EPISODE 1: The Power of a Liberal Arts Education

Inspired Conversations with Change Makers in Higher Education

Tune in to this powerful conversation with Economics Professor (Jesse Mora) and Alumna (Andrea Cova-Bernal) about Occidental College and why we believe liberal arts colleges are such a transformative places to earn your degree. During the interview, you'll hear our stories, as well as gain insight about what it's like to attend a liberal arts & science institution.

Guest Bios:

Professor Jesse Mora is a first-generation economics professor with a remarkable personal story. He was raised in Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine, speaking only Spanish. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new country and culture, he excelled academically and went on to attend a liberal arts college where he double majored in economics and International Relations.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Professor Mora spent over two years in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in a rural town in Mozambique. This experience deeply impacted him and shaped his perspective on global development issues. Following his time in the Peace Corps, Professor Mora earned a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and worked in Washington DC at the Inter-American Development Bank and the U.S. International Trade Commission. He then pursued a PhD in Economics from UC Santa Cruz.

At Occidental College, Professor Mora is known for his innovative teaching style and his expertise in international trade and economic development. He has also gained some notoriety for his "unhealthy obsession" with shipping containers and an active TikTok account. Despite his eclectic hobbies, Professor Mora remains a respected scholar and mentor to many students.

Andrea Cova-Bernal (Oxy Class of 2008) is a proud graduate of Occidental College where she credits her amazing professors for introducing her to the world of social justice and education. During her time at Oxy, she served as the director for a women's empowerment program called WYSE (Women and Youth Supporting Each Other). She was also a member of MechaALAS (now called Latinx Student Union), did research in Costa Rica as Richter Grant recipient, and was a co-recipient of the Mortal Board Award for the Promotion of the Status of Women.

Andrea formally began her career in College Access in 2009. Since then, she has worked for several non-profit organizations, helping them create, build, and grow sustainable College Access, Scholarship, and Alumni programs. Some of those non-profit organizations include Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Southern California College Access Network (SoCal CAN), New Village Girl's Academy, and College Bound Today.

Andrea is extremely honored to work for College Match Los Angeles as the High School Program Director. She also works with a cohort of students each year as their college access counselor and was the host of The College Match Podcast, where she thoroughly enjoyed sharing a glimpse of CMLA students' incredible stories.

Andrea is a Venezuelan American originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She earned a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne in 2015. She believes in the power of storytelling, so she recently started Inspired Conversations, which is a space for amazing change-makers in higher education to share their personal journey and inspire others.