Engineering Pack Pod is a podcast that celebrates the resilience and triumphs of the NC State community. Hosted by Marcy Bullock, it features inspiring stories of students, alumni, and professionals who have faced challenges and achieved success. By normalizing the struggles of being human, the podcast aims to provide encouragement, guidance, and a sense of connection. Whether you’re a student striving to overcome obstacles or an alum looking for inspiration, these authentic conversations showcase the power of perseverance and growth.
Welcome back for another episode of "The Key Change"! This week, we are joined by Kaleb Decker, a current PhD candidate in NC State's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department. Kaleb shares how a new framework for evaluating "progress" helped him gain a sense of belonging in his graduate studies. He shares both the steps that led to his Key Change, and the other benefits that came along with it. Be sure to check out our earlier episode with Dr. Amna Shabbir ("How Self Compassion Drives Ambition") for further discussion on perfectionism!
30 Sept 2026
First-Gen, Not Alone: Finding Belonging Beyond the Hidden Curriculum
“You don’t know what you don’t know, and you don’t know to ask what you don’t know to ask.” For many first-generation students, college and graduate school come with unwritten expectations that everyone else seems to understand. How do office hours work? How should you interact with faculty? What does networking look like in graduate school? And how do you begin seeing yourself not simply as a student consuming information, but as a scholar and professional producing it? In this episode, Marcy talks with Jay Rydell about the hidden curriculum of higher education and the pressure first-generation students can feel to succeed without a roadmap. Jay brings together his professional work with graduate students in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, his doctoral studies in counseling and counselor education, and his own experience as a first-generation student at every level of his education. They discuss imposter feelings, isolation, psychological safety, the experiences first-generation and international students share, and the power of finding people who understand without requiring an explanation. Jay also offers a practical reminder for difficult days: keep a folder of your accomplishments so you can revisit the evidence of everything you are capable of achieving. If you have ever worried that asking a question would reveal that you do not belong, this conversation is for you.Counseling Center: https://counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/Ombuds Office: https://facultyombuds.ncsu.edu/First Generation Student Organization: https://firstpack.dasa.ncsu.edu/A Guide to the Ombuds Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv23_mK04I4
23 Sept 2026
The Key Change: "Pop" Your Old Mindset
In this very first episode of our new segment, the Key Change: Belonging Boost, we finally catch our grad student editor as the guest on the other side of the camera. Just as a key change in music can transform the feeling of a song, life’s expected and unexpected transitions can change how we see ourselves. Our very own Mady Pennino is a master's student in the Operations Research program, but is full of many other surprises. In this episode, Mady shares how a key change in mindset helped to leverage her unique skill set as a tool for warding off "imposterism" and self-doubt.
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