Unstoppable Stories

Host Nathan James sits down with Christina Barlas, a Senior Regional Marketing Specialist and UMGC MBA graduate who turned a life-altering trauma into a story of absolute resilience. At age 16, Christina’s world was shattered by a violent home invasion that left her feeling unsafe and disconnected from her education.  After initially dropping out of school to work in the salon industry, Christina...

Host Lauren Cardillo sits down with Kwame Johnson, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, an author, and a UMGC graduate. Kwame shares how a wrong turn at age 17 led him to prison, where a year in solitary confinement forced him to figure out his life's purpose. He recounts the persistence it took to become the first person in the U.S. to take the SATs behind bars, p...

Host Lauren Cardillo sits down with UMGC student and nonprofit leader Sharon Grassi to explore her profound transition from a corporate career to becoming a full-time caregiver for her combat medic son. Sharon opens up about the "mama bear" advocacy required to navigate the VA healthcare maze, the loss of her professional identity, and the pivotal moment a paracord dog leash sparked a new...

Host Nathan James sits down with Marine veteran and UMGC alumnus, Ehsan Jamshidi to trace a journey that begins in Afghanistan and evolves into a life of service, study, and purpose in the United States. Ehsan shares how his mother’s sacrifice and the challenge of learning English shaped his mindset, why the Marine Corps Embassy Security Program became a proving ground, and how discipline, attenti...

Welcome to a special edition of Unstoppable Stories. May is a special time of the year for students – especially those who will earn their degrees and officially graduate. This week, we’re excited to share interviews from several UMGC graduates from around the globe as they tell their stories and offer advice on what made their journeys a success. As with most of our students who manage work, fami...

Host Nathan James sits down with UMGC cybersecurity graduate, Tamila Urumbaeva, to trace a move from Uzbekistan to the United States, a seven year stretch apart from her father, and the decision to rebuild in a new language and culture. She explains the hardest early hurdle, communicating with care across cultures, and how asking good questions, listening closely, and adjusting tone in real time b...

Host Nathan James sits down with systems engineer and UMGC alumnus, Ben Thapa to trace the thread from Nepal to night classes, from a first IT role to a multi decade career built on routine, persistence, and family support. Ben explains how early mornings, long commutes, and library nights created momentum, and why staying curious kept doors opening at work and at school. He shares the story behin...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories , UMGC alumna, Jeannie Lum, joins host Lauren Cardillo to share her story of resilience, compassion, and cultural connection. Born in the Philippines and raised as a military kid, Jeannie’s journey has been defined by movement, adaptability, and heart. When her father decided to stop relocating their family, Jeannie learned the power of staying grounded, keep...

Host Nathan James sits down with UMGC student and project manager, Gavata Smith, to trace a path built on faith, forgiveness, and steady self-improvement. She shares how her mother’s addiction, her own early motherhood and other hard seasons sharpened her resolve, why telling the truth about past mistakes gives her family and community real hope, and how healing looks when love and accountability...

Host Lauren Cardillo sits down with UMGC alumna and HR leader, Erika Lane to trace the path from East Baltimore beginnings to guiding people strategy at a major airline. Erika explains how she refused labels, chose the grind over complaints, and turned early customer service work into leadership by practicing empathy and composure. She shares the mentors and sponsors who opened doors, why she runs...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories , Pedro Diaz, Director of Language and Guest Services at Children’s National Hospital and proud UMGC alumnus, joins host Nathan James, to share his remarkable journey of compassion, connection, and leadership in healthcare. After recognizing the deep disconnect between non-English-speaking patients and the U.S. healthcare system, Diaz made it his mission to b...

On this week’s Unstoppable Stories, Lauren Cardillo connects with UMGC alumna, Ronnette Meyers. She shares her unstoppable journey from braiding hair with her grandma to building JLAN Solutions, LLC. and leaving a lasting impact in her community. Growing up in Germany as a military kid and later leaving her government job to work alongside her mom in back-office support, Ronnette learned the value...

Host Lauren Cardillo sits down with producer, actor, author, retired Marine and UMGC alumnus, Dale Dye to trace the thread from Vietnam combat tours to Hollywood soundstages. Dale explains how a professor opened the door to writing, how a chance pitch led to three weeks in the jungle with 33 actors and why doing it right matters when stories shape how audiences see service and sacrifice.  He break...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Lauren Cardillo is joined by Danielle Rowell, a Chief Information Security Officer with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and UMGC alumna. Danielle shares her story about how she went from being an events planner to becoming an executive within the cybersecurity industry, all while raising a family. Danielle has worked hard in order to achieve where...

In this powerful episode of Unstoppable Stories , host Lauren Cardillo sits down with Zachry Flores; military veteran, UMGC alumnus, and current UMGC professor. Zach shares the raw realities of serving as a military police officer, both stateside and overseas, and opens up about his journey before, during, and after his time in uniform. From childhood dreams of police work to unexpected deployment...

In this powerful episode of Unstoppable Stories , host Lauren Cardillo sits down with Zachry Flores; military veteran, UMGC alumnus, and current UMGC professor. Zach shares the raw realities of serving as a military police officer, both stateside and overseas, and opens up about his journey before, during, and after his time in uniform. From childhood dreams of police work to unexpected deployment...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Lauren Cardillo is joined by Maurice Hicks, an author, former police officer, and UMGC alumnus. We get an incredible insider look into Maurice’s early childhood, and how he was able to not only jump, but run over every obstacle life gave him. Maurice dives into his experience becoming the second person ever in his family to not only get a high school di...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James is joined by Crevita Moody, an author, data scientist with the FAA, former professional basketball player, and UMGC alumna. In this episode, Nathan and Crevita dive into how Crevita got to where she is today, and how she got past her fears in order to find her passion. Crevita walks us through her journey, and how her past work as being an...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James sits down with Samantha Howard, a dedicated leader and advocate who has spent years championing higher education and community service. Samantha shares her journey of perseverance, cultural identity, and breaking barriers in leadership, shaped by her experiences as a UMGC graduate and former Latino Affairs Liaison for Prince George’s County...

Welcome to Unstoppable Stories, the UMGC podcast hosted by Nathan James. In today’s episode, we’re joined by a special mother-and-son duo, Carolyn and Immanuel Patton, both proud UMGC graduates. What started as a little boy’s promise to his mom—to graduate college together—turned into a powerful journey filled with hard work, determination, and love. With graduation being the beginning of their jo...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories , host Nathan James is joined by Cory Underwood, a UMGC alumnus and high school assistant principal, to share his powerful story about higher education and leadership. Cory opens up about the educational struggles he faced throughout his life and what it was like pursuing higher education later on. He highlights the importance of building meaningful relations...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Lauren Cardillo is joined by Andre Taylor, a network engineer, an Army veteran and a UMCG grad and first generation college graduate. to share his story on seeking higher education while actively serving in the military. Andre opens up about dealing with various health issues, and how he has not let any diagnosis define his life. He discusses how import...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James is joined by Amanda Clark, a mental health advocate and UMGC alumna, to share her powerful journey of resilience and transformation. Amanda opens up about overcoming immense pain and hardship, finding the inner strength to change her life for herself and her children. She discusses how therapy and a focus on mental health became key to her...

In this episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James sits down with Mark Driscoll, a firefighter, EMS provider, and UMGC alumnus, to explore his remarkable journey of pursuing education while living and working in one of the most extreme environments on Earth—Antarctica. Mark shares how he stayed mentally engaged through Polar T3 Syndrome by turning to his UMGC classes, using education as a t...

Welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Stories, the official UMGC podcast! Today, our host Nathan James sits down with the inspiring Ginger Miller—president and CEO of Women Veterans Interactive Foundation, a Navy Veteran and a proud UMGC alumna. Ginger shares her incredible journey, from overcoming homelessness as a veteran to earning her master’s degree at UMGC and founding the impactful WVIF...