Are you thinking about graduate school, but worried about a few bumps in your academic or personal past? This week’s episode of "Victors in Grad School," hosted by Dr. Christopher Lewis, is one you can’t afford to miss. Joined by legal experts Susan Stone and Kristina Supler, co-chairs of KJK's Student & Athlete Defense and Title IX Practice Group, the conversation centers around one of the most overlooked—but crucial—aspects of grad school admissions: how to handle disclosures of disciplinary or legal issues, and how to demonstrate personal growth.

Facing the Application Questions Head-On

Many prospective grad students feel anxiety when applications prompt disclosure of past academic or criminal incidents. Susan and Kristina stress the importance of honesty—reading each prompt carefully and responding truthfully, without oversharing. As Susan puts it, "Answer the prompt, but you don’t have to gut yourself." If more information is needed, universities will ask. Ultimately, omitting required information can be far worse than taking ownership of a past mistake.

Lessons in Reflection and Preparedness

The episode delves into the power of self-reflection—not just when answering tough application questions, but also when making decisions about when and why to pursue graduate school. Both Susan and Kristina share insights from their own paths and from those of Susan’s children, who benefited from working and reflecting before diving into advanced studies. That pause, they say, can help students make more thoughtful—and ultimately more successful—academic choices.

Law School, AI, and the Changing Landscape

The advent of AI tools has streamlined research and writing, but Susan and Kristina caution against letting technology replace critical thinking and big-picture analysis, especially for those considering law as a career. Law school, they emphasize, is about so much more than memorization: it’s mental chess, requiring creativity, analysis, and adaptability.

Growth, Redemption, and Moving Forward

Perhaps the most compelling message of the episode is one of hope. A mistake in your past doesn’t define you forever—what matters is how you move forward. Take steps to show growth connected to the issue, stay out of trouble, and be ready to talk authentically about your journey. Colleges and licensing boards are often open to stories of redemption and resilience.

If you’re plotting your path to graduate school—or helping someone who is—this episode is packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and encouraging reminders that your journey, no matter how winding, can still lead to success.

Tune in to hear more insights from Susan Stone and Kristina Supler—and take your grad school journey with confidence!

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]: Welcome to Victor's in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]: Welcome back to Victor's in Grad School. I'm your host, doctor Christopher Lewis, director of Graduate Programs at the University of Michigan, Flint. Really excited that you're back with us this week. And every week we are on a journey together. I call it a journey because it truly is. No matter if you're going to business school, law school, med school, doesn't matter, you have made a decision that you want to go to graduate school and no matter where you're gonna be going, it's going to take time, it's gonna take effort, it's gonna take perseverance to get through. And I'm not saying that to scare you away. I'm telling you that because there are things that you can do right now and things that you can do as you go through graduate school to prepare you for that journey that you're going to be on.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:58]: And that's why this show exists. Every week, I love being able to bring you different people with different experiences that can give you some different resources and some some hints, some tips, some things to put in your own toolbox to help you on that journey. And today, we've got two great guests with us. Susan Stone and Christina Supler are with us, and they are the co chairs of KJK's Student and Athlete Defense Title IX Practice Group. This is a group that's dedicated to support students in crisis and addressing their legal needs. And this is a topic that we haven't really talked about. We haven't talked about as you're going into applying to graduate school, many times on the application, you're going to see questions that'll ask you if you've had any criminal charges that you've had in the past, and you have to disclose those things to be able to be able to apply. And sometimes that scares people.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:57]: And we'll talk about some of that today. And we'll also talk about Susan and Christina's own journey in going to graduate school themselves. But I'm really excited to have Susan and Christina here. Susan, Christina, thanks so much for being here today.

Susan Stone [00:02:12]: Thanks for having us.

Kristina Supler [00:02:14]: Thank you.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:15]: Well, I'm really excited to have you here. As I said, we haven't really talked about this topic before. But before we jump into that topic, on the legal side, I love getting to know both of you a little bit more in regards to the journey that you went on because both of you are lawyers and you went through graduate school. And I guess for you, as you were considering and thinking, take me back to that point where you said to yourself, I wanna go to graduate school. What was the reason and what made you to make that decision that you wanted to take that next step?

Kristina Supler [00:02:48]: Well, I am one of those bizarre, peculiar people who, as a child, knew exactly what I wanted to do, and then I actually did it. So your question, Chris, takes me back to my childhood. I think about being a student in fourth grade at Notre Dame Elementary School, and we had a career project. We had to do a report on what do you wanna be when you grow up. And I said, mom, dad, I wanna be a lawyer. And so my mother connected me with a real estate lawyer, which is kind of funny because, of course, I don't do anything in that realm. But did a project, did some interviews, learned more about what it is to be a lawyer. And fast forward, went through undergrad at Boston University where I obtained a degree in European history, highly useful, drawn my degree every day in my life, and then ultimately obtained my law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Kristina Supler [00:03:39]: So I love what I do, and I'm happy to be here today to talk about what we do. What about you, Susan?

Susan Stone [00:03:44]: I'm gonna be a lawyer and answer but not answer, Chris, because I am attending my daughter's graduation from Wharton where she's getting her MBA, and I also have a son at MBA school at Cornell. I am reflecting because it's graduation time on the choices they made versus the choice I made and what advice I would give to people. I also have the same story as Christina, so I won't bore you with that. Always wanted to be a lawyer, went straight through. But I see through my two adult children that both of them took time after undergrad and worked and reflected before they went into graduate school, and I really think that was the smarter decision. It is every parent's hope that we raise kids smarter than ourselves, and I achieved that goal because while I love being a lawyer, I love it because I created a niche that worked for me. But if given a couple years to muse and think, maybe I would have considered other options. I was just so strong in the narrative that I should be a lawyer.

Susan Stone [00:04:54]: Whereas I see that my children took more time, worked a little, asked a lot more questions, and took a different path than what they thought. So my daughter, who's getting her MBA in health care consulting, originally wanted to be a doctor. My son, who graduated with a degree in finance, mused for a couple years while he worked, do I want to be a lawyer? Do I want to be a doctor? Do I want to be a candlestick maker? He's going into investment banking. So I recommend you do a little work.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:27]: Great points. And definitely, I've seen students that do that. And it's you do have to do your research, you do have to do that self reflection to be able to get there. And speaking of self reflection, both of you chose different law schools in in the paths that you chose. And there are many different law schools that are out there. Now the interesting part is that you both were in Ohio, not too far from each other, and you went to law schools in that same region. But I guess talk to me about that decision making process for yourselves and how you ultimately came to the decision of the law schools that you chose to attend.

Kristina Supler [00:06:05]: Susan, why don't you go ahead?

Susan Stone [00:06:07]: Well, I was engaged and I knew that we were coming back to Cleveland. Case Western gave me a scholarship, and it was a wonderful education. And that really is not that exciting of a story. I wish I had more. I think that, again, with a little reflection, a little maturity, maybe I would have explored differently. Again, I look at my married daughter graduating from graduate school. She got married and then made the decision to go to a different city for her MBA program from her husband and the time flew, that wasn't in my world view decades ago.

Kristina Supler [00:06:48]: And, Chris, my situation is not unlike what Susan described. I was away living my best life in Boston, but I came back for my hometown, honey, my now husband. And and really the choice was simple. It came down to scholarship dollars. You know, I was putting myself through law school. And when you look at through through the lens of, you know, who's giving me the best scholarship award, that it was an easy choice.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:07:12]: And I've said this before, but law school is expensive. I I worked at a law school for ten years. I know how much debt that people can come out. So you do have to look at all those factors as you're making your decisions because in the end you have to pay that back. So it is important to understand that. Now both of you were successful in going through law school. You got through, you got through the bar, you did all of those things. As you transitioned into law school and went through law school, there are definite things that you have to learn along the way.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:07:47]: Going to law school is very different than any other type of education than you would have had in the past and you probably will ever see in the future. But that in mind, what did you have to do as you transitioned in and through law school that helped set you up for success? And what did you have to do to maintain that success throughout your law school experience?

Susan Stone [00:08:08]: I'm gonna praise my law partner, and I'm gonna guess because I didn't go to law school with her. We are different generations that went to different law schools, but Christina Soupler is an outstanding writer. I read her writing every day. So first and foremost, Christina, wouldn't you agree? And the reason I'm not having you answer it because I know you are too far far too humble to tell the truth, but it's writing skills.

Kristina Supler [00:08:34]: Certainly. Being a lawyer, writing is is essential. To build off of Susan's point, back it up even a little bit further than that. And this is believe it or not, Chris, it's conversations Susan and I are having with colleagues and peers on on a daily basis. The big a what's the big a? Analysis, analysis, analysis. So I I came into law school thinking, oh, I have such good study skills. I know how to read and memorize and I'm gonna show up for my exam having put in countless hours. I'm gonna be ready to nail it.

Kristina Supler [00:09:07]: Oh, wait. That's only part of being a lawyer. The other part and arguably the more essential part of being a talented lawyer is being able to engage in critical analysis. So wrestling with facts, running those facts through different lenses, figuring out how can I twist and turn these facts to obtain the goal that my client is seeking? And that is no matter what your other talents and skills are, a lawyer, successful lawyer, must be

Susan Stone [00:09:37]: able to engage in critical analysis. I wanna bootstrap what Christina said because you've kinda touched on a little nerve.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:44]: I was

Kristina Supler [00:09:44]: gonna say, did I touch a nerve, Susan?

Susan Stone [00:09:46]: Well, you did touch a nerve and it's a nerve we share, so I'm not gonna disagree. The blessing of AI is that everything comes at your fingertips, and legal research is so different today. You literally put in what you want and the computer spits it out. The problem is it short circuits the ability to really think through a problem and be creative. And what I don't see anymore in the talent that's coming in is what I call big picture thinking and out of the box thinking. And that only comes with sitting in a space of discomfort, reading different ideas, maybe those that are not even perfectly matched to your query that you put in a computer, and tapping into creativity. I see a lot of written work where I ask a question, it spits it out, and that they think is the answer, and they can't play mental chess. Being a lawyer is just mental chess, and I don't know how we fix that with the technology that's emerging.

Susan Stone [00:10:59]: We're hearing that people can use AI to write their briefs and do their legal research, but what AI can't do is set up a case, tell you your next move. And I'm at a loss, Chris. Breach. Double breach.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:11:13]: It's definitely hard. Yeah. It's definitely hard. I you know, more and more, we're seeing students that use AI for different parts of their application, and it becomes easier and easier to see when you're getting applications from certain countries and letters look the same or statements look the same. And but I definitely hear you. I've worked I've worked with plenty of lawyers and students that wanted to be lawyers and know how and students that wanted to be lawyers and know how much analysis went into the courses that they went through. And that was before AI in the version that it currently exists. So I can only imagine the challenges that law schools are having to deal with right now.

Kristina Supler [00:11:52]: Chris, your comments making me think about our own practice and the work Susan and I do daily with our students. We represent a lot of students in academic integrity cases. And in this day and age, let's face it, most of the quote unquote cheating cases have some tie in to the use or improper use of AI. And it's really remarkable you sharing how from your perspective as as a director, you can sort of spot the essays or the writing. And what we are seeing when we're working with students as well is an ability or perhaps inability to answer questions about the steps along the way to reach the answer. And I will tell you, it is quite glaring at times. Not always, but at times. I mean, Susan, do you recall that one situation we had where there was an issue of AI hallucinations?

Susan Stone [00:12:47]: I mean, it's remarkable what what you see. I feel as if AI has dulled instinct.

Kristina Supler [00:12:55]: Oh, interesting thought. Yeah. That's something to wrestle with because on the one hand, we wanna I believe we should embrace technology, but of course, responsible use of technology.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:06]: Now you just tired us talking about some of the different people that you work with in the practice that you both have and supporting students as they're going through this process. And I talked about the fact that your practice group handles complex cases involving allegations. This could be sexual assault. It could be academic integrity. It could be there's lots of different aspects to what your practice is working toward. I guess from a high level, there are going to be individuals that when they're looking at graduate school that have had these, we'll call them dings on their record, right? Some things happened in the past and some are going to be more severe than others, but there's always that question that is going to come up on a application that is going to ask them to disclose. And I know that in the minds of many students, some students may say, you know, should I even put this down? Has this been expunged? Has it been long enough that I don't have to say anything about this anymore? What do you say to those students? Well, you

Susan Stone [00:14:09]: have to look at the prompt. If the prompt asks for it, you have to give the tell the truth. It's that simple.

Kristina Supler [00:14:14]: I was gonna say I wish we had some secret sauce here and we we'd shared trade secrets, Chris, but it really is. Regularly, we say to clients over and over, read the question. Read it very carefully. Read the question two, three, four plus times. Every school can have different there's the common app, but then schools have their own questions, essays, so on and so forth. Read the question very carefully.

Susan Stone [00:14:39]: Less is more. You have to be truthful, but you don't have to gut yourself either. Read the question. Answer the question. I call it a sandwich approach. Tell them what happened. Tell them the consequence. Tell them how you grew.

Susan Stone [00:14:55]: Be done.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:14:55]: Now and I will say that there are times where a university may ask you for more information. So from my perspective, from the admission side of things, there are times where if a student has a felony on their record and they were put on probation or they went to jail and they had a parole period, I would probably ask that person to show that they are off parole and to get those court records to be able to show us that that is the case. So you have to watch your email as well and make sure that if you're being asked for something that you do what you can to provide that.

Kristina Supler [00:15:40]: That reminds me of a situation we had where there was a debate about what was or wasn't requested by the school, but the issue involved college credits from a different institution and the student didn't ultimately complete the semester. And so it was an issue of is something was that brief period of time at a university subject to disclosure? And, you know, Chris, I'll be curious as to your thoughts. I mean, do you think it's it's in a student's best interest to air on the side of disclosure?

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:16:11]: I tend to say yes, but it also comes down to how they ask the question, just like you were saying, because if they ask for all transcripts from all institutions, now if you never matriculated to an incident, you were accepted, maybe you went but then dropped out in the first week, there's really not gonna be a record of you at that institution. There's not really gonna be a transcript of you at that institution. Now, depends on how the university is asking and whether they're asking for all matriculations or if they're asking for or all enrollments, or all completed terms, you know, there's lots of different words that could mean something just a little bit different. So you can see how this can become a little bit more complex than just saying, is it or isn't it?

Susan Stone [00:17:01]: And don't overcomplicate it. Read the question. If they ask where you enrolled, tell them where you were enrolled. I should let people know there is a national clearing house. The minute you do enroll, there is documentation. All schools have access to that clearing house. Just read the question.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:17:18]: I would say that you're gonna get in more trouble if you fail to disclose something and the school believes that you're being dishonest on your application and they identify that. Then if you disclose more and the school says, well, we really didn't need that. So I would on the size side of disclosure in that regard. Now I know you work with students that are looking at lots of different types of programs. Are you seeing any differences in regards to disclosure of either academic or criminal type of offenses when it comes to, let's say, regulated, more regulated, academic areas versus maybe not as regulated or areas that lead to certification or licensure versus non licensure that that you'd want to touch on?

Susan Stone [00:18:08]: Certain offenses you can seal and certain offenses you can seal and expunge, and there is a difference. But certain professions, like the financial industry for one and law, I'm told, can pierce that. So again, not to be a broken record. Make sure you read the application and don't rely on the fact that your record's been sealed because it still may show up on a report.

Kristina Supler [00:18:35]: In the academic realm or in the educational realm, what we've been told and what we've seen in our work, in the Title nine realm, Title nine cases, is that colleges and universities have become a little more thoughtful, I'll say, in asking the question and that previously the questions regarding essentially student discipline, right, student title nine would fall under that heading broadly speaking. The questions used to be, have you ever been sanctioned or disciplined? And now more recently, some schools, not all, are asking more carefully worded questions along the lines of, have you ever been part of a process or named in a complaint? And so that's something that we've seen change in the title nine realm more recently, I would say.

Susan Stone [00:19:22]: And it's infuriating to me. I am so outraged by that because we know that there are false accusations out there. We also know that there are accusations that can't be proven or a student might go through a process and be found not responsible. We also know that there are conflicts between students that can be resolved through mediation or another alternative process, And the fact that a student can be merely accused and have a blemish, well, what do I always say, Christina? That's outrageous. Susan, your comments about being found not responsible, you reminded me. Why don't you tell the story of what ROTC We represent a lot of students who, have military commissions in ROTC in various arms of the of our armed forces. And if a student goes through a Title nine process, even if the case is dismissed or found in their favor, military has the right to look at whether that officer or cadet behaved in a way becoming of a representative of our armed forces and can put that cadet through a separate proceeding, which it's not for me to question our military, but I have helped students navigate that process and advise them on how to explain what had happened. But, boy, getting accused is a very serious matter, and you can't always control it.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:20:56]: Now I mentioned earlier that some students do get those dings on their record. Some are call them larger dings than others and and maybe they've had some other issues that they have to deal with. What are some misconceptions that students or or even parents often have about how long a disciplinary, we'll call it a ding, will follow them in their academic journey?

Susan Stone [00:21:22]: You have to read the school's policy. Every school has a different policy. Some say seven years, and then the records are destroyed. I would argue, Christina, chime in, that if it's a public institution, it might always remain available pursuant to a sunshine law. What do you think, Christina?

Kristina Supler [00:21:42]: Public institutions, wonderful places, but a thorn in our side from the perspective of records retention and public records requests, FOIA requests, people call it different things. If a student at a public institution, if records regarding that student are requested, you know, maybe pursuant to a subpoena or or something else, a records request. Broadly speaking, the student will get some sort of notice that the student's records are being inquired about. But boy, these public institutions and public records requests and what they can can and can't provide. And if there's litigation settlement agreements, you just, you just never know what is going to come to the light of day, what information is going to surface. Sometimes it's helpful and then sometimes it can be a student's undoing. You just never know.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:35]: Now for students that have made mistakes in their past, what are some practical steps that they can take to demonstrate for a school in your perspectives personal growth and readiness for

Susan Stone [00:22:48]: First of all, don't get in trouble again. I know you're laughing and smiling. You're laughing and smiling, but it happens. You're laughing because the truth can be funny. Don't get in trouble again. Be good. Mind your Ps and Qs and then reflect on what actually led to the problem and take related steps to show growth. So for example, if you were caught cheating, I'm not so sure counseling and substance abuse would make sense.

Susan Stone [00:23:19]: Right? It's gotta be related. It's gotta show that you reflected what you did.

Kristina Supler [00:23:24]: But conversely, I mean, many title nine cases, not all, but it's it's not uncommon for us to have clients come to us. And the title nine complaints, you know, at the root of the issue was students engaging in drug or alcohol use. And so if a student was disciplined through a student conduct process or a title nine process and the behavior in question, whether it's, again, some sort of sexual misconduct or let's just say something more innocuous like campus vandalism, but the root of that behavior was being drunk. Then that's a student who may be in an essay and looking to the future could reflect and demonstrate. As Susan said, first and foremost, stay out of trouble, but also has the student taken any steps to perhaps address substance abuse issues?

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:11]: Now, if a student feels that they've been unfairly denied admissions or had their acceptance rescinded due to some past misconduct, What legal resources or forms of advocacy should they consider?

Susan Stone [00:24:27]: Unless they were denied admission, that's a difficult hurdle. You'd have to prove it was for impermissible grounds, illegal grounds. If you were denied admission because of your race or your ethnic background or a disability, that is an area where we could explore legal recourse. However, if someone denies you admission based on what they perceive as a character flaw, I don't see a remedy for that. Find a different school.

Kristina Supler [00:24:59]: And I'll share a story, Chris. We have had many calls from families. One in particular comes to mind though, where a high school student was accepted to a very prestigious university. And over the summer between high school graduation and rolling onto campus in the fall, there were allegations that got out and spread like wildfire on social media. And they were just that. They were allegations. They weren't even proven true. However, it was reported to the incoming university, and that university revoked the acceptance just just on social media.

Kristina Supler [00:25:34]: And again, there was no basis in truth. And so, you know, to Susan's point, those are the cases that are really tough for us. They're they're heartbreaking because a student works so hard. But unless they're, you know, the student is, for example,

Susan Stone [00:25:49]: in a protected class or there's some illegal means, you know, character flaw, shortcoming perceived by a university to revoke, tougher legal battle. Never give up. Just because you're gonna have a different path than you originally thought doesn't mean that the crooked road or the road that you didn't think you were going to take, not to get all Robert Frost on you, but I thought I'd make a little literary reference since we're talking about academia, Doesn't mean that the path that you're gonna go on isn't the better path. Sometimes the best things in life that have happened to me personally were born out of situations that I thought were the worst and were bad. And so what I'd like to say to people listening, think of something that bad happens as being bitter. There is no bad. There's just bitter. It may taste bad temporarily, but if you keep your head down and you keep pushing forward, you will find a path that's great and meaningful.

Susan Stone [00:26:52]: It may not be the path that you originally intended, but that's life. The curves and the twists and the beautiful turns we take.

Kristina Supler [00:27:01]: Susan, that was beautiful. I agree.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:03]: You know, sometimes I see students going down the path of writing things like character statements or getting letters of recommendation or providing legal documentation. How effective have you found in your practice with working with clients? How effective are these in overcoming past issues during the admission process?

Kristina Supler [00:27:22]: Well, Chris, I will say this. Lawyers provide great value to clients. However, I have come to learn over the years. Colleges and universities, guess what? They don't really want to hear from me. They don't really care what I have to say. They might care about what Susan has to say a little more, but they don't even really care about that. Colleges and universities wanna hear, and they also don't really care about the neighbor who says that young Susan Stone is so polite and promising, and they don't care that I was a Girl Scout. I I really wasn't just saying that.

Kristina Supler [00:27:55]: But, you know, I think that really the heart of the issue in in my experience at any rates, in in my interface with on these types of issues is that, you know, we'll just say outside parties, broadly speaking, are looking for authenticity, sincerity, and growth. You know, they don't want some perfectly crafted one page letter that was clearly written by a lawyer and that's navigating around and among bad facts. They wanna hear from the student directly. Show us what you got. Show us why you shouldn't be defined forever by a mistake in the past.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:31]: And I know that you both were talking about character. And in some professions, there are character and fitness standards that have to be upheld. The legal profession is one good example of that. Medical profession has their own aspect of it as well, that, you know, very highly regulated fields, as we were talking about earlier. How do these past infractions, in your opinions, affect a student's long term ability to be able to get through that vetting that happens at the end of an educational experience as they are preparing for state bar exams, state licensing, or other credentialing that is required?

Susan Stone [00:29:12]: That's a great question. It depends what the blemishes about. I actually, many, many years ago, represented a young woman before the Ohio Supreme Court character and fitness committee. They were tough, and it was concerning lying. So if it's something like integrity, lying, cheating, stealing, you got problems. If it's substance abuse, those, organizations, those governing bodies might make you take a lap, say, show some more growth, come back next year. But I think, ultimately, there's an understanding of disabilities and substance abuse. Wouldn't you agree, Christina?

Kristina Supler [00:29:52]: I would. And and it's funny that you asked that question, Chris, because just this morning, I'm working on a criminal matter and had to delve into information on the Ohio Medical Board's website and a list of disqualifying criminal offenses. And side note, I'm not giving out or providing any legal advice here. But it was interesting that at first at first pass, some criminal convictions can be an impediment to licensing. But it was interesting that it was clear that it it it it's not absolute. So, again, I think it just we've come full circle, this idea of demonstrating growth, coming from a place of authenticity, earnestness to show, you know, that that that mistake in the past doesn't have to forever preclude and limit future opportunities. But again, you know, read the fine prints, work with experienced professionals who know how to navigate those proceedings because there certainly are going to be bumps and hurdles, but it it's I think like Susan said earlier, and and she's right. Never give up.

Kristina Supler [00:30:57]: To is human.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:59]: You know, and the one other thing that I'll throw out there, and this is especially true for students going into law school. One thing that became very interesting as I was working in law schools in the past is that character and fitness boards had started to review or some character fitness boards had started to also look at social media accounts of individual individuals as they were going up for review. And I can't say that I would completely agree or disagree with that in looking at the character fitness, but just know that that in some jurisdictions, some states that that may be the case. And if that is the case, you need to watch what you're putting on your social media accounts.

Kristina Supler [00:31:44]: The social media audit is is just here to stay now, whether it's for academic purposes or employment. I mean, we have to be careful about what we post online.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:31:53]: Well, Susan, Christina, I just wanna say thank you. This has been very insightful. And definitely, as I said, it's not been a topic that we've talked about in the past, but I think it's a really important topic because things happen, as you said, and you have to be able to pick yourself up. You have to be able to keep moving forward and you have to be able to know, can the plan still work or do you have to pivot? And if you have to pivot, what are some options? And it's good to understand that going in and not to be not feel like you're being pushed down and saying, no, you can't do it because you have to answer these questions. So it's important that we've had this conversation. I really appreciate your time and you sharing all of this today, and I truly wish you both the best.

Susan Stone [00:32:39]: Thank you. It's been a pleasure being on this podcast. And I I will say, Chris, we've been invited to speak on a host of different channels and shows on this topic. So it must be of particular interest to parents and students and the general public, but I'm not just saying this to Flint or you. You ask the best questions.

Kristina Supler [00:32:59]: It's really been a pleasure talking with you today, Chris. Thanks for having us.

Susan Stone [00:33:03]: Bye bye.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:04]: The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of masters and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].