Always A Raven Podcast

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Blaise Hochul, a 2014 Benedictine College graduate and headmaster of Our Lady of the Pillar Academy in California. After beginning his college journey at UC Santa Cruz, Blaise made an unexpected transfer to Benedictine in search of something he felt was missing: genuine friendships, meaningful community, and a place where faith wa...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz reconnects with Randy Lewis, a fellow 2006 Benedictine College graduate, former rugby player, and founder of Party Safari in Colorado. From helping build Benedictine’s Black Monks rugby club to pursuing his passion for biology, Randy reflects on how unexpected setbacks, lifelong friendships, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities shaped...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Nikki Tabor, a 1994 Benedictine College graduate, former Raven basketball player, and wife of NFL coach and fellow alumnus Chris Tabor. From an unconventional childhood growing up in a children’s home to a college decision that changed the course of her life, Nikki reflects on the experiences, relationships, and lessons that prepa...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Renee Nugent, a 1992 Benedictine College graduate and Deputy Commissioner of Learning Services for the Kansas State Department of Education. From classroom teacher and counselor to principal, superintendent, and state-level leader, Renee’s career has been guided by one constant: keeping students at the center of every decision. Re...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Jason Riley, an adjunct professor who has spent 30 years—and 60 consecutive semesters—teaching guitar at Benedictine College. What began as a young musician’s part-time teaching opportunity became a decades-long connection to Benedictine, its students, and a campus Jason has watched transform around him. Jason reflects on a life b...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Jim Jansen, a 1999 Benedictine College graduate, founder and CEO of Anchor Consulting, and longtime leader in Catholic evangelization. Jim reflects on the Benedictine experiences that shaped his faith, including a profound season of loss that led him back to confession, prayer, and a deeper relationship with God. What began with a...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Dr. Sarah Weiss, a Benedictine College professor whose path to becoming a Raven began in an unexpected place: the softball field. From coaching and teaching to converting to Catholicism and earning her master’s at Benedictine, Sarah reflects on how God used each step of her journey to eventually lead her back to Atchison as an edu...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Kevin Cotter, a 2005 Benedictine College graduate whose career has brought together two passions he first pursued as a student: faith and media. Now Head of Story at Hallow, Kevin reflects on the unexpected path that led him from Benedictine to missionary work, Catholic leadership, and ultimately helping create prayer content that...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz reconnects with Rusty Welch to share the deeply personal story behind his enduring love for Benedictine College. Rusty reflects on the loss of his parents and sister in a tragic 2018 car accident and how their memory remains intertwined with the college experience his entire family came to embrace.  What began with Rusty leaving Louisiana to pla...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with John Bishop, a 2012 Benedictine College graduate and founder and executive director of Forge, an organization dedicated to building men, marriages, and families that are fully alive. John reflects on how Benedictine gave him the space to wrestle deeply with his Catholic faith, ask difficult questions, and ultimately discover a con...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Beth and Claudio Ferraro, 1988 and 1989 Benedictine College graduates whose Raven story has grown into a true family legacy. From the unexpected paths that first brought them to Atchison to the friendships, faith, and community that brought them together, the Ferraros reflect on an experience that continues to shape their lives de...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Dr. Jackie Harris, a 1998 Benedictine College graduate and Director of the School of Nursing, to reflect on a journey that brought her from student to nurse practitioner, educator, and leader at the college she never imagined would become home. Jackie shares the unlikely story of helping build Benedictine’s nursing program from th...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with 2010 Benedictine College graduate Dominic Paolucci to explore a Raven story rooted in family legacy, faith, and an unexpected calling. Although Benedictine had always been part of his family’s history, Dominic originally planned to attend Gonzaga before a conversation with the Archbishop of Denver changed his course just days befo...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes back legendary Benedictine football coach Larry Wilcox back to the podcast as he reflects on another remarkable milestone—his induction into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. With nearly five decades of leadership at Benedictine, Coach Wilcox looks beyond the awards to the people who made the journey possible, sharing stories of resilienc...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz sits down with Father John Fincher, whose time at Benedictine College lasted only two years—but forever changed the course of his life. What began as a college search led him to a campus where authentic friendships, joyful faith, and a powerful encounter with Christ in the Eucharist awakened a vocation he never expected: the priesthood. Father J...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Prior Leven Harton, a 2006 Benedictine College graduate and monk of St. Benedict’s Abbey, to reflect on the unexpected journey that led him from an uncertain college freshman to a life of prayer, teaching, and monastic leadership. What began as a search for a college and a chance to play tennis became the place where he encountered God...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Willie de Gracia, a 2000 Benedictine College graduate who came to Atchison from Puerto Rico to play baseball and build a future far from home. Willie shares how a chance recruitment call, a welcoming campus visit, and the opportunity to continue playing the sport he loved led him to Benedictine — where he faced the challenge of learning...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz reconnects with Lisa Cotter, a 2005 Benedictine College graduate, wife, mother, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and longtime Catholic voice helping others encounter faith in a relatable and deeply human way. Lisa shares how a campus visit that unexpectedly felt like home led her to Benedictine — and how that decision became providential as she na...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Nick Porretta, a 2012 Benedictine College graduate, husband, father of soon-to-be ten, former FOCUS missionary, and longtime Snap-on professional, to share how a seemingly practical transfer decision led him to the place that would shape his faith, friendships, work, and family life for years to come. Nick reflects on the immediate fit...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Brian Carr, a 2003 Benedictine College graduate, decorated Army officer, aviator, attorney, and servant leader with more than 23 years of military service. As the nation approaches its 250th year, Brian reflects on the path that led him from Phoenix to Benedictine, from ROTC to aviation, and eventually into a career of leadership, law,...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann to reflect on a life of faithful leadership, from his earliest encounters with Benedictine College to his decades of service as a priest and bishop. With deep ties to the college and a long friendship with President Stephen Minnis, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann shares how Benedictine’s renew...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Nina Gray, a 2024 Benedictine College graduate, to share her story of choosing Benedictine at the last possible moment, beginning college during the uncertainty of 2020, and discovering a community where faith was not confined to chapel, but woven into friendships, late-night conversations, service, and everyday life.    Nina reflects o...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Father Meinrad Miller, a 1989 graduate of Benedictine College, to share his journey from discerning student to beloved priest and monk at Saint Benedict's Abbey — reflecting on how his time at Benedictine deepened his calling and set the foundation for a vocation rooted in prayer, community, and service. Father Meinrad shares stories fr...

On this special episode of Always a Raven, guest host Joe Wurtz turns the tables on the podcast's own creator, Janelle Menz, a 2006 Benedictine graduate, to celebrate one year of Always a Raven. Janelle shares the inspiration behind the podcast and how her time at Benedictine gave her the foundation to show up with integrity — even when it cost her everything. Janelle takes us inside one of the mo...

On this episode of Always a Raven, host Janelle Menz welcomes Paul Suellentrop, a 1987 graduate of Benedictine College, to share his journey from student journalist to longtime voice in sports media. From his early days writing for The Circuit to decades in newspaper reporting, Paul reflects on how his time at Benedictine shaped both his career path and his perspective, laying the foundation for a...