Jessica DeRose, Karli Visconto are “Only Human”

More than 100 students filled the seats of Lamberton Hall on Monday as two women onstage adjusted their chairs, sipped water and laughed about how nervous they were to speak in front of their largest audience yet.

For Jessica DeRose and Karli Visconto, the co-founders of the Only Human Project, the moment wasn’t a slip-up. Instead, it aligned with their core brand values: authenticity and openness about mental health and shared experiences.

The pair hosted a live, podcast-style conversation in which they opened up about their identities, career paths, mental health and overall wellness. They also discussed certain struggles among college students that are omitted from most conversations, such as body image, loneliness and identity.

“We just want people to know that they are never alone in what they are going through,” DeRose said. 

DeRose and Visconto discussed the universal stress and discomfort many students experience during college, despite the widespread belief that these are supposed to be the best years of one’s life.

They said they hope their project encourages more open, human conversations so people feel less afraid to follow their instincts.

Before forming their partnership, DeRose and Visconto each hosted their own podcasts. DeRose’s podcast was called Figuring It Out, while Visconto’s was Figuritoutable. A mutual friend noticed their podcasts touched on similar themes.

The rest was history. 

After meeting for coffee, the two decided to collaborate on a joint podcast. Visconto said the meeting felt like divine timing, adding she believed they could be more impactful together than individually. 

They named their podcast Only Human to reflect their goal of highlighting shared experiences and helping people understand their struggles aren’t isolated.

During the conversation, DeRose and Visconto reflected on their own college experiences.

DeRose said she entered college confident she wanted to become a teacher. She said she expected a comfortable future with a clear, fixed career path.

However, after her first year, that path no longer felt right. 

She said many students — herself included — feel pressure to choose the “right” career path early on. She reminded the audience it’s never too late to pivot and start over.

Visconto shared a similar experience.

“I always knew deep down that something did not feel right, but I listened to external voices instead of my gut,” Visconto said.

Visconto said it’s important to align a career with personal values. Pursuing a career in finance didn’t align with the life she wanted long-term, as she prioritized wellness and flexibility, including the ability to work remotely.

She also emphasized how difficult it can be to initiate change. She said when people want to change a habit — big or small — they often feel overwhelmed and become stagnant.

For Alana Thomforde, ’29, the conversation offered reassurance about the challenges of navigating academics and committing to a career path that can feel as though it determines the course of their future. 

Thomforde said it was inspiring to hear how DeRose and Visconto adapted and overcame their struggles. 

“The part about your path not being concrete really stuck with me,” Thomforde said. “It reminded me that not everything is so serious, and I do not have to stay on one path. 

As a freshman, Thomforde said she felt relieved to hear that her current plan wasn’t permanent, but rather an evolving work in progress. She said she plans to continue taking a variety of classes and regularly checking in with herself to see what feels right.

Maddie Sims, ’28, is an engineering student who understands academic pressure. She said it was reassuring to hear that not everyone is fully committed to their major, and that uncertainty and exploration doesn’t equate to failure. 

Both students agreed there’s a lack of conversations surrounding mental health on campus, particularly regarding career uncertainty and self-identity.

“It almost seems taboo to say ‘I don’t know’,” Visconto said. “But it is true — most people really have no idea, because they have not yet experienced the things that will help guide them in the right direction.”

DeRose and Visconto emphasized that a helpful starting point when recognizing the need for change is to begin with small, manageable habits.

For DeRose, that meant turning her phone to “Do Not Disturb” and making her drive home from work a dedicated period of silence for decompression.

“It’s in the little things,” she said. “It allows me to actually have space in my brain.”

Looking ahead, DeRose and Visconto said they hope to interview celebrities and athletes to learn about their experiences.

“We want to showcase that even (celebrities and athletes) are only human,” DeRose said.