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From Calling to Classroom Preparing the Next Generation in Funeral Care
38 Plays10 days ago
What if the moment that shaped your life happened when you were only twelve years old?
In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Tanya Scotece shares her journey from the medical world to becoming a funeral director and embalmer, and now a professor leading the mortuary program at Miami Dade College. She opens up about how a single childhood experience at a wake sparked a fire that stayed with her for life, and how every step along the way became a lesson in courage and growth.
Tanya talks about wearing sparkles as a reminder of her why, the reality of serving families in a profession that offers no second chances, and the importance of inspiring students who will become the funeral directors of tomorrow.
This is more than a career story. It is about following a calling, finding light in unexpected places, and reminding us that it is never too late to learn and begin again.
Key Topics:
-Finding purpose from a childhood experience that shaped a lifelong calling
-Transitioning from the medical world to mortuary service with courage and faith
-The meaning behind sparkles and how small symbols can carry deep purpose
-Teaching and guiding students to serve families with compassion and integrity
-Standing for dignity and truth through expert witness work in funeral law
Quotes from the episode:
“This isn’t a do-over profession. You only have one chance to make a funeral right.”
-Tanya Scotece
“These are the funeral directors of tomorrow, and the more resources they have, the better.”
-Jennifer Muldowney
Timestamp:
[00:00] Podcast Intro
[00:41] Dr. T opens up about her journey from a long career in medicine to discovering her true calling in funeral service. She shares how pursuing advanced education led her to become a professor and program coordinator for mortuary science at Miami Dade College, where she now guides future leaders in the profession.
[13:34] Beyond the classroom, Dr. T has become a trusted expert witness in funeral law, standing beside families in times of grief and ensuring justice when wrongful practices occur. She reminds Jennifer that in this field ethics and integrity are everything because in death care there are no second chances.
[21:03] Reflecting on her shift from industry to academia, Dr. T speaks about the diverse students who choose mortuary school, the many paths available in funeral service, and the joy she finds in inspiring others to keep learning and proving it is never too late to chase new dreams.
[29:18] The conversation closes on a warm note as Tanya and Jennifer celebrate their bond. Together they share exciting opportunities for students such as celebrant training, memorial planning, and pet loss education while highlighting the power of collaboration, support, and nurturing the next generation of funeral directors
[35:49] Outro
Connect with Tanya Scotece:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tanya-scotece-ph-d-lfd-cfsp-🪄✨”dr-t”-a85a6226
Email: tanya8828@aol.com
Connect with Jennifer/The Glam Reaper on socials at:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jennifermuldowney/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealglamreaper
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGlamReaperMuldowney
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermuldowney/
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/MuldowneyMemorials/
Email us - glamreaperpodcast@gmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and guest overview
00:00:00
Speaker
What was interesting in my master's program, which was criminal forensics, we did a lot of research on bodies that were donated to the program, Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
00:00:11
Speaker
And I became very passionate about their anatomical donation program, which most funeral directors, if they're serving in Florida, are not even aware of.
00:00:29
Speaker
Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of the Glam Reaper podcast. I'm your host Jennifer Muldani aka the Glam Reaper and on today's episode I am joined by the gorgeous, the fabulous Dr. T. Now Dr. Tanya is from Miami-Dade College and she is, I'm going to let her introduce herself, but we are going to get into a few educational things I think on this episode.
00:00:52
Speaker
So Dr. T, welcome. Tell for those of us who do not know you, which you are infamous from my move to Florida. I was told you have to talk to Dr. T. You have to talk to Dr. T. We did thankfully connect.
00:01:04
Speaker
But tell those of us who do not know who you are, who you are. Wow, what an introduction. Well, first of all, Jennifer, thank you so much. um It's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and your journey to Florida and visiting Miami-Dade College very recently. So I'm super excited to be part of your podcast.
Dr. Tanya's background and career journey
00:01:24
Speaker
and i And for those of you that don't know me, my name is Tanya Scotisi, and I oversee the mortuary program at Miami-Dade College. um I am a licensed funeral director in Balmer, and I do hold a PhD in curriculum and in instruction.
00:01:40
Speaker
um So that's a little bit about the academic, but feel free to dive deep. yeah You're florida Florida born and bred, correct? No, actually born and raised from Connecticut.
00:01:51
Speaker
So was born and raised Hartford, Connecticut, for those New Englanders out there. And my family and I transitioned to Florida back in 2005. And I started my journey in funeral service, actually working in industry, January of 2006.
00:02:08
Speaker
My gosh. OK, so the move coincided with the move into mortuary. Tell us a little bit about that, because we talked about that. you She gave me a beautiful tour of Miami-Dade. Maybe we'll try and include some of it in the in the video portion of this podcast, but we'll definitely get it on our socials. But and you tell us a little bit about your journey into into mortuary science and into funerals.
00:02:30
Speaker
Sure, sure. So when I was very young, probably, you know, maybe eight, nine years old, I used to love to frequent cemeteries. I still do. Love to look at the old, you know, gravestones, tombstones, headstones, and kind of figure out, you know, how the person died. And I was kind of like the...
00:02:47
Speaker
The forensic per se. But I actually started my early journey in the medical administration world. So I started at 16 years old, which I was a sophomore in high school.
00:02:57
Speaker
And I started with a radiology company, which later merged with cardiovascular. And I was at that company through high school. And then they created a position for me when I graduated high school. So I was with that company up until my mid 30s.
00:03:12
Speaker
So a very, very long time with one company, three mergers. And it was during that time that I had this, I wouldn't want to call it my mesmerizing moment. I had gone to my first wake when I was 12 years old yeah back in Connecticut.
00:03:27
Speaker
And it was my friend's, I'm sorry, my mom's friend's mother. So my mother's friend's mom, who I had no interaction with, did not know the person. My mom just picked me up from seventh grade, said, we're going to a funeral.
00:03:41
Speaker
I was like, okay, like I didn't know good or bad, positive or negative. So showed up at the funeral home and was greeted by the men in black ah with beautiful chandeliers above me. And that is why to this day I'm always in sparkles because the chandeliers remind me and define me of why I do what I do. So that is the reason for the sparkles when people kind of sit there like, why is she always in sparkles?
00:04:03
Speaker
Some days are big, some days they're small, but they're always there.
Transition to the funeral industry
00:04:06
Speaker
um and In any case, one of her so I started my mortuary car career while I was working for a surgeon um at Hartford Hospital.
00:04:15
Speaker
And um there was no rhyme or reason. I just went into work one day, did not dream about it, did not think about it. But I always remember that moment at that wake when I was 12 years old, greeted by the men in black.
00:04:28
Speaker
And I went up to the casket and visited the person. And I remember, you know, in this funeral parlor asking my mom, can I touch the deceased?
00:04:39
Speaker
And my mom said, no, you're not supposed to touch the deceased. Just say a prayer and sit down. and said, okay. so So I put a prayer, sat down. And then I see all these people kind of walking by the hallway and I'm like peering out. And I was like very shy. And I'm like, wonder where those folks are going.
00:04:53
Speaker
Well, they, there was a band that was being waked at the other side of the funeral um So I said to my mom, can I go to his wake? And she's like, you're supposed to know the people and not just barge in on people's wakes. But I did. actually did by myself, paid my respects. I knew better than ask anybody if I could touch the man.
00:05:10
Speaker
did not. And I just that moment defined me. But when I was working for the surgeon, it was not like I went into work saying, oh, I did research or positive, negative. I literally just called up a local funeral home in Connecticut.
00:05:26
Speaker
And by 12 o'clock, I was sitting in the program coordinator's office. And by that afternoon, I had rolled in my first class. And it was like just something that was a calling, for lack of a better word.
00:05:39
Speaker
Yeah. um That's how I got started. That's how that's where it started. ah You know, I knew some of that story. I did not know about the chandeliers and the sparkles, which makes so much sense. And I love that now to know that about you.
00:05:51
Speaker
The quote, leave a little sparkle wherever you go, is absolutely amazing. Dr. T to a T. yeah um So I love that because you are, you're very glamorous.
00:06:02
Speaker
You're very, in some respect, you're not the typical funeral director that the public can kind of know, you know, the man the man in black suits, in dark black suits. Like, you are you're so warm, you're so lovely, you're so gorgeous, you're so fabulous.
00:06:19
Speaker
um and and And that's what funeral directors are, you know. But there is this perception in the media, in, you know, movies and TV that we're all sort of like the lurch, you know, from the Addams family and we're just kind of quietly lurking in the corridors. So...
00:06:34
Speaker
I love that story. You're too kind. no it's true. It's true. It's all true. Please look at the YouTube video if you're listening to this just on audio. um But it's you. OK, so you went into funeral service and the and that was it. I love that. Like from such longstanding career in something else, but something kind of similar and aligned as such.
00:06:57
Speaker
and But you went into mortuary um science and then trained to be ah become a funeral director And then obviously Florida happened. And then now you're teaching in Miami-Dade. So how tell us how that transition happened.
00:07:12
Speaker
Sure. So interestingly enough, um when to leave the medical world, sometimes, you know, we're faced with challenges. And my former boss, the surgeon, actually had a cardiac event, um did not pass away as a result of it, but we had to close the practice.
00:07:29
Speaker
And I was about one semester shy of me completing mortuary school. Oh. Which sometimes, crimes you know, as, you know, second and third career folks, it's kind of like, you know, we always think we're, all you know, too old or, you know, there's not a good reason or, you know, like, you know is it a positive, negative, you know, situation where for me, I just, I had a draw to go into the mortuary world, but did not know how I was going to leave the medical. I had been in medical over close to 21 years.
00:07:57
Speaker
So I had a full career in the medical world. It was easy. I knew it like my name. So going into the mortuary world, when I moved to Florida with my family, we were on the West Coast, which is three hours from Miami. So if you look at the Florida right across, straight across the state of Florida.
00:08:13
Speaker
yeah And um I landed an awesome, awesome internship opportunity ah with Farley Funeral Homes and Crematory. I was hired by David Farley and then his daughter, Michelle Farley Williams and her husband, John Williams, bought the funeral home from the mom and dad.
00:08:29
Speaker
And I stayed on my entire um career in Florida was under their leadership. And I quickly got into, ah did my internship there, which was one year in Florida.
00:08:42
Speaker
And depending on where this our listeners are in the world, um sometimes people will refer to it as an internship or apprenticeship. That is state specific. So Florida, it's a one year internship for Florida funeral director and embalmers.
00:08:56
Speaker
So my journey, I was very new to funeral service and, you know, just had a fascination and wanted to learn a lot. So those first couple of years, you know, really got into the associations, went to the NFDA. I think it was back in Pennsylvania, went to one in Chicago.
00:09:14
Speaker
Went to the ICCFA. I completed their four year program, which is the university program. Actually went to Modena, Italy for the FIAT, which is the Federation of International um Association of Thenatologists.
00:09:27
Speaker
And really immersed myself in an aerial that was very new, very new to me. So I stayed um at the funeral home, completed my internship.
00:09:37
Speaker
And then within about um maybe within about six to 12 months of me completing the internship, um I got into a management position, which where I had been in the medical world.
00:09:49
Speaker
So anybody that's out there listening, thinking you have to start over. So sometimes it's kind of like the skills carry you and they follow you wherever you go. But it's just a matter of something different as far as what you're actually learning about and studying about.
00:10:02
Speaker
yeah So my formative years in the funeral world were just that, very much immersed in the associations, um you know, understanding. um And interesting, another area that might not many funeral directors like is disinterments.
00:10:16
Speaker
You know, when you take a casket, exhume a casket, and um for either for family knowledge or if they're forensics, if something's happening, like the who, why, what, or if somebody just wants their person relocated.
00:10:29
Speaker
So that's not an area that many funeral directors venture into. And because I was so new, i didn't really have a passion for liking it or disliking it. I just did it. And I became quite good at it. So I was overseeing the disinterments at the funeral home.
00:10:45
Speaker
And that journey basically led me of my curiosity of staying in school.
Educational achievements and role at Miami-Dade College
00:10:51
Speaker
So for those of you that don't know me, I actually started my associate degree in my mid 30s. I did not come back to school.
00:10:58
Speaker
lot of folks, you know, they do a a bachelor's and then they come back much later. So I actually started my academic career in my mid 30s. tried college right out of high school, but I was more of a worker and it was just easier at that time for me just to go to work and be a head worker.
00:11:14
Speaker
So I stayed in school and that's so I completed my bachelor's in criminal justice from the University of South Florida, which is in Tampa. My master's is in criminal forensics with a concentration in medical legal death investigation.
00:11:28
Speaker
And then my Ph.D., as I mentioned, is in curriculum and instruction. I actually have a cognate in evaluation. um And so therefore, what led me to teach, I never saw out to be an academic.
00:11:41
Speaker
That was not an initial goal of mine. um i was just happy to be in the mortuary world. But with my professors encouraging me, like, you know, Tanya, go to school, stay in school. And I didn't even know one word was like, get your bachelor's degree. Like, what is that? Like, I was so new to academia, you know? yeah yeah and um And like, you need a doctorate, you know, you have to get a PhD. So, you know, exploring those options um was also interesting.
00:12:04
Speaker
So I graduated in 2015 in December from University of South Florida with my doctorate. And I stayed on with the funeral home another three years. And during that three years, it was kind of like, you know, I love the job, was always asking for more responsibilities. I kind of ventured out. I was doing community outreach, lunch and learns.
00:12:24
Speaker
um We had 35 employees. I was responsible for two funeral homes, the cemetery, um did pre-need, at-need, helped with aftercare, training, development, So it kind of got to a point that I'm just very curious when I get into something.
00:12:39
Speaker
And a colleague of mine, ah Melanie Wyszynski from University of South Florida, actually called me and she's like, Tanya, did you see there was a posting for Miami Dade College for a full time professor? And I had done much training um in my, you know, in medical world, funeral world, but not in an academic setting.
00:12:57
Speaker
So I said, no, I'm not on any academic websites, but I'll check it out. So landed the job at Miami Dade College. And that transition happened very quickly. um I remember I got called and it was I would have given the funeral home much more notice if the college had given me much more notice. But I did not.
00:13:16
Speaker
So I transitioned. And within ah a few days, i was relocating to Miami and um landed the job as a full time professor. August of 2018 and um was full-time professor and you know, working regular. we Our program goes year round. So it's fall, spring, summer.
00:13:35
Speaker
And then um when the former program coordinator stepped down, I was appointed by the dean of faculty to assume the position of the program coordinator in January of 2023. and So i'm I'm a full-time professor and also um oversee the program as the program coordinator.
00:13:52
Speaker
Well, if that is not motivation for everyone out there to whatever you're thinking in your career or wherever you're at, you have there's every something in every part of your story to motivate, whether it's go back to college whether it's try out the new job, whether it's completely career shift midlife, whether it's, you know, go for the management position, because you touched on so many points that I have had conversations with, you know, I'm 43 and I've had conversations with people in their 20s and 30s. And, you know, they think, oh, my God, I don't have it all done. I don't have the husband or the kids or I don't have, you know, the the yellow brick house or whatever it is, you know, we yellow brick, maybe not.
00:14:35
Speaker
But, you know, or changing. and And I do find sort of younger people today do change careers lot, which, you know, there's there's good and bad to both. and Definitely. But doing what you did, which is almost so similar to sort of what my own mother did, which was being in a job for so long, like that 20 years, like she did that. And then, you know, she kind of retired, but then went back to work.
00:15:00
Speaker
But It's it doesn't have to be just because you've been with a company for 10, 20, whatever the amount of years, you can still change up and and do something new. Such an incredible inspiration. It's amazing. And and you've just kept climbing.
00:15:15
Speaker
Yeah.
Expert witness work in funeral home cases
00:15:16
Speaker
And most recently, um since I've been in Miami, it's probably dated back probably right around the pandemic or maybe emerging out of it. um I started getting requests to serve as an expert witness.
00:15:29
Speaker
So right now I work with ah five attorneys. Currently, I have a caseload that could probably even keep me full time. with the amount of cases that I oversee um for funeral home, you know, questionable wrongdoings, cemetery wrongdoings.
00:15:44
Speaker
So, yeah, so that's another like um it just kind of morphed into that. Again, I did not seek out to be, you know, in the area of mortuary law, but it's I love it. um It's it's a great way to immerse myself into a legal case.
00:15:58
Speaker
And it just you know, it's just so inspiring for me to help families if you know, if there's something done wrong. point out what happens. So that's another area that I'm very passionate about.
00:16:08
Speaker
That is, and because we talked a little bit about that when I visited you at Miami-Dade with Dr. Sharon, I believe it was. We had wonderful, ease or I was basically evening, it was a day where there was a Caribbean fair and oh my God, there was dancing and all sorts of fun stuff.
00:16:25
Speaker
It was really, really great fun. Miami-Dade, definitely seek it out and have a check out their mortuary science program with Dr. T. We're going to leave all your information and below so everyone can contact you if and when they need to.
00:16:37
Speaker
um But tell us a little bit more about that. That's fascinating. I mean, i I am I grew up with these sort of murder mystery books and, you know, I fascinated with real life murders. And, you know, I think, oh, my God, I think Dr. Sharon told me something what that day about how there's there's like over a hundred active serial killers in the US right now or so something crazy like that where i was like, oh my God, we need to get her on the podcast. and So tell me a little bit about that that side of you, i which is obviously kind of almost, it's like...
00:17:10
Speaker
it's not part of your day job. So it's like a side hustle. It's something you do, obviously, when, and you know, you have the time, which is just amazing. um And, you know, helping these families, because that's what a lot of people don't realize. And we did do an interview with somebody who does autopsies.
00:17:27
Speaker
People don't realize this side of mortuary. And there was another episode where we did about somebody harvesting organs, um you know, and and sort transplants and and helping people in in that sort of respect.
00:17:38
Speaker
That donating bodies, like there is a whole other section that even in the untalked about industry that is the death care industry there's a whole other section that's sort of not talked about um which is the criminal side of it or the you know wrongful doing is as you said um tell us little a little bit about that if you can like what's what was your most maybe triumphant moment or like craziest case that you kind of worked on if you can Not sure if you can. Yeah.
00:18:09
Speaker
Well, um you know, some of the cases are currently active, but um I'll share with you. So what was interesting in my master's program, which was criminal forensics, we did a lot of research on bodies that were donated to the program, Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
00:18:25
Speaker
And I became very passionate about their anatomical donation program, which most funeral directors, if they're serving in Florida, are not even aware of Florida Gulf Coast. unless you're a relative of mine or a student of mine.
00:18:36
Speaker
um But that's where I'm going. I'm very passionate about that donation program. It's an osteology. So it's the study of bones. You're never cremated and you're never buried. So personally, I am claustrophobic and afraid of fire. So I don't really prefer either cremation or burial in any sense, including aquamation or watermation or alkaline hydrolysis.
00:18:57
Speaker
So for me, being able to serve as an expert witness, I get called in on cases where, and and first of all the the amount of cases that I'm being consulted on definitely outweigh the actual cases that I'm actually ah hired as an expert.
00:19:14
Speaker
So i get I get called probably... three, four times a week um just on routine attorneys saying they have this case. You know, can you take a look at it? They'll give me a lowdown. For Florida, um for cases specifically to Florida, we are we are under Chapter 497.
00:19:30
Speaker
And basically, it has to be a completely outrageous, intentional disrespect to dignity to the decedent or to the family. That's that's kind of summing it up. So it can be contract. It can be something happened to the body, wrongful cremation, wrongful burial.
00:19:47
Speaker
um So the cases that I get called in on are very from both, you know, um you know, just contractual wrongdoings. Something happened at the funeral home.
00:19:58
Speaker
And it's not a matter. Some people kind of take that and think like, oh, something goes wrong. They messed up the flowers. I'm going to sue the funeral home. Right. So, I mean, I try to preach to my students. They hear me. and They're like, OK, like you you have one chance to make a funeral right.
00:20:12
Speaker
OK, yeah. So there is no wrongdoing. And I stress that, you know, amongst our other professors, which we've added to our talent at Miami Dade College for the funeral service program. So we have a wonderful array of professors.
00:20:24
Speaker
But I really, really instill in the students this isn't a do over profession. You can't just say, oh, sorry, let me I forgot to order the flowers. Let me get you. you know, it happens and it is what it is.
00:20:36
Speaker
On the legal side, it has to do with fines, money, or time. So it kind of falls under those categories. So depending. And another interesting aspect is most folks don't realize that and this is all public information. So if you want to use a funeral home or go work at a funeral home, it's all public information about any um mishaps, blemishes, wrongdoing, cases, problems.
00:21:01
Speaker
So I really stress to our students, you know, just because you think the funeral home looks good from a website, from their cars, from their staff, make sure you do your homework because you want to make sure that you're learning it the correct way.
00:21:15
Speaker
That is very good point. Yes. Gosh, i wouldn't have even thought of that. Do your homework. Yeah. Wow. Yes, yes, yes.
Student demographics in the mortuary program
00:21:24
Speaker
So it's, you know, um and being, you know, on the college side, you know, I had set so many years um from 2006 to 2018 on the industry side, right, with all the roles that I described.
00:21:36
Speaker
So then having come over to the academic side, you know, as far as, you know, the, you know, the issues and trials and tribulations that a program faces, um and then also, you know, really stressing to the students, what is this profession? Yeah.
00:21:50
Speaker
um You know, I like to share, i I could break down for you, if you'd like to hear, Ms. Jennifer, three categories of our student, like what kind of students go to Morton High School. that Sure. So we have, my first group is usually second career, second or even third career.
00:22:06
Speaker
um So I have, you know, array of students ranging from, you know, as young as 18, all the way, my most recent graduate, 72 years old, and every age in between.
00:22:17
Speaker
So a lot of the second and third are usually between, let's say, 30 and 55 coming in out of a helping profession. They may have done, like, for example, maybe law enforcement or nursing, academia, um helping professions, I like to call them.
00:22:34
Speaker
And they just had and like just a vision, like, oh, I want to go on to the mortuary site. So Many of my students are actually following in my footsteps coming from another career, first time in college, but being non-traditional from an age point of view.
00:22:49
Speaker
yeah So those are like, i I really love the students because they're, so you know, they're so ambitious and they come in and, you know, they want to take five classes and can we get a sixth class in and they're trying to juggle, you know, younger ones, older ones and that. within three weeks, they're like either exhausted or spent or want to give up. So I always say, you know, you waited this long, so we'll get you to the finish line as soon as we can. But for that first semester, you just want to be gentle with yourself and go eat. Yeah.
00:23:17
Speaker
yeah First group is the um definitely helping profession. Second group is usually coming into the profession, wanting the license to either take over, own or manage a funeral home.
00:23:30
Speaker
So maybe their parents, grandparents, aunties, somebody in the family has a funeral home and they're looking to take it over. And then my last group are usually my younger students. I would say probably 40 and under, even probably 35 and under.
00:23:44
Speaker
um They're like my golf like students. So very heavily tatted and pierced. And with all due respect, my own daughter, who's going to be 32, she does have piercings and tattoos. So I did my dissertation for my doctoral study on this specific topic.
00:23:59
Speaker
Because a lot of them will come in for the first class, you know, rainbow hair and fully tattered and pierced. And the conversation is like, where are you going to fit in? And the first thing they'll say, well, I only want to be an embalmer.
00:24:13
Speaker
I'm like, well, really? Well, if you owned a funeral home and your funeral home does both but serving families on the directing side and embalming, Florida specifically is very conservative as far as the look goes, the black suits and, you know, the professional and things of that nature.
00:24:29
Speaker
So it's my job to educate students about what it is the industry is looking for. So we always have industry partners come in and, you know, share what their handbook says and things. So I'm not saying that they can't get hired. That would be an inaccurate statement. It's just, I want them to be the best that they can be. And I want them to go to the top of the list for hiring and not get excluded because somebody came in with purple, green, or blue hair.
00:24:54
Speaker
um ryan oh So those are the three types of just, you know, the populations that we see, you know, at the program. um We've had ah several challenges over the past couple of years. So we are currently just at about 106 students, 106 in program. And in the program And um it's a great career. I mean, for anybody that wants to, you know, just do something different.
00:25:17
Speaker
um I like to say, you know, time goes by whether we do something or not. And, you know, I just kind of got into this learning phase. And um I just think it's, you know, anybody here listening to this podcast or watching it, you know, if there's something that you want to do and you just feel like, well, I've done something for so long, it's time to move, you know, and try something different.
00:25:39
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's having visited the college, the college seems fantastic. You're fantastic. I met one or two of the other professors that were there. um And I think if you're definitely, you know, obviously, depending on what state you're listening to this from or what country you're listening to this from, obviously, Miami-Dade might not be accessible or for everybody, but I definitely think reaching out to you, Dr. T, and, ah you know, you're you're such a lovely, warm person. And I think, you know, i' i'm kind of offering you up here, but I'm sure you'd be happy to answer any questions that any budding mortuary student might have, because, you know, it can be daunting. And I work with a couple of programs that offer mentors for free for students as well, because, you know, the sad fact of it is, is a lot of them
00:26:26
Speaker
They go into school, they do school, they go into the funeral home and then they leave within sort of five years. And so it's it's figuring out why that's happening, how that's happening and sort of how can we as an industry prevent that from happening? Because we are going to, you know, have some problems in the future if we can't get there.
00:26:45
Speaker
get folks to and and you and I did even talk about I'm not a licensed funeral director that nearly everybody on the podcast should know at this point am I'm not a licensed funeral director but it was something that I was very interested in doing because i have had arguments with people where I'm like I wish the funeral home was dual a bit like I guess what you said about people coming in saying i want to be an embalmer though Those people need to pair up with the likes of me because I do not want to do anything to do with embalming.
00:27:17
Speaker
I'm much more of a customer focus. That's where my strengths would be. God, you wouldn't want me in there. i'm i'm I could do the makeup part, but I could not do the scientific part for sure.
00:27:28
Speaker
and But there's options for you. You know, you you shocked me with that. Well, many. So as I shared, you know, like my background with the forensics, you know, some students, you know, like to go in that route or get further studies into anything like crime scene.
00:27:41
Speaker
We've actually um we actually have a great program, a transition program. um It's a nice pathway for students going from the associate of the two years into a baccalaureate with crime scene and or business administration.
00:27:56
Speaker
Yeah. So they can stay at Miami Dade College at the North Campus and, you know, get a bachelor's degree in addition to their associates. But for folks like you, Jennifer, that, you know, maybe this is just something just to kind of pick your, you know, just kind of put it in the back of your brain, right? So Florida, we have what's called the College Credit Certificate. It's a CCC.
00:28:16
Speaker
And some schools offer it. um they What it is, is one-year, you do one-year internship, um just like you would for the associate. and But it's the funeral directing side only.
00:28:29
Speaker
So what it's a certificate, not a degree. But the courses are primarily all of the arts section that the students go for for the funeral directing. And in Florida, it is literally the coursework and you need an associate in anything. It could be anything at all, an associate degree or higher.
00:28:48
Speaker
And it's just coursework and a one-year internship and you're licensed as a funeral director.
Inspiration and advice for career changes
00:28:52
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, you yeah I remember being floored when you told me that. I was like, what?
00:28:59
Speaker
i'm I'm definitely looking into it and considering it now that I've sort of but expanded down here. I don't know where I would find the time, but we would figure that out. But i'm I'm genuinely looking into it because I have a degree in business from back home in Ireland, and I'm assuming that would just transfer easy enough.
00:29:15
Speaker
Explore Denver, you know, and and for any listener out there, it's kind of like, you know, my goal is to always my I always say my verb is to inspire. Right. Yeah. I've had so many awesome mentors, professors along the way, um you know, colleagues at the funeral home, the owners of the funeral home.
00:29:30
Speaker
And it's just been amazing. um You know, I would be remiss, you know, not to. um shed light to Dr. Sonali Sajo is our department chairperson who has been absolutely instrumental.
00:29:42
Speaker
We received a lot of help from Dr. Claudia Bonilla, Dr. Pablo Sacasa, and Dr. Efrain Venezuela. They've all been tremendous with the program and the support that we have received.
00:29:53
Speaker
And then Dr. Sharon Clotkin has helped us with the baccalaureate degree. um So students have a great, great array of resources. But if anybody out there is listening, you If you are interested in getting, you know, for cremation or pre-need, or um if you want to get into doing disinterments, if you want to get into, you know, anything and anything, or even just having the foundation as a stepping stone for another degree, right? Because I figure that, you know, we're all here to learn and that that's how it goes by. And it is, you know, my daughter was nearly seven when I started in school and she was my biggest advocate, my biggest cheerleader.
00:30:30
Speaker
And yeah, yeah. ah But she had no interest in going into the mortuary world. That's not her thing. And that's okay. And that's okay. It's okay. It's okay. Tanya, you are an absolute treasure. I'm so glad that we I can now call you a friend. And you're you're just you just a light in this business, I just feel. and You know, shout out to Brian from Undertaking the Podcast for introducing us. And I think it was, you know, via LinkedIn, then we hooked up and we eventually met in person, which is is the story of life nowadays. You know, you start online a lot of times and then you meet in person, hopefully. but
00:31:05
Speaker
It's amazing the relationships that can be built online and virtually and stuff these days. so don't ever feel like you're alone. I've said it once, I'll say it a million times, you can always reach out to me and I can direct you in the right direction um because it can. It can be an isolating business. It can be an isolating country as busy as um as the United States is.
00:31:23
Speaker
um Or if you're listening from Ireland or the UK or anywhere, who knows? um But thank you so much for joining us. and We could probably talk for hours. I'm sure you could probably. Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:36
Speaker
want to ask you, though. So can you share? I'm sure our students will be listening um from Miami Dade College. um Tell us some of the initiatives that we had discussed for, you know, you and your colleagues coming in for the different um things for the students to get, you know.
00:31:52
Speaker
firsthand experience on. Yeah, for sure. So, oh, God, the tables have turned. I'm now the interviewee. So for sure, am any colleges, but we've specifically spoken about Miami-Dade or anybody who's interested, interested we there's two things we offer and with my company, Muldowny Memorials, which is celebrant work.
00:32:10
Speaker
and the memorial planning. Celebrant work is like a priest, but not a priest, or a rabbi, but not a rabbi, somebody to emcee the funeral service, somebody to lead it, build a beautiful, creative service.
00:32:22
Speaker
And a memorial planner is the easiest way to describe, but it's like a wedding planner, but for funerals. It is not a funeral director. It is not replacing a funeral director. It is working hand in hand.
00:32:33
Speaker
lot of funeral directors and take the m take the memorial planning and blend it in with their own career and just bring it back to the funeral home themselves. And some of them will hire outside help like me to come in and just provide that extra helping hand to a family because it can be a lot.
00:32:51
Speaker
So and between those two and mental health is obviously a big thing that you and I have talked about and and retention in the business and stuff is Yeah, we can do the celebrant course and we can come and do, I think we should do like a one hour chat just about celebrant work and maybe I'll incorporate some of the
Courses offered by Muldowny Memorials
00:33:11
Speaker
memorial planning. I think could be great.
00:33:13
Speaker
um I also just released a pet loss course. which as you know, is very dear to my heart. and So yeah, so incorporating all of that, and we obviously do sell all of that on the website.
00:33:25
Speaker
We did actually just recently, which you know what, I actually think I'm going to offer it to your students for free. We just recently, um i just launched a meditation. Always happy to to gift and help out where I can. Obviously, i' have to turn the lights on too, but it's when it comes to the students and the colleges and stuff, i I'm always happy to help because that's, these are the the funeral directors of tomorrow and the more educated they are, the more resources they have access to, the better. So yeah, I love to talk about all of those, those aspects. We have a Celebrate course. We have a Pet Loss course.
00:33:59
Speaker
We have, it is, I know people have been emailing me. There is going to be a memorial planning course. I just haven't had the time guys. I am sorry. It is coming. Maybe we can have aired by the time this airs. Maybe I will have it out by then.
00:34:13
Speaker
and We do have a hospitality course as well, which is different. But we do have a hospitality course about hospitality in a funeral home. So we have that coming too. So, yeah, I think maybe we just have a have a session where we do a Q&A on all of that with your students.
00:34:27
Speaker
Maybe we'll even record it so we can use it and for other folks that have those questions too. Could be something. Yes, yes, yeah. You know, from the first moment I met you, it was, you were like a force of energy, Miss Jennifer, like truly like a force of energy and just this beam of light.
Potential collaborations with Miami-Dade College
00:34:43
Speaker
And I remember, you know, spending the day with you at Miami-Dade and yeah, it was fun. And we really got to know each other and, you know, got, you got a full tour of the college and met Adam of the higher administrators and my colleagues, other professors. So yeah, truly, truly amazing. So as always though, welcome you back, you know, um we'll be so resuming classes um in the fall.
00:35:03
Speaker
And would love to have you, you know, present your material to our students. Let's do this. Well, on that note, let's wrap it up and say thank you to Dr. T. And we'll definitely have our back, guys, I think. and I think that'll be the main consensus. We're going leave all our information here.
00:35:19
Speaker
And thank you so much for for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. And my tagline is, remember, I'll be the last one to let you down.