The Green Room Podcast Series

I had the honor of chatting with Abby Jones, an 11th-grade student at Kennebecasis Valley High School in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, where she has established herself as a dynamic leader. She’s the captain of her school’s rugby team, a senior editor for the yearbook, and an active member of the Renaissance team. Her involvement in extracurricular activities not only showcases her leadership skills...

In this episode of the podcast, I had the chance to connect with Luke Greller, a #RockStar student leader from Newberg High School in Newberg, Oregon. Luke shares insights on balancing academics, sports, and leadership, the importance of community involvement, and his future aspirations including college football and personal growth. Luke is an incredible young man with a super bright future!

I had the chance to connect with Jose Mendoza, a #RockStar student leader from Brazoswood High School in Clute, TX. Jose shares his experiences with school culture, leadership, community involvement, and preparing for college at Texas Tech University. He shares a ton of insights on student recognition, staff appreciation, and the power of student leadership in shaping a positive school environment...

In this high-energy episode, I had the chance to connect with my guy, Jonathan Alsheimer! Jonathan is a rock star educator, speaker, and author. He shares his journey in education, a ton of innovative teaching strategies, and the power of relationships and effort as they relate to student success. Jonathan also shares a ton of practical tips for student engagement, motivation, and creating a posit...

In this episode of the "Kids These Days" podcast, I had the chance to connect with Amara George, a student leader from Marshall High School in Marshall, WI. Amara shares her journey into leadership, her passions for photography and community involvement, and her insights on standing out and making a difference in her school and community. Amara is an absolute #RockStar student leader and you're go...

In this episode of the "Kids These Days" podcast, I had the chance to connect with Ava Yono, a senior at L'Anse Creuse High School North in Michigan. Ava shares her journey as a student leader, discussing her involvement in various clubs, the challenges of transitioning to a new school, and the importance of leadership qualities. She reflects on her experiences in sports, the impact of social medi...

In this episode of the "Kids These Days" podcast, I had the chance to connect with Braylen Mitchem, a senior at Fox Creek High School in South Carolina, who shares his journey as a student leader and athlete. Braylen discusses his passion for lacrosse, his involvement in the Renaissance Crew, and the positive impact of these experiences on his personal growth and school community. The conversation...

In this episode of the Green Room podcast, I had the chance to connect with Dr. Melissa Saucier, the principal of Hancock Middle School in Kiln, Mississippi. Dr. Saucier shares her unique journey into education, which began unexpectedly after Hurricane Katrina. She discusses her leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of relationships and collaboration among staff. Dr. Saucier also highl...

In this episode of the Green Room podcast, I had the chance to connect with my good friend, Dr. Michelle Carney-Ray Yoder, the superintendent of Central Regional School District in New Jersey. We discuss Dr. Yoder's inspiring journey in education, starting from her early days as a paraprofessional and culminating in her current role as a superintendent. Dr. Yoder shares her passion for education a...

This was an awesome convo with #RockStar student leader, Alexis Dishman, a senior at Gloucester High School in Virginia. Alexis shares her journey as a student leader, highlighting her involvement in various clubs, including the Jostens Renaissance program, and her aspirations to pursue nursing while playing softball at Methodist University. Throughout the conversation, Alexis emphasizes the impor...

This was an awesome conversation with Trisha Bemboom, coordinator of student activities for the Minnesota Association of Student Leaders. Trisha does so much amazing work to empower student leaders and educators not only in Minnesota, but on a national level as well through her work with the National Association for Student Activities. We discuss how to start a leadership course on your campus, th...

This was an awesome convo with Liz Dalzell, principal at Horizon Middle School in Colorado Springs, CO. Liz is a #RockStar educator and leads an incredible school full of awesome students and staff. She shares a ton of ideas and insights on how her school has created and sustains a thriving school culture! Check it out!

#RockStar educator and Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame member Mendi Camacho joined The Green Room to share about her journey in education and her role as the leadership teacher and renaissance sponsor at DeLand High School in DeLand, FL. There are a ton of awesome ideas for student and staff recognition in the episode, you're gonna love it!

This is an awesome convo with my good friend and absolute #RockStar educator, Eric Lillis. Eric recently retired from education after an incredible career and he shares so many awesome stories and ideas in this episode! Enjoy and go Hawks!!!

Jostens Renaissance Hall of Famer Samantha Grimes joined me on The Green Room to share some of the incredible things that take place at Greenbrier High School in Tennessee! Samantha is a #RockStar teacher with a ton of ideas for positively impacting school culture!

For episode 50, we went north of the border to chat with Melissa Wright, #RockStar educator at Kennebecasis Valley High School in New Brunswick, Canada! Melissa shares a ton of awesome culture-building ideas and details the similarities and differences in education between Canada and the United States.

Cholly Oglesby, principal at Sartartia Middle School in Texas, joins The Green Room to share her story and tell us about the amazing things happening on her campus. From a staffulty scavenger hunt to a chalk the walk community event to a fun twist on celebrating the 100th day of school, you don't want to miss all of the awesome ideas that are shared in this episode!

Missy Hardison is a #RockStar educator at Lincoln Elementary School in Franklin, Kentucky. In this episode, she shares about the amazing things they do at her school to positively impact the culture and climate for students and staff. She also details how she provides leadership opportunities for her students, empowering them to serve others through action and service.

This episode of the podcast features Brad McCloskey and Keri Popadines, facilitators in the Keystone Central School District in Pennsylvania. These two #RockStar educators have so many great ideas that positively impact their students and colleagues, including an awesome twist on March Madness that resulted in a 97% attendance rate! You're gonna love this episode!

"Schools don't get better when one person changes a lot, schools get better when a lot of people change a little bit." This was an awesome conversation with Jason "JJ" Jedamski around school culture with a ton of ideas and strategies to maximize your school's potential. You're gonna love this episode!

Kevin Johnson is the principal at the Lucille Umbarger School in Burlington, Washington. When you talk about educators who "get it," that is KJ! He is an incredible educator and an even better human being and he shares so many amazing ideas and insights in this episode! Enjoy!

Sara Freauf is the co-founder of Work2BeWell, an organization focused on mental health and wellness. Prior to creating this amazing organization, Sara spent 10 years as a classroom teacher followed by 10 years as the Executive Director of the Oregon Association of Student Councils. She is an absolute #RockStar educator and an amazing advocate for both young people and educators all around the glob...

Rashaan Davis is the Assistant Commissioner for the Colorado High School Activities Association, where he is in charge of Student Leadership, Esports, Music, and Speech and Debate. Rashaan has a heart of gold and shares so many amazing ideas and experiences from his educational journey. You’re gonna love this episode!

Tommy Long is the assistant principal and athletic director at Annville Cleona High School in Pennsylvania. He joined the podcast to share about all of the amazing things they are doing at Annville Cleona to create a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and loved. Tommy is an absolute #RockStar and y’all are gonna love this episode!

This is an awesome conversation I had with Jared Cudd, principal at Arapaho-Butler High School in Oklahoma. Arapaho-Buter has one of the absolute BEST cultures I have ever had the opportunity to experience in person, and it is a direct reflection of Jared’s influence and leadership. Check out this episode for insights on how he has created a winning atmosphere for all stakeholders!