G'd Up and Degree'd Up University

About G'd Up and Degree'd Up University

Capturing Culture and Community | Startup Storyteller Where the "G" Stands for Graduate. Created and hosted by Dr. Bernard Reyes Follow Us on Instagram instagram.com/gdup.university

Publisher

G'd Up and Degree'd Up University

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

20 Feb 2023

Latest episode

26 Nov 2025

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Nov 2025

   Episode 18: "Hip Hop 101: Back to the Basics" ft. Shorty-G

   Meet Kai aka Shorty-G. She is currently an Arts Leadership graduate student at the prestigious USC Thornton school of music. Hailing from The Town (aka Oakland, CA), she brings her own style of Bay Area hip hop into her lyrical genius. In closing this week’s double-header, she dissects her craft for us, introducing us into the ways she breaks down the way she lays out her tracks and how she prepares to get her mind right for free styling. She also talks about the business of hip hop and how her degree has helped her merge academics and her passion for hip hop music.

2. 

   6 Dec 2023

   Episode 17: From Motor City to the City of Palm Trees ft. Tim Herd

   Tim is currently a third-year Ph.D .student in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA where his research centers on governance, culture, and student success. Along with being a doctoral student, Tim engages in community work with his mentorship organization & alumni associations, along with serving as a creative consultant in the areas of mentorship, culture, and student success. Get to know Tim and how he balances his academics and his goals of making it big in the entertainment industry.

3. 

   25 May 2023

   Episode 16: West Coast Hip Hop Superstar to Higher Education Guru ft. Gustavo Tepetla aka Detane

   Episode 16 merges with our latest series, G'z on Beatz ©, to bring you a special episode with a West Coast Hip Hop artist who has since moved on from music to serve the community. Meet Gustavo Tepetla, principle producer of the UCLA Learning Centers. A native of Los Angeles, Gustavo was introduced to hip hop at an early age. Professionally known as Detane, Tepetla would rock the hip hop world with his unmatched, vivid lyrical prowess, collaborating with the likes of Ras Kass, Chino XL, Glasses Malone, Killah Priest (member of Wu Tang Clan), and many more. Tepetla has since moved on from his music, graduating with his Bachelors Degree from UCLA in Design and Media Arts, where he leads the UCLA Learning Centers to its current success. The UCLA Learning Centers is a digital technology hub for UCLA students and staff where they have free access to music and media labs, a studio, and a wide array of visual and audio equipment. Thanks to Tepetla and the UCLA Learning Centers, G'd Up and Degree'd Up University has been able to produce its content, feature guests from the community, and inspire college students, graduates, and staff alike through exclusive in-depth interviews and fun segments. And we couldn’t just feature a West Coast hip hop emcee without the proper way to end this special #50yearsofhiphop episode. Stay tuned for more! While Detane has since hung the mic on the mic stand, will we see the return of Detane? 👀. As we ponder this possibility, Tepetla will continue serving the community with his selfless work through the means of media, music, and education.

4. 

   10 May 2023

   Episode 15: College Football, NIL Endorsements, and Life as a Student Athlete ft. Chase Griffin

   Chase Griffin is a star quarterback for the NCAA Top 25-ranked UCLA football program. Born in Los Angeles, CA and raised in Texas, Chase would eventually become a Gatorade Texas Athlete of the Year before committing to UCLA. After earning his degree is Public Affairs, he is now expected to graduate with his M.Ed. from the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies in Spring 2023 with his sights on beginning his Master of Legal Studies in the next academic year. Briana Savage (from Episode 13) also returns, who was a former mentor of Chase while interning at UCLA. Briana and Chase both speak on the journeys of Black student athletes and provide advice on going pro versus pursuing a career outside of sports. Through Briana's research lens and through Chase's personal perspectives on navigating finances and work after college, this episode is for all aspiring or current student athletes needing some guidance on the next steps in life after sports.

5. 

   28 Apr 2023

   Episode 14: Too Talented to Take for Granted w/Amanda Finzi

   Amanda Finzi is a woman of many hats whose journey spans the Bronx, Miami, and Jamaica before setting foot in Los Angeles, CA. She is a renowned leader in the community who is recognized in the UCLA Bruin network for leading the development of UCLA's first-ever Black Bruin Resource Center. She holds a B.A. in Hospitality Management and an M.Ed. in Higher Education from Florida International University. On the side, she also does freelance work for BET. This episode explores Amanda's Miami and Jamaican roots and how her event planning experience began, eventually leading to seemingly "random" opportunities in higher education and the entertainment space. As her story unfolds, it is evident that her limitless talent and trials and tribulations have forged her into the leader and business woman she is today. Fun Fact: Amanda is also a member of Divine 9 sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

6. 

   11 Apr 2023

   Episode 13: One Sport. A Tale of Two Americas: The Social Media Spectacle Behind Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark

   The extraordinary story of triumph for NCAA Women’s Basketball Champion Angel Reese sets the tone for what may be the beginning of sport’s next great rivalry with lights-out sharpshooter Caitlin Clark. Both women have showed nothing but love and respect for each other’s competitive drive, perhaps displaying the epitome of sportsmanship and class from both sides. But fans and the sports world at large have had clearly distinct perspectives on each woman’s celebratory gestures, particularly using it as fuel to pin one against the other in a controversy that has been riddled with America’s favorite pastime: RACISM (and let’s just add in SEXISM for the fun of it 😎). For Episode 13, intercollegiate athletics researchers Briana Savage, M.Ed. and Dr. Ezinne Ofoegbu weigh in on this social media spectacle that has been living rent-free in our heads for the past few weeks.

7. 

   8 Apr 2023

   Episode 12: From Oakland, CA to Brown University to UCLA

   Sonya Brook's story is nothing short of inspirational and extraordinary (despite what she may tell you). Get to know the woman whose story and roots began in Oakland, CA. Also known as "The Town," Oakland has a rich history in Black culture, giving rise to the Black Panther party and having helped spur the careers of rappers Too $hort, the late Tupac Shakur, R&B group En Vogue, and many more. While raising her children, Sonya was accepted to Ivy League institution, Brown University. As if that weren't enough, some years later she got accepted to her current Ph.D. program at the University of California, Los Angeles. While juggling all these responsibilities, she is still able to run two nonprofits that are each based out in the Bay Area and in Inglewood, CA. This is the story of Sonya Brooks.

8. 

   25 Mar 2023

   Episode 11: Tips and Advice for Graduating Students (high school, college, grad school, and beyond)

   The full G'd Up squad makes its debut together on set. To start off the Spring season/academic term, we talk about preparing for the next steps after graduating. Whether you are trying to pace yourself through the quarter system, know how to network and communicate with graduate programs and/or employers, G'd Up's got you covered! This episode leads into some of the issues revolving around the racial wealth gap, which will be continued in a future episode. Don't blink!

9. 

   18 Mar 2023

   Episode 10: Media Personality China Lovelace (from The ShadeRoom and AlwaysRelevantTV)

   To kick off Women's History Month, we decided to bring in a good friend, China Lovelace, writer/host of TheShadeRoom Live Radio Show and owner of AlwaysRelevantTV. Before becoming the media personality she is today, China was a Mass Communications major at Virginia State University, an HBCU. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, she highlights the importance of sisterhood, friendship, and networking. Listen to find out more about China and her success story in this special episode that is full of gems and free game for those seeking to pursue a career in entertainment (and all other industries). Please follow and support @china_lovelace @alwaysrelevanttv @theshaderoom (Live Radio Show)

10. 

    10 Mar 2023

    Episode 9: The Debut of Dr. Brandon "Handsome" Harris

    Meet Dr. Brandon "Handsome Harris:" LA Native, husband, father, college professor, musical genius 🎤, member of Phi Beta Sigma, and 1/3 of G'd Up University. Dr. Harris received his Doctor of Education from California State University, Fullerton. Starting his career with graphic design and serving youth, Dr. Harris' early work include graphic design work for Snoop Dogg and his wife, Shante. His preppy taste for fashion dates back to the mid 90's, and he recalls his time being on set of 2Pac's To Live and Die in LA music video at the Crenshaw Mall wearing a preppy polo shirt. Watch to learn more.

11. 

    7 Mar 2023

    Episode 8: Milagro Jones Pt. 3

    Milagro continues to highlight the importance of education and walks us through his research on hip-hop and literacy.

12. 

    6 Mar 2023

    Episode 7: Milagro Jones Pt. 2

    Milagro continues his story about transitioning to UCLA and covers some of the origins of his interests in hip hop, including listing some of his favorite rappers of all time.

13. 

    1 Mar 2023

    Episode 6: Milagro Jones - Transition from the Streets to UCLA

    Featured guest Milagro Jones is an English major at UCLA who is currently researching hip-hop and literacy as a Mellon Mays scholar. He takes us on a deep dive on his journey from the streets to UCLA, paying special attention to the impact of the people and programs that have helped him so far.

14. 

    24 Feb 2023

    Episode 5: Reparations and Representation

    Bernard goes off on representation, especially in research, which helped spur the development of the nonprofit research firm he founded. Elliot, an expert and leader in reparations, explains some misconceptions and counterarguments surrounding reparations, including current parallels with history. Full episode available now on YouTube • Anchor • Spotify (Links in bio) #podcast #ucla #california #losangeles #representation #slavery “slaverybyanothername #anchofm #spotify #YouTube

15. 

    23 Feb 2023

    Episode 4: Leadership and Racism in Standardized Testing

    Bernard talks about being a leader in student affairs/higher education. Elliot and Bernard then bounce off each other about the racism and inequities in standardized testing. #podcast #ucla #california #losangeles #gre #lsat #sat #standardizedtesting #firstgen #college #anchofm #spotify #YouTube

16. 

    22 Feb 2023

    Episode 3: Uncle Bernie - The Dean of Swagganomics

    Bernard talks about “balancing” life in the Ph.D. program and living in L.A. “Uncle Bernie” reminds us of who he was back in high school and undergrad. To close the episode, Elliot tells his story about being a leader within UCLA’s Master of Public Policy Program, hinting us on his work in reparations (see Episode 5). #podcast #ucla #california #losangeles #publicpolicy #firstgen #college #anchofm #spotify #YouTube

17. 

    21 Feb 2023

    Episode 2: Elliot - Straight Outta Compton

    Bernard continues his story on getting his Ph.D. in Higher Education and recalls how he and Elliot met. Elliot then details his traumas and triumphs of growing up in Compton and offers encouraging words. #podcast #ucla #california #losangeles #publiceducation #firstgen #college #anchofm #spotify #YouTube #applepodcast

18. 

    20 Feb 2023

    Episode 1: Bernard - How G'd Up University Started

    Bernard walks us through the creation of G'Up [and Degree'd Up] University, growing up in the Bay Area, and the challenges he had to overcome on his journey towards his Ph.D. at UCLA.

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Books guests

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