The Normal Life Podcast

Important questions on the show this week: Are our youth actively involved in guiding the experiences, events, and programs that we want them to be a part of? How much of their voice is being considered and incorporated into the things that we are asking (or oftentimes forcing) them do? Also, we revisit an earlier conversation with Tharros Place’s Gabriella Maravaldi.

You may know Justin Bristol from his work with the LIVE OAK Library location on Bull Street, but did you know he also once had a promising punk rock career? This bit of history was just one of the hidden chapters we uncovered on this week’s episode, along with the many surprising programs that the library is offering to Chatham County youth every day of the week.

This week, we get to sit down with Jimmie Johnson (no, not that one) to talk about his newfound love of Savannah, his passion for Memphis, and his desire to be the type of mentor that he had during his teenage years. Since Jimmie is involved with vital youth work through the ONSE (Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement) office, we will let it slide that he is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

A New York native, Bill Monroe, grew up surrounded by various ethnic communities within a stone's throw of his family's Bronx-area home. One day, while at his father's store, Bill stepped outside to hear Malcolm X deliver a speech to a group of onlookers, not knowing what he had just witnessed. In the early 2000's, Bill and his wife and kids moved to Savannah in hopes of "slowing down" and easing...

Sometimes you have to leave your hometown before you can appreciate what it has to offer. This was the experience for Savannah-native Marisa G Arnold. Since returning, she has figured out ways to incorporate her love for the arts into the mentoring she does through her role as Director of Youth Programs for Deep Center.

"Armed with curiosity."   Three basic words, when combined make for a powerful philosophy to live by. "Socks", from The DEEP Center, gave us this daily mantra when we sat down for an interview earlier this year. Today, we revisit part of that conversation and highlight an important youth opportunity that The DEEP Center is hosting next week.

Today's "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" podcast episode will be different and unique. We are taking a trip to Charleston, South Carolina in the summer of 2015, days after the #theemanuel9 lives were tragically taken. You will hear "man of the street" interviews with Charleston residents and visitors to the city, on the day of the memorial. We are thinking about the members of the @motheremanuel_ame...

For the first time, we have a youthy person in the studio for our Friday "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast show. We discuss hot topics like skincare, youth mentoring youth, and the intellectual disconnect between owning a stuffed pig and eating bacon on a regular basis.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. How can YOU support the mental health of a child? We look at a few ways to do that.

This week we got to sit down with the magnetic Ambria Berksteiner to discuss female engineers, mentoring through STEM, being a twin, and Girl Scout cookies.  Check out “One STEM At A Time” on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more about Ambria’s youth mentoring organization. 

The first recorded instance of the word “mentor” is in the story of The Odyssey. While we don’t take a deep dive into this story, we look at the origins of this word that has become a part of pop culture. We also talk about the importance of setting, adjusting, and accepting varying levels of expectations in relationships.

In anticipation of the "Pray 4 My Hood" HOG MOB Ministries event this weekend (4/26/2025) in Savannah, we review our interview with Harold "Zion" Edwards from earlier this year. Learn more about HOG MOB Ministries at https://hogmob.com/ The promo video for "Pray 4 My Hood" can be found at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI1V3y4Ie8U/

A New York native, Bill Monroe, grew up surrounded by various ethnic communities within a stone's throw of his family's Bronx-area home. One day, while at his father's store, Bill stepped outside to hear Malcolm X deliver a speech to a group of onlookers, not knowing what he had just witnessed. In the early 2000's, Bill and his wife and kids moved to Savannah in hopes of "slowing down" and easing...

Chef Jack joins the Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB podcast this morning (Friday) at 11am to talk about motorcycle clubs, small business ups and downs, how his father mentored him throughout his life, and how "A Seat at the Table Cafe" is training the next generation of chefs.

This week’s "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast episode, we take a look back at the 9 guests we have featured so far. We also look at some famous mentoring relationships you may not know about. As always, episodes drop LIVE ON FRIDAYS at 11am on wruu.org, on 107.5FM, on savyouthmentoring.org, and on the TheFrontPorchSavannah YouTube channel - UCJ7nTK_BfdDW65zx-0xxhNA

Anki came to SCAD after Googling them from her home in India. She was looking for a way to take her love of design, mix it with an ethical framework, and weave together a sustainable framework for her career and interactions with others. Along the way, she has found a new passion in mentoring children as an afterschool tutor. You can stream this interview, and the other Savannah Youth Mentoring HU...

“Armed with curiosity” is a three-word approach that Socks takes into daily interactions with the world around them. As an organizer and a person, Socks is an explorer of art, community, and nature. Though they didn’t have the mentor they needed in their younger days, Socks is trying to be the influence that is now needed in their work with youth through the Deep Center. Listen to our conversation...

I enjoyed sitting down with Gabriella Marvaldi this week to discuss her journey from figure skating Junior Olympian to advocating for human trafficking survivors. You can learn about Tharros Place at tharrosplace.com You can always listen to or watch these "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" episode on the following platforms. WRUU.ORG, 107.5FM, on The Front Porch YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/...

On Episode 6 of the podcast, Shawnessy Cargile – podcast host and creator of the Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB – talks about his career-long dedication to supporting & advocating for youth. His 20+ years working with youth ranges from youth in schools to foster care to the juvenile justice system to those he now assists in his role as Family Engagement & Activities Coordinator for The Front Porch....

After spending many years as a regular visitor, Danica became a Savannahian in 2024. We sit down this week to talk about her career in public education, how mentors helped shape her early life, and why #stevienicks means so much to her. As always, you can listen or watch this episode on the following platforms. WRUU.ORG, 107.5FM, on The Front Porch YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ...

On this week's show, we sit down with Harold "Zion" Edwards to discuss HOPE Initiative, embarassment that comes from live performance mishaps, and the various ways that youth mentoring can happen.

This is not The Normal Life, but it is the debut episode of a new weekly podcast that Shawnessey is hosting. The "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast officially dropped on 1/24/25 with special guest Alonzo Amon Truitt. Truitt has a youth mentoring organization in Savannah, GA called "I Is We". He and Shawnessey sat down to talk about youth mentoring, how Truitt's organization is influencin...

Cheris by Shawnessey Cargile

Backed by the talented Butch Ross (butchross.com).

Self-loathing, regret, disappointment, reflection