The Make Meaning Podcast

What does a high school teacher do after retirement? Teach about Ethics, of course. At least that's Rabbi Yonason Goldson's journey, from a "repentant hitchhiker" to an ordained Orthodox rabbi to a jolly grandfather who converts ancient wisdom into modern-day lessons on operating by a set of ethical imperatives.   On the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Yonason talks with host Lynne Go...

From spreading out the learning calendar more evenly throughout the year to shifting from grades and ages as benchmarks to educational success toward competencies, David Hornak has revolutionary, smart ideas for how to transform education. As superintendent of Holt Public Schools, and executive director of the National Association for Year-Round Education , David is passionate about making America...

It's hard to forget being bullied. In fact, it can alter the whole course of your life – if you let it. Knowing this first-hand, Rasheda Kamaria Williams founded Empowered Flower Girl and became an advocate speaking out against bullying to build up confidence and mentorship for young girls so they don't let harsh early experiences dictate their futures. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Po...

Joshua J. Smith was humbled and honored to be selected to serve on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's COVID-19 Task Force on Education. As a high school counselor in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and a three-time cancer survivor, Josh knows how precarious health and wellness can be while also realizing the very real pressures of children not being able to go to school. In the latest episode of the Mak...

In this episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Michele talks with Lynne Golodner about how "the arts teach us we are all in this together" and hold up a mirror to our societies and ourselves. They touch on the struggle to achieve universal access and equity in Higher Ed, democratizing the classroom, and the challenge to help people understand the value of Higher Ed in a changing world.

Leading with the belief that education is transformation, Andrew Meloche did an exemplary job as principal of Berkley High School in Berkley, Michigan, during the months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adrian Tonon is an example of what happens when people believe anything is possible. The first-generation son of Italian immigrants, Adrian is now Director of Customer Service and the first 24-hour Economy Ambassador for the City of Detroit. But before that, he was an inspiring leader of the entertainment economy in Detroit, as co-founder of Sick Em Records with hip hop artist Kid Vishis, co-found...

For decades, we've heard that Americans are losing interest in formalized religion – while at the same time seeking spiritual connection. This episode's Make Meaning podcast guest, Jessica McCormick, is part of an effort to reimagine how American Judaism can be. As director of the Jewish Emergent Network Rabbinic Fellowship, Jessica oversees seven innovative Jewish communities across America.

From a young age, John Hartig knew he wanted to work toward protecting the environment, especially waterways and the quality of water in the Great Lakes region. Today, he is a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor and the Great Lakes Science Policy Adviser for the International Association for Great Lakes Research. He's the...

Meaning has directed Iris Lee Underwood along the many paths of her life – from her childhood in Appalachia, hailing from the McCoy part of the Hatfield-McCoy legend, to raising three daughters in Michigan, to losing her eldest daughter to drug addiction and farming lavender as a way to heal from that devastating loss. Along the way, she's served as president of Detroit Working Writers and writer-...

In this episode, Laura and Lynne Golodner talk about writing past the fear of exposure, writing as practice, prayer, meditation, a way of life and a way TO life, and so now what? , the next logical step from pandemic or other life-changing events. They also discuss the courage to face the empty nest , and how cultivating a self-definition that is productive and creative during motherhood can help...

What do you do when you've worked hard to ascend the academic ladder, put in the time, sparked great research and debate, and you're denied tenure? You ask yourself some hard questions, turn to your personal board of directors for guidance, and redirect your career into the direction it was really meant to go. That pivotal pause was groundbreaking for Dr. Sibrina Collins , this week's guest on the...

Jason Kadlitz dropped an engineering career to become a barber, morphing his engineering skills and creative passion into vintage precision haircutting. As he built a one-of-a-kind business, he drew upon personal values to create a culture of kindness.  Jason has created in the Berkley Chop Shop a retro-style clubhouse of community and fellowship where everyone matters. Jason joins Lynne Golodner...

In this episode of the Make Meaning podcast, Lynne Golodner speaks with former Your People team member Kirstin Karoub explore the power of volunteering to instill meaning, reveal purpose, create connections and build mutually beneficial relationships, all while making a difference.

Growing up with dyslexia can lead children to feel stupid, misunderstood, or as if they don't fit in. Jacob Blumenstein knows this well. His own transformation from a 5th-grader who tried to skip out on reading aloud in class to a 9th grader earning summa cum laude accolades led him to create KidsRead2Kids with his sister, Alana.  Now graduating from Detroit Country Day School and heading to the U...

Our world is one of beautiful, powerful diversity. We can find many differences in race, culture, and religion, and yet there are many similarities, too. To appreciate and understand each other, we seek bridges connecting us to shared perspectives and practices. Building bridges for marginalized communities is where Deanna Singh , the daughter of an African-American mother and Sikh immigrant fathe...

Jim Reese says readers connect most with his "failures and screw-ups," because they reveal the humanity that lives within each of us. The author of four books, including a beautiful collection of essays called Bone Chalk, and director of the Great Plains Writers Tour, Jim teaches writing at Mount Marty College and as part of a writing-as-healing program at Federal Prison Camp in Yankton, S.D., whe...

A personal bout with asthma at the age of 18 led Monica Mae Leibson to learn about a variety of ways to create good health – which ultimately inspired her to build a career in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Today, working with Michigan Associates of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine, Monica plays detective to get to the root cause of troubling symptoms for her patients, leading them to lifesty...

When Adri Smith, founder of Moss Floral Design in Fort Worth, Texas, was a child, she loved sitting in her mother's garden, smelling the hyacinths and admiring the irises. She began her career as a teacher but knew it wasn't her calling and it wasn't until her own wedding that she reconnected with her early love of florals and realized she wanted to bring that beauty and delight to others. In this...

What did your younger self want to be when you grew up? Elena, 6th-grade book blogger of ElenaReads.com, wants to be a writer and is well on her way to realizing that dream. Celebrating her 2-year anniversary as a youth-book-blogger this week, Elena combines her passion for reading and writing on her avidly-read blog, where she reviews and recommends kid books, with a particular focus on diversity...

For high school graduates, the expectation to obtain a college degree seems higher than ever, but greater still is the pressure to pursue a marketable course of study to offset the heavy price tag. The student loan crisis signifies that it's time for a change in how we view higher education, and Philomena Mantella, a leader in higher-ed innovation and the new president of Grand Valley State Univer...

"It's not like I set out to be a poet," explains M.L. Liebler, Fulbright Specialist, Wayne State University professor and Poet Laureate of St. Clair Shores. And yet, this self-described product of working-class upbringing did what came naturally, cultivating a life of writing, teaching, and performing, making poetry accessible to the average person. He speaks with Lynne Golodner on this episode of...

Whether he's talking with Tony Hawk, gathering with Make Meaning podcast guests, or convening with close friends over coffee, Clay Carnill knows when someone shares their story, it is a sacred moment. This skill makes him the invaluable sound engineer of the Make Meaning podcast as well as our expert producer, and an incredible listener. Clay regularly practices the discipline of quieting oneself...

Our paths in life often start with a dream, but they can't end there. "A lot of times we just sit in the dream without putting the infrastructure in place so that the dream can be realized," says Aaron Dworkin, author, performance artist and professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at University of Michigan.  

Reyanne Mustafa, co-founder of Soulmuch, aims to rescue the 1 million pounds of untouched restaurant food headed for the trash bin every day. Reyanne knows Soulmuch can't do it alone, but by engaging others in the effort, she believes it is achievable. On the latest episode of the Make Meaning podcast, Reyanne talks with Lynne about how she combats food waste and found her purpose by baking cookie...