Many of our students, faculty, staff and alumni thrive in an environment where we can be good neighbors. Fred Rogers once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear from Mike Disotell and Kelly Lake, both members of the class of 2011. Both are civic and community service-minded to their core and find it important to share why and how they fulfill their duties in their local, regional, and national neighborhoods.

The irony of this story – is that we asked Mike and Kelly to participate in this podcast because they have so much wisdom and passion for this topic. When they agreed to do this podcast, they both shared with me the irony of their selection. Growing up, they were neighbors and, although they now live 2,000 miles away from each other, they still stay in touch to this day.

Being well-rounded isn’t something we’re oftentimes born with, but something that is born into us when we become committed to exploring and answering questions of curiosity. Candice Okello, a member of the class of 2011 and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and Dr. Trisha Cowen, Assistant Professor of English, explore their lives and discuss what it actually means to be well-rounded. In their discussion, they find the link that ties them together about the importance of immersing yourselves into a life rich with research, culture, and empathy.

Adventure. It’s a way of stepping out of our comfort and propelling ourselves beyond normalcy. How do you become someone who feels a sense of adventure in your everyday life? We tapped into two adventurers, Glenn Thompson '68 and Katie Moga Gesing '12, and asked them to share how to find inner adventure that propels you to overcome inaction and to take action.

There are so many things – seen, unseen, tangible, intangible, literal, and metaphorical that are up. Here to talk about the most amazing things up – discussing the things they know about that place – are Sean Swarner '97, keynote speaker, author, and climber, and Dr. Will Armentrout '12, astronomer. They will share with you all that they can in 30 minutes about their experiences up – and then uncover their shared truth about what the most amazing aspect is of up.

Rob Klamut, Andrew Youtz, and Victoria Pezzuolo '20 share their reflections about being members and leaders in a team setting. They talk about obstacles they've overcome, lessons they take with them every day, the importance of understanding your role, and the mindset it takes to be a positive team member. 

A short blurb about the Something Real Podcast - and an invitation to keep listening for deep thoughts through unfiltered stories.