Path to Follow Podcast

"Own it, try to learn from it, and be better the next play." - Tim Holley '77 //

Tim Holley '77 is a Gilman School titan, legendary storyteller, Penn Quaker, long-time athletic director, baseball-lover turned lacrosse dad, English teacher, and dedicated golfer. Most importantly, Mr. Holley is a man of high character. //

In Episode #15 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Tim talk about Tim's launchpad as a Gilman student, his several role models growing up, the hardest and most time-consuming game he's ever tried to play, the importance of moving on from mistakes, his service in the Navy, Julius Caesar analogies, and rediscovery through reading. //

Enjoy the episode? Subscribe to the #PTF YouTube channel and follow @pathtofollowpod on Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Instagram, and Twitter. //

Shouts to Cesare Ciccanti for his skills, time, and hard work.

Kevin Hudson is a history teacher at Gilman, World War I & II expert, Bible Study leader, assistant lacrosse coach, influential student advisor, and esteemed travel guide. //

In Episode #14 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Kevin discuss Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, the human capacity for evil, the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany, Nazi propaganda, Kevin’s WWI & II course curriculum, the flaws and biases of our perception of the past, Kevin’s experience living in London for ten years, his time at Westminster School in Atlanta, and the blessing of teaching, coaching, and advising at Gilman School. //

Enjoy this episode? Please subscribe to the Youtube channel and follow @pathtofollowpod on Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Instagram, and Twitter. //

This production was made possible by the skillful mastery of Cesare Ciccanti.

Justin Baker is an English teacher, college counselor, baseball coach, guitar player, blues music enthusiast, failed Buddhist, and Cormac McCarthy admirer. //

In Episode #13 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Justin dive into Justin’s love for playing guitar, his favorite musical artists, Sylvia Plath, reading Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five for the first time, how reading inspires creativity, starting a band in college, how “I don’t have an opinion” is an acceptable position in an argument, entertainment versus spirituality, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, and the “fertile ground” of Gilman School. //

Enjoy the episode? Check out @pathtofollowpod on YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Instagram, and Twitter. //

Shout out to the powerful Cesare Ciccanti for his technical mastery.

Rob Heubeck is Head of the Upper School at Gilman School, a 12th grade history and philosophy teacher, baseball coach, UFC fan, and an instrumental figure in planning Gilman’s return to school during COVID-19. //

In Episode #12 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Rob discuss the complexities of planning Gilman’s course of action during the pandemic, mental health and the importance of finding catharsis, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground, the personalities of 20th-century intellectuals, Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boo Smith at John Carroll, rugby at James Madison, Rob’s memories as Head of Instructional Technology “when the Cloud was dangerous,” essential “new world skills” for the digital world, the importance of failure and recovery, and how COVID is forcing us to “operate in the mess.” //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpodcast on YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Twitter, and Instagram. More to come! // 

A special thank you to the gifted Cesare Ciccanti!

How are kindergartners faring during the pandemic? Allow Ms. Dia Matthews to explain....

Dia Matthews is a Lower School reading and art teacher at Gilman, field hockey and lacrosse coach at Bryn Mawr School, ex-two-sport athlete at University of Richmond, avid runner, and a joyful guest on the Path to Follow Podcast.

In Episode #11, Jake and Dia discuss how children are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, the contagious energy of a kindergarten classroom, how it took Picasso “four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child,” the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the overlapping skill set required to play field hockey and lacrosse, Dia’s first conversation with Reddy Finney, the concept of “pre-first,” and the fun of competition. //

Looking for additional paths to follow? Subscribe to @pathtofollowpod on YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Instagram, and Twitter. // 

As always, thank you to our consistently dialed-in chief of tech, Cesare Ciccanti.

Ms. Beth Knapp is an English teacher, enthusiastic Jesmyn Ward disciple, graduate of the Bread Loaf School of English, “steward of belonging” and co-director of the Finney-Greene Program, head of the One Love Foundation at Gilman School, and an absolute rockstar of a podcast guest.

In Episode #10 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Beth discuss the entrenched role of education in Beth’s life, her philosophy on giving and receiving criticism, her experience as a woman teaching at an all-boys school, the expensive process of teaching students to write clearly, Gilman School’s Finney-Greene Program, the benefits to rereading literature, and how “What’s your favorite book?” is a blasphemous question to ask a literature lover. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow the Path to Follow Podcast (@pathtofollowpod) on YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Twitter, and Instagram. //

A special thank you to our technology specialist, Mr. Cesare Ciccanti.

Señor Matt Zealand is a Spanish teacher, baseball and soccer coach, world traveler, literature lover, newspaper editor, and elite pick-up basketball player.

In Episode #9 of the Path to Follow (PTF) Podcast, Jake and Matt cover a breadth of subjects. They discuss Matt's life-changing experiences in Spain, the inextricable tie between culture and language, the intensity of Uraguayan author Horatio Quiroga, the majesty of Machu Picchu, the value of playing multiple sports, and the influence of media on the US political landscape. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, PodBean, and Google Podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel! //

A special shout out to the great and powerful producer, Cesare Ciccanti.

Such an honor to speak to one of the most unique and interesting people at Gilman School, Mr. Robby Ford. Robby is a man of countless talents; he's a math teacher, ex-football player, track coach, pianist, singer, conductor, and world traveller. The list goes on!

In Episode #8 of the Path to Follow (PTF) Podcast, Robby explains what attracted him to Gilman after growing up on-campus at rival school McDonogh, the role models who continue to inspire him, the transformative effects of traveling, and how his "musical identity" was formed at a young age.

He vividly recalls his unforgettable memories conducting the National Anthem at the 100th Gilman/McDonogh football game and attending Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in Vienna. Enjoy! //

Please LIKE this video and FOLLOW @pathtofollowpod on YouTube, Twitter, PodBean, and IG. //

A huge thank you to the gifted podcast producer, Cesare Ciccanti.

Mr. Patrick Hastings has read James Joyce's Ulysses upwards of twenty times, and he plans to continue to read the novel every day for the rest of his life. Aren't you curious why?

In Episode #7 of the Path to Follow (PTF) Podcast, Jake and Patrick discuss the brilliance of James Joyce. Patrick shares a very exciting announcement, discusses how he became a Joycean, details his experiences in Dublin, and explains the captivating essence of Ulysses.

Anyone who has attempted to read Ulysses knows the novel is far from a summer beach read. It's one of the most important and difficult books ever written. And who better to explain its significance than lifelong Joycean, Gilman English Department Chair, teacher, coach, and author: Mr. Patrick Hastings. Enjoy! //

Please follow @pathtofollowpod on YouTube, Twitter, PodBean, and IG. //

A special shout out to Cesare Ciccanti, the technology guru.

Hell of an episode with Brooks Matthews. The man is the epitome of what a teacher-coach should be: passionate, disciplined, and driven.

In Episode #6, Jake and Brooks discuss Gilman's hybrid learning model, Brooks's fondest memories as a student-athlete at Gilman, some of the best players to ever lace up for the Hounds, the essence of true leadership, and the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on YouTube, Twitter, PodBean, and IG. More audio-only channels coming soon. //

And as always, a massive thank you to Cesare Ciccanti for his savvy tech magic.