be in San Francisco this summer.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:It's exciting.
Monique:And she'll be staying even once you leave, but you
Monique:got eight years ahead of her.
Monique:So that was your first like business conference you've attended.
Monique:And as I mentioned, when I first started this episode is that the
Monique:conference at Martha's Vineyard that BWISE put together was a private event.
Monique:So it was a small group, I think maybe it was probably 30 people max,
Monique:and it was private invitation only.
Monique:I was one of the speakers for technology and venture capital and entrepreneurship.
Monique:And in those kind of events, it's a more intimate connection, would you say?
Amerie:Yes, yes...very.
Monique:What were like some things that you learned there
Monique:that you didn't know before?
Amerie:I'm so glad you asked that because the whole
Amerie:presentation, especially with Dr.
Amerie:Cody Stanford, not only did she obviously talk about her achievements
Amerie:and her wonderful accomplishments, but she mentioned the adversity
Amerie:she definitely had to face to get there, which I didn't realize were
Amerie:so prominent in the medical field.
Amerie:You don't really hear about this a lot in news or articles, or even in school.
Amerie:When you know my healthcare program at school, I had no
Amerie:idea about any of these things.
Amerie:So hearing it from the professional was really interesting.
Amerie:Just talking about the adversities as far as assumptions that may be made about
Amerie:you or your lack of ability, or being able to do certain things, which you
Amerie:know, can definitely discourage you, but, you know, being able to get past that.
Amerie:And then just even the lack of support sometimes in the field, because you're
Amerie:a minority in such a prominently white or Asian American field that
Amerie:you're not really seen or being able to get as far ahead as those people.
Amerie:So I think it was definitely different aspects that I was surprised to
Amerie:learn about that I didn't really know existed, you know, going into it.
Amerie:You really just learn that medical schools, if you're smart enough
Amerie:to be a doctor, you can do it.
Amerie:There's no, you know, you just have to be smart enough and pass
Amerie:a test and then you're good.
Amerie:But this definitely, it did teach me some other adversities and,
Amerie:you know, different aspects that you don't really hear much about.
Amerie:So I think that...
Monique:And the survey has confirmed that that's a lie, right?
Monique:Like, this is not America as far as like, if you're just smart enough, if you're
Monique:just this enough, you know, you can make it to certain heights or get ahead in
Monique:your career and all of that because Dr.
Monique:Stanford, who was herself like a child prodigy and excellence in everything she
Monique:did and her research and all of that.
Monique:For some reason, still wasn't good enough, you know, for different opportunities
Monique:and other people would get selected over her who had less accomplishments.
Monique:And so I think that isn't spoken upon a lot, and I'm glad that you had an
Monique:opportunity to hear about that in the realm of the medical field, because
Monique:we talk about that in engineering, but the medical field is something
Monique:completely separate from engineering.
Monique:It's still a STEM field of course but as you can see underrepresented
Monique:minorities and especially women with that intersectionality of being a
Monique:woman and being a woman of color, there are unique challenges there, right?
Monique:So, that was one of the major, major points that she gave so many different
Monique:examples of things that really embed the concept that you can't forget
Monique:that this is not really a meritocracy.
Monique:So that was interesting.
Monique:And then what are some other things that you learned there?
Amerie:Well, I also learned just the different ways you can take your
Amerie:career, that it's not a set stone path where you graduate high school,
Amerie:you go to a good college, you go straight to med school, then you
Amerie:do your career and then that's it.
Amerie:You know, she definitely gave various ways you can go about different aspects, as
Amerie:far as your career goes, you don't need to go on the straight, you know, path.
Amerie:There's different ways you can help other people, different
Amerie:ventures you can go into.
Amerie:And I thought that was just very interesting, because it gave you a
Amerie:different perspective of, oh, okay I don't need to go the traditional route.
Amerie:I can think of something different.
Amerie:And I think also with your career as well, that's definitely showed me that as well.
Amerie:But also I think Dr.
Amerie:Cody, Stanford showed me a way medically and the medical field that
Amerie:can happen, but you also gave me another like, oh yeah, this is possible.
Amerie:And now this is another way I can do this as well.
Monique:Yeah.
Monique:Yeah, for sure.
Monique:For sure.
Monique:You know, I've made a post about this this week on LinkedIn.
Monique:I'm like, Hey, I don't know everything.
Monique:Like, I know a lot of things, but I know where my expertise begins and where
Monique:it ends and I don't know everything.
Monique:And so I hope that this episode encourages those of you who have children, nieces,
Monique:nephews, mentees, whatever it is that you may not have the expertise
Monique:that they need for a specific career, but you can extend your network.
Monique:You can make introductions, you can share your relationships with them
Monique:and help them develop their own.
Monique:And so that was really, you know, the purpose and, and also I needed your help
Monique:there with, you know, I had prepared my speech and making sure, you know, I was
Monique:prepared to deliver while I was there.
Monique:So thanks for joining me there, but I think it's really, really important
Monique:for people to kind of hear your perspective on things even at your age.
Monique:And, you know, hopefully it provides some encouragement, right?
Amerie:Yeah.
Monique:So everyone, I just wanted to share with you all a little bit
Monique:about my little crumb snatcher here.
Monique:As you guys know, I call my kids crumb snatchers online.
Monique:I don't typically share much about them personally.
Monique:I don't put them in a public spotlight along with myself, but I think we're going
Monique:to be hearing and seeing more about you, just like we have with other people who
Monique:have done great things in life, like Dr.
Monique:Cody, Stanford and Augusta, you know, and I think you're
Monique:coming up through the ranks.
Monique:What do you think?
Amerie:I hope so.
Amerie:Yeah.
Amerie:I think I am.
Amerie:I'm doing pretty well.
Monique:I think you're well on your way.
Amerie:Yeah.
Monique:Well, I want to thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself
Monique:with the Unpolished MBA audience.
Monique:And thanks again for joining.
Amerie:Thank you so much for having me.
Monique:Thank you for listening to the Unpolished MBA podcast.
Monique:To hear more episodes or to request, to become a guest,