Fraternity Foodie Podcast by Greek University Michael Ayalon

Retention and graduation for marginalized students are critical objectives. We'll talk more about it with Courtland Mitchell, the Director of Nutritional Services for the Department of Aging and Community Living in Washington, DC. He’s a proud graduate of Howard University, and he takes great pride and pleasure in advocating and serving communities that have been historically marginalized, forging innovative partnerships, and developing effective strategies and policies. Courtland is committed to building healthier learning communities for all.
In episode 470 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Courtland decided on Howard University, why he chose to join Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in a grad chapter, what he does as Director of Nutritional Services for the Department of Aging and Community Living, how we can increase the retention rates and graduation rates for college students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, what resources are available to assist with housing insecurity, hunger, transportation to school, and affording textbooks, where students can go in order to find mentorship once they get to college, how we can achieve diversity across all levels of an institution, what we can do to achieve an inclusive campus climate, and how we can improve outreach and recruitment to a diverse array of students. Enjoy!

Latino Fraternity Life is here! Agustin “Gus” Garcia is a professional international businessman with a strong commitment to civil and human rights, as well as a passionate lecturer and activist for the Latino community. He is the visionary and the founder of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.
In episode 469 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out about Gus' childhood when he was deported from the United States, what made him want to attend Kean College in New Jersey, how he became the first Latino elected to the Kean College student government, what made him want to start the first Latino fraternity in the United States (Lambda Theta Phi), whether he expected the fraternity to grow as large as it did, why "Latin Unity" is so complicated, the differences in pledging and hazing when it comes to Latin fraternities and sororities, the differences in community service activities when it comes to Latin fraternities and sororities, how he is able to deal with tension on a college campus, and what he hopes his fraternity will accomplish in the next 50 years. Enjoy!

Student athlete success in business is a common occurrence for Jay Dixon. Jay Dixon is an expert in sports and business, co-founding three companies and consulting on 50+ transactions. He provides expertise on the athletic identity along with research to support the athletic education as the key ingredient to business success. Jay authored "After the Game: Bridging the Gap from Winning Athlete to Thriving Entrepreneur" and started SuccessCoach.com, an elite accelerator for former athletes and investors to acquire and lead businesses and Humanize Capital, an investment firm that unleashes human potential. Jay's own journey as a student-athlete unfolded at the University of Nevada, where he played division 1 football as a defensive end. He played in three college bowl games and helped the Wolf Pack become conference champions during his junior year. He furthered his academic pursuits with a master's degree in English Literature from National University. Notably, Jay has earned recognition for Business Excellence in Venture Capital/Private Equity from Columbia Business School and studies with in MBA, adding another layer to his multifaceted expertise.
In episode 468 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why he chose the University of Nevada, Reno for his undergraduate experience, what it was like being a student athlete on campus, why athletes are perfectly poised for business ownership, what are the crucial mindset elements for professional success, how you can accelerate and go quickly from idea to enterprise in business, why self-awareness and emotional intelligence are so important in business, where you can go to find business mentors, where to go for new business investments, and when it makes sense to buy an existing business. Enjoy!

Are your college student interviewing skills lacking? Curtis Butler spent 30 years in finance as an investor and client-facing executive at industry-leading firms including J.P. Morgan. He has built and led teams and has been on both sides of the interview table hundreds of times. He has a keen understanding of what moves a resume to the top of the pile and what soft skills are required to stand out in an interview. Throughout his career, Curtis always made time for mentoring and has provided individualized coaching to scores of college and graduate students at his Alma maters, Union College and Johns Hopkins University. He has also stepped in to help children of friends and colleagues escape the frustration of a job search and embark on successful careers. His passion for coaching students and young professionals led Curtis to launch Guided Ascent Career Coaching in 2024, with Zoom-based 1-on-1 coaching designed to help clients define their path, plan the steps that can lead them there, and apply the job-search strategies that have proven successful over time — regardless of the industry.
In episode 467, we find out why Curtis decided to go to Union College, how he can decide which career is best for the students he works with, how college students can network while they are in college, what stands out about a college student resume, what are some tips for cover letters, what college students should wear for the interview, how you can answer the dreaded question "tell me about yourself", what soft skills employers are looking for today, and how to make the best job decision between two offers.

Liz Toombs owns the award-winning decorating firm PDR Interiors. She is a Certified Interior Decorator who, along with her team, offers comprehensive services for private residences as well as sorority houses across the country. The team’s work can be seen on over 70 campuses spread across 22+ states. Liz has been quoted by notable media outlets including The Huffington Post, The Associated Press, and Realtor.com. She and the company were featured on MSNBC’s Your Business.
Liz is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and is very involved in giving back to the Lexington community through the Junior League and other local charities. Mentoring other women is a keystone of PDR, something Liz learned to value through her fraternity experience as an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta.  Helping to preserve that experience for current and future members of women’s organizations is what drives Toombs to focus on sorority housing projects.
In episode 466 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why she chose the University of Kentucky, what was special about the women of Alpha Gamma Delta on campus that made her want to join, where her love of interior decorating came from, how she is able to come up with a design plan for each individual chapter, how student housing be a haven of mental well-being, some DIY tips for chapters who don't have a big budget, why mentoring other women is so important, what it's like being a Empower Institute Facilitator for Alpha Gamma Delta, and future plans for PDR Interiors. Enjoy!

Want to know how we can break stalking on college campuses? Stefania Ianno is the founder of Breaking Stalking, a trained marriage and family therapist, and a survivor of stalking. Her passion to educate communities on stalking awareness and prevention grew from her own personal experience, and recognizing that there is a lack of knowledge, research, and victim resources surrounding the crime of stalking. Stefania believes this needs to change, especially after hearing too many stories similar to hers, but ended with the loss of life. This is the main motivator for Stefania - raising awareness and teaching others how to recognize stalking and intervene at an early stage can potentially prevent additional crimes from occurring. Stefania's lifelong desire is to develop a career focused on helping others to improve their quality of life and empower themselves. Stefania now shares her experiences, provides this education nation-wide, and motivates others to take their lives into their own hands. Breaking Stalking is located in Upstate New York.
In episode 465 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Stefania decided on the University of Rochester for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, what happened when Stefania was stalked by someone she thought was a friend in 2011, why more resources and advocates are not generally available around stalking, what services Breaking Stalking provides, what students can do to help themselves if they are being stalked on campus, what coping strategies and support is available in the Stalking Support Group, how her educational background in therapy and counseling has been helpful in this business, and what are the future plans for Breaking Stalking. Enjoy!