Education: Recent Episodes
Untrained Wisdom
If you’re an older adult or have maturing loved ones and welcome inspiration and ideas on leading a more enriching life, this podcast is for you. Untrained Wisdom introduces you to ordinary people (age 55+) who have redefined the paradigm on what it means to become older, and industry professionals whose expertise guides seasoned generations to live more fulfilling lives.
After 2 years and 6 seasons of producing interviews, I've decided to end Untrained Wisdom. In this final episode, I reflect on my experience. Thank you all for listening.
Dorothy Oliver, owner and operator of the general store in rural Panola, Ala., joined forces with a local county commissioner in 2021 to get as many people as she could to get vaccinated from COVID-19 in her small black community. Dorothy's efforts included diligently communicating with residents and educating them about the disease, which resulted in a nearly 99 percent vaccination rate among the town's adults in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.
In this interview, Dorothy talks about the work she did before and after the vaccine became available as well as the recognition she's received publicly, which includes a personal address by Dr. Anthony Fauci. Her story was also featured in a 2021 short documentary by The New Yorker magazine called The Panola Project.
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Tony Rodriguez was a well-respected trauma therapist whose life was cut short in a tragic accident. Some time after, his wife Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez began journaling. Many of her raw, unfiltered accounts in the first 14 months of grief became the foundation of her 2022 book, "A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance: A Love Story of Grief, Trauma, Healing and Faith" published by Chalice Press. In this interview, Jennifer talks about the complexities of navigating life as a widow and mom to their two sons, the therapies she turned to in helping her healing, writing the book, and who this book is for.
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Jennifer's Recommendations: - Cello suites of J.S. Bach - The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
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Alexis Baker is a licensed and board-certified music therapist in Portland, Oregon who started Bridgetown Music Therapy, a subscription-based video library service with lessons targeted for aging adults. In this interview, Alexis talks about what music therapy (and what it's not), who her clients are within the senior citizen population that utilize her service, how the BMT platform works, and why this type of health service is beneficial. Furthermore, Alexis mentions the American Music Therapy Association as a resource for anyone interested in finding a professional in their area.
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Alexis' Recommendation: - Survivor - Fixer to Fabulous
Shuva's Recommendation: - Cheer
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Kai Swanson and Jenni Swanson are two of Illinois' local elected leaders. Kai serves as a member of the Rock Island County Board, and Jenni is an alderwoman in Rock Island, Illinois. In this conversation, the two talk about their interest in politics, why they got involved, how it has evolved in recent years, what they've learned about themselves, and more.
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Jenni's Recommendation: - Beach / paddleboarding
Kai's Recommendation: - Sa som i himmelen (As It Is In Heaven)
Shuva's Recommendation: - My Octopus Teacher
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon.
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In Season 6, I have seven new episodes of guests whose experiences have shaped their narratives and aim to challenge our own beliefs of what’s possible.
All my guests this year are based in the U.S. Guests this season are from Iowa, Illinois, New York, as well as guests for the first time from Oregon and Alabama. This preview episode introduces the following guests:
- 4/3 Season 6 preview
- 4/5 Ep. 48: Illinois Local Elected Leaders Kai Swanson + Jenni Swanson
- 4/12 Ep. 49: Aging Adult-Focused Music Therapist Alexis Baker
- 4/19 Ep. 50: "In The Heights" Dancer Lillian Colon.
- 4/26. Ep. 51: Quad-Cities-Based Packing + Moving Expert Gwen Tombergs
- 5/3. Ep. 52: Grief + Healing Author Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez
- 5/10. Ep. 53: Iowa House Candidate Sonya Heitshusen
- 5/17. Ep. 54: Panola, Ala. Vaccine Advocate Dorothy Oliver
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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon.
Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up here for your own Buzzsprout account.
At age 12, Jordan Mittler came up with the idea of a technology program for senior citizens after realizing his grandparents couldn't use an iPhone he had gifted them. Now, in 2021, Jordan is a 17-year-old high school senior providing professional technology education to older adults all over the world through Mittler Senior Technology.
In this interview, Jordan talks about how it felt realizing his grandparents didn't have the same tech skills he did and how he went about introducing himself to the older demographic in his Manhattan community. Furthermore, he shares how he and his peers produced lessons for older adults during the pandemic. Jordan's efforts to help improve the quality of life for seniors has garnered him attention from numerous media outlets, including CNN and People magazine. His entrepreneurial story is inspiring for all ages.
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Jordan's Recommendations: - The Office - Educated by Tara Westover - Friend & Foe by Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon or leave a tip on the Goodpods app.
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On Father's Day 2021 Twin Cities-based KARE 11 reporter Karla Hult launched So Many Goodbyes, an advocacy service for families who have loves ones living with Alzheimer's. After seeing her father's decline from the disease, Karla wanted to help others in a way she wished was available to her. Through mentoring and workshops, Karla aims to serve families so they can better navigate the long and difficult experience that one might expect with an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
In this interview, Karla talks about her father and how meaningful he was in her life, the different stages of decline she observed in him, and the emotions of producing a series of personal feature-length stories about her dad and the impact of Alzheimer's. Furthermore, Karla spotlights the stress Alzheimer's places on caregivers – many of whom are senior citizens.
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Karla's Recommendations: - U2 - The Daily podcast by The New York Times - Up First by NPR - All books by Margaret Atwood - Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ - Schitt's Creek on Netflix - Game of Thrones on HBO
Shuva's Recommendation: - In The Heights movie musical
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon or leave a tip on the Goodpods app.
Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up here for your own Buzzsprout account.
Jon R. Kerstetter completed three tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army as a combat physician and flight surgeon from 2003 to 2006. After his return from Iraq, Dr. Kerstetter suffered a stroke while undergoing surgery for a brain aneurysm. The resulting cognitive and physical impairments left him unable to continue his career as a doctor and military officer. Through extensive physical and cognitive rehabilitation, he enrolled in a graduate writing program at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, earning his Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction, and published his memoir, called Crossings: A Doctor-Soldier's Story.
In this interview, the Iowa City, Iowa resident reflects on his childhood growing up on an Indian reservation in Oneida, Wisconsin, changing course in middle age to become a doctor, and contributing his medical skills in international conflicts before serving in Iraq. He also talks about the differences between civilian and military medicine, and shares a handful of remarkable experiences being challenged during his time in Iraq as well as on the long road to recovering from his stroke through writing his book.
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Jon's Recommendations: - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Killing Crazy Horse by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Shuva's Recommendation: - Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon or leave a tip on the Goodpods app.
Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up here for your own Buzzsprout account.
Maria Manning, originally from the Cape Verde Islands in West Africa, came to the U.S. when she was 31. After decades of taking care of family members and navigating through various health issues, she finally achieved one of her biggest goals this past spring by earning her bachelor's degree at the age of 88. She graduated with a double major in liberal arts and Spanish public services from Cal State Dominguez Hills.
In this interview, Maria shares a bit about her childhood, her long path to getting an education, and reflections on her time in college, as well as her graduation day.
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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Check out guest recommendations on Pinterest. Finally, you can support the show through Patreon or leave a tip on the Goodpods app.
Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up here for your own Buzzsprout account.