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Uzi failed her freshman year of college. Perfectionism, anxiety, and a transition she wasn't prepared for knocked her down hard. Seven years later she was standing in the White House advocating for 988 mental health resources to be placed on ID cards nationwide.

In this episode of Rated Gen Z, Uzi shares the full journey — from that difficult first year to becoming a mental health advocate with Active Minds, winning a national competition, and recently discovering a 48-generation ancestral lineage from Saudi Arabia that suddenly explained everything about why she's always been called to help people.

We also get into the personal stuff — her upcoming wedding, how her fiancé makes space for her advocacy work, why therapy and boundaries are non-negotiable, and how she's managing to write a book on top of everything else.

Uzi's story is about what happens when you stop seeing your struggles as failures and start seeing them as the foundation for everything you're meant to build.

Rated Gen Z is hosted by Raquel Borras — documentary filmmaker, youth advocate, and founder of Raqvision LLC.

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Kiki Whitman grew up in a rural town of 4,000 people near Bakersfield, California — where the median household income is $26,000 a year and most kids have never heard the words "dual enrollment." She made it to UC Berkeley. And now she's building something to make sure more kids like her get the same shot.

In this episode Kiki shares the story behind OPAL, a student-led nonprofit she founded just four months ago with two flagship programs already in motion — the Opal Impact Challenge across UC campuses and the Rural Fellows Program connecting college students with rural middle schoolers starting in eighth grade. Every decision at OPAL gets approved by a student board first. Because the students aren't just the mission. They're running it.

We also get into the bigger picture — the urban-rural divide that California pretends doesn't exist, why Gen Z is done fitting into corporate molds, how the shrinking middle class is creating unexpected common ground across political lines, and why this generation doesn't want extreme happiness. Just connection, community, and a little contentment.

Kiki didn't leave her hometown behind. She went back for it.

Rated Gen Z is hosted by Raquel Borras — documentary filmmaker, youth advocate, and founder of Raqvision LLC.

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Freshman year at UCLA, Tavian spent his weekends alone in the dorms. By senior year, 58 people showed up to celebrate his birthday.

What happened in between is the story of this episode.

Tavian just graduated from UCLA and is heading to JPMorgan Chase as a global finance and business management analyst — but he's also a filmmaker with two short films, a former Daily Bruin journalist, and someone actively working toward his pilot's license. He contains multitudes.

In this conversation we get into what it really feels like to graduate — not just the excitement, but the grief of leaving behind a version of yourself that only existed in that chapter. We talk about studying abroad in London as the turning point that cracked open his social anxiety, his very intentional strategy for maintaining friendships after moving across the country, and what growing up actually looks like when the structure of school suddenly disappears.

This is one of the most honest conversations about the college-to-adulthood transition I've had on this podcast. And if you've ever felt like you were on the outside looking in — this one's for you.

Rated Gen Z is hosted by Raquel Borras — documentary filmmaker, youth advocate, and founder of Raqvision LLC.

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Bryce Foyabo was in a middle school play when it happened — he made the audience smile, and he felt it. That was the moment he knew.

Now 23 and studying theater arts at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Bryce is doing the work to turn that feeling into a career. In this episode we talk about what it really looks like to pursue acting as a Gen Z artist — the demanding classes, performing in a dance touring ensemble, studying heroes and anti-heroes, and trying to figure out how to break into an industry that doesn't make it easy.

We also get into the stuff that doesn't always make it into the highlight reel — COVID stealing his high school milestones, the push and pull of wanting more independence, and what it means to keep going when the path isn't always clear.

Bryce doesn't have it all figured out. But he knows what makes him come alive. And honestly? That's a great place to start.

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Danielle just graduated from UCLA's nursing program, with her sights set on becoming a psychiatric nurse. But her path into mental health work became deeply personal last year, when she lost her best friend to suicide — someone who was deeply loved across the entire UCLA campus.

Instead of letting that loss go unspoken, Danielle helped organize a mental health event in his honor that drew hundreds of attendees. She's now part of UCLA's newly formed youth suicide prevention committee, and her work with NAMI earned her their Youth Leadership Award.

In this conversation, Danielle and I talk about what real change in the mental health space actually looks like — not just awareness campaigns, but action. We get into the idea of "smiling depression," why Gen Z is one of the most honest generations when it comes to talking about how they really feel, and what it means to truly hold space for someone when you ask "how are you doing?"

Danielle's biggest message: check in on the people you love. Really check in. You might not know what it could mean to them.

Rated Gen Z is hosted by Raquel Borras — documentary filmmaker, youth advocate, and founder of Raqvision LLC.

⚠️ This episode discusses suicide loss and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text.

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Sean is back. You might remember him from last year's episode.

Sean has been vocal about red pill culture and toxic masculinity, and in this episode he gets completely honest about it. He was that guy. The one who bought into the alpha male mentality, who had damaging views about women, and who chased money and status thinking it would make him happy. It didn't.

Now he's doing the work. He talks openly about what pulled him into that world, what it cost him, and what finally made him walk away. He's not here to lecture anyone — he's here because he knows there are young men right now sitting in the same algorithm he was trapped in, and he wants them to actually see it for what it is.

This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on Rated Gen Z. And honestly, it might be one of the most important ones too.

Rated Gen Z is hosted by Raquel Borras — documentary filmmaker, youth advocate, and founder of Raqvision LLC.

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This week on Rated Gen Z, Raquel sits down with 18-year-old changemaker Siri, founder of SmilesThruArt and recent creator of a web app bringing art therapy to children’s hospitals. Together, they dig into the real impact of art on mental health, the highs and lows of social media, and why Gen Z is rewriting the rules on connection, college life, and creativity. Tune in for raw stories, practical insights, and proof that there’s way more to Gen Z than TikTok trends!

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On this episode of Rated Gen Z, Raquel reconnects with Najuka, a 23-year-old healer, life coach, poet, and aspiring novelist based in Mumbai. They discuss Najuka’s unique journey from data analyst to life coach, her experiences helping clients address root issues through life coaching, akashic readings, and numerology, and the increasing openness among Gen Z in India to explore mental health and spirituality beyond traditional career paths.

The conversation explores the intersection of science and spirituality, the importance of addressing inner blockages to unlock abundance, and practical insights for young people striving for self-improvement and deeper fulfillment. Najuka shares stories of intuitive connection with others, the value of observing one’s own thoughts, and advice for those seeking to reprogram old patterns. The episode closes with reflections on compassion, interconnectedness, and embracing both scientific and spiritual ways of understanding the world—and a simple daily practice to spark self-awareness and positive change.

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