In any room, Chelsea Tano is inspiring and dedicated. A junior studying psychology, Tano can’t only be admired for her academic life, but also for the contributions she makes to Ohio University and the community.
Tano is the creative director for Ebony Minds, an organization that empowers Black women on campus, and is also on the executive board of the African Student Association Undergraduate Chapter, or ASA-UC. What Tano wants to pursue after college is similar to her involvement in Ebony Minds and the ASA-UC. But before Tano became a psychology major to follow this dream, she was studying business management.
“I just went in and I chose something, I was just going to go with it,” Tano said. “And then for my minor, I really like politics and any social justice issue, so I just wanted to get into that. But then, I was like, psychology seems more in my alley. I definitely like to learn about what goes on in the human brain.”
She then decided she wants to get her Ph.D. so she can teach psychology and be a counselor. Tano is also minoring in African American studies because she has plans to specialize in mental health in Black communities across the United States.
“So I was like, let me just put the two together,” Tano said.
Tano has passions for learning new ideas while also sharing them with others. This trait of hers is what makes Tano’s newest project perfect for her and a new adventure similar to one she had always thought of starting.
Prior to starting her new and upcoming project, Tano had always wanted to start an active YouTube channel. While having a channel, she never posted any videos because of how much time can go into editing the videos.
“It was so time consuming with the schedule that I have because I’m a full-time student,” Tano said. “And I was trying to do all that, and even though I enjoyed it, I still wanted to finish.”
While a YouTube channel was a little too much to handle for a first media project, Tano thought it would be more manageable to start a podcast series. Out of this idea, Tano’s new podcast, "All on the Table," was born.
Tano said she started working on her podcast almost immediately after coming up with the plan.
“I had seen something and it was like, ‘Why are you waiting until tomorrow to start?'” Tano said. “'Why don’t you just start today?' I was like, ‘That’s a great question.'”
"All on the Table,“ Tano said, is supposed to be something for everyone to connect with. Since Tano’s podcast is new, she said any critiques and suggestions from listeners are welcome. Tano wants her podcast to reach a large audience with a variety of listeners.
The podcast, according to Tano, will have different segments depending on the episode. One segment will be called “So Let Me Tell You,” where Tano will give advice on different topics. Tano said listeners will be able to send her any problems they want advice on and she will respond to them. Another segment will consist of Tano sharing good news of the week or day. An aspect of podcasts that Tano wants to prioritize in her series is the interactive ability this form of media can have.
“I told myself I wanted to utilize the public — I want it to be interactive,” Tano said. “I’ll have guests on there. I’ll have everyone … We’re all on the table. I feel like you can talk about everything.”
The first episode of "All on the Table" is set to be released on May 5. People can tune in on Spotify and Apple Music, where Tano will give an introduction of what the podcast is and what people can expect for future episodes. After the first episode comes out, Tano plans to release new episodes every Friday at noon.
Tano’s podcast is meant to be relatable to people because it’s for everyone. Tano will record her podcast over the summer in her room, which is a place people find comfort in themselves. All of the steps Tano is taking to create "All on the Table" are so people can react to her new series and find a piece of themselves and what they care about in Tano’s voice.
“I’m just excited to get started,” Tano said. “I just want it to be out there so people can tell me what they like and what they don't because the podcast is basically for the people. It wouldn’t be anything without the people because most of the content is going to be from the audience.”
