Category: Citizenship
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“’You lift your shirt, I’ll lift my shirt, too.’ That’s what makes a good relationship—getting vulnerable and sharing your sh**.” – Reena
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In this episode, I speak with Reena, a TV producer, podcast host, and mompreneur, about her earliest memories of experiencing both social connection and disconnection in schools, as well as both shock and ultimately the push she needed to find her own voice. We talk about her career in TV and entertainment including working as…
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“I am because we are. If you don’t work well with others, figure it out. How can you connect more dots? Who can you build with” – Charli
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Charli Kemp, an educator and social impact-maker, about her high school memories of selling candy, evading tardy sweeps by hanging out in the counselor’s office, and negotiating her grades with her teachers…before becoming an educator herself. We talk about her nonlinear journey of discovering her place in education…
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“Every single thing in our world is related to science. If we reframe it that way, then there’s a place for everyone.” – Andrea
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Andrea Love, an immunologist, microbiologist, and science communicator, about her early interests in science and scientific literacy. We talk about how she became interested in science, what her parents and teachers did to encourage her to continue pursuing her curiosities, and why she is passionate about encouraging children…
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“We need to work on changing people’s mindset around what education is. Around how children learn.” – Fran
In this episode, I speak with Fran, a writer, unschooler, and consent-based education advocate about her education journey, which began in Italy. We talk about how her early interests in humanities and dream of becoming a writer led to her pursuing a career in journalism before she became a mother who decided to give unschooling…
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Social connection, digital responsibility, and the ability to reflect and self-correct along the way
In this episode, I speak with Jon—a pastor and podcaster—about growing up in a family of farm workers, and being raised by a mom who wanted a different life for her child. We talk about his earliest memories of his education journey being wired for social connection. We discuss his non-linear career path, and what…
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Friendships, our Own Normal, and the tolerance for unresolvable conflicts exist
In this episode, I speak with Mel—an educator, artist, interculturalist, and reader—about her earliest memories of growing up as the gifted, oldest daughter of 6 children. We talk about her experiences of making friends—and making bullies—across the US, England, Korea, and Germany, and what perspectives she gained by living within multiple cultures. We also discuss…
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Emotional intelligence, divergent thinking, and the self-acceptance needed to transform our anger
In this episode, I speak with Benoit—a US army veteran, former policymaker, and current psychotherapist—about his education journey across multiple countries, and having to adapt to each of its languages and cultures from scratch, every few years. We talk about the influence his mother had on his mental landscape, how he overcame being bullied in…
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Relationships, boundaries, and the insight to transform anger into social change
In this episode, I speak with Roxanne—a social worker, psychotherapist, and mom of two boys—about her earliest memories of attending schools in Jamaica, and loving science so much that she thought she’d become a biochemist before immigrating to Canada and ultimately pursuing a career in social work and psychotherapy. We talk about the injustices and…
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Introspection, charisma, and the psychological safety to take up space
In this episode, I speak with Milena—an educator and mom—about her earliest memories of being told by her teachers to take up more space. We talk about the internal journey that this message incited, and the personal exploration that led her to teaching communications and interpersonal relationship building to military professionals. We discuss how this…
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Communication, opportunities, and the freedom to connect with like-minded peers
In this episode, I speak with Yonny—a paralegal and immigration justice advocate—about his earliest memories of growing up in Mexico, and being raised by his grandparents for most of his childhood. He compares the education systems between Mexico and the United States, and how the differences informed the types of activities he chose to pursue.…