Stories from the Stage

Remember high school? While it’s the place to learn a lot and make friends for life, for some it can mean challenges, uncertainty and shame. Teen storyteller Cecilia Viveiros battles a hidden learning disability that leaves her high school teachers, her parents, and Cecilia herself baffled. A year after her story, we join her as she goes to college in New York City.

The twists and turns of a journey can lead to an unpredicted discovery. Angie Chatman crosses racial boundaries during a turbulent flight, and Kelli Dunham finds herself hilariously in a not-so-ordinary boot camp in Florida’s swamps.

A pair of memorable stories about throwing caution to the wind and risking it all at a moment‘s notice. Korean-American Eson Kim is held at gunpoint in her family’s store, and Christine Gentry donates a kidney to a stranger.

Courage is acting despite fear. Courtney Pong shuts down misogynistic stand-up comics and discovers the power of her voice, and Praveen Sahay oversees Mozambique's tumultuous first democratic elections as a UN Peacekeeper.

Why not risk it all for love? Stories of unexpected romance: Nimisha Ladva breaks her parents’ rules and dates outside her Indian culture, and Jeff Simmermon sells all his possessions and crosses the globe to meet and settle down with his Internet love.

Immigrants and their children forge lives in the US while maintaining connections to their past. Grace shares how a green station wagon helped transform her family into Americans. Szifra discovers the hidden meaning of her Polish Jewish name.

Gianmarco Soresi jumps from a plane and into an epiphany about love; Brendyn Schneider risks a first kiss, and Alison Tocci fulfills her colorful dad's last wish with a wake in the family tavern.

Teacher and artist Annemarie Whilton describes her daughter's Sarah's descent into substance use disorder, her rescue from a drug den, and her journey toward recovery.

Meet Ashley Rose, a poet, writer, teacher and advocate for restorative justice. As a child, Ashley witnessed a sunny day turn into a nightmare when dark waters rose up from the basement to take over her home. Ashley takes us back to the neighborhood street that was destroyed by a man-made disaster and explores how this traumatic incident turned her into a crusader for others. Bronze Winner, 2022 Inaugural Signal Awards, Individual Episodes: Most Inspirational Podcast

We all love stories about new Americans, especially when they overcome adversity. Roxy Azari experiences love & hate on an overcast journey to the iconic Ellis Island; Tereza Lee speaks up about her undocumented status—and changes the world; and Rosanna Salcedo discovers that friendship knows no borders.