Who We Are Inside

This week, Susan and educator, writer, and community organizer, Roman Benty talk about community, education, and advocacy. As the community partnership coordinator at the LIGHT education initiative, Roman works to connect schools with the communities they're in to build relationships and make their neighborhoods stronger and more vibrant for everyone in them.

This week Susan is in conversation with Dr. Clyde Wilson Pickett, the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Engagement and Well-Being at the University of Pittsburgh and champion of culture change, inclusion, and well-being. Tune in for a great discussion on community, inclusion, and what it means to thrive.

This week, Susan is in the studio with Donald Alexander, an elementary school teacher in the Carleton School District in Pittsburgh, PA. The pair discuss the role of teachers as community organizers and the programs that Donald, his colleagues and their students have put in place that benefit students and their communities.

This week, we have Susan Graff in conversation with Kristy Joy Weidner, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of the Village Center for Holistic Therapy. The pair explore the significance of heart-centered transformation, authenticity, and creating spaces for connection and healing in both personal and professional settings. Then Kristy takes us to the inner gym with an exercise that is bound to change your day for the better

We are back from break with a new studio and a slate of great new episodes!

This week we're sharing our conversation with Dr. Jason A. Deakings, a nontraditional researcher and educator dedicated to improving health outcomes in marginalized communities. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Dr. Deakins discusses the significance of community engagement and health equity.

Monica Ruiz, Executive Director of Casa San Jose in Pittsburgh, shares her journey from a case manager to an advocate for minority communities. She discusses challenges faced by Latino newcomers in the city and stresses the importance of embracing immigrants for future growth.

⁠Show notes

Join us in conversation with Katelan Hudson as she shares her journey of identity formation and healing her primal wound as a Vietnamese transracial adoptee.

Show notes

This week we are joined by Courtney Lucas, a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and so much more. Courtney and the panel discuss navigating academia and life in general as an introvert. What people expect you to say when they ask how you are; the unexpected consequences of taking the time to think and process before responding; the dance between code switching and being true to yourself. Feel free to relax and put your resting blank face on for this one!

⁠Show notes⁠

Emiola Oriola ultimately sees himself as a lover of people who strives to build unity in diversity proactively and intentionally, wherever he goes. Join us as we discuss the idea of being our whole selves in all aspects of our lives.

Show notes

This week on the podcast, we continue to explore the importance of being rather than doing with Dr. Mario Browne. The conversation touches on recovery, creating community, and challenging masculine stereotypes. The group share ways that they create space for people to share what's going on in their lives, and the importance of checking in with others.

Show notes ⁠available here⁠.