The First Gen Madrina
Dear First Gens, Welcome to the First Gen Madrina, a podcast that highlights the victories and challenges of the first generation experience. I am your host, Sara Diaz, a fellow first gen navigating the path to success alongside you. Join me as we dive into stories of resilience and perseverance featuring first gen individuals who have overcome the odds to pave the way for others. Let's embark on this journey together. This is the First Gen Madrina podcast.
Episodes
It’s the final episode of 2025! Join me as I reflect on a year full of pivots, growth, and healing. In this heartfelt closing episode, I open up about the lessons I’ve learned, the courage it took to realign with my purpose, and an exciting new chapter ahead including the evolution of The First Gen Madrina Podcast!
If you’ve ever found yourself navigating change, questioning your path, or learning to trust the process, this episode ...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Dr. Charleanea Arellano, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Breaking Cycles as a First Gen!
Dr. Charleena Arellano is a psychologist, board-certified coach, transformational self-leadership alchemist, and truth-teller whose work disrupts more than systems—it dismantles the stories that keep people small....
Welcome to a new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This episode kicks off our theme: Breaking Cycles as First Gens.
We’re diving into what it really means to be the first to say “This ends with me.” From the mental health cost of unlearning survival mode to the freedom and healing that follow, we’ll talk about the grief, guilt, and ultimately the joy of breaking generational cycles.
Breaking cycles isn’t betrayal, it’s protect...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Tiffany Joy, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Resiliency as a First Gen!
Tiffany Joy Argonza is a first-generation Filipina-American, mom, coach, and founder of The Studio Ligaya— event & wellness space in Central NJ created to help women, especially moms and first-gen leaders, take up space and re...
In this first episode of the new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, we’re diving into a theme that has been heavy on my heart yet igniting my spirit: Resiliency as a First Gen.
As first-gens, we’re often praised for being “strong,” “pushing through,” and “making it happen no matter what.” However, behind the applause, resiliency can sometimes feel less like empowerment and more like survival. In this conversation, I get real a...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Carla Santamaria, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Redefining Leadership as a First Gen!
Carla Santamaria is a Miami-raised, Honduran-born immigrant who more than doubled her salary in 10 months by job hopping from higher ed to healthcare to tech. In addition to her full-time tech job, Carla is a caree...
Welcome to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! In this powerful premiere, Sara dives into the heart of this season’s theme: Redefining Leadership as a First Gen.
In this episode of The First Gen Madrina, we explore what it truly means to lead as a first-generation trailblazer. We unpack the narratives we grew up with that make leadership feel out of reach, the power of representation in showing us that we belong, an...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Scarlett Luis, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Resources for First Gens!
Scarlett Luis is a product leader with a background in engineering and a passionate advocate for first-generation college students and professionals. As a first-generation graduate herself, she understands the challenges of navig...
Welcome to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! In this powerful premiere, Sara dives into the heart of this season’s theme: Resources for First Gens.
In this episode, we’re diving into the resources we never knew existed and the ones that weren’t made accessible to us as first-gens. From therapy to scholarships to mentorship, we explore why accessing support feels so hard, and how it’s not a personal failure, it’s a...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Vicky Winkler, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Taking Risks as a First Gen!
Vicky is the founder of Wildly Creative Wellness (formerly known as My Natural Reflections), a space where creativity becomes a tool for self-care, healing, and joy. Growing up, Vicky was always drawn to creative activities—re...
Dear First Gens,
Welcome to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! In this powerful premiere, Sara dives into the heart of this season’s theme: taking risks as a first-gen even when it feels terrifying, uncertain, or guilt-inducing. From moving away from home, to quitting her 9-5 without a safety net, to taking financial risks to build her dream business, Sara shares the top three leaps that changed her life and how t...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Eduardo Placer, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Pride as a First Gen!
A dynamic keynote speaker, charismatic event emcee, and global facilitator, he is a former professional actor who has a rare ability to help people find common ground through compelling narratives that inspire and unite.
He is the fo...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Emanuel Anzules, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Pride as a First Gen!
Emanuel was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1993, at the age of 7, to join his parents and sister. He attended school in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University in 2007. Emanuel was an active l...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Naty Diaz, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!
Today we have a new special guest for this month's theme Mental Health as a First Gen. This is a little different than what we usually do, but we are really excited for you all to tune in! This week we have Sara's mom, ...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Erica Priscilla Sandoval, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!
Erica is a passionate licensed clinical therapist dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Erica holds a Post Master’s in Clinical Adolescent Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from New Y...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Dr. Paul Rivera, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!
Dr. Rivera holds a PhD in Economics from University of Southern California and a BS from Texas A&M. He has been recognized globally as a strategist, speaker, facilitator, and dynamic educator. He has worked with NGOs, a...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, host Sara Diaz dives into May's theme: Mental Health as a First Gen.
In this heartfelt and powerful episode, we dive deep into why mental health matters—especially for first-gen, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.
Host Sara explores how mental health is more than just a trending topic—it’s about education, compassion, and action. She discusses the emotional weight...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara wraps up this season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!
In this episode, Sara shares more information about neurodiversity and shares resources that supports the community. Sara also reminds everyone that this is not meant to diagnose or be therapeutic in any way. For more info...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Felicitas Nungaray, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!
Felicitas is a 1st Gen. Neurodivergent coach, and a Licensed Psychotherapist based in California. Feli has served as the Neurodiversity Social Skills Facilitator in Higher Education, developing neurodivergen...
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara welcomes guest, Isaac Akinde, to The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand-new episode for this month's theme, Celebrating Neurodiversity as a First Gen!
Isaac Akinde is an ADHD coach, qualified teacher and passionate advocate for neurodiversity. With a unique perspective as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia as an adult, Isaac's personal journey...
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