PlayGround Prasanna Karur

"It was like a Sunday, and I woke up - my mom doesn't often bring me the newspaper because I was a kid, and I didn't really wanna read the newspaper - but one day she did, and I flipped through it. And I remember they said they had a city council meeting the next week and I was like 14. And I just wondered, 'What does a city council do?'

So I said, 'Mom, when you get off work, can you drive me to a city council meeting?' And luckily my mom and I are on the same page about a lot of things. So she was like, 'Yeah, sure. I'm gonna drive my 14 year old to a city council meeting. Of course that's gonna happen.' And I attended. And then I go in. 

Being so straightforward with you, I remember thinking my town is about 50-50 Black and White, and we don't unfortunately have a lot of other racial and ethnic diversity. 

But when I walked in that room, it was me 14 year old, little Black girl, and everyone else over there was minimum 65 year old White guy. And I just remember being very confused about that.

Because if our town is 50-50, why aren't 50-50 represented in city government?"

Meet Eboni Freeman, a fellow Emory alum who is passionate about advocacy work in corporate and nonprofit spaces. She is also the founder of Wonder Stars of the Universe (https://www.wonderstarsuniverse.com/about), a brand with the intention to spread a message about equity and inclusion through podcasting, blogs, and creative writing. Eboni excels at disability inclusion and accessibility work. We have a conversation on what it means to actually create change in the world, and the patience that requires. If you are curious about diversity inclusion or accessibility work, feel free to reach out to Eboni and listen to the conversation!

"I think serendipity is a big word for me too. And I also think that it's somehow comforting to me and something that I talk to my children about all the time. I think it's wonderful if you know what you want to do, if you have a passion from the get go, but, the reality is not that for a lot of us. 

And certainly that was the case for me. You have so many opportunities to find your way and to change your mind and, you know, to reinvent yourself and to eventually fall into something that really drives you, that you find interesting and compelling that you want to dedicate your time to.

And so I think sometimes there's so much pressure when we're young and when we're, you know, I mean out of high school and getting into college to figure out exactly what to study, what you want to be. And the reality is, you know, hopefully life is long and you get multiple chances to figure out what your purpose is."

Meet Ghila Sanders, a friend I connected with through Amelia, a previous podcast guest. Ghila and I share a wonderful conversation about the boundary between work and passion, and how we can work towards minimizing that boundary through creativity. We also discuss what her travels back home to Italy have taught her and the insights about life she has gained from being a mother. I know it has been a while since an episode has been released, but I am happy to return with this specific conversation and more to come soon! 

"Sometimes, you know, you smile and have eye contact with someone else who's dancing salsa on this random Central Park corner. And you'll be like, 'Oh! like, you know, that human connection!' And so, I love that. I think the world is a book itself, so I'm able to read those pieces and kind of like imagining their story. I was walking on the street and there's like so many faces coming, you know, there's all these crowds. And to start imagining the life story of the other person? We don't typically make eye contact here in New York City. I don't intentionally make eye contact with strangers on the street. But I kind of like, just look at them. I mean, not intentionally, but thinking about, 'Okay, well, what is this person living through right now?' And I think it brought a lot of empathy. It's always like based on nothing, but it brought a lot of empathy inside of me because I'm just thinking about the stories behind those strangers, which I find comforting, strange enough, after a year of basically isolating."

Meet Brad Melnychuk, a conscious life and business coach with ten years of experience in the health/fitness industry from Canada. We talk all things personal development, entrepreneurship, and the journey of life. This episode is for those who want to hear a story about entrepreneurship and taking the chance on a passion. Brad is a genuine individual who cares about helping others better themselves, and that quality of his shines in our conversation. 

Meet Dr. Frank Gaertner, the associate director of academic advisement at Emory who oversees the international student academic advising program. More importantly though, Dr. Gaertner serves as a mentor and role model to many at Emory, as students and faculty alike appreciate the enthusiasm and passion that he brings to the Emory community. In our conversation we discuss Dr. Gaertner's childhood and what brought him to higher education. He tells stories of growing up in a small town in Ohio, traveling to South Korea, and taking more risks. Having Dr. Gaertner on the podcast was an immense pleasure, and I truly enjoyed diving deeper in his childhood and understanding what brings him joy in the day to the day right now. If you want to learn more about the adventures of a human being who grew up in a small town in Ohio, how he embraces the different cultures and perspectives of the bigger world, and how he impacts Emory students on the daily, this is the episode for you! 

A takeaway: He encourages our listeners to focus on the identities that bring them joy other than being an academic super-star. In other words, life is more than school. 

Meet Giovanni Delgadillo, a friend of mine from middle school who I have not spoken to in years. A few weeks back, I was scrolling through Twitter and came across his tweets about Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney, and I knew I wanted him on the show. Giovanni is a film aficionado, finding inspiration from all parts of film creation, from the soundtrack to the plot. He is also a creative writer at heart, studying journalism at UNT, and fueling his creative spirit through his podcast and YouTube channel. Giovanni has always been fascinated by films from a young age and has recently taken action on this childhood passion of his as a potential career. Other than being able to catch up and reconnect with an old friend, this episode has taught me, and will teach you, that maybe what you have been looking for all along is right in front of you, and you just have to look from the perspective of your inner child.