Paula Granger will graduate from MIIS this May with her master's degree in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, leaving behind some big shoes to fill. Paula is a veteran and member of the National Guard and came on MIIS Radio to offer her perspective on what it means to be a veteran and a woman at MIIS and beyond. We talked about misperceptions in the public about veterans and some best practices for compassionate interactions with current and former members of the Armed Forces –– and Paula's perspective on some of the issues facing our country and world today. Tune in to hear Paula's thoughts on finding common humanity with our veteran community and much more.

"We work in tandem with our crew, our community, and our earth." 

Tyler Ellis had no idea he'd own a coffee shop one day, let alone at the age of 25 in the seaside town of Monterey, California. A native of Michigan, Tyler made his way east and west for work – but also for a place to call home. In the summer of 2018, he landed in Monterey, having been offered the opportunity of a lifetime to take over Captain + Stoker as co-owner with his now-fiancée, Kelsea. Tune in to hear Tyler's story and his philosophy for coffee and creating a community one cup of coffee at a time –– and his thoughts on the role of sustainability in operating a business. We had a great time recording, and you'll have a great time listening.

https://www.captainandstoker.com

Jack Murphy is an Army veteran and the Deputy Director of the Veteran's Transition Center in Marina, California. He finds meaning in his work serving veterans and helping them back on their feet. Jack presents a sober and compassionate perspective on the causes of homelessness among veterans, the challenges they face in overcoming homelessness – and what they have to offer once given an opportunity to serve their communities once again. Jack also offers his take on the Homeless Emergency Assistance Program – HEAP – funding coming into Monterey County in the coming year, and how it might be best put to use. His perspective will enrich your understanding of systemic issues like homelessness – and provide an example of what humble service to your community looks like.

A MIIS student alum, Rafael Hernandez was one of the original members to create the idea of MIIS Radio alongside his colleagues in the D-Space (now known as the DLC) back in 2013-2015. Now, Rafael works as the Housing Program Program Associate for Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, a regional non-profit organization that works on improving the economic health and quality of life in the region.  

Rafael's prolific involvement with affordable housing on the Monterey Bay Peninsula is creating buzz as he works within farming communities in Salinas to daily commuters working in the tourist industry. His bold words on creating mutual kinship based on shared values is tangible and a direct reflection of his knowledge gained from his rich experiences talked about in this podcast. New funnels of capital is on its way from public and private pools of funds –– it will be exciting to hear what Rafael has in store for the people living here on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. 

Conversations on MIIS Radio don't get much more substantive than this one. Hans Uslar has been the City Manager since August of 2018, but he's been working in public policy and administration on the Monterey Peninsula for the last two decades. Tune in to hear his perspective on the challenges facing the community, such as housing affordability, serving the homeless population, and managing growth on a critically limited water supply.

Sunday, February 10th was not supposed to be the last day of business for Sanctuary Rock Gym. The gym and its members believed they'd have through April 30th to figure out the next step –– but miscommunication from multiple parties resulted in a premature shuttering of Sanctuary's doors. 

It's not the end. As you'll hear in this bonus episode of MIIS Radio, Sanctuary lives on in the community that made it vibrant. The community may be without a home for now, but they are not without hope. Tune in to hear from interviews with members on the last day of sending at the gym. You'll learn what the place means to them – and how they will keep the stoke alive. 

It's been about a year since MIIS Radio revived in its current form and it wouldn't have happened without the two women you'll hear from on this episode. Radwa Wahba (IPD+MBA '18) and Susan Wang (TLM '18) helped get MIIS Radio off the ground while they were serving on Student Council –– they're OG MIIS Radio. Tune in to hear learn about where and what they're doing now, how they believe we can get the most out of our time at the Institute, and some hard truths about Crazy Rich Asians. 

Sanctuary Rock Gym is a local institution on the Monterey Peninsula. Charles Schrammel is the manager, and I sat down with him to talk about how the gym became a rock for the community –– and how he's been handling the imminent South of Tioga development project that will force the gym to find a new location by Spring. Spoiler: there is no villain in this story –– just the relentless churn of development and adaptation by communities who have nowhere to go but forward.