AU Podcasts

Will: What’s up everyone and welcome to the Hello Neighbor podcast, episode one — the official podcast of Avala University.

Setareh: I’m Setareh

Will: I’m Will and we’re your neighborhood hosts.

Setareh: So how’s your week been?

Will: It’s been good. How about you?

Setareh: It’s been pretty good. Can’t complain at all. I’ve been studying and just working.

Will: Really?

Setareh: Yep. I had an exam. I have like an exam every week.

Will: An exam every week at a soccer game. Did you lose? Did you fail your test?

Setareh: Actually, I didn’t. Thank you. Yeah, beginner’s luck. Actually, it’s my fourth exam.

Will: Ooo, four leaf clover. You got lucky. It’s all it is with you — luck. No, I’m just playing.

All right, now it’s time for a special part of our show. The first ever guest on the Hello Neighbor podcast — the man for everything admissions and marketing, the Executive Director of Admissions and Marketing, Jonathan Jackson.

Jonathan Jackson: What’s up, y’all?

Will: What’s up? How you doing?

Jonathan: I’m all right. How are you?

Will: Good. Good.

Jonathan: I’m all right. I’m all right. I’m all right. Can’t complain. How y’all doing?

Setareh & Will: Great. Can’t complain at all.

Jonathan: Good. Good. Good, sir. How y’all feeling? Feeling good. Feeling energized, you know. Good. Had to wake up a little early for practice, but that’s always giving me a kickstart to the day. So, gotcha. Okay. Well, it’s good to be here. It’s good to be here with you. I appreciate it.

Will: Yes, sir. So let’s jump right in. What brought you to Avala?

Jonathan: You know, funny story. I was not actually working in education for a while. My first job out of college was in higher education at my alma mater and I love marketing as well, but loving marketing means you love people. But jumping into a role right out of college into higher education, like on the student affairs side of things, I grew a love for not only helping people but also helping spread the opportunities that the institution provided itself. So I found like a common love and passion for it. So ultimately when the opportunity came to me to apply to be here, to work at Avala, I hesitated at first, but I went ahead and jumped to the occasion and I’m actually really glad that I did.

Will: And we are so happy to have you here.

Jonathan: I appreciate it. Truly helped change the culture of the school and grow the culture of the school.

Will: I appreciate you, bud. I feel like the community is more closer and I got to say since my time starting in March 2024 to now, I can definitely say the same. I’m not a student, but even from like a staff member looking on the outside, I definitely can say I feel it for sure. And so many of the new students, especially the freshmen, they love to hear your story — they just love you.

Jonathan: Tell me about it. No, I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I don’t know. I was just telling my journey from college until I got to Avala — all the different things that I had to endure, the things that happened to me, the things that I allowed to happen, consequences of my own actions, my falls, my failures, but also my triumphs. So I just kind of talked from the time I was born until I got here now and all those different things that were monumental in who made me who I am today.

Will: That’s good. What is one of the biggest lessons you learned in college?

Jonathan: Like I was a terrible procrastinator in college, but I was great once I locked in. I was great. But I would definitely say, me personally, one of the biggest lessons I learned is that being exactly who you are authentically is 100% okay. And you’re not going to please everyone — everyone’s not going to like you for who you are just naturally. Some of it is envy, some of it is jealousy. At the end of the day, who you are authentically and genuinely is your superpower. And I wish if I would have grasped that longer and earlier, I feel like my whole college experience would have been different. Now, I love my college experience. Oh, I had a great time. But I think that I would have enjoyed it a little bit more because I didn’t feel like I had to have such a guard up in certain areas of my life.

Setareh: So I think I could relate to that with my freshman year, honestly. But that’ll lead me to my second question. So you went to an HBCU, right? Okay. And there’s a bit of a different culture there. So I guess my question is, did you, when you came to Avala — being a Catholic school, a liberal arts school — did you plan on incorporating some of that culture into Avala or doing it your own different way?

Jonathan: Well, no. I think it’s important that people have their own experience. Honestly, I think with the HBCU culture and coming into Avala, I actually have connections to the Catholic culture as well, just coming from a culture where students want to be excited about what they’re doing and coming to different events and being involved and representing the institution ultimately. So I wasn’t too focused on trying to bring some of my culture back from my college to Avala — I felt like Avala needed its own, you know. Not saying it didn’t have it when I got here because it definitely did. I just think that we needed to do some things to really reinvigorate it, really get it pumping again. And I think that all the staff members and student affairs faculty, those in the classrooms — we all have made a commitment to assure that we understand that we want to change culture and we’re getting there, we are 100% getting there. So I was more focused on trying to get acclimated to that versus bringing my own in, because honestly at the end of the day your experience is always going to be different from my experience in college. And I know a lot of people have that conversation — HBCUs versus schools like Avala being a Catholic liberal arts institution. And it’s not necessarily one is better than the other regardless of what the color of your skin is. Like my HBCU was extremely diverse. We were 55% Caucasian — no, 50, 55%, one of the two, during the time I was there and we were like 45% African-American, 5% international. So we were pretty diverse in a sense. We welcomed that and we loved it and we grabbed hold of it. And it’s funny because I feel like Avala has some of those same similarities in demographic breakdown. But it’s important, right? So I think you learn, you see what’s out there, you see what everybody else is doing, but you have to be open to all different types of cultures, because ultimately you can build a strong community with it.

Will: That’s a great answer. So my question is, I know you were one of the people behind the idea of making the podcast. How does it feel seeing the podcast come to life?

Jonathan: You know, I’m one of those people — I tell people all the time to celebrate small wins, like regardless of how small or how big the wins are, to celebrate it. And I don’t do good at doing it myself. And this isn’t a thing I could have done by myself at all. It was a collective idea amongst people that worked here at Avala University. So to see it now, I must say it’s a proud moment, not only because we made it about the students and student led — even students working behind the scenes and assisting with all aspects of it — but ultimately it’s just that we’re hoping that this helps spread the word more about how awesome Avala is and the opportunities that it offers. Also that culture we keep hitting on — showing people like, hey, this is what Avala truly is. So it’s really good to be sitting here. Didn’t expect to be sitting here today, but it’s truly truly exciting to be here today for sure.

Setareh: Of course. And that is going to be a wrap on our questions for you. Now we will switch up and go to our Side of the Fence segment where we will ask you some quickfire questions and you just give us an answer. And if it’s one that you may think about, we might ask you to explain it.

Jonathan: Okay, let’s do it.

Will: Okay, so let’s get started. Our first one’s going to be Halloween or Christmas?

Jonathan: Christmas.

Will: Okay. Road trip or vacation across the world?

Jonathan: Are we flying on this vacation across? Well, obviously we got to. Yeah. Vacation around the world.

Will: Okay. Pop or soda?

Jonathan: Pop.

Will: City life or country living?

Jonathan: That’s hard because there are some aspects of city living that I 100% enjoy, and there are a lot of aspects of farm life that I 100% enjoy. So that was kind of hard. I would say city living for my current life where I am right now — I would say city living.

Will: Okay. Singing or dancing?

Jonathan: Already know I’ve done both in my life. Still do to this day.

Will: Yeah, we see it. What you mean you see it?

Jonathan: I mean, just rehearsing, you know. No, I would sing it 100%.

Will: Okay. Sing it 100%. Well, you sound great.

Jonathan: I appreciate it. Let me see something.

Will: Go ahead.

Setareh: Don’t hurt them, don’t hurt them. It’s okay. You ain’t got to hurt them. Are we serious? Come on. Take your time.

Will: All right. Pancakes or waffles?

Jonathan: Pancakes.

Will: That’s a good answer. Dogs or cats?

Jonathan: Meow. I love dogs, and which is funny. So I love dogs and I had a dog here recently. He’s an American Bully. I had to rehome him because I was just so busy with work. I love my job. I love my job. But I got busy with work and I had to rehome him. But I love dogs. He was an American Bully — full bred American Bully. But my next dog is definitely going to be something smaller. I don’t think two big beings can be in a house together like that that have that much energy together. He was hyper. Oh my lord. He was hyper. Full of energy. But I would say like a goldendoodle or a schnauzer. Yeah, I want a schnauzer. I don’t know, they’re like a bougie dog, you know? Very very graceful, very very elite type of dog, and they’re very territorial. So that’s what I need — be about me, only me.

Will: Okay. Romance or comedy movies?

Jonathan: Definitely comedy.

Setareh: And that y’all is Side of the Fence. And that is also our time with Mr. Jonathan Jackson. We thank you so much for having us on today.

Jonathan: Congratulations. Y’all keep doing great. Thank you so much.

Setareh: All right. I loved hearing about everything going on around campus. But do you know what makes Avala really special?

Will: It’s the community and the people.

Setareh: Exactly. And that’s why this next segment is one of my favorites. So let’s head on to the porch for Front Porch Secrets. This is Front Porch Secrets, where members of our Avala family tell their favorite, funniest, or most unforgettable story here at Avala.

Well, our first guest is Justice. Hey, Justice.

Justice: Hey, Will. How you doing?

Will: Good. How are you?

Justice: I’m so great. I can’t wait for this Front Porch Secret.

Will: So like, tell me what was it and what happened?

Justice: So my most unforgettable story in college would definitely be whenever me and a bunch of my friends, we decided to go to Lawrence one night for our friend’s birthday and it was really fun, really exciting time. However, I played softball in college, by the way. And so we had weights the next morning at 5:30. So we all said that we needed to get back and get in bed pretty early, but we didn’t. And so we didn’t get back until 4:00 in the morning. Yes. 4:00 in the morning. And we all showed up to weights. None of us decided to go to sleep. We just went back to our dorm rooms, changed into our weights attire, and headed straight over there. It was like a couple minute walk, so it wasn’t too bad for me. But whenever you go into weights with no sleep, our weights coach was like, “What is wrong with all of you guys?” Because we lifted pretty decently, I would say. And he was like, “What’s wrong with all of you guys?” And it ended up being that we were all having way too much fun out that night. And so yeah, we got in a lot of trouble and we had to run a lot of miles afterwards, but ultimately it was really really fun.

Will: So do you regret it?

Justice: Of course not. 4 in the morning and you don’t regret it. Best times, but I would not recommend.

Will: Fair enough. Fair enough. Lawrence is a bit of a far drive, but thank you so much, Justice, for being our first Front Porch Secret.

Justice: Yeah, thanks for having me. Goodbye, neighbors.

Setareh: I love that last segment. It’s why every porch has its very own heartbeat. And college just isn’t about lectures and grades. It’s about learning, growing, and taking things with us long after. So let’s head to the next segment where we hear some lifelong advice.

Hi, I’m Setareh. I’m the host of Hello Neighbor. Can you introduce yourself?

Hadia: My name is Hadia.

Setareh: And can you give advice for our freshmen?

Hadia: It will be totally check like your degree audit just so you can know like which courses have you already taken or which courses have you not taken, just so you can at least graduate on time and you’re not taking classes that you may not need for your degree program.

Setareh: Okay. Hi guys, my name is Setareh. I’m the host of Hello Neighbor. And can you guys introduce yourselves?

Tahani: My name is Tahani.

Carmen: Hi, my name is Carmen.

Setareh: Are you guys freshmen? Both of you guys?

Tahani & Carmen: Yes.

Setareh: Okay. Do you guys have advice for incoming freshmen?

Tahani: My piece of advice for incoming freshmen is to practice your time management beforehand so that when you start college, it comes easier.

Carmen: Something that I would like to say is it’s okay to take risks because sometimes taking those risks can help you in the long run and they can help you achieve better things in life.

Setareh: Thank you guys so much.

Will: Money man Mark Caleb. Oh, what’s good Will? How you doing, man?

Mark Caleb: You know, chilling. Chill. Yeah. Yeah. So give the people of Avala some advice for Sidewalk Talk. I’m not going to lie, one piece of advice that I should have even used like as a freshman is use the resources in the library like the Writing Center, you know, the tutoring service. Also have like a great relationship with your professors, you know, even if you might be late on some work or things going on in life, they’ll work with you, and keep your grades straight. So just reach out to your professors and make sure to use the resources.

Setareh: That was a great first episode and thank you to Jonathan for being our first guest.

Will: Yes. Thank you so much again, Mr. Jonathan, one of the creators of this podcast and just allowing us to spread the word of the community of Avala. Thank you so much. And make sure to tune in every month for a new episode. So later, neighbors.

Setareh & Will: Let’s slide into our first segment, Neighborhood Watch. Normally, this is where we talk about what’s happening on campus, but since it’s winter break, and nothing much is going on, everyone went home, offices are quiet, and the decorations are out for no one to look at. And honestly, it just feels right. Since campus is calm, it’s the perfect moment to talk to people who run the halls year round — the individuals who support students, build community, and keep everything moving. Please welcome our residential life leaders, Allison Wlette and Coach T, Terrence Brown.

Thank you both for joining us today. You guys play a major role in students living on campus. Yeah, we’re so glad to have you. So let’s jump into the first question. So, to the question that never dies — what is the actual difference between a hall and a dorm? Because that causes so much drama.

Allison: It really does. I’m going to give you a little bit of the academic reason for it. So when higher education was kind of first started, you’re thinking like boarding school kind of vibes, right? So you went away from your family to live at school while you went to college. And it was very much like — there’s a phrase called in loco parentis, right? Like higher education was meant to be like your kind of your parents that were helping you to form your moral and academic self. But things have changed over time with higher education and higher education is no longer responsible for like being your parents. It actually shifted a lot more into now we help you to develop as your own person and kind of help you to navigate the world on your own. So in that way, as populations of college students have changed, so has the role of housing on campus. And so a lot of what happens with higher education housing professionals is that we now have residential life and housing. So housing is kind of the occupancy management, right? You live on campus. There’s maintenance things that come — there’s all that kind of management of your experience physically living in a building. But residential life was added into that as a way to like intentionally focus on living with others in community, teaching you all the things that you need to know to be a successful human in the world and to be better after leaving us. So that’s also changed the language — it also shifted to residential life and so we have residence halls. And the short version is that a dorm is where you sleep and a residence hall is where you live. And so I think we all know that language is really important, how we talk about things, the words that we use. And so sometimes when you just minimize what we do down to dorm, it feels like all the professional work that we do to make students feel comfortable, like they belong in school, they’re included here — it kind of just makes our work feel small. And there’s actually so much more to what we do to make sure that students are successful during their time in college.

Setareh: That’s a great answer. So on to the next question. So don’t get offended by this setup — you guys still look young enough to be carded at Chili’s, but when you guys were in undergrad, were either of you RAs? And what kind of RA were you?

Allison: Unfortunately I was not an RA. It was never something that crossed my path. During all of my four years plus my victory lap, I did a bunch of student leadership work in student engagement. So majority of my focus was focused on engagement. And oh sorry, but with that engagement you’re now over housing.

Setareh: Correct.

Allison: I’m Associate Director of Housing Life. Yes. So I learned that I have a bunch of transferable skills that I was able to gather in student engagement and when I transitioned from a student engagement professional I was able to take those same skills and then make housing better or residential life better.

Terrence: Yeah. And same for me. So actually when I got out of high school I went to community college first before transferring to a four-year school. And so I also did not enter housing and live as a freshman in the residence halls. I lived at home. So college is not necessarily a cookie cutter experience for students, right? We offer that experience here. And so we feel passionately about, over the years of experience that we have, that if you are choosing to live at college during your first semester, first two years or whatever of school, that we’re here to help you with that transition. But I also was not an RA. My connection to housing was that when I did transfer to the four-year school, I did live in a residence hall even as a junior and senior. And I said, you know what would be super convenient is if I worked at the front desk. So I was looking for student employment like every other student, and I got a job working at the front desk and doing like security overnight where you turn out some of the lights and do rounds. And so that was my first introduction to housing and working in housing and to really thinking about and imagining what working in higher education would be like. So then I’ve been working in housing really ever since.

Setareh: That’s a great answer. Thanks.

Terrence: Breaking code 101 is Coach T. This is a phone. It’s not my actual phone. I put my phones on silence. Sorry, guys. But I would like to double back. Allison said something that made me remember. So I never was a RA, but I did work study in Dawson Hall at the wonderful Lincoln University of Missouri, where we sweat white and we bleed blue, and we will forever love our dear LU. We are the only HBCU founded by Civil War veterans. So I did spend a year working in Dawson Hall, which made me realize I did not want to be a RA. So I wanted to make sure we correlate that — that’s the reason why I didn’t do that.

Setareh: So if you were students at Avala, what hall would you live in and why?

Allison: So I’m a little bit older than Terrence. I worked in housing a little bit more before he did and I am partial to a traditional residence hall style. So I would say for me, if Coranderlet was open I would prefer Coranderlet, but Buchanan — it’s recently renovated, it’s nice. But I prefer for that first year experience for you to be living with a roommate in a shared space. Shout out to CB block.

Terrence: For me, I have two halls. So I would live in Thompson because it’s the most closest thing to the type of hall I lived in undergrad, and then I would live in Villa for the freedom, the space. You can do a lot more — like I’m an interior decorator as you all can see. I am a jack of many trades. So I feel like I could do more with that space than I could do with Thompson. And plus you have — it’s more of your own than you sharing with three other people.

Setareh: D1 yapper.

Terrence: But I do like that what Avala has to offer is a variety of experiences because the reality is like it grows along with you, you know? So you may start out in kind of a crash course learning how to live with others and then you’re like okay I did that, now I only want to share a bathroom with somebody or a living room space, and I do want some private space. And I think that that’s an appropriate thing to do developmentally and really gives you the most real world access to living in an actual apartment — knowing like all right you have neighbors and you have to respect your neighbors and quiet hours and things that you would think would only be relevant in a residential hall. You get that same experience over in Villa before you transition into a real world apartment complex.

Setareh: Yeah. So you guys see students change and grow and navigate challenges every year. So here’s our final question. What is one thing that you wish every student could understand about community responsibility and personal growth?

Terrence: I will build upon what Allison said earlier in the interview. The whole point about this is development. So when you leave out of here with your academic degree, your diploma, whatever certificate, whatever you leave here with, you can go into the real world and have an understanding and be able to foster what you learned to replicate it in the real world. Higher ed was really created to make sure to help these students develop. And so it’s more than just academically — we’re helping you develop mentally, socially, economically. There’s so many things that we’re responsible for as higher ed professionals, especially in housing and residential life. When you leave through these doors and you get your degree, you’re going into the real world. When you go and get your apartment, when you go try to get a loan for a house, when you do all of these things, no one’s looking at you like a recent graduate. They’re looking at you like a real person in the world. So we wouldn’t do our due diligence if we let you leave here without developing you and cultivating some type of development. So when you go into the real world, you can stand on your own too.

Allison: For me, I think one thing I would really like for students to take away from their experience — or a way to think about the things that you mentioned, whether it be community or personal responsibility or accountability — is just realizing that you’re going to make mistakes along the way. And I have noticed that it can be really hard for people to persist in college and their experiences if there are challenges along the way. And I just really want students to remember that you’re a student here in the classroom. You’re going to make mistakes in the classroom, but also in real life. And what housing and residential life does is that we also help you navigate those things, much like one of your instructors or a tutor or somebody might say, “Hey, that’s okay. You didn’t do so well on that test, but you desire to do better, right?” We kind of help you realize — we kind of get you back up on your feet a little bit. And so those are maybe the day-to-day interactions. And then yes, this big picture of like, you know, this is all on purpose, this is all meant to get you ready to move out and not be within our purview anymore. But on the day-to-day level, sometimes you’re going to get called out. Sometimes you need to be willing to face it like, “I do want to be better,” and that means that you’re going to have to hear feedback. You’re going to have to have folks give you some talking to sometimes. That’s part of the process.

Setareh: Thank you both for those great answers.

Okay, so we’re going to play Side of the Fence. It’s a quick this or that game. So you have to answer quickly without any hesitation. You guys ready? Okay. Single room or double room?

Allison: Double room.

Terrence: Single room.

Setareh: Okay. Halloween or Christmas?

Allison: Halloween.

Terrence: Christmas. Yes. The best. It’s the best season.

Setareh: Snickers or M&M’s? Peanut or original?

Allison: Oh no. Just — you get to pick one or the other.

Terrence: Snickers.

Allison: M&M’s.

Setareh: Okay. So for the decor style in the rooms, do you like maximalism or minimalism?

Allison: Minimalism.

Terrence: Maxim.

Setareh: We’re not surprised anymore that Allison and Terrence are on opposite sides of the fence.

Terrence: I told you I was an interior designer. So minimal — it won’t really work with me.

Setareh: All right. Thanks. So Christmas tree before Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving?

Allison: Oh, before? After? Oh wait. After — wait, what was the question?

Setareh: Christmas tree before or after Thanksgiving?

Allison: So some people put it up during Halloween. Oh, like right after Halloween. So okay, I guess I would say after Thanksgiving, but honestly, whatever is most practical.

Terrence: I am a based on my calendar holiday. So every single holiday gets its own time. Halloween gets its own time. Thanksgiving gets its own time. Christmas gets its own time. Christmas needs its own 25 days. So stop putting that Christmas tree up before Christmas. Okay. I’m passionate about this one. Keep that tree down until after Thanksgiving. I don’t want to see no Christmas tree. Equal opportunity. Yes. We need all 25 days of Christmas. It’s the best time of the year. It makes everyone happy.

Setareh: And then we already know what happens after — it’s Allison’s birthday. Watch out Jesus, here comes Allison.

Allison: Wow. We love you. It’s true. God bless you. It’s true. I love Jesus and my birthday. Amen. Okay. Sorry.

Setareh: Okay. So do you guys prefer quiet living or do you prefer people being loud?

Allison: I actually prefer people being loud. Really? I love a joyful living space. And joy sounds like noise. Sounds like singing. It sounds like video games. It sounds like arguments cuz sometimes things get out of control.

Terrence: This is probably going to surprise you, but I’m definitely a loud living type of person. I’m the oldest of seven kids. And so it’s always been hard for me to live by myself. Like I would rather live in an apartment than a house cuz I need people making noise around me. Now I might still complain, but I need the noise around me.

Allison: Yeah. Terrence and I — that’s one thing that we definitely have in common is we’re community people, you know? We’re extroverted. We want people — relationships with people is how you get through. You get the good times and the not so good.

Setareh: All right. So we have one more question. Moving day — exciting or overwhelming?

Terrence: For whom?

Allison: Admittedly it’s both, but it’s definitely overwhelming. It’s overwhelming for parents and students and employees alike, but it is the start of something new. And so it is also very exciting. You can’t just pick one, but probably initially I’d have to say overwhelming.

Terrence: And for me, I’m on the opposite side. I’m more excited. I’m more overwhelmed on move out because everyone needs extended time and everyone needs this and everyone needs that. Like no, I want you all to go home so we can enjoy our break. I’m more excited for people to move in cuz I get to meet amazing people, amazing parents, guardians, friends, family. When it’s time to check out — good riddance, I’ll see you all in January.

Setareh: All right. All right. Well, that’s all the questions we have for y’all. So thank you once more for coming on to the podcast and just talking to us and talking to the community.

Allison & Terrence: Yeah, we had so much fun. Thank you so much. Thanks for having us.

Will: Before we continue, we have a holiday message from our interim president, Dr. Andy Jet.

Dr. Andy Jet: Hello everyone. I’m Dr. Andy Jet, president of Avala University.

Molly Bramer: And I’m Molly Bramer, ready for Christmas break and maybe a nap or two.

Dr. Jet: This season reminds us of Christ’s light, hope, and love in the world.

Molly: And the season of hot cocoa, matching pajamas, and pretending we’re not recovering from finals.

Dr. Jet: At Avala, our Catholic tradition encourages us to reflect on peace, compassion, and caring for one another.

Molly: And to give from the heart — unless it’s fruitcake, in which case, give it to someone else.

Dr. Jet: I think that’s fair. Merry Christmas.

Molly: Merry Christmas and blessings from the University.

Setareh: Thank you, Dr. Jet. Now let’s have some fun with this holiday season. Okay, so we asked around campus what their holiday hot takes are. So let’s get started. And these are opinions, not facts, and I’m going to judge you anyway.

So the first one is — Elf and Home Alone are the best Christmas movies by far.

Will: I’m not sure if this is a hot take, but yeah, Home Alone is a really good movie.

Setareh: Home Alone sucks.

Will: I don’t agree with that and I think that you should go to jail for one day for that one.

Setareh: Elf is not the greatest Christmas movie.

Will: I mean, it was mid, and yeah, I guess I agree with that one too. Presents are overrated.

Setareh: Depends on what you got. If you got something bad, yeah, sure. Peppermints are overrated.

Will: I don’t want to know how your breath smells. Elf on the Shelf is stupid.

Setareh: I never had Elf on the Shelf, so I can’t really state my opinion on that one. The Christmas tree should not be up before Thanksgiving.

Will: Okay, so I put my Christmas tree up like the week of Thanksgiving, so I don’t agree with you. Eggnog is disgusting and if you drink it, something is wrong with you.

Setareh: I mean, yeah, it sounds disgusting. I’ve never drank it, but I don’t think I want to drink raw eggs. And yeah, that’s all the hot takes so far and that’s all the ones we got. So thank you so much for joining me reading these holiday hot takes.

Will: So today’s Front Porch Secret is somebody who’s involved in campus and known for his leadership and presence on campus. And it’s too cold outside so we had to do a little studio secret. Introducing our studio secret guest with a great story in hand for y’all — Mr. Amari Leath. What’s going on Avala and the world? How y’all doing?

Amari Leath: Thank you for having me.

Will: So tell us a little bit about yourself. So like where did you graduate college, where did you grow up, and what do you do here at Avala?

Amari: Okay so well first and foremost my name is Amari Leath. I’m the coordinator of student engagement and leadership here at Avala University. I was born in Orlando, Florida, but I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. I was there for pretty much my entire life throughout college. And one fun fact about me — I would say my favorite color is blue. And I think I missed something. What was your third question?

Will: Where did you graduate college?

Amari: There we go. All right. The first HBCU in the state of Florida — Edward Waters University. I’m a proud alum of that institution. They did a lot for me, so I’m proud to be able to represent them.

Will: That’s what’s up. That’s what’s up, man. You from Duval. Duval County. So just tell us what’s your personal story that you want to share — your secret that helped you get through college?

Amari: So my secret I would say is it’s important to truly be yourself. I was always told like your gifts will make room for you at the table. And it sounds cliche, but me, I was more so somebody that was in the background. I’m not too extroverted, I was never like on the scene. But one thing that I really enjoyed doing was my photography. I was very creative. Didn’t really say much, but I was always everywhere taking pictures. So from there, that brought me into student leadership. And that pretty much changed my entire life. And it taught me a valuable lesson — like you don’t have to be in order to gain people’s respect, in order to lead individuals. You don’t have to be loud, you don’t have to be aggressive. You can just really be you, stay true to you, treat people well, and do right by people and people will follow after you. So that really taught me just to lean into myself and I don’t have to change anything about myself. Or whoever’s watching, you don’t have to change anything about yourself either. Just truly whatever you love to do, do it and do it to the best of your abilities and make sure the world knows like, hey, this is what I want to do. After that, everything else will follow. So that’s my answer.

Will: Yeah, that’s knowledge right there. Yeah. I mean, also I’m interested in your tattoos. Can you take us through just like the story of a couple of them?

Amari: Right. So yeah, I have quite a few. So I’ll start with my very first one. This is my grandfather’s name. He passed away when I was young. I was only in the first grade from cancer, but he loved to play the guitar. He was a musician. So I have a guitar — he gave me a guitar similar to this one that’s at my mom’s house, but that’s what this represents. The second one that I got, it was this one. It was an experience — I was really into Egyptian culture. So this was my second one and I wanted it to be a sleeve and so that’s how this one followed. But this one is my mom’s name. We had a cartouche — we had like the whole family had one. They ended up getting stolen a long long time ago and there was only one left and I’m not sure where that one is. But this is my mom’s name and there was one with my dad’s name. They had all of our names, but the majority of them got stolen when our house got broken into a long time ago. So basketball — my favorite sport. I’m from Orlando, of course, so had to get Orlando Magic. My dad’s family, they all play basketball. Grew up around the sport. Let’s see. This is an interesting one. My favorite cartoon or anime, if you’ll call it, is the Boondocks. So this is Huey’s head and he’s actually on Vegeta’s body. So that’s a pretty interesting one. Yeah. And then these two were just like creative pieces. I literally just told my artist like, “Hey, make something cool.” And yeah, this is what he came up with. So that’s how I ended up with these two. This is my name — Lamari. It says blessed. And then this is my birth year, 1998, which I actually turned 27 on the 29th. So birthday coming up.

Will: Happy early birthday.

Amari: Happy early birthday, man. This is something that I live by. So it’s “by any means necessary.” It’s a quote from Malcolm X, but I strive to believe you’ve got to pursue success in your dreams by any means necessary. You can’t stop even when life gets hard. You just got to keep going. You got to have that grit inside you. This is a skyline. So my favorite thing in photography that really did a lot for me and put my name on the map really in Jacksonville was I was doing skylines. I was very artistic trying to display my artwork in different shows across the city — architecture. It was a lot of architecture work in a lot of creative ways. So I was very inspired by buildings, how the light hits them, how it looks so vibrant, how at certain times the shadows fall a different way. I was very inspired by that. So that’s what this represents.

Will: Thank you for that tour.

Setareh: Yeah, thank you for the tour. So in the comments, let the brother know how much aura he got for all those tattoos.

Will: So four years in college is a really long time. Do you have an interesting story you want to share?

Amari: Okay, I’ll talk about my journey into becoming an Alpha man. So if you’re unaware, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated is the first Black Greek letter organization. And some notable Alphas — I’ll include the most I guess known, but there are plenty of amazing ones. Martin Luther King, Jesse Owens, Thurgood Marshall — all of those brothers were members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

Will: I think you forgot one and that’s my pops. He’s an Alpha man too. Yeah. And my old high school principal, Dr. Allen, but sorry to interrupt.

Amari: All valid. So when you’re joining a D9 organization, it can be a very challenging process. As to one, you have to have the GPA in order to get in. So my freshman year my GPA — I didn’t have the GPA quite yet, but it’s still important to like attend events from your freshman year when the fraternity puts on events on campus. It’s important that you go out, you speak to people, you meet people. So I decided to go to the interest meeting anyway, but the important thing is you have to wear a certain attire and it’s very strict. So it was business professional, right? So I showed up in a white collared shirt, gray slacks, dress shoes, and I’m thinking, “Okay, this is perfect.” I arrived there early. Everyone’s in their black suits, white shirts, ties. I’m the only one with a regular collar shirt on like this. So the meeting gets started and then shortly after, it was being conducted by the admission director and in the middle of it, he calls out a couple of us and my name is one of them. He tells us, “Stand up.” And then he tells us to go outside. We go outside. He comes out and he’s like, “You’re not wearing the right attire.” And then my heart starts racing. I’m like, “This is all that I have.” And he’s like, “Well, you should have asked somebody. If you didn’t know what business professional was, why didn’t you reach out and ask somebody?” So you can’t come back because it’s business professional. You don’t have a tie on. So I’m just like, “Oh man. I got kicked out. Got kicked out of the interest meeting.” But one of my — now we call them prophytes — they’re members of the organization that crossed before you. So he let me go to his house. He had a blazer I could use. Gave me this blazer and then gave me — I borrowed a bow tie, the most outrageous bow tie. But I’m still looking crazy. So I have a white polo on, a giant blazer, and this crazy wooden bow tie. And I threw this on knowing I look ridiculous, absurd. And I went back in the room and they let me in there. I look outrageous. And I still had to get up in front of everybody that had the right attire on. I had to get up, stand up, stick my chest out, introduce myself, my name, my major, and why I’m interested in the organization. And so what that taught me then is even if I’m wrong or I made a mistake, it’s important to still own it. Stick your chest out and continue. I could have been nervous like, you know, I’m not going to come back, I’m not going to walk in there even though I have the wrong thing on. They let me back in. I was like, you know what? I made a mistake, but I’m gonna keep the show rolling. And that moment then taught me — mistakes don’t matter. So of course, I didn’t make it that year. Following year, I also didn’t make it. So it actually took me three tries before I successfully crossed. And that taught me like the things that you want in life, sometimes it’s not going to come immediately. You’re going to have to try and try again. And there’ll be times where you get so close like you can grab it and it’s right there in front of you, and sometimes it just fades away. But even in those moments, you still have to keep going. If you want it, you’ve got to go and get it even if you’re failing. So that’s what that process taught me. Like even to this date, the things that I want in life, I could have the worst mess up or mistake — I’m not going to quit. I’m going to keep going until I get it down packed. So that’s what that taught me and that was my journey into becoming an Alpha man.

Will: That’s real talk. And third time’s a charm.

Amari: Third time’s a charm. That’s truly something I never believed in, but now that you’ve said that and it’s been happening to me a couple times in the past few months, I’m going to start believing in luck a little bit, but first and foremost, believe in God.

Will: So I never catch you slacking. You’re always dressed in business casual. Is that also like the origin story of why?

Amari: Yes. And there’s another aspect to it. So I’m a former HBCU king. Similar to homecoming royalty except at HBCUs it’s a very big part of the culture. It’s taken very seriously and it’s looked at nationally. You have to compete in a pageant on a school level and on the national level. So it’s a very serious thing. During your campaign week you’re expected to be dressed up in suits every day. You have to put on programming, community service. You have to compete all while preparing for the pageant. So you need formal wear, you have to do an oratory, a talent — all of this yourself in the span of like a week, right? So many late nights. But if you’re fortunate enough to move on and win, you gain the title. So I was the 13th Mr. Edward Waters University. Then under you have a royal court — so you have a Miss Freshman, Mr. Freshman — and your reign is the entire school year, right? But you receive your crown on homecoming. So during coronation, during that whole process, you have to show up all the time dressed nicely, well-dressed, make sure you speak well because you’re representing the whole campus and the city’s watching. Like I would go to places like I would go to the gas station and there’ll be people that I’ve never even seen and they’ll be like, “All right, Mr. Edward Waters,” like cuz they seen you on social media or during the parade throughout the city. There are people watching. So you always have to — every time we’re taught, every time you step out of the house, make sure you keep your hair well groomed, make sure you dress well. It’s very serious and it’s very strenuous because there are always eyes watching you. But that just became like a part of my process, a part of the habit I guess, having to do that every day. Because if you don’t — you don’t want to be the person that misrepresents your school and then people at other schools are looking at your campus like, oh that’s their king and he’s dirty. So you want to make sure that when people speak of your school and you’re the official representation, you make sure that you have it together and you look polished. So that just became who I am and it still hasn’t left me. So it’s just a part of the routine now. That’s why.

Will: Thank you for that answer.

Amari: Yeah. Thank you so much. I mean, do I look polished today?

Will: Yes. Yes, you do. I’m digging the Christmas sweater.

Amari: Thank you. Very festive. I like it.

Setareh: So that will wrap up Front Porch Secrets. And we are wrapped up in these ugly sweaters. I need to get one myself.

Will: Hey, you look good. You’re looking fresh. Like the cut too. Likewise, man. Thank you. Thank you. And we just thank you for being here to talk to us about your studio secret.

Amari: Thank you for having me. Excited.

Setareh: Before we wrap up, thank you to Allison, Terrence, and Amari for joining us and thank you to everybody listening to us during winter break. So rest, recharge, and do not check Canvas. Merry Christmas and happy holidays. We’ll see you next time, neighbor.

Will: Neighbors here and neighbors there and all my neighbors everywhere. Welcome back to the Hello Neighbor podcast. And if you’re just joining us for the first time, hello and welcome neighbors.

Setareh & Will: I’m Setareh and I’m Will and we’re your hosts. This podcast is all about people, stories, and moments that make Avala feel like home. And as we step into a brand new year and a brand new semester, campus is officially coming back to life. A new year, new me, new semester, and new beginning. There’s a lot going on.

Will: And if you haven’t already, go back, pause this episode, and watch episode one and two. But for now, we are back in the mode. All right everybody. Let’s welcome in Neighborhood Watch, your rundown of what’s happening on campus as we kick off this semester. There’s a lot going on, so let’s get started.

Setareh: All right, so on January 24th, y’all need to come out and support the Avala men’s bowling team at the Aaron Family Fund Center. And be sure to look out for communication from the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership with more details.

Next, on January 27th, the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership is hosting Impact Over the Music Industry. So if you’re interested in working in the music industry, head over to the student life page in the link for more information.

Then, on January 29th, the Truman Lecture Series takes place, an event you definitely do not want to miss. Check the Avala University alumni social media pages for details.

And now, looking ahead to February — my birth month, you know, Pisces month — FASA night is coming February 18th. So this is a great opportunity for students and families to get help and answers about financial aid. The February open house follows on February 21st. Invite a future Eagle. That’s a big one. And finally, mark your calendar for March 21st when Avala hosts the 50th annual Steer, a milestone event in a long-running Avala tradition.

Now we’re going to head over to our interview with Mr. Andrew Curiel, Director of Student Engagement and Leadership. Our guest today plays a major role in student life and campus culture. He serves as the Director of Student Engagement and Leadership. Please welcome Andrew Curiel.

Andrew Curiel: Thanks for having me. Appreciate you both.

Setareh: So for those who may not know, can you walk us through what your role looks like day-to-day in the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership?

Andrew: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, every day is different. Like today, we just came from an SGA meeting. Had a couple other meetings to start the day, renting out equipment in our new Eagle’s Nest. But holistically, my day looks like serving students. Whatever you guys need — I want to make sure that I’m there and fulfilling that. I do most of the stuff outside the classroom, but to really say my days aren’t like really strict in terms of like 8:30 to 4:30 or 8:30 to 5:00. My days are sometimes 12 to 9 or even a 7 to 2 and then I’ll pick up more work on Saturday. Like this Sunday we got skate night. I’ll be working Sunday instead of Monday and we’ll make it work. So ultimately wherever students are, I’m there to serve them and my work life looks different every single day. But that’s what I love about it though.

Will: As we start off the new year, what are some goals that you have for your department?

Andrew: For the department — I just talked about this in SGA — but the standard is the standard and there’s nothing else that we’re deviating from. What I want from our students is they saw a glimpse this past fall in terms of what student engagement could look like with all of you leading it. All I really do is provide access, resources, and a lot of support and encouragement. What I want to see now is the second half. So the first half we were up by 20 — now the second half is like how do we finish the game and secure the win? And what I see as a win is our RSOs completing their four events per semester, their GBM, their collaboration, their service and mission event, and then also holding them accountable to attend every SEA meeting that we have throughout the year to retain their budget. So those are a couple goals for our department. I’m so fortunate to have Amari who is our coordinator for student engagement and leadership, and also Shamari who is our graduate for the OEO office, and Henry who’s our student worker. Those fellas do a lot of work for us and I’m so appreciative of them because they’re part of me and I’m part of them and ultimately I hope our students see that we’re a united front trying to put on the best type of experience for them outside the classroom.

Will: Always appreciate the wins. And speaking of our legend — could not get the win in his last match, John Cena.

Andrew: Yeah man. That was tough. December 13th was tough. I was sitting right in the living room mad as ever looking at my childhood legend finish. Yeah. Finito by Gunther, whoever that dude is.

Will: So what are you most excited about to see in the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership come about this year?

Andrew: Yeah. So this semester I’m really excited for our TEDx event. TEDx is something that’s a worldwide organization. A lot of different speakers. If you go on their YouTube channel, you can see millions of views, probably in the billions at this point. However, we’re going to be hosting it here at Avala. It’s going to be an inaugural event. So something that puts Avala on the map, but could also put some of our staff, administrators, and students on the map as well. We’re going to be hosting that Wednesday, March 18th here on campus in GoPro Theater. Another one I’m really excited for is Steer dinner. So that is an opportunity for people to fundraise here at Avala to serve all of you and get student scholarships here at Avala. And then lastly would have to be Spring Fling. Think of that first week when you were here on campus and like how lit it truly was. I think Spring Fling is like putting that final — think like the semester, the year was amazing. So we’re looking at doing a carnival, looking at getting some more engaging people on campus. Just make it as fun as we can for all of you to put a wrap on the year.

Will: All right. Thank you, sir.

Setareh: Yeah, those events sound fun. Who’s talking at the TEDx event?

Andrew: So that’s the cool thing about it. We’re going to have a process. We’re going to have people apply. We’re going to do six speakers for the TEDx event. It could be students, faculty, alumni, trustees, whoever — external people. But what’s going to be cool is our students are going to serve as committee members. So all of you are going to vote on who we want to be speakers at our TEDx event, because again I could bring somebody up there but if it doesn’t hit for you, you’re going to be like, “All right Drew, it was cool but I couldn’t relate to the speakers.” I’d rather it be a collective community experience where we all get to pick who we want. And ultimately I want them to also have time to engage with all of you as well. Like I don’t want just a speaker to come to campus, get their TEDx moment, and then dip. Like I want them to come to an SGA meeting, come to a soccer game, come to a senior event, see you guys in action, and then they know that their speech at TEDx matters a little bit more. It hits a little bit more.

Will: So you know, we were talking about sports just a couple seconds ago about wrestling. So let’s shift to something you have some expertise in. You are the assistant coach of the basketball team. So tell us — you got a game today. You got a game Saturday, home. I will be commentating that game for y’all so y’all can check in. But tell us, how is the team doing and what are y’all looking forward to in this new year?

Andrew: That’s a great question. Appreciate it. I mean, we’re rocking right now. We’re on a two-game win streak. We’re in sixth place right now, tied for a couple spots. And what’s so cool is I heard Coach TB, our head coach, talk about this at the beginning of the year. We have a really great group of OGs, like the original Avala members. We have a great group of transfers that have come from the community college scene. And we also have a lot of people that are coming off their red shirt year — which means they didn’t play, but they practiced, they participated with the team, and they’re activated this year as well. So to see those young men come together this year — we started out extremely hot, like 4-0, breaking scoring records and everything like that. But as you know, everything that starts hot cools down after a little while. So we’ve hit a little rough patch. However, I believe we have turned the corner. I’m looking really forward to today. We play Evangel away, a top 45 team. We are the 69th ranked team. So we beat them, there’ll be an upset. So it’s going to be dope. I’m looking forward to winning today and winning Saturday and keeping it rolling.

Will: Good luck to the boys.

Andrew: Appreciate you. And the females as well. They play at 5:30.

Will: And the females. So you know, Avala — it’s built on Catholic values. So how do you keep those Catholic values in your work?

Andrew: It’s imperative and it has to be there. It’s extremely intentional with our students, right? We are founded on the Catholic tradition. Just because we’re a Catholic institution doesn’t mean everything has to be Catholic, right? However, what’s so cool is we see it from our students’ perspective. We’re so fortunate to be so diverse and open. We have Muslim students, we have Jewish students, we have Christian students, we have Catholic students, we may have some Protestants — we may have a ton of different students. But what’s so important to me is it is tradition. And with traditions, that means it continues to happen year after year, day after day. What I like to say on my Instagram stories is brick by brick. How can you continue to build something that’s solid and has a solid foundation? You lay bricks brick by brick. What I look to do with our events and programming is — like I said earlier — we have four events that we ask our students to run as part of the RSO. We need a mission, a collaboration, a service, and then a GBM. And that mission and service should tie in the Catholic values that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carandelet helped with our founding. So what it is, is how do we put it back on the students to go learn more about Avala, to go learn more about our mission, to go learn more about our Catholic tradition, and then implement it the best way you see fit. Because if I decide to do it the best way I see fit, I’m outdated, right? What I see for our students is how do you see those Catholic traditions living out now? And how can you do it throughout your organizations or teams? And how can I provide the access and resources to do it?

Will: Drew Curiel dropping knowledge on the Hello Neighbor podcast. Appreciate you. All right. So what originally drew you to Avala?

Andrew: He loves the jokes. He loves the jokes. Drew me to Avala — I’ll be authentic and transparent. The 15th president here at Avala, Jim Berkley. He worked at my prior institution, which is also my alma mater. I graduated from the University of Mount St. Vincent in 2018 with a bachelor’s in business, concentration sports management. He worked there at that time, right? So I remember when he left — he only worked there for about 18 months — but when he left, he kind of fell off the face of the earth. And then on LinkedIn, boom, became president of Avala University. I know I said that wrong intentionally because coming here, I had no idea how to pronounce the school. I was like, what’s Kansas City? What’s Missouri? Like, what’s Avala? Yeah, Avila. Yeah, Avila as well. Right. So then I see he does that, boom. And then I’m still working at my institution. I get promoted to Director of Center for Leadership, which was basically an opportunity to make leaders both in and outside the classroom. He texts me, “Hey Drew, hope all is well. Come check out Avala.” I’m like, “What? What do you mean?” And then he’s like, “No, like we’ll get you out here.” I’m like, “Bet.” So I come out here in 2023. I’m 27 years old, just got my first director position. Long story short, he introduced me to Sean Sumi, our new VP of Athletics and Student Affairs, and Curtis Burton. Right. So when I met both of them, I’m like, “This is awesome, but to be real, I’m not ready.” Like, I’m still 27. I just got promoted. I’m a Bronx boy. I’m a mama’s boy. I come from a single family household. Like, I’m not ready to change my life. So that happened. But then I lost my job March 31st of 2025, this past year. And my 29th birthday was on April 2nd. I literally posted my resume April 1st. The one person to comment on LinkedIn was Curtis Burton saying, “Give me a call.” We talked April 4th, probably an hour and a half conversation about it. Again, I was so fortunate. He thought of me for the position. He brought me out here with my girlfriend because he knew it would have been a joint decision for both of us. Came out here April 17th-ish, had my interview that day, met a bunch of students, met a bunch of people. And then my first day at Avala remotely was May 15th. And then I did the road trip and I came out here June 2nd was my first day on campus. So that’s what drew me to Avala University.

Will: That’s what’s up. That’s what’s up. That’s respect. And you ain’t know nothing about Kansas City.

Andrew: I knew Mahomes. I’m not a big football guy, but I knew of Mahomes. I knew of the Chiefs. However — actually, you’re right. I had two homies that worked on the Chiefs, right? They both worked there. I met them at a conference in 2017. Kept tabs on them through Instagram regularly. And I’m like, “Yo, I’m moving to Kansas City. Like, I need friends.” And I’m lucky enough they live in OP, so I’m able to get dinner with them, hang out with them. I went to training camp this past fall in 2023. So that was really my only tie to Missouri. Like I’m still learning things like the state line, where places to go, things to see and things like that.

Will: Well, we still got the team in Missouri until 2031.

Andrew: See, and at least you’re leaving that dusty Giants and Jets. Y’all got Sexy Dexy, but y’all ain’t got nothing.

Will: Scatter Bro — he’s a big wrestler.

Andrew: Scatterbo. Yeah. Yeah. And big gamer. Big time. But yeah, any more questions you got?

Will: No, I think we should switch it up to Side of the Fence.

Andrew: Let’s do it.

Setareh: Okay. So we got some quickfire questions for you. So it’s like would you rather this or that? Something like that. So it’s quickfire and we’re going to get it started right now. Undertaker or Undertaker — no, Undertaker or Kane?

Andrew: Undertaker.

Setareh: Okay. Subway or car?

Andrew: Oh, car. Ever since I got my first car. Car.

Setareh: All right. Swimming or the other option?

Andrew: I don’t like swimming. I just came back from vacation in Barbados. Bro, they said you good, big man, right? To swim. I’m like, yeah. I go out there. Quiet. Yo, get me back. Get me back. So no. No more swimming.

Setareh: Okay. Kansas City or the Bronx?

Andrew: Bronx always, man. Bronx always. Love Kansas City, but Bronx never left me.

Setareh: Sports or music?

Andrew: Music does a lot of good things. I mean, you see in the Eagle’s Nest, we play music every day, right? So I’ll take it back. Music.

Setareh: The bodega or Quick Trip?

Andrew: The bodega. Yeah, the bodega for sure. When I came out here, y’all love Quick Trip. Love the QT. Love Quick Trip.

Setareh: Bagels or pizza?

Andrew: Oh, good one. A New York bagel, but I’ll take pizza as well. I love a good Papa John’s pie. Yeah.

Setareh: Okay. KC barbecue or New York style pizza?

Andrew: I like Jack Stack. Jack Stack is smooth. Yeah, Jack Stack. They put me on too early. I don’t eat pork, but I venture in there.

Setareh: Cats or dogs?

Andrew: Dogs. Dogs.

Setareh: Yankees or Mets?

Andrew: Yankees. Heavy. My mom works security there.

Setareh: Okay. I think that’s all we have.

Andrew: Appreciate you both. Yeah. I wasn’t as quick this time, but I’ll get y’all next time.

Will: It’s all good. Hopefully get them in the comments. Don’t get me, please. But that’s going to be a wrap. We thank you so much, Drew, for your time here and just how you inspire students every day. You have really helped build this culture here along with all the other staff at this campus. Got to shout all y’all out. So we’re doing it one at a time by interviewing y’all.

Andrew: Love it. So thank you. Yeah. I really like to say like I don’t save lives, I change lives. And I think that’s what we’re doing here at Avala, building that culture. But I’m so grateful to all of our students, all of you here at Avala that have welcomed me and adjusted to me and are working with me. So thank you, Avala.

Setareh: Thank you so much for taking the time to interview with us today. Appreciate you, the boy from the Bronx. Thank you, brother Drew Curiel. Cheers.

Andrew: Thank you. Appreciate you.

Will: All right y’all. Now it’s time to slow things down. Next up, it’s story time — the moments that shape people’s journeys. We are now at Front Porch Secrets. These next guests are Avala graduates who now serve future Eagles through the Office of Admissions. You know them and you’ve seen them around campus. And now it’s time to hear their Front Porch Secrets. We have Bryce Colt and a man from Florida, but his true love is in Mercy side — Vinnie Escott.

Hey Vinnie, you want to hear a secret?

Vinnie Escott: Tell me. So it was my senior year here at Avala University. I played baseball here. We’re playing Ottawa University. Historically it’s been a very good team, great series. However, in this series, we were up one to nothing. It was the bottom of the eighth inning. We’re at home and the person in front of me was my good friend Landon Bailey. He just got walked. They intentionally walked him to put men on the bases. Bases loaded. Now in baseball, that’s like a sign of disrespect, right? I’m up next. They’re like, “Okay, let’s get the real guy out of the way so Bryce can come up to the plate and get out.” Now, a little context about this is I had broken my hand a month before. And I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to swing a baseball bat with a broken hand — it’s a little difficult. Nobody knew that though. So that’s not the secret though. So I walk up to the plate. I end up hitting a walk-off single. Maybe the softest walk-off ever hit in baseball history. However, it’s on our Instagram too. I happened to be a little excited running down first base and I threw my helmet into the air out of pure enjoyment. And after the game, I couldn’t find it. Turns out Ottawa University had taken it and hid it because, you know, the feelings were a little — salty. It’s a great way to say it. Now, here comes the secret. Our Athletic Director, Sean Sumi, went up to their head coach after the game and said, “We have you on film. We have the player who took the helmet. We have it and we saw you take it to their dugout. Give it back. No consequences.” After the game, we got it back.

Will: Thank you for telling me about that. So the story I have is this is my junior year, preseason game against Park University. Like haven’t beat them in — um, 10 years, historically dominant.

Bryce Colt: Yeah. Lost to them the years prior. Like 7-1, 5-1, like high-scoring games. Football numbers. Yeah. Yeah. Embarrassing. But anyway, I was telling my team like we’re going to win today. I just had like a random feeling. And I was just trying to make everybody as confident as they can going into the game. But deep down secretly, I was really nervous for this game because this was my last time playing at their field and I loved playing at their field because it’s a nice grass field with a nice stadium. So deep down I was nervous. Faking it till you make it. But I didn’t show that on my face.

Will: There you go.

Bryce: And I just so happened — like 15, 20 minutes into the game — a ball was played to me from my goalkeeper. I ran across the field, received the ball, I kind of chopped the ball back and then I seen the goalkeeper’s off his line from the corner of my eye and I chipped it over him and I scored the first goal and I celebrated like a wild turkey. Yeah, it was really good. And then we ended up winning that game two to one. It’s probably my best win at Avala. My most fond memory of winning here at Avala. So yeah, that’s probably my secret.

Will: There you go. Yeah. All right, that’s enough secrets for today, but you guys got to promise not to tell anybody.

Setareh: All right, neighbors. New year and new opinions. Some of these are not holding back and some might be controversial. We ask students, faculty, and staff one question — what are your new year hot takes? These are opinions and not facts. This is a disclaimer and we will still judge you. We will.

So my New Year’s hot take is I think that the goals should start after January. I think that January should serve as a free trial.

Will: So you think they should start in February? Not my month. They start in January. No free trials. They do not start in my month. It’s my month. And Valentine’s Day. I love you, baby.

Setareh: My first hot take is that social media detox will trend harder than ever this year. Do you agree with that or disagree?

Will: I mean, honestly, I think a lot of people need breaks from social media. I think it’s plaguing some people’s minds. Like especially the youth, they need some detoxes. They need required detoxes. Like six, seven year olds — like, come on. Like, what? We got to stop with them. You know what I’m saying? But I think some people need a detox and it needs to be trended.

Setareh: So my first holiday hot take that I received is — New Year’s is a sad day.

Will: Honestly, I agree and disagree with this because I think that because they get reminded that their time is running or like it’s going, they might be sad about that because people get older. But honestly, I feel like you could also be grateful for the time that you have and like the new year you get.

Setareh: I got a pretty controversial one. AI is regressing our society, health, and climate.

Will: Clock it. Clock it. Because like why is AI using so much water to cool their systems? You know what I’m saying? Thousands of gallons of water is crazy.

Setareh: New year, new me is a lie.

Will: Facts. I agree with that. I agree. Cuz like how can you become a different person every year? You could change the next day.

Setareh: Are you annually polar? And just because we got a month-long break doesn’t mean we’re not going to be tired coming back. Like the burnout is real.

Will: Yeah. I already have senioritis.

Setareh: Senioritis — that ain’t that a high school thing?

Will: Well, I mean I’m a senior in college so — yeah. But like this is when you get your life together. I’m just tired right now.

Setareh: I feel that. It’s right before you got to go into the industry. So that’s real. That’s real. That’s real. And also got one from pop culture — 11 is alive.

Will: She’s dead.

Setareh: She’s alive. She’s alive. The Duffer Brothers had horrible writing in that finale.

Will: No, no, no. Listen, listen. Because if you watch that documentary, the videographers are literally saying, “We are filming and he hasn’t even written the script.” How do you film the episode and not have the script yet? They were just as confused as us, y’all. Like, she’s alive. She was not lying.

Setareh: Yes, she was not lying. Either she was lying or she was just trying to be the scapegoat and like say, “Guys, not too much on the Duffer brothers.” But in fact, she just made it worse for the Duffer brothers because like how do you not write the show and film it? No sense. The context clues gave that she was alive. Like you know the two waterfalls and not three.

Will: Well, if you see the scene — Kie, rest her soul. I thought she was evil.

Setareh: So did many of the fans. But she redeemed herself. You know, she’s not evil. But like she got shot and — you know what I’m saying? You okay? I won’t say she got, you know, but you know what happened if you saw the show. So she’s passed away and so is 11.

Will: All right y’all. We got to get past it. 11’s not dead. Anyways, the next take that I have is that instead of New Year’s being at a party, people should spend it with their loved ones.

Setareh: Honestly, I agree with that. That is so true. Like I spend my New Year’s with my significant other and my family. So wrote those initials too — she knows who she is. Anyways, yeah, that was my last hot take. Do you have any more?

Will: No, I said my piece, spoken on it. 11 is not alive. So if you think she is, you’re wrong.

Setareh: All right y’all. Whether we agree on those hot takes or not, one thing is clear — this year is already off to an interesting but strong start. New year, new goals, new semester, and new opportunities ahead. So let’s just think about what is in front of you and just show up for others, lean on others, and take care of the community. Thank you for joining me and Will for this episode 3, and tune in for the next episode.

Will: Episode 4, Return of the Jedi.

Setareh: Okay. So thank you to the guests and everybody who’s helping out with this podcast and to all a happy new year and a good night. Later neighbors.

Will & Setareh: Hey neighbors, we’re going to take some time to highlight the departments we have here on campus. And so first off, we have our amazing School of Nursing.

Taylor Landa: Well, hello everyone. Welcome to the nursing segment of the Hello Neighbor podcast. My name is Taylor Landa and I am the student enrollment coordinator for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences here at Avala University. I have a very special guest with me to talk all things nursing. So if you could please just go ahead and introduce yourself.

Dr. Jannine Johnson: Perfect. Thanks, Taylor. Hi, everyone. My name is Dr. Jannine Johnson. I am the Director of Nursing and Health Science. I am thrilled to be here with you today and one of my passions really is about helping future nurses grow into that compassionate, skilled nurse and that skilled professional who really wants to make a difference in healthcare. So I’m really grateful for this opportunity, Taylor, to share a little bit more about our nursing program.

Taylor: You know, I’m so so grateful that we got a chance to do this. I know it’s going to impact so many people and just inform everyone about all things nursing at Avala University. So my favorite question — what are the different programs that Avala has to offer in terms of the nursing program?

Dr. Johnson: Great question. So one of the first ones we have is our traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This program in itself is really designed for those students who want to really experience that in-person, who really thrive in that type of an environment, that face-to-face environment. We also have an online accelerated BSN program. This option is for our really highly motivated students. These students would have to have already completed a minimum of 60 credit hours of their general education as well as their prerequisite courses. We also have a completion program. This RN-to-BSN program is really for those licensed registered nurses who are really seeking out advancement in leadership roles and or graduate studies. It really is very flexible for those professionals who are working. So we got a variety of different options for students that are pursuing a degree in nursing.

Taylor: All right. What are some positive things that you’ve heard students say about the nursing program?

Dr. Johnson: So one of the things that we consistently hear from our graduates is that they really enjoy the small class sizes. You know, when we have those small class sizes, students really get more of that individualized mentorship from their peers and from their faculty. When we have the ability with the small class sizes, it also helps them make connections with each other, creating a sense of community. And in that sense of community, it really provides them not just the academic support but emotional support as well throughout their journey.

Taylor: So very good. For those that really thrive in a smaller environment and want that one-on-one with their teachers, this would be a good fit for them.

Dr. Johnson: It would be a perfect fit.

Taylor: Awesome. I love that. So the next question is, can you tell us about the Patterson Scholarship and its benefits?

Dr. Johnson: Oh, I’m so glad you asked this question. I am really excited about this opportunity. The Patterson Family Foundation, their scholarship in itself is a true game changer for our students who really are invested and committed to serving rural populations. You know, one thing about the Patterson Family Foundation is that their mission is so perfectly aligned with nursing as well as Avala University’s mission. What they really do and what they bring is they’re guaranteeing that these rural communities have access to skilled and compassionate nurses. They are truly investing in the future of nursing and healthcare in our rural communities. The other thing is it’s a perfect example of how partnerships really work together to transform lives of those living in our communities.

Taylor: So such a great benefit to the students. It makes the education affordable, gives them the opportunity to serve in the rural communities — such an amazing opportunity for students. Last question, we are located in the heart of Kansas City. We’ve got multiple different universities surrounding us. Why would Avala’s School of Nursing be the right fit for a prospective student?

Dr. Johnson: Oh, absolutely. Some of the things that we’re really, really proud of about our program is that we consistently year over year exceed the national average for the NCLEX pass rates. The other thing that we’re really proud of is that employers seek out our graduates. Our graduates are really clinically ready and they’re really able to demonstrate how to use that clinical judgment when caring for patients so that we get really great patient outcomes. You know, the other thing is that 98% of our graduates have a job within five months of graduation, whereas the majority of them actually have secured a job before they’ve ever even graduated. And one thing I am super proud of is I’m proud of our program chairs. I’m proud of our faculty. I’m proud of our staff. They are dedicated to the success of our students.

Taylor: Awesome. Awesome. So if any of what was said resonated with you, if you are one that is interested in a smaller classroom environment and needing to make your education affordable and are wanting to go into the field of nursing, make sure that you apply with Avala University and one of us will be happy to speak with you. Our School of Nursing has so much to provide. They’re compassionate and care so much about others. So if you want to learn more just head to the Avala School of Nursing webpage.