Welcome to the Buy Yourself Flowers Project Podcast with a simple goal of creating a safe space where we can learn, heal, and grow together, one conversation at a time.
The BYF Trailer – Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee, Sabrina Kanli
In this short intro episode, we share the story behind Buy Yourself Flowersâa student-led project designed to create a safe space for teenagers to connect and feel less alone in their mental health journey. Join us as we explain our goals for the project and what you can expect in future episodes of the Buy Yourself Flowers Podcast.
EP1: We Need To Talk About Burnout – Kelly McKeown, Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee
What even is burnout? With exam season in full swing, academic burnout is hitting harder than ever. In our first episode, we shine a light on the symptoms, talk about prevention and planning for the future, and explore what to do if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Joining us is Miss Kelly McKeown, school counsellor at The Harker School in San Jose, who shares practical strategies and compassionate insight onto managing academic pressure and burnout.
EP2: We Need to Rethink the Schooling System ft. Challenge Success – Kim Cawkwell, Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we chat with Kim Cawkwell, Program Director at Challenge Success – a Stanford-affiliated initiative helping schools rethink what success really means. We talk about student mental health, school community, and how their âPDF Frameworkâ supports balance and engagement. Whether youâre a student, educator, or just curious about education reform, this oneâs worth a listen.
EP3: We Need to Discuss the Intersection Between Mental Health and Impact Leadership– Kellie McElhaney, Aanya Mukherjee
In this episode, Aanya talks with Kellie McElhaney â founder of UC Berkeleyâs Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership â about how mental health shapes the way we lead and care for others. They discuss her path to creating the center, raising two teenage daughters, and how leaders can make workplaces and communities feel supportive, fair, and welcoming for everyone.
EP4: We Need to Talk About Adolescent Development and its Effect on Parental Relationships – Dhara Meghani, Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we talk with Dhara Meghani – clinical psychologist and professor at the University of San Francisco – about what happens developmentally during adolescence and how parents can help their kids mental-health wise through their teenage years.
EP5: We Need to Talk About Cyber Security for Teens – Ria Sethi, Aanya Mukherjee
In this episode, Aanya sits down with Cyber For Youth founder Ria Sethi to talk about what motivated her to take on cyberbullying, the real challenges teens face online, and the simple habits that can help protect our mental health. They get into everything from supportive (but not controlling) parenting to the role of upstanders, and how teen-driven projects like The BYF Project and Cyber For Youth can spark the kind of change adults often miss.
EP6: We Need to Discuss how Innovation Shapes Mental Wellbeing in Adolescence – Madhavan Vinod, Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we talk with Madhavan Vinod, founder of Entrevamp, about how innovation, design thinking, and omnidisciplinary thinking can help teens manage stress, build confidence, and find purpose beyond grades or competition. We explore how starting a project, thinking across disciplines, and prototyping new habits can strengthen emotional resilience and improve mental wellbeing. Disclaimer: This conversation shares personal experiences and educational ideas and does not replace professional mental-health advice.
EP7: We Need to Talk about how Affective Atmospheres Shape Online Youth Culture – Kim R Sylwander, Isaure Pajot
In our seventh episode, Isaure speaks with Dr Kim Sylwander, a postdoctoral researcher at the London School of Economics in the Department of Media and Communications, about what affective atmospheres can reveal about online youth culture. The conversation traces Dr Sylwanderâs academic path into this field and explores how everyday digital practices sustain sexualised and gendered aggression online. Together, they unpack how young people experience and navigate online aggression, the role of platform affordances such as algorithms, anonymity, and comment sections in shaping collective feelings online, and what future research might focus on to better understand youth cultures in increasingly mediated social spaces.
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