Three alumni held a screening and launch party for Uncharted Paths, a podcast created by three alumni in partnership with HW Media, in Ahmanson Lecture Hall on Dec. 8. The event included a documentary about creating the first season of the Uncharted Paths podcast and a brief question and answer session with a panel consisting of guests featured in the first season.
Created by Missy Fine Lafrance ’02, Kristin Wald ’02 and Lindsey Kimura ’03, the podcast aims to highlight alumni who chose to follow their dreams rather than conforming to a more conventional career track after graduation.
Lafrance runs a company named “Missy Fine Inc.” which is known for their event styling and decorations for corporate events, weddings and intimate soirees. Wald is a life, career and relationship coach who encourages individuals to achieve a balanced work and personal life. Kimura is a personal guide and a business consultant. She helps leaders connect with themselves and founders grow their businesses.
Kimura said the podcast was made to explore the diverse career paths taken by alumni.
“We’ve each listened to the whispers of our intuition charting our own unique pasts, and, through our vision, we built a platform to amplify voices that inspire challenge and uplift,” Kimura said. “Our guests this season have taken the road less traveled, sharing stories of triumph and vulnerability.”
After a documentary screening of clips from the first season of the podcast, the podcast guests and hosts were given an opportunity to answer questions from the audience and share their insights.
When asked about the moments that made him keep working for his dream, entertainer, producer and designer Matthew Krumpe ’08, one of the guests featured in the podcast, said that the small interactions with others were the most motivating for him.
“I think the connections we have in life, like your friends, or that one teacher that talks to you or a stranger at the supermarket that acknowledged your presence actually matter a lot more than people give credit for,” Krumpe said.
Wald said she is looking forward to expanding the podcast’s outreach to more people.
“We want to get this message to as many students and most importantly parents,” Wald said. “We’d also love to take this to other private high schools around Los Angeles and eventually to universities, but the goal is to have as many people hear that your path matters, even if it doesn’t follow convention.”
