Mary: Education, KKG, and Graduation!

Brooke and Layla's friend Mary talks about her experience in the College of Education, her sorority, and feelings about Graduation.

Touching Concrete is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, student-run radio from NC State University. Like what you hear? Consider supporting it with a gift to the WKNC Enhancement Fund. Visit our podcast page to hear more and follow us on all social media platforms @WKNC881. Thanks for listening.

Creators and Guests

Host

Brooke Lyle

Host

Layla Mullen

What is Touching Concrete?

Have you ever been told you need to touch grass? Well, you don't need to do that here, join us as we touch concrete instead. Meaning you should join us to hear our take on everything internet and stick around to hear what goes on with NC State student clubs. So go inside, put on some headphones, and tune in. Touching Concrete is a podcast by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2.

Meeting created at: 17th Jun, 2026 - 5:14 PM1
Brooke: Hi, guys.

Brooke: Welcome back to Touching Concrete.

Brooke: My name is Brooke.

Layla: My name is Layla.

Layla: And today we're joined by a very special guest, Mary Morgan Ashley.

Layla: Full government name.

Brooke: Welcome, Mary, to the pod.

Mary: Wow.

Mary: Thank you for having me.

Brooke: Of course.

Brooke: So Mary is in our sorority, Kappa Gamma, and is Leila's Big.

Layla: Big Mary.

Mary: Big Mary, AKA Big Mary.

Brooke: So, for those who may not know, a Big is when you first join your sorority, you go on these dates with other girls, and you're basically just trying to figure out who your Big is going to be.

Brooke: And your Big is somebody who, like, guides you through and can give you advice.

Layla: A mentor.

Brooke: A mentor, if you will.

Mary: And I've been that.

Mary: Right.

Layla: Amen to freaking that.

Brooke: But another thing that is interesting to sorority life is that your Big is like your mom.

Brooke: So people will be like, mom, that's my mom.

Layla: That's my mother.

Brooke: That's my daughter.

Brooke: Like, my Little is actually my daughter.

Layla: So same.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Fun fact.

Layla: Like, me and Brooke have children.

Mary: Yeah.

Brooke: It's literally true.

Brooke: Our Littles shout out.

Brooke: Maeve and Nora shout out.

Brooke: So.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: But do you have anything else to add about being a Big Mary?

Mary: It has just been such a wonderful experience.

Mary: And Layla, like, getting her as my Little was literally a dream come true.

Mary: Like, she.

Mary: She is the perfect Little.

Mary: And it's just such a great bonding experience because it also opens you up to new friendships.

Mary: Because through Layla, I met Brooke and I met so many other people that I now call, like, my closest friends.

Mary: So,.

Brooke: Yeah, it's really sweet, like, how all these friendships unfold in life.

Layla: It is.

Layla: And everyone's connected.

Layla: Everyone is.

Brooke: Everyone is always connected.

Brooke: By the way.

Brooke: This world is tiny.

Brooke: Yeah, this world is tiny.

Brooke: Everybody's connected.

Brooke: There's always mutuals.

Brooke: Like, come on now.

Layla: Come on now.

Layla: Yeah, it's me.

Layla: And Mary went.

Layla: She was my first big little date, and I freaking knew from the jump.

Layla: We went to cup of Joe, got PSLs, pumpkin spice lattes,.

Mary: And we literally.

Layla: Chatted for, like, three hours.

Mary: Hours and hours.

Layla: And herstory has been made ever since.

Brooke: It's herstory.

Layla: It's herstory.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: Not history, her story.

Layla: And when it was my big little reveal, like, I was finding out that Mary was my Big.

Layla: She dressed me up as a hot dog.

Brooke: And what did you wear, Mary?

Mary: I wore a cookout shirt.

Mary: Like, theme was cookout.

Mary: I was gonna have you dressed up as, like, an inflatable baby, but someone took that already, so.

Mary: Right.

Brooke: I do like that theme, though.

Brooke: So also for the culture, when you have your big little reveal.

Brooke: It's standard to have a theme, and then, like, you find out you're big because you guys have the same theme.

Brooke: So you can run like she was in the hot dog.

Brooke: She runs to the girl in the cookout shirt.

Brooke: Do you know what I'm saying?

Brooke: And then you also have, like, a sign that'll be like, what did your sign say?

Mary: I think mine was.

Layla: Wait.

Mary: Oh, yeah, it was my little Is the hot diggity dog or Layla's the hot diggity doll.

Layla: I still have that hot dog costume.

Brooke: I remember that year you had kept in the trunk of your car for.

Layla: Absolutely.

Mary: You kept it for a while.

Layla: Absolutely.

Brooke: I wouldn't be shocked if it was.

Layla: Still in the trunk.

Layla: Me either, because I just found photos that I was supposed to give Mary and Maddie yesterday in the trunk of my car.

Layla: But me and Brooke also had funny themes for our littles.

Layla: Mine was frat boys iconic.

Layla: That was funny.

Mary: Yeah, that was fun.

Brooke: Mine was.

Brooke: I had these inflatable costumes from one time for Halloween.

Brooke: Me and my mom had just worn inflatable costumes.

Brooke: No, no character with it, by the way.

Brooke: Just the inflatables.

Brooke: And so I had these.

Brooke: And so I was like, what can I do with that?

Brooke: And so then I.

Brooke: So for my big little, I had to get in a box and jump out of the box.

Layla: Photo of you I have where you're hanging out of the box, because due.

Brooke: To me wearing an inflatable, I couldn't fit in the box as we had to put the box over my head.

Brooke: Everybody, same.

Brooke: So everybody is lined up in a box, like, on the ground, and I'm just standing with the box on my head.

Brooke: It was really a funny sight, but my box said my heart inflated so big for my little Maeve.

Brooke: And then, like, the inflatables, we had put little hearts on them, and it was really cute.

Mary: It was cute, imo.

Layla: It turned out really great.

Brooke: Thank you.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: So speaking of Kappa Mary, how long have.

Brooke: Just tell us about your journey in Kappa and how long you've been a part of it and your favorite memory stuff like that.

Mary: I rushed my sophomore year, so fall 2023.

Brooke: Shout out, shout out.

Brooke: And sorry to cut you off, but how was it rushing as a sophomore?

Brooke: Because most people rush as a freshman, right?

Mary: Well, I was a spring Connect student, so I technically came to NC State like.

Mary: Like the spring of my freshman year.

Mary: And so I didn't have that opportunity to rush in the fall, but.

Mary: And I also thought about doing cop like, this Spring that I went into.

Mary: But I'm honestly so glad I did sophomore year, because it really gives you time to settle into NC State.

Mary: Like I imagined when I was recruiting, I imagined, like, all these freshmen.

Mary: Like, this is their.

Mary: They literally just left home, like, a week ago.

Brooke: One day ago.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: And now they're, like, coming through this.

Mary: Such a stressful but exciting process.

Mary: And I was like, I could never do that.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: Like, at least as a sophomore, Like, I had my bearings of NC State.

Mary: Like, I knew where my classes were.

Brooke: Like, yeah, absolutely.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I think I can't remember if we've touched on, like, recruitment at all in.

Layla: In other episodes.

Brooke: I think we've touched on it, but I haven't given the full breakdown.

Layla: But basically, we sororities go through recruitment in the fall, normally around, like, Labor Day weekend.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: And basically it's just the whole weekend you're meeting sororities.

Layla: You're, like, going to different houses, you have different rounds, and it is stressful.

Layla: Like, I'll put it out there.

Layla: It's very stressful.

Layla: It's very fun.

Layla: For anyone listening to the podcast who is thinking about going through recruitment, you definitely should do it.

Layla: I also went through recruitment as a sophomore, and I feel the same way as Mary in the way that I am glad that I had my bearings on campus.

Layla: And, I don't know, I felt like I knew.

Layla: I knew how to live independently for a year.

Layla: Like, I just.

Layla: I just got my.

Layla: My feet on the ground, you know, other people.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: Doing it, too.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: And a lot more sophomores go through it than you would think.

Layla: It's not all freshmen, but it's definitely a good way to branch out and, you know, meet new people, get involved on campus and all that.

Layla: To say, though, it is stressful.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: But I will say, for me personally, it was more stressful on the recruiting side, like, being in the sorority than going through the actual recruitment process.

Mary: Really?

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Do you not feel that way?

Mary: I don't.

Mary: I honestly, I think I just, like, don't even remember, like, going through recruitment, like, as the recruitee, because, like, it was such a. I was so hot, and I was so, like, stressed out and all these things.

Mary: But, I mean, you're also those things when you're recruiting.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: Like, you're hot stressed out.

Layla: Well, I think it was nice for you also, because you had Maddie.

Mary: I did have Maddie.

Layla: And who is Maddie?

Mary: Maddie is my roommate slash best friend since fourth grade, and we both rushed to sophomores together, and we both ran home to Kappa Gamma together.

Brooke: That's really sweet.

Layla: It is sweet.

Layla: I love Maddie.

Layla: So that was really nice for you.

Mary: That was like.

Mary: That also, like, helps because I wasn't going through that process alone.

Mary: Like, I think if I was, I would have been even more stressed out and nervous.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: What do you think, Brooke?

Layla: Do you.

Layla: Well, you actually went through.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: You see, spring.

Brooke: A secret fact about me is that I've never been a PNM during formal recruitment.

Brooke: Wow.

Brooke: Me, P. M. Stands for potential new member.

Brooke: And that's what all of the people who are going through recruitment as, who are, like, looking to join a sorority are called.

Brooke: But I did something called cob, which stands for continuous Open bidding, which takes place in the fall, but kind of more on the down low.

Brooke: And then in the spring, it's more prevalent.

Brooke: And basically you just reach out to the chapters that you're interested in, and then you can talk to the girls there and then decide if you're a good fit for the sorority.

Brooke: It's way more chill of a process than fall recruitment.

Brooke: But also on the flip side of that, you don't have, like, these experiences that you guys talk about.

Brooke: Like, you guys are saying all this stuff about recruitment.

Brooke: I just don't have that.

Brooke: And I feel like it's a very bonding experience.

Brooke: And, like, you're going into the chapter together.

Brooke: So I don't know if there's pros and cons to everything.

Layla: Always 100%.

Brooke: And I am very grateful for my journey into Kappa because it was very stress free.

Brooke: I only had, like, one or two days of mild stress through it.

Brooke: And so, yeah, I'm thankful for it.

Brooke: And it all works out in the end, always.

Layla: Yeah, it always does.

Layla: Like, I think about that all the time.

Layla: Like, I think it's the butterfly effect when, like, I don't know, like, everything just falls perfectly into place.

Layla: Like, if I didn't join Kappa, I wouldn't have met Mary.

Layla: Like, I wouldn't have met anyone.

Layla: Everything always works out how it's supposed to be.

Layla: Like, I couldn't imagine myself in, like, any other sorority.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: No tea, no shade.

Layla: It's just like, I can't.

Brooke: It's your home.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: It's where you ran home to.

Layla: Literally ran home to out of breath Kappa Gam.

Brooke: And see, that's another thing.

Brooke: I didn't get to run home.

Layla: Yeah, it's tiring.

Layla: Like, I'll be honest.

Layla: It's full sprint.

Mary: It's like.

Mary: Like, I just remember it was one of my favorite moments, but I just remember, like, it's so much emotion.

Layla: It is.

Mary: It's like they circle you up, they give you, like, your matching T shirt and, like, your.

Mary: Your letter, and then you're, like, sent to go.

Mary: At least this was when I did it.

Mary: I probably changes every year, but then they, like, they lead you to go find the other people wearing the Kappa or whichever sorority you're in shirt.

Layla: So, yeah, I will say, when I opened my bid letter, were so far from the house.

Brooke: Where were you?

Layla: We were like.

Layla: Yeah, I don't even know how.

Layla: It's, like, past 80 PI.

Layla: The 80 Pie House.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: We weren't in the bowl.

Brooke: Like, they had to move.

Layla: They did.

Mary: It was in the bowl for me.

Mary: And then I think they moved it further down to, like.

Layla: Yeah, it was so far.

Layla: I was so out of breath.

Layla: But on the flip side of that, being at the house, this past recruitment and having people run home to us, that was, like, bid day was so fun.

Brooke: I had so much fun on bid day.

Brooke: It was one of the best nights of my life, I swear.

Brooke: I guess it was just, like, the adrenaline after the weekend, but having everybody run home and then, like, the food and the music and vibes were so high.

Brooke: Yeah, it was so fun.

Brooke: And, like, everybody had glitter and paint all over the place.

Layla: The community.

Mary: Speaking of community, I love the show Community, y'.

Layla: All.

Layla: What is community?

Brooke: Leila?

Layla: What?

Brooke: That genuinely shocks me that you don't know that show.

Mary: It's kind of sad.

Brooke: It's this.

Brooke: It's a show with Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino.

Layla: Childish.

Layla: Oh, yeah.

Brooke: So good.

Brooke: And basically, it takes place at a community college, and it's all these people from different paths of life, and they have a study group together, and it's just about their journey.

Mary: It's beautiful.

Brooke: It's so funny.

Mary: And it's funny.

Mary: Like, it's.

Mary: It's funny.

Mary: It's a comedy.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Is it, like, what's the style of, like, Abbott Elementary?

Layla: Like the.

Brooke: It's.

Brooke: I don't think so.

Brooke: It's not like a documentary.

Mary: It's kind of commie.

Brooke: Yeah.

Mary: Like, I'm trying to think of a show to compare it to, but it's literally Community.

Layla: What is it, on Hulu?

Mary: And then they took it off.

Brooke: They always stay rearranging stuff in it.

Layla: They do.

Brooke: It makes me a little bit irritated.

Layla: I have recently been re.

Layla: Watching Glee, which.

Layla: Yeah, Mary's also a big Gleek.

Layla: I love Glee.

Layla: I'm putting it out there now.

Layla: Write it down.

Brooke: Write it down.

Layla: I am being Sue Sylvester for Halloween.

Layla: That is my costume.

Brooke: That's how sue sees it.

Layla: Put it in your notes and everybody write it down.

Layla: Yeah, I'm being Sue Sylvester, basically.

Layla: But I've been watching re.

Layla: Watching Glee and also Abbott Elementary.

Brooke: Abbott elementary is so good.

Layla: It's funny.

Layla: I'm like, cackling.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Out loud.

Brooke: Speaking of elementary school.

Mary: Oh, that was fire.

Layla: That was fire.

Brooke: Thank you, guys.

Brooke: Thank you, guys.

Brooke: Mary is.

Brooke: What's your major, Mary?

Mary: My major is elementary education with a concentration in STEM education and a special education.

Mary: Add on licensure.

Mary: Sorry, it's a bit long.

Mary: So.

Brooke: Tell us how you chose that, Mary.

Mary: That part.

Mary: I spent my whole life, like, my whole childhood working with kids.

Mary: Like, I would volunteer at camps and I.

Mary: My first job was in, like, I was a camp counselor and then I worked in child care.

Mary: And my most.

Mary: My job this past summer was at a private school, like a summer school for kids with like, academic learning needs.

Mary: So I've just spent my whole life working with kids and I was like, I'm kind of like low key, like,.

Brooke: Good at this, so got to keep up the fun.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: And so recently you've been student teaching.

Mary: I have.

Brooke: How is that going?

Mary: Oh, my goodness.

Mary: So I was in my general ed classroom for, well, this whole year, but I did like, my actual, like, full time student teaching this semester, and I actually finished that early to transition to special education.

Mary: So now I'm like, following a CCR teacher, which is like the special education teacher who like, pushes in and pulls out for, like, kids in general education who have, like, accommodations and other things like that.

Mary: But it was such a meaningful and impactful experience.

Mary: And I absolutely love the kids I worked with.

Mary: I was in third grade and it was just the best thing ever.

Brooke: I'm glad that you like it because that's your future.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Thank God for it.

Brooke: Because imagine what would happen if you got to that point in your, like, you're an education major and you get to that point.

Brooke: Student teaching, and then you don't like it.

Mary: That's a really good question.

Mary: I honestly don't know because you're kind of.

Layla: But I will say, like, I've not necessarily, like, student teachers, but on.

Layla: I've read articles, I've seen TikToks totally people teachers just quitting, like, early into their career.

Mary: Oh, yeah.

Mary: Like, like teachers, once you've graduated and you have a job.

Mary: Yeah, like, that is an issue right now because, like, teachers are overworked and not paid well.

Mary: So.

Mary: And it honestly depends, like, school from school.

Mary: Like, if a school has like, a lovely administration and like a wonderful, like, community.

Mary: I feel like teacher retention is better, but if a school lacks that, like, it's.

Mary: It's hard to keep teachers.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Like, it's high turnover.

Mary: But the school I met, like, I absolutely love, like, the administration is wonderful.

Mary: The teachers are wonderful.

Mary: Like, the school just has such a great community.

Mary: So I'm very lucky.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Thank good teacher.

Layla: Teachers are awesome.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: I.

Layla: Do you guys have any favorite teachers that, like, stand out in your mind?

Brooke: I.

Brooke: My third grade teacher, Ms.

Brooke: Hair was so good.

Brooke: My kindergarten teacher, Ms. De was so also good.

Brooke: I loved her.

Brooke: All of my elementary school teachers, honestly.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: I never really had a bad teacher until my freshman year of high school.

Brooke: I had a really bad teacher who made me cry, so.

Layla: Oh, yeah, sorry.

Layla: Hey, thanks, Mary.

Layla: Is there a teacher that stands out in your mind?

Mary: My theater teacher in high school was so awesome.

Mary: Like, she made such a lasting impact on me and I miss her like, every single day.

Mary: She was a really good teacher.

Mary: Like, she's what I want to be when I'm older.

Mary: Even though, like, she was high school and I'm going to be elementary school, like, yeah, I really look up to her.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I think immediately of my fourth and fifth grade teacher, Ms. Gilpin.

Layla: She looped our whole class up.

Layla: So at the end of fourth grade, she told us, like, we're all going to fifth grade.

Brooke: Oh, that's.

Layla: And then she retired that year.

Layla: But she was so.

Layla: Oh, she was.

Layla: She was like Ms. Honey, like from Matilda.

Layla: She was so just motherly and like, oh, she was so nice.

Layla: And then also similarly, my course teachers from high school, Mr. Danielson and Ms. Morris shout out, they.

Layla: I love them, support the arts as well.

Brooke: Support for real.

Brooke: I, in high school, not a teacher.

Brooke: But my librarian was so special to me.

Brooke: Ms.

Brooke: Floor shout out.

Brooke: She really got me through my high school years because right off the bat, I.

Brooke: So I had gone from private school to public school.

Brooke: And so everybody had their like, school emails and their school student number and nobody was filling me in on this information.

Brooke: Like, I knew I had these things, but I didn't know how to access them.

Brooke: And so like, week one, I go to her because I. I think I had gone to student services and they were so mean and cruel.

Brooke: I was like, I don't even know what else to do.

Brooke: So I just walked into the media center and.

Brooke: And she had helped me figure out my email and my student number and like, how to get on Google Classroom and all this stuff, and it really stuck out.

Brooke: And then I started volunteering in the library to get my key club hours shout out.

Brooke: And then we just got super close that way.

Brooke: And then my sophomore year online, she had reached out to me and a few other people and asked if we wanted to start a club that she had a few years ago.

Brooke: And we did.

Brooke: And then we had a club with her, and she was the advisor, and it was so fun.

Brooke: It was, like, one of the highlights of my high school career.

Layla: That's sweet.

Brooke: And now she's getting her Realtor's license.

Layla: Wow.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: Love it.

Layla: I wish her luck in the same business, but I think this just goes to show the lasting impact that teachers make on you.

Layla: Because even, like, my grandma talks about her, like, kindergarten, first grade teacher.

Layla: Yeah, that's sweet.

Brooke: I mean, you can't do anything, like, everything, you know, you have from your teachers.

Brooke: From your teachers.

Layla: Yeah, that's so true.

Brooke: Like, you wouldn't have any of the careers that we have unless it was for the teachers.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: You're going to be a great teacher, Mary.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Mary: Thank you.

Mary: I sure hope so.

Brooke: What do you have, like, something you're looking forward to in having your own classroom and stuff?

Mary: I honestly, like.

Mary: I mean, I don't have a job yet, but I'm very excited to, like, meet the students I will have and, like, create those connections like, that, like, moving on to, like, my special ed part.

Mary: Like, I do miss, like, my third graders a lot.

Mary: Like, I miss them every day.

Mary: And so getting to, like, I don't.

Mary: I get to see him sometimes because I'm at the same school, but I'm obviously not in there as much as I used to be.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: So I'm just excited to, like, meet the kids, like, create that community.

Mary: Because that's honestly, like, the most important part to me is, like, absolutely that and, like, figuring out my classroom management style that I want to have.

Layla: So do you have a theme for your classroom?

Layla: Like, decor Wild?

Mary: Not.

Mary: Not yet.

Mary: Not yet, but I do.

Mary: Like, I definitely want to.

Mary: Like, this is, like, the one thing I know I'm gonna have in my classroom is, like, stuff to, like, block.

Mary: The fluorescent.

Brooke: Yeah, absolutely.

Mary: I do not like the fluorescent.

Layla: Me either.

Mary: I want to have, like, sunlight coming in, which obviously, I can't really control that, but I want to have, like, lamps.

Mary: Like, I want it to be very calming and welcoming and not too, like, overpowering.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: I don't want a theme where it's like.

Mary: Like, there's a lot going on.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Like, I want it to be calm and colorful and chill.

Layla: I used to When I was a child, I would always play school like with my cousins and my friends and I would always think in my head like what my classroom would look like.

Layla: Yeah, I still do if I was a teacher.

Layla: But I agree it's important to like have a calming space because you spend, you specifically will spend so much time in there.

Layla: So that's exciting.

Mary: Yeah, I'm excited.

Brooke: Not to change the topic just a little bit, but do you guys know on Tick Tock teachers who will just like record themselves and post it?

Brooke: Like they're mid teach and they'll record it and post it.

Brooke: Or they're like record a student interaction but like the students off the camera.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: Or they'll record their like call and responses.

Brooke: What do you think about that, Mary?

Brooke: Like what do you think about these teachers getting like clout from their job?

Mary: I like, I don't know, like, I think it's like they probably shouldn't be recording their.

Mary: Well, they shouldn't not probably.

Brooke: They shouldn't be.

Mary: They should not be like recording their students.

Mary: Like I, my first thing is just like where do they find the time to do that?

Mary: But like they also have like breaks I think.

Mary: I honestly don't know if I have that strong of an opinion on it.

Mary: Like I feel like as long as like the kids aren't in it, like it's not a major issue.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: But yeah, I have seen a few teachers.

Layla: I also, I don't really have that strong of an opinion on it just because like I'm not really directly involved with the education sector.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: But I agree obviously don't show the kids.

Layla: Yeah, there's a few teachers that I've seen on TikTok that I, I have the thought of like I personally wouldn't do that, but I think, correct me if I'm wrong Mary.

Layla: Like do different, I guess like districts or states, like do they have different laws like, or regulations regarding like phone use and kids and things?

Mary: I think like phone use is like on a school to school basis, like if the teacher can be on their phone or something like that.

Mary: But like for the recording kids.

Mary: Like I don't think, like, I don't think any teacher is supposed to be like recording them and like I think like for the most part it's fine to like take pictures of them to like for the purpose of like sending them to parents and stuff.

Mary: But I don't really know the whole legality of.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Of that and stuff.

Mary: I just know like that's a big no.

Mary: No is to like record Kids and then post it on your social media.

Brooke: Totally.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: Behavior.

Brooke: Honestly, I was.

Brooke: In my opinion.

Layla: Yeah, I. I know, like, in school, if there was even a chance that I would have been on camera, like, my parents would have had to sign off on it.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: I feel like I remembered something, having something like that, too.

Layla: I don't know.

Brooke: Speaking of, like, phone usage in classrooms, though, do you know anything about, like, phones being banned on.

Layla: For students?

Layla: Is that true or.

Brooke: I've, like, been seeing stuff like that online.

Mary: North Carolina law now.

Layla: I wasn't allowed to have my phone in school.

Mary: I also wasn't in high school.

Mary: Like, I mean, that wasn't an issue in elementary school for me, but, yeah,.

Brooke: I was allowed to have my phone.

Layla: Really?

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: And, like, some of my teachers would make us put it in, like, a pocket in the back of the class, and that's, like, how we got our attendance.

Brooke: But I thought it was, like, once or twice.

Layla: We, like, never.

Layla: We weren't, like, it was very strict.

Layla: Like, if you got to me with your phone, you would have been sent to the office tea.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: I had one teacher who made you put your phone on your desk face down so that she knew you were on it, so you had to have your phone.

Layla: I agree with that.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: As someone who's addicted to my phone.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: I need that now.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: Like, I get it.

Brooke: I had one time, though, in that class where we had to put the phones in the desk.

Brooke: We were taking a vocabulary quiz.

Brooke: It was English shout out.

Brooke: Freshman year.

Brooke: It was a vocabulary quiz.

Brooke: One of the words.

Brooke: Siri read out the word and the definition.

Brooke: So somebody was.

Brooke: Somebody was cheating not to call them out.

Brooke: I don't know who it was.

Layla: Not to get too off on a tangent, but I knew this girl in high school who had diabetes and someone.

Layla: We were, like, all in the same class.

Layla: Someone else's phone dinged.

Layla: And instead of the person's phone who actually dinged, like, getting in trouble for it, the girl with diabetes took the blame for it and said it was her Dexcom.

Brooke: That's really nice.

Brooke: Community.

Brooke: It's all about the community.

Layla: That's another thing.

Layla: You went to public school all.

Mary: Yeah, I did.

Layla: And then you went to public high school, Middle school.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: Or I went to private elementary and middle school and then public high school.

Layla: I know there's a lot of controversy.

Layla: Controversy with public education and stuff, and I get it.

Layla: But public high school and public school in general is the backbone of my being, I think.

Layla: I don't.

Layla: I wouldn't have, like, the humor or like, even, like, I don't know.

Layla: I just love.

Brooke: I completely agree.

Brooke: I would not be the person that I am today if I did not switch to public high school.

Brooke: Like, it was the best decision I've ever made in my entire life, and I will stand by that till the day that I die.

Layla: Some of the stuff that happens in public school, you only get if you've been there.

Layla: Like, the funniest.

Layla: Genuinely, the funniest moments of my life have happened in.

Layla: In public school.

Layla: Like, in a.

Layla: In my high school.

Brooke: My first day one of public schools.

Brooke: Brand new school, New, completely new realm.

Brooke: Because it was high school, I was friends.

Brooke: I had just started becoming close with one of my bestest ever friends now, Holly Cooper.

Layla: Hi, Holly.

Brooke: Kai.

Brooke: Hi, Holly.

Layla: We.

Brooke: Because we had played volleyball together, but because we're going to the same high school, we started becoming really close.

Brooke: And day one, before classes started, she texted me, I'm hiding in the bathroom.

Layla: I can picture that so clearly.

Brooke: Can you come save me?

Brooke: And so I went to the bathroom and I saved her from the bathroom, and we took a selfie together.

Layla: That is sweet.

Mary: That hurts my heart.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: And so that was my intro to public school.

Brooke: I'm hiding in the bathroom.

Brooke: Can you come save me?

Layla: Absolutely.

Layla: On my way.

Brooke: I'm on the way.

Layla: Omw.

Mary: But what if were to assume that you even knew where the bathroom was?

Mary: That is true.

Brooke: We had been playing volleyball there for the whole summer, and so I was well acquainted with the gym, the bathroom, and the cafeteria.

Mary: Oh, perfect.

Mary: So, yeah, so just get stuck in.

Layla: Those three places, and then you're good.

Brooke: And I can remind you.

Brooke: But if you open the academic.

Brooke: Because there was, like, these buildings or buildings, doors that, like, locked off all the classrooms, and if you had told me to go in there, I. I would have been lost and you would have never been saved.

Layla: To this day, you would still be there.

Layla: So, yeah, I. Brooke, went on a drive one time, and went by her high school, and that thing is massive.

Layla: Massive, massive.

Layla: Was your high school big?

Mary: It was pretty big.

Brooke: How many students?

Mary: Oh, let me think.

Layla: How many did you graduate with?

Mary: Yeah, like 800.

Layla: Oh, my God.

Brooke: I graduated with, like 500.

Layla: Dude.

Layla: I graduated right around 97, I think.

Layla: Wow.

Brooke: Not even reaching triple dig there helps.

Layla: 500 People in my school.

Layla: School total.

Mary: Wow.

Brooke: Wow.

Layla: So it's really so shocking to me.

Layla: I just can't imagine that many people.

Brooke: I. Yeah, I mean, like, I don't know everybody in my grade.

Layla: See, I think I could name.

Layla: I think I Could name everyone I graduated with.

Layla: You could.

Mary: At least I.

Mary: If I saw a picture of them,.

Layla: I'd be like, I know you're familiar.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: Like, I know the faces, but the names.

Layla: I don't know, it's a little dicey.

Layla: I know the herstory of it all.

Mary: There are some people here, like at NC State.

Mary: Then I'm like, you went to my high school.

Mary: And they absolutely did not.

Brooke: False memories.

Mary: Yeah.

Brooke: I.

Brooke: In my middle elementary school, though, I could tell you everybody's name.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: Hometown, parents name, home address, possibly Social Security number.

Layla: Like, were a tight.

Brooke: We were a tight knit group.

Layla: That's sweet.

Brooke: I think it was like 50, 60 kids in my grade there.

Layla: My mom.

Layla: I don't know why I feel the need to say this.

Layla: My mom went to private school until 11th grade.

Brooke: And what was the switch in 11th grade?

Layla: I don't know.

Layla: I think she just wanted to go.

Brooke: Just to try something new.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: She went to.

Layla: Well, I forget what high schools.

Layla: One in Raleigh, though.

Layla: East Wake.

Layla: East Something not ringing a bell.

Brooke: But I'm sure.

Brooke: But I'm sure that's what it was.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I don't know why I felt the need to say that, though.

Brooke: I appreciate it.

Layla: You're welcome.

Brooke: But.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: So any other comments on high school or public school or anything?

Brooke: Oh, Mary, do you have a preference if you teach in private or public school?

Mary: Public, yeah.

Mary: Why?

Mary: I just.

Mary: I don't know.

Mary: Like, I grew up in public school my whole life and I just think.

Mary: I don't know, there's just more opportunity to reach out to a wider variety of students with varying needs, I think.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Mary: So that's just where I want to go.

Mary: And I just.

Mary: I don't really know.

Mary: I've just always been like, I'm going to teach in public school.

Mary: School, that's where I want to teach.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Layla: I love it.

Layla: Thank an educator, thinking.

Brooke: Thank a teacher.

Layla: Thank good teacher.

Brooke: I'm so excited, though, Mary, for this journey for you.

Brooke: Because, Mary, you graduate in like one hour, literally.

Layla: Literally tomorrow.

Brooke: When do you graduate, Mary?

Mary: May 8th and 9th.

Layla: That's scary.

Layla: I don't mean to scare you, but I'm scared.

Mary: I'm scared, too.

Brooke: How do you feel about that?

Mary: I'm like, okay, I'm excited, but mostly nervous and scared and frightened.

Layla: Totally normal.

Mary: Just like.

Mary: Like college is.

Mary: They say it all the time and you're always like, no, no, you're wrong.

Mary: But college really is the best four years of your life.

Mary: Like, this is where you peak.

Layla: I refuse to graduate Saying, I don't.

Brooke: I'm taking an extra 100 years.

Layla: Like, I literally don't want to graduate.

Layla: Me neither.

Layla: And especially to preface, basically, all of mine and Brook's friends are graduating this semester, this year.

Layla: So being up close and personal with, like, grad photos and dress shopping.

Layla: Dress shopping, job searches, it's.

Layla: It's.

Layla: It's a stressing me.

Layla: Yeah, it's overwhelming, and it's a lot.

Brooke: And.

Layla: I think it's finally starting to, like, settle in that you guys are actually graduating.

Brooke: I can't believe it.

Layla: Like, I can't.

Brooke: It makes me actually sick.

Layla: Same.

Layla: I. I literally can't think about it, but I'm scared.

Brooke: Do you think that you're ready for that new chapter of your life, though?

Mary: I don't.

Mary: Okay, Well, I think I'm gonna miss, like, you guys.

Mary: Like, I'm gonna miss my friends who aren't graduating.

Mary: I'm gonna miss my friends that are graduating, because I feel like we're all gonna be entering different points of our lives after graduation.

Mary: I think I feel like I am ready, even if I don't feel like I am.

Mary: Because with student teaching, like, when I came back for, like.

Mary: Because I started a little bit earlier than everybody else, but when I came back after New Year's, I was like, wow, I'm really nervous.

Mary: Like, I don't want to be a bad teacher.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Basically, like, I, like, I want to do right by these kids and not and, like, teach them.

Mary: And so I felt unsure if I was ready, but then when I jumped in, I, I, I did it.

Mary: So I feel like that's how it's going to be when I graduate.

Mary: Like, I'm going to be really nervous and going to be like, can I do this?

Mary: But I think once I'm actually in there, I'll do a Good job.

Layla: Yeah, 100%.

Brooke: I know you will.

Layla: Any change is scary.

Layla: So I think it's completely normal to feel that way.

Layla: And you have all the tools that you need to succeed, and you're just being you, so.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Brooke: I can't agree anymore.

Brooke: But, yeah, I mean, graduation is an exciting time.

Mary: It is.

Brooke: All the celebrations and the photos and everything.

Layla: I feel like, as an exciting time as it is, people don't talk about the stressful aspects of simple things.

Layla: Like, like, were just saying getting a grad dress or scheduling your grad photos or figuring out which.

Layla: This isn't really an issue for you, but, like, tickets for graduation, people.

Brooke: I've been hearing about the tickets, like,.

Layla: Everywhere, especially for business school.

Layla: Business school.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: They're a little stingy on those tickets.

Layla: Stingy on those tickets.

Layla: No, but that's good that you don't have to worry about the ticket situation.

Brooke: So you have unlimited.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: And I, I think like we're in Reynolds, the college of education.

Mary: So that's really nice.

Mary: But yeah, I think since it's so big and the college of education is relatively small in comparison to like other colleges at state.

Mary: Like we get unlimited.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: As far as.

Brooke: That's nice.

Brooke: It makes me think about what the college of engineering is.

Brooke: I know I've never.

Brooke: I haven't heard a single thing about it.

Layla: No.

Brooke: I don't know any engineers who've graduated.

Mary: Actually I think they do it by like department.

Mary: According to Katie, my other roommate, her brother was in the college of engineering and basically they do it by like chemical engineering.

Brooke: So each major has their own graduation.

Mary: I think so.

Brooke: That's te.

Mary: But correct me if I'm wrong, like I don't misunderstood.

Brooke: Somebody reach out with that info.

Layla: Yes, seriously.

Mary: I reach out to Kitty's brother stat.

Brooke: Thank you.

Layla: That makes me wonder about business too.

Layla: Is it by cuz business is kind of sectored off like that too with like accounting and finance and marketing.

Layla: Next year, Next year problems.

Layla: Sorry Mary.

Brooke: We'll figure it all out.

Layla: We'll figure it all out.

Brooke: Speaking of our graduation Slaya though, I am extremely excited to get my engineering ring because all engineers get a silver ring to wear on your pinky of your dominant hand and it's supposed to like hit the paper every time you sign off on something to remember the consequences of your actions.

Layla: Wow.

Brooke: So it's like if you're signing up on something that you actually don't know what you're signing, like you better think about it because it's gonna have like, it could have irreparable damage.

Brooke: Wow.

Mary: Wow.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: So I'm excited to get that ring and it's like its own ceremony and it's just cool.

Brooke: And I always see these tick tocks of who are like ring before spring.

Brooke: But it's my engineering ring.

Layla: Ring before spring.

Layla: That's a big thing in education.

Mary: It.

Mary: It is.

Brooke: Really?

Brooke: Yes.

Layla: But an actual engagement ring.

Layla: Right?

Layla: Is that a big thing here?

Mary: There's a handful.

Mary: There's a handful that you know personally.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: That's cray.

Brooke: That is cr.

Layla: Happy happy for them.

Mary: I think it would be so stressed out though.

Mary: But that's just me.

Mary: Like I just said, I was really stressed out during recruitment.

Mary: So like I stressed out over everything.

Mary: So.

Layla: Okay.

Brooke: Being your stress during recruitment is valid, though.

Layla: All stress is valid.

Layla: That's true, that's true.

Layla: This makes me think of.

Layla: Do you guys know, like, those BYU TikToks where people will ask, like, would you rather leave with a degree or a ring?

Layla: Yes.

Brooke: And they.

Layla: Wow.

Brooke: Most of the time they're going to say that degree.

Mary: They would like.

Brooke: They would rather have the ring than the degree.

Layla: Listen, why are you at college then?

Brooke: I'm sorry?

Brooke: If you're not seeking the degree genuinely, what are you doing?

Layla: Like, that's.

Brooke: That's just my opinion.

Layla: I don't mean to get all freaking drama, but get the degree.

Brooke: But get the degree.

Layla: Like, it can wait.

Layla: It can wait.

Mary: I do think, like, a part of it, at least in the College of Ed.

Mary: I don't know.

Mary: It's true for everyone.

Mary: But like, part of it is like, when.

Mary: When you gr.

Mary: Like unlike any other really job, like when you graduate, you're going by your last name.

Mary: Like, I'm going to be Ms. Ashley.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Like, that person's going to be Ms.

Mary: So, like, I think a big thing is like, I think a small, tiny part of it.

Mary: But also like, the people that I do know who are getting engaged in the College of Ed, they've been like, dating that person for like.

Layla: Right, right.

Mary: Like one of my friends, like, lives with the person.

Brooke: Yeah.

Mary: Like, they have been together a long time.

Mary: Like, they're practically already at that stage of life.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: So I think a part of it is like, I. I'm going to change my name.

Mary: Like, let me do it before I start teaching.

Layla: I never thought of it like that, but that makes sense.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Or like, I'm already.

Mary: I'm going to be engaged to this person while I'm teaching.

Mary: So I'll just go by their name.

Layla: That's.

Layla: That makes sense because you also have.

Mary: Think about all the decor you have to buy.

Layla: Right.

Mary: Last name.

Layla: Right.

Mary: Like, if you're already like, going to be married to that person, like, you might as well get it in that person's last name if you're planning on changing it.

Layla: Also, I remember I had a teacher in primary school who.

Layla: She got married and when we had to call her by her new last name, it was like, I don't see you as that.

Brooke: I don't know.

Brooke: That is.

Layla: Yeah, that's.

Layla: That's not you.

Layla: But I think it's just so hard for me to imagine that.

Layla: Back to the BYU thing.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: No Tino Shade once again.

Layla: But I just think I'm right Now at this point in my life, I just can't.

Layla: I could not imagine being engaged.

Layla: Like, I literally can't fathom the thought of it.

Layla: So it's just so crazy.

Brooke: But it's different cultures, so, I mean, everybody's different too.

Brooke: Yeah, everyone's different people.

Brooke: Everybody moves at their own pace in this life.

Layla: So that part.

Brooke: And that's another thing, like, not to get inspirational or anything.

Mary: Please do it.

Brooke: You are never behind in this life because everything just happens at its own pace.

Layla: Oh.

Brooke: And that's something that I really feel sometimes.

Brooke: Like, oh, I'm so behind.

Brooke: Like, I haven't done this.

Brooke: I haven't done this.

Brooke: But, like, who.

Layla: Who, who cares?

Brooke: And who's setting the pace?

Brooke: Like, nobody.

Layla: Literally.

Layla: I have really.

Layla: I've always heard this and believed this, but I feel like the last few months or like junior year specifically, everything happens for a reason.

Layla: Like, you are doing what you're meant to do right now because of a certain reason.

Layla: Whether you know it or not.

Layla: Everything always works out, like, to your point.

Layla: You're never behind.

Layla: Like, oh, I could literally talk for hours about that because I so strongly believe that in that I agree.

Layla: Like, you're always in the right place at the right time.

Brooke: Amen.

Layla: Even if you believe it or not in the moment.

Brooke: A woman.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: No, it's totally true, though.

Brooke: And I feel like just graduation and stuff really brings that side of thinking out.

Brooke: Like, you're just reflecting and.

Layla: And by the way, I'm not graduating.

Layla: It is.

Layla: It's a time of reflection.

Layla: I'm.

Layla: I.

Layla: Last night went to watch a few of our friends at their Studio 804 performance.

Layla: Lauren, who we've had on the podcast.

Brooke: Exactly.

Layla: And Katie shout out.

Layla: But I was just sitting there, like, reflecting on, like, the past year and how last year I went to the show.

Layla: I'm like, wow.

Layla: This year.

Layla: This year flew by.

Layla: Like, so much happens in a year.

Brooke: Like, from this last Studio 804 performance.

Brooke: And mind you, I didn't go to the Studio 8 or 4804 performance last night.

Brooke: But just the timing of it all.

Brooke: So much has happened since that last show.

Brooke: Like, that's crazy.

Layla: It's cray.

Brooke: Like, so much has happened.

Layla: Like, I can't.

Brooke: It's crazy how much your life can change in one year.

Layla: One year.

Mary: Blink of the eye.

Layla: Even in, like, Even in one.

Layla: I don't know.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Life changes so fast.

Layla: In one hour, one minute, one.

Brooke: One second, one millisecond, one nanosecond.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I Don't know.

Layla: Life is crazy, man.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: And if you don't stop.

Mary: What's that?

Layla: Ferris Bueller Clue.

Brooke: I was thinking that too, but I.

Mary: Couldn't think of the tip of my tongue.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: If you don't stop to enjoy it.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: Something that part.

Layla: If you don't stop and look around,.

Brooke: It's gonna pass you by.

Layla: You get it?

Layla: Don't act like you don't get it.

Brooke: Y' all know what we're trying to say.

Layla: You get the gist of it all.

Brooke: Go watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Brooke: What's it called?

Mary: Yeah, no, you got it.

Brooke: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: Go watch that.

Brooke: Get back to us on the quote.

Layla: Quickly and rate us 5 stars while you're at it.

Brooke: While you're at it.

Brooke: And comment and like.

Mary: And.

Brooke: And subscribe.

Brooke: Is that a thing for podcast?

Brooke: Oh, no, you totally can subscribe us.

Brooke: Tag us.

Brooke: Instagram activation.

Brooke: Concrete pod.

Brooke: So, yeah.

Mary: Yeah.

Brooke: Speaking of.

Brooke: Just like the podcast in general, I'm sorry that we've been.

Layla: This is our formal apology.

Brooke: I'm crying in front of the camera.

Layla: Like, this is coming off of a notes app.

Layla: You know those Notes app.

Layla: Apologies.

Brooke: Should we write something out and post it on?

Layla: Oh, my gosh, yes.

Layla: That's a good idea.

Brooke: We just genuinely have been so busy, and I don't even know because we.

Layla: Were busy last year, too, but it's a different kind.

Brooke: It's been ramped up.

Layla: Like, we're not just saying that.

Layla: Granted, I'm gonna play devil's advocate on the other.

Layla: On the other side.

Brooke: Play it.

Layla: We probably maybe could have found an hour and a half, you know, on a Saturday, but we have other things.

Layla: Like, we genuinely have been so busy, and also the semester has flown by.

Brooke: I literally feel like two seconds ago is New Year's Day.

Layla: Like, my birthday.

Layla: By the way, happy birthday.

Brooke: Right.

Brooke: Happy birthday, Layla.

Layla: Thank you.

Brooke: Her birthday is birthday.

Brooke: Happy birthday to you.

Layla: Happy birthday.

Layla: I don't know.

Layla: Oh, sorry for not posting.

Brooke: Sorry for being inactive.

Layla: Sorry.

Mary: Forgive you.

Brooke: Hey.

Layla: Oh, thank you.

Layla: That actually reminds me.

Layla: Mary has been wanting to come on the podcast.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: For decades.

Mary: Years before they even made a podcast.

Layla: I wanted to build this podcast.

Layla: Like, Yeah.

Brooke: I was thinking back, Mary, because.

Brooke: Because when me and Layla had founded.

Layla: This podcast,.

Brooke: Me and you had barely become friends yet.

Brooke: And I remember, like, when we had posted the first graphic to Instagram, you had reposted it to your story, and I was like.

Brooke: I don't know.

Brooke: It made me really feel special because you were including me in this story, and I looked up to you.

Layla: Oh.

Brooke: And I was just like, wow, she's posting me on her story.

Brooke: But, like, we didn't even know each other that well.

Layla: Was the first time you guys met at that football game?

Brooke: Yes.

Mary: Wait, which one?

Brooke: We had Bojangles at the tailgate, and.

Layla: Soph's sister Liv ate Bojangles for the first time.

Layla: Your dad was there.

Mary: Yes, I remember.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Wow.

Mary: But I vividly remember the date function that were all at.

Brooke: Yes.

Brooke: That was the.

Brooke: That was the groundbreaking moment in our friendship, Mary.

Mary: Yeah.

Mary: That's when I was like, I really want to be friends with Brooke.

Layla: That's.

Brooke: And I was trying.

Brooke: I was trying so hard.

Layla: Really?

Mary: I honestly thought, like, maybe I was scaring her off a little.

Brooke: Wait, what?

Layla: I literally don't remember, like, anything.

Brooke: I don't.

Layla: I feel like you just assimilated and so easily, like, I don't know.

Brooke: Thank you.

Layla: Do you feel that way?

Brooke: I do.

Brooke: Yeah.

Mary: I feel that way as well.

Layla: I feel like everyone just mashed so seamlessly.

Mary: Really did, I think, because we're all very.

Mary: We all have our similar quirks and humor.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Our funnies.

Brooke: My roommate.

Brooke: I had said something.

Brooke: I don't even remember what it was.

Brooke: It was probably, like, a TikTok audio or just, like, a reference to a meme or something.

Brooke: But my roommate last night looks at me and goes, brooke, I've never met anybody like you.

Brooke: And then a few seconds later, she goes, well, maybe Layla.

Layla: Oh, that is sweet.

Layla: That is too sweet.

Layla: Way.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: Who said that?

Brooke: Maddie.

Layla: Maddie.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: And mind you, I met Maddie through Layla, dude.

Brooke: But she was like, since y' all have gotten closer this semester or this year.

Layla: Huh?

Brooke: He knows you better, dude.

Layla: I love Maddie.

Layla: Shout out Maddie.

Brooke: Shout out all my roommates.

Brooke: Maddie, Sarah, who's studying abroad, and Kenna.

Layla: Gosh, love them all.

Layla: I feel like an honorary roommate.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Layla: Absolutely.

Mary: Wow.

Layla: That makes me feel loved.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: But it just.

Brooke: It really made me feel special because she thought it was so funny.

Layla: That is sweet.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: We all.

Layla: All, as in me, Mary, and Brooke and all of our friends, but I feel like us specifically have very similar humor.

Mary: True.

Layla: Also known as brain rot.

Layla: Like.

Layla: Like, it gets to a point.

Brooke: It gets to a point.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: You guys make me laugh.

Brooke: Say the thing that Carly said about.

Layla: Dude.

Layla: Harley.

Layla: Okay.

Layla: Carly's our other friend.

Layla: Shout out Carly and I. I'm gonna put it out there.

Layla: Okay.

Layla: I think 6, 7 is funny.

Brooke: It is.

Layla: It's objectively funny to me.

Layla: 6, 6, 7, 4.

Layla: Like, my professor said, it two times the other day.

Layla: Laughed both times, looked at me dead in the eye and said, that's something my daughter would laugh at.

Layla: I'm sorry.

Layla: It's funny.

Brooke: It's funny.

Layla: My total at Chipotle yesterday was $6 and 7 cents.

Mary: She would not stop talking about it.

Layla: It's so funny to me.

Layla: I'm sorry.

Layla: And basically was sitting outside and Carly was saying something about numbers and I made a comment of, I wish you would have said six, seven.

Layla: And our.

Layla: This, see, this is where it gets a little dicey.

Layla: It gets a little confusing.

Layla: But our other friend Ella was like, Carly, I'm surprised you didn't say six, seven.

Layla: And Carly says, straight face.

Layla: By the way.

Layla: I didn't say it because I'm sitting next to a 12 year old boy and points at me, dude, she got me good.

Brooke: She got.

Layla: She got me good.

Brooke: She got you there.

Layla: It's funny.

Brooke: And it wasn't a lie, by the way.

Layla: It wasn't.

Brooke: But hey, I. I'm in the same boat as you, dude.

Layla: So it's.

Layla: It's bad.

Layla: It is bad.

Layla: It's bad.

Brooke: It's funny, like funny.

Brooke: I don't understand why people don't think it's six.

Layla: Seven is genuinely funny to me.

Layla: I don't get it.

Layla: I literally don't get it.

Layla: It's so funny.

Layla: Oh, sorry.

Brooke: And it's been funny.

Layla: It has been.

Layla: It's funny.

Layla: It's funny.

Brooke: Oh, and the other day I had gone to my cousin's house for Easter and I don't know what were talking about, but like humor some.

Brooke: Something was funny and my cousin goes, yeah, Brooke is really funny.

Brooke: Every time I'm scrolling my reels, the ones that she likes are the always the funniest ones.

Brooke: Mind you, I am barely tapped into Instagram reels, but that did make my day because I am liking the funniest ones.

Layla: Do you remember that time I was a Instagram reels hater, by the way, I still kind of am.

Layla: Right.

Layla: And I think me and you had literally had a conversation about Instagram reels and how I didn't like it and I had ended up liking a AI like animal video on Instagram and Brooke screenshotted me liking it and sent it to me.

Layla: Do you remember that?

Mary: No.

Layla: I was scrolling through text the other day, I don't know why.

Layla: And it made me laugh out loud.

Brooke: Wow.

Layla: Yeah.

Brooke: Funny, funny, goofy.

Brooke: Are you.

Brooke: What do you think about reels versus Tick tock, Mary?

Mary: Oh, okay.

Mary: Well, there's been moments in my life where I'VE deleted Tick Tock for which reasons?

Mary: So then I'm forced to Instagram reel.

Mary: So like, honestly, it really depends on my mood.

Mary: Like there's like months where I go on Tick Tock and then months where I'm strictly Instagram reels.

Mary: And I know that's controversial, that is really controvers, but that's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.

Brooke: You know, you have the best of both worlds, I suppose.

Mary: Yeah, you really do.

Mary: And you know, they always make these comments that like, for TikTok, it's like, oh, well, if you're on Instagram reels, like you'll find out about trends like six months later.

Mary: Six to seven months later.

Layla: Right?

Layla: Six or seven months later.

Mary: But that's not true.

Mary: And I'm done with that thinking.

Brooke: I think it is a little bit true.

Layla: I couldn't tell you because I'm on TikTok, so I'm up to date.

Mary: Well, okay, I'm confused about how like Instagram reels work.

Mary: Like, I think people make them on.

Brooke: TikTok and they do so inherently.

Brooke: It's going to be a lot.

Brooke: It's going to be a lot because you can't open Instagram, press record and post a real.

Brooke: Maybe you can.

Mary: I think you can, but it's not like that big of a thing.

Brooke: And like the user Friendliness of TikTok is better.

Layla: Like no other platform has Tick Tock favors the creators.

Layla: You can literally get famous overnight.

Layla: And I could, guys, I could literally talk about it for hours.

Layla: But also with my internship, it's very interesting to see how like one video would perform on Tick Tock compared to like Instagram.

Brooke: And it's always better on Tick Tock or what?

Layla: Well, it depends on the video because like different audiences.

Layla: Because Tick Tock is normally like, I mean, Tick Tock is for everyone.

Layla: But specifically with my internship more focused on like 18 to 25 year old women and then Instagram is more like usually like older people.

Layla: Right.

Layla: So speaking of, get my mom off of Instagram and Facebook.

Layla: If you get a follow from someone named Kelly, don't accept it.

Brooke: Your mom had commented Sassy Fire emoji one of my Instagram posts and it really made my day.

Mary: I love that.

Brooke: It really made my day.

Brooke: Thank you, Ms. Mullen.

Layla: She posted on my TikTok in the comments something like sassy Girls, beautiful inside and out.

Brooke: I love it.

Mary: I love.

Brooke: That's such a nice thing to say.

Brooke: But speaking of demographics on Tik Tok and also speaking of teachers making TikToks.

Brooke: This just popped into my head the other day.

Brooke: I saw a Tick tock that was a teacher who made content not about teaching just outside of the classroom.

Brooke: And she was asked, how do you deal with it when students interact with your content or like DM you or whatever?

Brooke: And she was like, well, most of my students are like 10, 11, and you have to be 13 to have tick tock, so they shouldn't be on here anyways.

Brooke: So I just like choose not to engage.

Brooke: And she was like, especially if they DM me, I would never DM them back.

Brooke: But if they comment on a video and it's like, I miss you so much, then the teacher would say like, I hope you're doing great in middle school or something like that and leave it at that in the comments because it's public and I don't know.

Brooke: I thought she had a good take on it.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: What is your opinion, Mary?

Mary: I don't know.

Mary: I don't.

Mary: I don't think I would ever personally be like Instagram or Tick tock famous, but.

Brooke: Okay, suppose a situation you are and your students start reaching out.

Brooke: What would you do?

Mary: I don't know.

Layla: That's a difficult one.

Mary: Yeah.

Layla: Because it is like, they're allowed to, like, you can't.

Brooke: And that was her take.

Brooke: She was like, I can't really do anything to stop what they're consuming online.

Layla: And that's why parents should monitor what their kids do more closely.

Brooke: Absolutely.

Brooke: I think that.

Brooke: And I think we've touched on this podcast before, but it's crazy how much stuff is on there and how easily accessible it is to young children.

Brooke: And parents have got to get.

Brooke: Have got to like, learn that and monitor it more closely.

Layla: Like.

Layla: Yeah, I agree.

Layla: 100.

Layla: Do you ever worry about interacting with parents?

Mary: Yes,.

Layla: I just, it's so different from when, like, were in school.

Mary: I feel like it's just hard to, like, I don't know, it's just hard to talk to people in general.

Brooke: Yeah, that part.

Mary: Like, I don't know.

Mary: I think like, when you talk to them though, as if, I mean, I'm not a teacher yet, but I think when you talk to them more in a way where it's like, we both want what's best for your child.

Mary: Like, I feel like conversations are usually more productive with parents and more helpful.

Mary: Like, I think that's the mentality I'm gonna have.

Mary: Like, moving forward, talking to parents is like, I want what's best for your child.

Mary: You like, we're a Team, like, we're working together.

Layla: That's really true.

Mary: I think that's, like, the best way you can go about.

Mary: Because another thing that I've learned, like, throughout my time here at, like, NC State and in the College of Ed, and, like, when we've talked about how to communicate with parents, especially during difficult conversations, it's like.

Mary: Like, a lot of your parents don't have any experience in education.

Mary: Like, they don't know what certain things mean, and they don't know, like, the different processes.

Mary: So, like, actually informing them on that, I think is, like, more helpful than, I don't know, like, just being like, oh, well, you don't know what that means.

Mary: Like, okay.

Layla: I also think for parents, too, they forget sometimes that a teacher has 20 other students to take care of, and it's not just their student or their child that they're taking care of.

Layla: So I think, like you said, being a team because you both want team player.

Mary: Am I right?

Layla: This coach don't play.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Totally valid, though.

Mary: Yeah.

Brooke: Back.

Brooke: Speaking of not only having the one kid in the last episode of Abbott that I was watching, Janine, the teacher had 42 students in her classroom, and they were, like, in second grade.

Brooke: And I thought that was insane.

Layla: That is actually, I couldn't.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: But my fifth grade class, like, in my experience here in Wake county, like, the class sizes are pretty small in elementary school.

Mary: But I remember when I was in fifth grade and I'm from Charlotte, my fifth grade class, I'm, like, pretty sure had 40 kids.

Layla: Oh, my.

Layla: Crazy.

Mary: But I could maybe.

Mary: I'm remembering middle school.

Mary: I think middle school had 45.

Mary: I know.

Layla: Middle school.

Layla: Did you have, like, block classes, like, period?

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: But it was, like, a little bit different for me in eighth grade because, like, I had two teachers because I was in honors classes and I was with the same kids all day.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: And I had two teachers.

Mary: One that taught ELA in social studies, one that taught math and science.

Mary: We would switch, so.

Mary: But I was with the same group of kids all day, and I had the same two teachers all day, which is different than 6 and 7 grade because, like, we also had a change in principles.

Mary: So, like, things change.

Mary: But yeah, like, that was very different than high school and sixth, seventh grade.

Layla: Wow.

Brooke: Totally, totally.

Mary: I remember having a lot.

Layla: That's cray.

Brooke: That is a lot.

Mary: There was a time where there were 45 kids in my class.

Layla: Dude.

Layla: I literally can't.

Layla: I don't know how teachers do it.

Brooke: I shout out teachers.

Layla: I.

Layla: My patience.

Layla: Actually, you Know, I think I'm a very patient person for most things, but.

Brooke: Children isn't one of them.

Layla: Isn't one of them because I don't like being talked back to.

Layla: But I also think it goes back to, like, how I was raised.

Layla: Like, if I was.

Layla: If I talked back to my parents or someone in authority, I would.

Layla: Consequences would be severe.

Layla: So same.

Layla: But God bless you.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Thanks, Mary.

Brooke: Do you have anything else to say about your time in Kappa?

Brooke: Your time as an education major, your time at State?

Brooke: Anything?

Mary: Shoot.

Mary: Well, if you're thinking of, like, if you're listening to this podcast and you're not a student in C State, like, I completely recommend doing NC State.

Mary: And if you are a freshman who's unsure of where they are going to go, I.

Mary: Before I even came to NCJ and I applied to college, I was originally a psychology major and I.

Mary: My goal was to do educate or not educational psychology, but I was going to do childhood psychology.

Mary: And I decided to change.

Mary: And honestly, it is the best thing I did because if you're even thinking about it, like, I completely recommend doing elementary education.

Mary: And, like, obviously, like, you can always change, like, if you decide, you know, but just give it a shot.

Mary: Just give it a shot.

Mary: Try it out.

Layla: Do your research.

Layla: Yeah, I think especially with education, do your research.

Layla: Don't look at just TikTok and, like, all bad things that happen.

Mary: No, there's like, and you will come home tired some days from student teaching.

Mary: But it is all worth it.

Mary: Like, in the end, it is all worth it.

Mary: And, like, for me, was I tired every day?

Mary: Yes.

Mary: But I was also, like, so happy and so content with what I was doing and the.

Mary: And what.

Mary: How I was like, teaching kids.

Mary: Like, you feel so fulfilled and happy with what you're doing, even on your, like, rough days.

Mary: But I recommend doing elementary ed.

Mary: There is.

Mary: The program at State really is, like, the best program in the state.

Mary: It is a great program, and I'm very happy to be graduating in the College of Ed here at NC State.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: Big congratulations, man.

Mary: Yes.

Brooke: Congratulations.

Mary: And rush in Rush, y'.

Layla: All.

Layla: Yes.

Mary: Find your people, Ren home.

Brooke: And that's, like, cliche, but it's so true.

Layla: It's so true.

Layla: You'll find your people.

Layla: You just really have to put yourself out there.

Brooke: So true.

Mary: And in the College of Ed, like, College of Ed is small.

Mary: You're with the same group of people for a majority of your time here at State.

Mary: And it took me a while to find friends in elementary ed, but when I did like, they became, like, my closest friends.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: So I fully recommend, like, you know,.

Layla: Trying it out, try new things.

Mary: If you have an instinct where you're like, I want to work with kids.

Mary: I want to help kids learn and grow.

Mary: Just try it out.

Layla: Also, if you have any questions about.

Layla: We can redirect you to.

Layla: Redirect you to Mary.

Layla: Bet.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: Dm.

Brooke: Shout out your handle.

Mary: Email me.

Mary: My student email.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Just kidding.

Layla: Or on our Instagram.

Layla: Just reach out to us if it's recruitment, if it's other student organizations.

Layla: Like, that's the whole reason we started the pod, to get people involved.

Layla: So don't hesitate to reach out and.

Mary: You have any questions about elementary ed or special ed, because I'm.

Mary: I'm.

Mary: Dual licensure, just let me know.

Mary: Like, I can tell you about.

Mary: I can talk to you about, you know, licensure exams, because that was one thing I had to do this year.

Mary: Like, I mean, I. I can tell you how to study for them.

Mary: I can't really tell you, but I. I'm here.

Mary: Let a girl know.

Layla: Holla at your boy.

Brooke: Holla at you, boy.

Brooke: So should we close off with our thorn and rose?

Layla: Yeah, totally.

Brooke: Of the semester, honestly, because finals, baby.

Brooke: Coming up.

Layla: Hey, yo.

Layla: Hey, y'.

Mary: All.

Layla: Do you.

Brooke: You don't have many finals, Mary, do you?

Mary: No, I just have a project I have to present.

Layla: Wow.

Mary: Wow, indeed.

Mary: But, yeah, I luckily don't have any finals.

Mary: My finals, I think, was like, student teaching.

Layla: So that's enough.

Brooke: That is enough low key.

Layla: Yeah, that's a lot.

Layla: You can go first, Brooke.

Brooke: Okay, let's see.

Brooke: My thorn of the semester.

Brooke: My thorn of the semester was that I took a really hard class and I actually have to finish taking over the summer.

Brooke: And so that's my thorn of the semester.

Brooke: It just really made me feel defeated and it made me feel stupid, which is not true, but that's how it made me feel.

Brooke: And so it was just a really big low point of the semester for me.

Brooke: But if y' all ever have to take a W, it's not that big of a deal.

Mary: It's not.

Brooke: It's really not that big of a deal, so.

Mary: And you are not stupid.

Mary: Like, you're one of the smartest people I know.

Layla: Same.

Layla: It's.

Mary: It's crazy that, like, everybody has to take an L at some point, and that's okay.

Layla: And two L's make a W. Make.

Brooke: A W. They do.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: And I know that it's not true, but that's just how I was feeling in the Moment.

Brooke: Hitting W. Hitting that on enrollment wizard shout out.

Brooke: But yeah, that was my low for.

Layla: The semester, for sure.

Brooke: My high for the semester, I think is just all the times I've spent with the people that I love.

Brooke: Like, that's cliche, but all the good.

Brooke: We made so many good memories we had.

Mary: We did.

Mary: And I think that's the hardest part for me about graduating is like, being like, I want to make more memories.

Brooke: Yeah.

Layla: Which we will.

Layla: They'll just be different.

Mary: Yeah, it'll just be different.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: It'll be fantastic, though.

Layla: Yeah, I will.

Layla: Layla, my thorn of the semester.

Layla: I don't know.

Layla: Maybe.

Layla: Maybe I really was coming back from winter break thinking I was going to be unrecognizable.

Layla: That was my word for the year.

Layla: And I wish I would have gone to the gym more.

Layla: I only went a handful of times, but granted, I did, like, go on walks more and things like that, but absolutely, I wish I would have utilized Carmichael a little bit more.

Brooke: I really need to tap back into the dance classes.

Brooke: Yeah.

Brooke: But another thing about this semester, you guys, I had a 6:00pm class.

Mary: Yeah.

Brooke: Six to seven.

Layla: Well, 15:00pm I also had night classes,.

Brooke: So I couldn't be at hip hop like I wanted to be.

Layla: Yeah, we've got to tap back into that for sure.

Mary: I finish it next week, like at post.

Layla: Like, dude.

Brooke: Right.

Layla: Don't.

Layla: Don't play finals.

Mary: But I don't.

Mary: So.

Mary: Right.

Brooke: So it's really fun.

Layla: And then my rose of the semester.

Layla: Cliche, but probably just the memories and like, I don't know, gone through a lot this year.

Layla: So.

Layla: Yeah, just I'm feeling more like an adult as the days and weeks progress.

Layla: Just good.

Layla: Handling situations that happen.

Layla: Communicating.

Brooke: Standing on business.

Layla: Standing on business.

Brooke: Shout out Vivocella.

Layla: By the way, that part.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I feel like just growing socially knowing to like, knowing my boundaries and things like that.

Layla: So thank you guys for that too, because you guys were helpful in that.

Layla: Wow.

Mary: Thank you.

Layla: Wow, that's sweet.

Layla: Mary, do you want to give your thorn and rose shoot?

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Okay.

Mary: I need to think, like, I think my thorn was.

Mary: I think my thorn was just like giving myself a little grace, a little time.

Mary: I think I was very.

Mary: I don't really know the word for it.

Mary: Like, I just had a lot going on this semester and it was kind of like a juggling act because I wanted to, like, do well in my student teaching.

Mary: But I also didn't want to, like, not see my friends at all.

Mary: So I think I was just like, so worried about both that I Sometimes didn't give myself a little grace or things like that when I couldn't, like, do certain things.

Mary: So, like, time management and stuff like that.

Mary: But it was chill.

Layla: Yeah.

Layla: I think you did a good job.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Okay.

Mary: That's good.

Mary: That's good.

Layla: Yeah.

Mary: Like, I don't know.

Mary: But my rose.

Mary: What is my rose?

Mary: Oh, okay.

Mary: My rose is, like, spending, like, any second I had, like, with my friends.

Mary: Honestly, like, because I really wanted senior year.

Mary: Like, I had such a good semester last semester.

Mary: Like, I got to see my friends all the time.

Mary: And, like, I was doing good in my classes and all that.

Mary: And I had a lot more free time than I did this semester.

Mary: But I would say my rose was just getting to spend, like, any moment I could, like, with y', all, like, with my friends.

Mary: And then also getting to experience student teaching was also a really good experience that I will cherish forever.

Layla: A highlight of my senior year.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: Wow.

Layla: Well, yeah.

Brooke: I love.

Brooke: I love these roses, you guys.

Brooke: It really warms my heart.

Mary: Same.

Layla: Well, congrats, Mary.

Brooke: Yes.

Brooke: Congratulations.

Layla: You're going to go off and do great things.

Mary: Let's hope so.

Brooke: You're gonna go far.

Brooke: That song by Noah Khan.

Layla: Oh, that's a good one.

Brooke: Mary, if you don't have anything else to add, I think that we're good.

Brooke: Thank you so much for coming on the pod.

Mary: Thank you so much for having me.

Mary: I had the best time ever.

Layla: Well, I'm glad we could finally do this.

Brooke: And same.

Mary: Been a long time coming.

Layla: It has.

Brooke: Long time.

Layla: But, guys, keep out a lookout for our next episodes.

Layla: We'll be back next semester, next fall.

Mary: Wow.

Brooke: In the fall.

Layla: Have a happy summer.

Brooke: Happy summer.

Brooke: Wish I could sign everybody's yearbook.

Brooke: Hags, ttyl, all the things.

Layla: Bye, guys.

Brooke: I will catch you guys on the flip.

Brooke: Bye.

Mary: Bye.