This podcast is for the conversations no one prepares you for. Through conversations with International alumni and upperclassmen, we talk about ambition, fear, money, identity, and the pressure to keep moving forward even when the ground feels unstable. Not as résumés or visa categories, but as people; driven, thoughtful, and carrying more than most ever see.
officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
In this week episode of Office Hours with Abba Diallo, the host interviews Tema Dlamini, a biomedical engineering student, about her transformative journey through higher education and international travel. The conversation highlights Tema’s professional growth working in a campus welcome office, where she found fulfillment in creating a sense of belonging for new students. She reflects on her leadership involvement in various student organizations, discussing the complexities of balancing professional accountability with personal friendships. The two women also explore on their study abroad experiences in Italy and on Semester at Sea, which challenged thier academic identity and deepened their spiritual faith.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
18 Feb 2026
The American Grind
This podcast episode features a conversation between our host Abba Diallo and her guest, Sam, focusing on their shared experiences as international students from Africa studying in the United States. They discuss the impact of wealth and class on the college experience, specifically how coming from a single-parent household or receiving a scholarship shapes one’s worldview and social standing.
They explore cultural concepts like the black tax, the pressure of professional success in STEM fields, and the internal struggle between personal ambition and moral complicity in capitalist systems.
Sam emphasizes the importance of pragmatism and self-advocacy, and encourages students to move beyond feelings of gratitude for their scholarships and demand the quality of education they deserve.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
18 Feb 2026
I Know Who I Am
In this episode, our host Abba Diallo sits down with her uncle, Souleymane, to talk about his journey from Burkina Faso to the United States in pursuit of a career in electrical engineering. He shares the realities of studying abroad, navigating language barriers, financial hardship, racism, and loneliness, while working full time to stay in school. This conversation is an honest reflection on the immigrant experience, self-discipline, and the importance of protecting your mind and identity while chasing a dream far from home.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
4 Feb 2026
Do it Afraid
This podcast episode features a conversation between our host, Abba Diallo, and her guest, Mar, a creative media production student from Costa Rica.
Mar reflects on her personal background, detailing how her parents’ rejection of traditional gender roles inspired her to pursue higher education and the arts. The discussion explores Mar’s academic journey, including her transition from a technical high school to a international boarding school and eventually to the University of Oklahoma.
She shares the challenges of maintaining her creative identity amidst social pressure to pursue STEM fields and her eventual success as a sound mixer. Mar also describes a transformative experience attending a major film festival in Los Angeles, which reaffirmed her professional aspirations.
Ultimately, she encourages younger students to advocate for themselves, embrace their unique perspectives, and utilize the diverse resources available in a university setting.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
29 Jan 2026
Building Worlds Offstage
In this podcast episode, host Abba Diallo reunites with high school friend Eva Wynter to discuss her journey from a Jamaican upbringing to her professional life in Minnesota's theater scene. Eva details her academic transition to St. Olaf College, where she leveraged a Shelby Davis scholarship to study sociology, anthropology, and theater with a specific focus on restorative practices and community building. She now serves as a production manager for Ten Thousand Things Theater a company dedicated to social justice by bringing professional performances to marginalized communities in non-traditional spaces like prisons and shelters. Throughout the conversation, Eva emphasizes the importance of networking, fighting through imposter syndrome, and prioritizing one’s mental health by seeking out environments that affirm one’s humanity.
Resources Eva shared with us !
SpringBoard for the arts (https://springboardforthearts.org/?fbclid=PAVERFWAPkpgpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf0BlJs_k8HRNzR7hpC-ynbIex_yVcVYEaG1YYjmyJyQje0fPRU3PaR9q8DBA_aem_tEFZ4gYC049pkoIV_Ap08A)
Minnesota council of Non profit: career center (https://minnesotanonprofits.org/career-center?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=266954326&gbraid=0AAAAADpZE2I7bF_GNUY0QNoxqXrmmi5PY&gclid=CjwKCAiAjojLBhAlEiwAcjhrDswhMAtK3zWZVD-l6gQBYCh24VgeW1Kq2gt5-NfiSQVicegUek5JSBoCWvgQAvD_BwE&fbclid=PAVERFWAPkpy5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAae0vGwJ-_wb0v3uF0NQpeNlhshKGBLL1bf-qDBH-Y0-LbB16OPtyTKOP4fdbA_aem_29_DLFNP2K09w6JNKZt2KA)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
21 Jan 2026
The Micro Baddie
In this podcast episode , host Abba Diallo interviews her close friend Bethany Sseruwagi, a high-achieving senior at the University of Oklahoma. Bethany reflects on her academic journey, explaining her shift from a pre-med track to microbiology after discovering a passion for research and community health. The conversation highlights the importance of campus involvement, as Bethany discusses her leadership roles in the East African Alliance and the African Women’s League. She also describes her unique interdisciplinary work, combining microbiology lab research with a specialized honors project on African history and philanthropy. Throughout the interview, both women emphasize the value of mentorship from upperclassmen and the necessity of building a supportive international community. Bethany concludes by sharing her aspirations for graduate studies and her desire to leave every space better than she found it.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com (https://officehourswithabbadiallo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
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