The Making of a Scholar: Dr. Charity Brown Griffin on Mentors, Money, and Finding Your Path

Thinking about grad school but not sure where to start? In this episode, Brianna and Malitsitso sit down with Dr. Charity Brown Griffin, an associate professor of psychological sciences at Winston-Salem State University, school psychologist, researcher, and textbook author who centers the experiences of Black youth.Dr. Griffin shares how she pivoted from a pre-med biology track at UNC Chapel Hill to psychology, found her passion in research, and learned she could go straight into a PhD program after undergrad. She talks about why funding mattered in choosing a program, how she intentionally sought out a Black woman mentor, and what it was like being the only Black student in her cohort while still finishing “on time.”She also offers real talk on anxiety, perfectionism, and the reminder from her mentor that “the best dissertation is a defended one.” If you’re considering grad school, especially as a Black student or first-gen scholar, this episode gives you insight, reassurance, and the message that you really will be all right.