You Matter!

 On this episode, Karen speaks with Paul Frase, 11-year NFL Super Bowl veteran, and Alison Rockett, CEO and President and Co-Founder of The Joshua Frase Foundation, the parents of Isabella and Joshua. Joshua was born on February 2, 1995, with an ultra-rare and fatal neuromuscular disorder called myotubular myopathy and passed away on December 24, 2010, at the age of 15. Myotubular myopathy claims...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Daniel "Rudy" Reuttiger; 'Rudy' is an American motivational speaker and author who played college football at the University of Notre Dame and is the real-life inspiration for the iconic 1993 film RUDY. Rudy is here to share the story behind the film as well as his life journey since Rudy was released. 

On this episode, Karen speaks with Michelle Corrao, author of Found, Triumph over Fear with Grace and Gratitude: The Michelle Corrao Story, to share her journey to recovery following her abduction in front of her home in 1996, after which she was sexually assaulted and then forced into the trunk of her car where she was later found by an off-duty police officer, and her life saved.

On the episode, Karen speaks with Daniella DeChristopher, author of Behind Closed Doors A Daughter's Story, the story of a family from Italy that came to America on vacation and never returned to their homeland. When their youngest unwed daughter became pregnant in 1949, her family disowned her; she was seventeen when she gave birth to her daughter. Daniella is her daughter and this is her story.

 On this episode, Karen speaks with Bradi Nathan, the mother of Jack who passed away suddenly and accidentally on July 3, 2020, at the age of 19 after consuming a fentanyl-laced pill. Jack struggled with mental illness during his life and as a result, created HappyJacksWorld, an online safe haven for kids who struggle with mental illness. Bradi is here to share Jack's story and to continue Jack's...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Jessica Plumeri, Chief of Detectives in the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office located in Trenton, New Jersey, the only female police chief in a county law enforcement agency in the State of New Jersey. Chief Plumeri is here to share her journey to the role of top cop in Mercer County as well as the evolution of the role of women in policing.

On the Season 8 premeire of the You Matter! Podcast, Karen speaks with Danielle Elleman, Associate Director, Sexual Misconduct Support Services and Sexual Misconduct Support Services, and April Fellers, Nurse Manager, Primary Care, Student Health Center, the hosts of Good Sex @NYU, a new podcast intended to destigmatize conversations surrounding sex and lighten the load of shame or embarrassment t...

On this episode, Karen speaks with New York Times bestselling author and full-time psychic medium Concetta Bertoldi. Concetta has the extraordinary ability to see and hear things that most people cannot, and has been consulted by Britain's royal family, American celebrities and others regarding relationships, illnesses and coping with loss, to name a few.

On this episode, Karen speaks with Lydia Grimes and her husband Randy, a former NFL player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a return guest to the You Matter! podcast. In our previous conversation with Randy, he shared his story of addiction to painkillers as an NFL player, as well as his 20 - year addiction that followed his retirement from the NFL. Lydia is here to share her story of survival as th...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Sergeants Joe Paglione and Mike Castaldo, supervisors of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which is part of the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office located in Trenton, NJ. Sergeants Paglione and Castaldo are here to share the service that their Unit provides to child victims and to educate listeners regarding resources should you have concerns regarding a...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Rachel DeAlto, a mom, lawyer turned author, relationship and communications expert, media personality and speaker. In September 2021, Rachel's book Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You) was released; Rachel is here to talk about her book as well as her transition from lawyer to communication expert.

On this episode, Karen speaks with Michelle Lipinski, principal of Northshore Recovery High School, a school with a feature that sets itself apart from most other schools in the country - its students all have a diagnosed substance abuse disorder.

On this episode, Karen speaks with Pam O'Donnell, an advocate, motivational speaker and mother. On February 22, 2016, Pam's life was turned upside down when her husband and 5-year-old daughter were killed by an impaired driver, leaving Pam as the only parent to her 10-year-old daughter. Pam has turned her family's tragedy into action and has since founded the Catch You Later Foundation, which give...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Julie McFadden, a Southern California hospice nurse who has taken to social media as Hospice Nurse Julie. Julie will share personal insights and facts about death and dying and how her career has given her a new appreciation of the human body's capacity to take care of us in death.

NYU Head Women's Soccer Coach Michele Canning and her brother and sister-in-law Matthew and Nacole are here to talk about Matthew's and Nacole's son Cole, 5-years-old, who is battling a rare disease called Mitchell's Syndrome. Cole, who once lived a normal life of a toddler, can barely walk or eat on his own; he is only 1 of 16 people diagnosed with this disease. Michele, Matthew, and Nacole are h...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Phoenix Carnevale, an actress, media personality, fitness trainer, martial arts and self-defense expert; she has been featured on MTV, CNN, and ESPN and in Shape, Self, and Latina magazines as a health and fitness expert. Phoenix is here to talk about women's self-defense, its relevance and importance regardless of age, and to share tips for women of all ages to...

On this episode, Karen welcomes Season 5 returning guest Carla Tardif, CEO of Family Reach, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing the financial barriers standing between a cancer patient and their treatment, and Rifka Coleman, a patient advocate who relied upon Family Reach after her own cancer diagnosis at the age of 37 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On this episode, Karen speaks with Sheri Kurdakul, CEO and Founder of VictimsVoiceApp, a web-based app, the only legally admissible documentation tool that allows victims to store evidence that satisfies the evidence rules of each state.

On this episode, Guy Felicella shares his experience with a twenty-year addiction and homelessness; on six occasions he overdosed, died and was brought back to life. Today, Guy is an advocate for those who suffer from Substance Use Disorder and all that accompanies it, in an effort to remove the shame and stigma associated with addiction.

In this episode, Karen speaks with Jay Rosenblatt, a San Francisco filmmaker who hails from Brooklyn, New York. Jay is a filmmaker responsible for the Oscar-nominated documentary "When We Were Bullies," wherein Jay tracks down his fifth-grade class, and teacher, to examine their memories of a bullying incident that occurred over 50 years ago. Jay is here to share the story behind his film.

On this episode, Karen speaks with Bethann Mercanti, the Director of Clinical Operations for the Neurological Institute at Cooper University Healthcare in Camden, New Jersey. She has practiced in neurology as a PA for 10 years, specializing in stroke and cerebrovascular disease. She developed the Comprehensive Stroke Program at Cooper University Healthcare, achieving Joint Commission Comprehensive...

On this episode, Karen speaks with NYU alums Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jackie Danziger. Stephanie is a voice actress, activist, and author, and the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of the podcast network Lemonada Media. Jackie Danziger is the Vice President of Content and Production at Lemonada Media, a writer and voice over artist. Stephanie and Jackie are here to talk about Lemonada Media...

On this episode, Karen speaks with Patti McSteen, Senior Associate Vice President and Deputy, Global Campus Safety, and a new member of Campus Safety leadership. A main objective of this podcast is to highlight resources available to the NYU community; Patti is exactly that. At the end of this conversation, you will have an understanding of the value that Patti brings to Campus Safety based upon o...