The GNSF ”We Belong Here” Podcast

🎙️ 2026 GHS Homecoming Candidates This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome 10 incredible students from the GHS Class of 2027— the 2026 Homecoming Court, elected by their peers. These students didn’t shy away from the tough questions and delivered thoughtful, high-quality answers. Of course, there were plenty of laughs and lighthearted moments along the way! The Homecoming...

🎙️ This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our newest teachers! Meet Hanna Schulte, Kindergarten; Kyla Daniel, 1st Grade; & Maleah Jones, 3rd Grade teachers. Sit back and get to know our newest educators as they share where they came from, some of their favorite activities growing up, and what inspired them to become teachers. 💙 Tune in, stay connected, and get to kn...

🎙️ This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our newest teachers! Meet Hannah Bellis, MS Special Education; Joanna Leston, 4th Grade Music and 5th & 6th Grade Band; Olivia Degeeter, 4th Grade; Janae Workman, 4th Grade; Ava Kana, 4th Grade; Anastasia Muel, 7th Grade Math; and Caleb Wirtz, 4th Grade. Sit back and get to know our newest educators as they share where they c...

🎙️ This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our new Grinnell-Newburg Superintendent, Ken Kasper! Ken shares his enthusiasm about joining the Grinnell-Newburg community as Superintendent and visits with host Dan Walker about his years of experience as an administrator in other school districts. Tune in to hear more about Ken’s journey, his excitement for the future, and his...

🎙️ This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our newest high school teachers: Maria Gomez Patino, HS Spanish, and John Rohde, HS Science! Sit back and get to know our new teachers as they share where they came from, some of their favorite activities growing up, and what inspired them to become educators. Stay connected. Stay inspired. Because We Belong Here. 💙

This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we welcome new Preschool Teachers- Kaylin Meck, Megan Polzin and Koryn Bakken;  new Kindergarten Teacher- Emily Hertel and new 1st Grade Teacher Kristie Dana. Sit back and find out where are new teachers came from and some of the favorite activities growing up and why they wanted to become teachers. Stay connected. Stay inspired. Because We Belong Here.

Episode #48 features special guest Lisa York, instructional coach at Grinnell-Newburg School District. A Grinnell High School alumna, Lisa returned to Grinnell after college to begin a career in education that has spanned more than 31 years. In this episode, we look back on her remarkable career, sharing stories and memories from her decades of service at Fairview, Davis, and Bailey Park schools....

Episode #47 features special guests Jan Phifer and Andrea Zhorne—better known to many students and families as Miss Jan and Miss Andrea. As Early Childhood Special Education teachers at Fairview Elementary, they’ve spent more than 30 years shaping the earliest learning experiences of Grinnell students. In this episode, we take a look back at their remarkable careers, sharing stories and memories f...

Episode #46 of the We Belong Here Podcast features special guest Josh Smith, Principal of Fairview Elementary. Josh has strong roots in the area—he grew up just down the road in Victor and made his way to Grinnell in 2018 as a first-year administrator after many years of teaching in the HLV Community School District and other districts. In this episode, we dive into a variety of topics, including...

Episode #45 features special guest Kevin Hosbond, an 11th grade English teacher and Speech Coach at Grinnell High School. In this episode, we dive into this year’s Large Group Speech season, highlighting standout performers and celebrating the groups that advanced to All-State. Kevin also shares insights from his experience coaching and working with students throughout the season. We’ll also take...

🎙️ Episode #44 – Jill Harris This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we welcome special guest Jill Harris, retired vocal teacher from Grinnell Middle School. Join us as we take a journey through Jill’s 33 years of teaching in Grinnell, reflecting on the memories, lessons, and impact she made on generations of students. We’ll also talk about what she’s doing today to stay connected and continue su...

Episode #43 – Zane Strawser-Picado This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guest — Zane Strawser-Picado, Grinnell alumnus and President of the GNSF Board. In this episode, Zane shares his journey through the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District and reflects on how his experiences shaped his path forward. He continued his education at Wartburg College and...

This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome Kayla (Juni) Kelly, the new 4th grade teacher at Grinnell Middle School. A proud GHS alum, Kayla shares her inspiring journey back home and the path that led her to the classroom. Sit back and listen—by the end of the episode, you’ll agree: Kayla is a perfect fit to say, “We Belong Here.” Stay connected. Stay inspired. Because We Be...

Episode #41 – Bill Kostow This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guest — Bill Kostow, Treasurer and GHS Student advisor liaison for the GNSF board. In this episode, Bill shares a little bit about himself — where he grew up, what brought him to Grinnell, and different roles he plays in the Grinnell community.  Bill also visits about his involvement with the Li...

🎙️ Episode #40 – Peyton Stensrud and Sam Hatcher This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we dive into the “Great Debate” with Grinnell High School senior Debate Team members Peyton Stensrud and Sam Hatcher. We often welcome GHS students to the podcast to talk about the clubs and activities they’re involved in, and this episode is another great example of student leadership and engagement. Peyton...

Episode #39 – Blake Walker This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome a special guest — Blake Walker, Class of 2019 and Social Media Manager at Bound-Iowa. Even though it has only been five and a half years since Blake graduated from Grinnell, we take a step back to explore his journey through high school and college. His story fits right alongside the student voices feature...

Episode #36 – Harper Benesh & Lucy Skouson This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guests — Harper Benesh and Lucy Skouson, both juniors and dedicated members of the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) chapter at Grinnell High School. Harper and Lucy share their experiences from the National FCCLA Competition in Orlando last June, as we...

This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guests — Peyton Stevenson, a senior, and Lucy Truley, a junior — both proud members of the Grinnell High School Thespian Troupe. Peyton and Lucy join us to share their experiences at the State Thespian Festival held at the University of Northern Iowa. They also reflect on their time in high school theatre — from the ener...

Episode #36 – Maggie Dayton, Aden Wolfe & Ashley Wolfe This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guests — Maggie Dayton, a senior; Aden Wolfe, a junior; and Ashley Wolfe, Agricultural Science and FFA Teacher at Grinnell High School. Maggie and Aden share their experiences in the FFA program, discuss the annual Fruit Sales fundraiser, and reflect on their tri...

Episode #35– Rebecca Sallee Hanson This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guest — Rebecca Sallee Hanson, At-Large Candidate for the Grinnell-Newburg School Board. In this episode, Rebecca shares a bit about herself — where she grew up, what brought her to Grinnell, and what inspired her to run for the Grinnell-Newburg School Board. Sit back, tune in, and get...

Episode #34 – Ben Cooprider This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guest — Ben Cooprider, At-Large Candidate for the Grinnell-Newburg School Board. In this episode, Ben shares a bit about himself — where he grew up, what brought him to Grinnell, and what inspired him to run for the Grinnell-Newburg School Board. Sit back, tune in, and get to know Ben Coopride...

Episode #33 – Chris Starrett This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we welcome our special guest — Chris Starrett, current Grinnell-Newburg School Board President. As Chris winds down his first 4-year term on the school board, we will discuss challenges over the past four years and items that he is prioritizing as he prepares for another 4 years on the GHS School Board.  When we are done, you wi...

This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome our special guest — Aaron Backlin, 9th–12th Grade Spanish and Computer Science Teacher at Grinnell High School. Aaron began teaching at GHS in 2009 after starting his career in the Tri-County School District. He was recently honored with the “Pack the Backpack” award from KIX 101.1 in Marshalltown after being nominated by a student’...

🎙️ Episode #31 – 2025 GHS Homecoming Candidates This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome 10 incredible students from the GHS Class of 2026 — the 2025 Homecoming Court, elected by their peers. These students didn’t shy away from the tough questions and delivered thoughtful, high-quality answers. Of course, there were plenty of laughs and lighthearted moments along the way!...

Episode #30 – Lisa Sharp This week on the We Belong Here Podcast, we’re excited to welcome a very special guest — Lisa Sharp, Interim Principal for the 4th- and 5th-grade “school within a school” at Grinnell Middle School, while also assisting with the Special Education Program for the Grinnell-Newburg School District. This is truly a conversation you won’t want to miss! Lisa reflects on her remar...