Life After Caltech

Orchid Initiative
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

In every episode of Life After Caltech, hosts Claire Ellison (Ricketts House, 2027) and Mason Smith (Page House, 2009) interview alumni who graduated from the California Institute of Technology and took a nontraditional path to achieve their dreams. The podcast is an effort to show current students that no matter the ups and downs of your journey, there is, in fact, a Life After Caltech.

Episodes

  1. "Caltech was definitely more difficult than law school"

    MAR 4

    "Caltech was definitely more difficult than law school"

    Christine Woodin (Page House ’10, Applied and Computational Math) discovered her path to law late in her time at Caltech. Claire and Mason talk with her about how the problem-solving skills she developed there translate to patent and commercial litigation, and why she says Caltech was definitely more difficult than law school. Along the way, Christine shares what patent lawyers actually do, what surprised her about law school, and her advice for students curious about legal careers.

    46 min
  2. "Put your oxygen mask on"

    10/06/2025

    "Put your oxygen mask on"

    Pallavi Gunalan (Venerable House ’11, Bioengineering and English) left a PhD program to pursue stand-up comedy and writing. In this raw and funny conversation, Claire and Mason talk with her about mental health, leadership during crisis, and what it means to find your voice—on stage and beyond Caltech. Content note: some discussion of suicide and mental health.

    50 min
  3. "Recharging before med school"

    10/06/2025

    "Recharging before med school"

    Yang Yang (Ricketts and Page Houses ’09, Biology) took time after graduation to recover from burnout and figure out what came next. Claire and Mason talk with him about choosing medicine, finding his specialty in cardiac electrophysiology, and learning that success doesn’t always mean following the straightest path.

    38 min
  4. "I HOPE that was rock bottom!"

    08/10/2025

    "I HOPE that was rock bottom!"

    At one point, Nick Goeden (Page House ’09, Biology) couldn’t see a positive future after Caltech. Claire and Mason talk with him about how he worked through that low point, built resilience, and eventually co-founded biotherapeutics companies leading cutting-edge research.

    53 min
  5. What IS Life After Caltech?

    07/26/2025

    What IS Life After Caltech?

    In the very first episode of Life After Caltech, hosts Claire and Mason introduce the origin and goals of the pod, with help from producer Riley Kwong. Then, listen as Claire and Mason get to know each other better and describe their journeys to and through Caltech. A warm and comforting episode for all current students who want to feel connected to their community beyond graduation.

    51 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

In every episode of Life After Caltech, hosts Claire Ellison (Ricketts House, 2027) and Mason Smith (Page House, 2009) interview alumni who graduated from the California Institute of Technology and took a nontraditional path to achieve their dreams. The podcast is an effort to show current students that no matter the ups and downs of your journey, there is, in fact, a Life After Caltech.

Information

  • Creator
    Orchid Initiative
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Orchid Initiative
  • Show Website
    Life After Caltech