The Mark White Show

Helping someone begins with listening to what matters to them. Tonight, Dr. Kasee Stratton-Gadke joins me from Mississippi State University’s T.K. Martin Center to share how her team helps children, adults, and families pursue their goals. We’ll talk about communication, independence, and the people making those opportunities possible. Through The Mark White Show on the Road with Bankston Motor Ho...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Dr. Kasee Stratton-Gadke with the TK Martin Center for Technology and Disability at Mississippi State University shares how a childhood friendship helped inspire her passion for working with individuals with disabilities. That early experience, combined with lessons learned from a father raising a child with a rare genetic condition, helped shape her approach to s...

Dr. David Wallace can explain three million volts of lightning, but the connection he has with his students is where the real story resides. On this episode, you'll meet an MSU professor whose lifelong curiosity became a passion for teaching. From hands-on lessons in the MSU High Voltage Laboratory to students showing up for him during his cancer battle, this conversation reveals a true difference...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Dr. David Wallace, Director of the MSU High Voltage Laboratory and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University, will share how 30 years of industry experience help him bring classroom lessons to life. Dr. Wallace explains why understanding electrical engineering theory is only part of the le...

Tonight, I’m taking you to the Colbert County Courthouse in Tuscumbia, Alabama, for my conversation with District Judge Chad Smith. When I saw my friend at the Attention Homes of NW Alabama fundraiser dinner, he began telling me about their accountability programs and invited me over to learn more. I’m glad he did. Judge Smith shares how drug court, veterans treatment court, and family treatment c...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Mama Sue Garrett shares how Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen began with simple pictures of what she was cooking for supper. What started as sharing meals with friends grew into cooking videos, a cookbook that sold 870 copies in its first 24 hours, and a following that now exceeds one million! Mama Sue’s story is a reminder that sharing something you love can open doors...

Tonight, I’m joined by Shoals CASA Executive Director Heather Begley to talk about Shoals CASA Rogersville Gives Back Fall Festival and the young person who helped get it started, Jaylinn Owens. I first interviewed Jaylinn when she was just six years old. She had seen people in need and wanted to help. Today, she’s a teenager, and that desire to care for others has grown into an effort that helps...

Tonight, we’re getting ready for The Butcher’s 4th Annual The Butcher's Smoke and Flames Barbeque Cookoff coming to Vinemont on Saturday, October 24th! In our first segment, I’ll be joined by Maria Singleton-Loan Officer, First South Farm Credit, the event’s top sponsor. We’ll talk about why First South Farm Credit chose to support Smoke & Flames and the importance of businesses investing in the c...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Maria Singleton, senior loan officer with First South Farm Credit in Cullman, shares why supporting local events and businesses matters. After learning more about The Butcher - Meat Co. and the The Butcher's Smoke and Flames Barbeque Cookoff, Maria says the Smith family’s commitment to agriculture, farm-to-table food and their community made the event a natural fi...

A child should never have to miss school because they don’t have a pair of shoes. During my conversation with Lynn Worley, she shared that this is a reality her family has learned about through their work with Sole Sisters AL. Tonight, Lynn will share how a conversation with her three teenage daughters became a family effort to provide new shoes for young people across Alabama. We’ll talk about th...

A child should never have to miss school because they don’t have a pair of shoes. During my conversation with Lynn Worley, she shared that this is a reality her family has learned about through their work with Sole Sisters AL. Tonight on The Mark White Show, Lynn will share how a conversation with her three teenage daughters became a family effort to provide new shoes for young people across Alaba...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Lynn Worley shares how Sole Sisters AL is helping provide new shoes for young people in need. Children can outgrow shoes in a matter of months—or even weeks—and that expense doesn’t end when they leave elementary school. Lynn explains why middle and high school students, often wearing adult sizes, can face an even greater need as the cost of properly fitting shoes...

Multiple myeloma is personal to me. My granddad, who raised me, battled this disease, and it took his life in 1998. He was 69, & I was 18. Tonight, I’m joined by Tara, a nurse practitioner who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018, and Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Director of Myeloma Research at the HonorHealth Research Institute. Tara shares her experience of becoming a patient while having a backgr...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Director of Myeloma Research at HonorHealth Research Institute, as he helps us better understand multiple myeloma. Dr. Mikhael explains how this blood cancer develops in plasma cells within the bone marrow, how it can affect the body, including the kidneys, and what doctors mean when they describe multiple myeloma as “relapsed” or “refra...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Coach Gene Stallings shares what his son, John Mark “Johnny” Stallings, brought to his family and the lasting impact his life continues to have on others. Coach Stallings remembers the joy Johnny brought into his life and reflects on the many ways his legacy has been honored - from football facilities and playgrounds bearing his name to recognition from organizati...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I’m coming to you from Decatur, Alabama, at Mel's Sweet Treats with owner Melissa Cook. Melissa shares the mindset that helped her through the early years of building her business: if you’re going to do something, give it everything you have so you can look back knowing you truly tried. She also remembers one of those early customers who would stop by each morning...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Army veteran Michael Matthews shares what he wants others to understand about veterans returning home after experiencing combat. After being injured in Mosul, Michael says some of the biggest changes involved a heightened sensitivity to certain things and learning to live with the person he had become through those experiences. His message for families and friends...

Tonight, Melissa "Mel" Cook of Mel's Sweet Treats joins me on The Mark White Show! A heartfelt post from Melissa about the challenges facing small businesses caught my attention and led to this conversation. For nearly 25 years, her shop has helped people celebrate special occasions, say thank you, and bring a little sweetness to someone’s day. We’ll share the story behind Mel’s Sweet Treats, the...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Dr. Constance Smith Hendricks shares why documenting the lives and contributions of nurses matters. Nurses are often reluctant to talk about themselves or believe what they’ve done deserves recognition. As Dr. Hendricks puts it, though, if we don’t tell those stories, they can be lost. That belief helped lead to the book Alabama Notable Nurses, preserving the stor...

Tonight, U.S. Army veteran Michael Matthews shares a story of service, survival, isolation & the connection that helped change the direction of his life. Michael served three deployments to the Middle East. During a mission in Mosul, Iraq, he was severely injured in an attack. He awoke two weeks later in a hospital in Germany with a broken jaw, severe burns & injuries that required months of physi...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Dr. Gennifer Horton Moon joins me at the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guard State Conference in Cullman to talk about preserving the stories and traditions of nurses for future generations. For families who still have a loved one’s nursing cap, pin, lamp or other piece of their nursing history, Dr. Moon has a message: “Write it down.” She explains that preserving...

Tonight, I’m sharing more conversations from the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guards State Conference in Cullman, with Dr. Gennifer Horton Moon and Dr. Constance Hendricks joining me on The Mark White Show. Dr. Moon shares why her grandmother initially questioned her decision to become a nurse and how she eventually followed the family tradition of teaching, too. We discuss the difference simply...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I’m continuing to share stories from the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guard State Conference in Cullman. Amanda Simmons, founder and president of the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama, shares the story of Eunice Johnson, a nursing home nurse whose tribute reminded Amanda why this work matters. Not every nurse receives recognition for the work they do. So...

Tonight, I'm taking you to Cullman, Alabama, for the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guards State Conference, where nurses and families share why a lifetime of caring deserves to be remembered. Joining me is Kala McClendon Lash, conference emcee and founder of Quietus Nurse Honor Guard. Kala shares what inspired her to establish a chapter and how these tributes recognize the sacrifices of nurses and...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Frank Dillman shares what it meant to watch the Nurse Honor Guard pay tribute to his wife, Dorothea Anne Dillman. I spoke with Frank at the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guard State Conference in Cullman, where he described watching nurses who had barely known, or had never known, Dorothea honor her with genuine love & respect. This Make a Difference Minute is bro...