The First Gen Madrina
The First Gen Madrina Podcast is a podcast for first-generation students, professionals, and cycle-breakers who are navigating life without a blueprint. Hosted by social worker, coach, and The First Gen Madrina Sara, this podcast explores the real conversations we were never taught to have about mental health, money, and navigating systems while building a life that feels aligned and sustainable.
Each episode blends honest storytelling, practical tools, and culturally responsive insights to help you break generational cycles, overcome imposter syndrome, heal burnout, and redefine success on your own terms. Whether we’re unpacking mental wellness, financial empowerment, career growth, or the in-between moments of becoming, you’ll find guidance rooted in compassion, community, and accountability.
The First Gen Madrina
E-51 Mental Health as a First Gen: Amina's Journey
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Dear First Gens,
In this episode, host Sara Diaz welcomes Amina Mostafa to a new episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast! This gives us a brand new episode for this month's theme, Mental Health as a First Gen!
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Amina was the first her family to be born in the United States. The daughter of Egyptian immigrants, she is the oldest of five and the first to pursue and earn a bachelor’s degree in her family. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from New Jersey City University, demonstrating her early commitment to the field of psychology and her desire to understand the human mind. Her academic journey continued with the pursuit of a master's degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from William Paterson University of New Jersey. She is a founding board member of Generation Fearless, a non-profit organization centered around supporting first-generation women navigating all stages of their lives through education and empowerment. Amina works as a higher education administrator, where she primarily focuses on supporting marginalized students, many of whom are first-generation. She is a Licensed Associate Counselor in New Jersey. She is a mother of two littles with loads of energy. And she is currently a doctoral student at Kean University’s PhD in Counseling and Supervision program.
As a disclaimer, these episodes can be triggering for some individuals that are struggling with mental health concerns. Although Sara is a social worker, these episodes are meant to educate and bring awareness to mental health challenges that we may experience, especially as first gens. She will not be providing any diagnoses. She will only be sharing her personal experience.
For additional support, please reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness at 1-800-950-6264. If this is an emergency, please call 911. Please know that there is help out there for you, and you do not have to navigate this alone.
Visit thefirstgenmadrina.com for the blog and additional resources. Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected. The First Gen Madrina is here to guide you through 2024 and beyond. Also, follow me on instagram and LinkedIn @thefirstgenmadrina and Sara Diaz, LCSW.
Standing in Solidarity With You This May,
Sara, The First Gen Madrina