As women of color, we are often told that we need to be twice as good to go half as far, but do we need Master’s degrees to be successful? When you factor in the costs ($80,000 for a moderately ranked 2-year program and more than $100,000 for top 2-year programs) compared to the increase in salary (only 10-15% for human services; 25% on average and 60-150%+ for top MBA programs), is the input worth the output? Even if we decide with a resounding, “Yes,” that it is, we must also ask: ‘how do we make the most of this investment?   To answer our questions and ensure that we make the most out of our very expensive academic situations, Syd is sitting down with Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu,  a Chicana mother-scholar, author, academic, host of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast and academic coach. She focuses her scholarship and coaching on empowering first-generation students of color as they navigate higher education. After working in higher education for over ten years, she transitioned out and relocated her little familia from California to Portugal.   Want to connect with Dra. Martinez-Vu? •Visit her website: www.gradschoolfemtoring.com •Follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gradschoolfemtoring/ •Follow her on FB: https://www.facebook.com/gradschoolfemtoring/ •Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gradfemtoring   Tune in to the Sugar Free Podcast everywhere podcasts are available: •Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the-sugar.../id1573862487 •Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/.../aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3VnYXJmc... •Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0G7127VhGnhnD36X0t72gm •Amazon/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/.../ebc55.../THE-SUGAR-FREE-PODCAST   ADVERTISEMENTS: Shop with The Sugar Free Podcast advertisers: The Lip Bar – Want lipsticks that pop on EVERY shade of black and brown? Enjoy 10% off at The Lip Bar when you click this link https://thelipbar.com/pages/_go_?ref=4474:355417&discount=SugarFree&utm_source=Affiliates&utm_medium=Homepage or use code SugarFree at checkout. Formally Forms– Need contract templates and forms for your business? Visit www.formallyforms.com for easy-to-use contract templates and forms for your business. Use code: SUGAR to receive 20% off your next purchase Building Bread—Want to start investing in the stock market? Purchase the Investor’s Toolkit by clicking this link: https://buildingbread.thinkific.com/courses/the-investor-s-toolkit?ref=85305c AND this link will also get you 25% off your purchase.