FOR Students
Unfiltered conversations that matter.
At FOR Students, we have created programs, events, and a space to help students feel better prepared for their future and provide them with the tools and the hope they need to bounce back when tough things happen…because they will.
Episodes
20 episodes
Samantha Martinez: Overachiever, Mom’s Battle with Cancer, Incredible Parenting, and the Power of Camp
Ed and Kellie get to hear the story behind Dr. Samantha Martinez, a young, successful, Charlotte-based psychologist. You will hear how Dr. Sam grew up in a small NJ town as the oldest daughter of 2 coaches, how her mom was...
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1:22:20
Chris Lee: Being a Creative and a Journey Back from Despair
**Trigger warning: This episode talks explicitly about suicidal ideation and depression. If you are in crisis please call or text 988.Ed and Kellie sit down with their long-time friend and FOR Students’ Videographer ...
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1:17:16
Jaxon Brown - Hardcore Music, Understanding Parents, Becoming Healthy, and Finding Direction
Ed and Kellie interview Jaxon Brown, 22 yr old, Charlotte-native who has been, self-admittedly, trying to figure out what to do with his life since he graduated high school. Jaxon reminisces about his teen years, youth group, his relationshi...
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1:17:45
Anish Vedantham - Cross Country, Reading, and preparing for Oxford
Ed and Kellie interview Anish, a Charlotte student that will be studying politics, philosophy, and economics at the University of Oxford starting fall of 2025. Recorded during the weeks right before he left for school, the 3 get into his fam...
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1:11:40
The Weight of the World: the endless barrage of bad news and what we can do with it.
Ed and Kellie have a conversation around the 24 hour, global news frenzy, and the feelings of anxiety and helplessness that seem to inevitably follow. Why are we addicted to bad news? What is the body’s response to endless, traumatic events ...
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39:35
Walker Simerville: Brother, Athlete, and a Life-Changing Brain Tumor.
We jump into Walker’s story of growing up playing lacrosse, being the youngest of 3 brothers, and a surprise diagnosis after a father-son trip. The fears, family interactions, surgeries that followed, the changes to many of life’s rhythms, a...
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1:08:06
Ryan Samii: Theater kid, homecoming king, and now.. chemistry major?
Ed and Kellie sit down with Northwestern sophomore, Ryan Samii. He talks about growing up in a family where everyone had unique gifts and interests and how his parents worked hard to create space, time, and value for each of their kids equal...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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46:20
Ed and Kellie: Thoughts – Shaping Mindset for a Stronger Future
In this episode, Ed and Kellie dive into the LAUNCH module: Thoughts. They share the heart behind its design and explore how students can take control of their inner narrative by identifying and filtering out untrue, unhelpful thoughts...
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47:45
Amy Work: “Slow Girl Summer,” From Math Teacher to Therapist, and Figuring Out How to be a Healthier Over-Achiever
Amy Work is a Charlotte-area therapist, founder and owner of Renewed Counseling and Play Therapy, and long-time friend of both Ed and Kellie. She jumps into the studio to talk about growing up achieving, burning out as a teacher, being a wif...
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59:04
Dr. Charryse Johnson: Having an Amazing Mom and Mentors, Being Good at Choosing Friends, and How to Learn to Love Yourself
Author, keynote speaker, business owner, and yoga instructor, Dr. Charryse Johnson holds a B.A. in human development and family studies; an M.A. in professional counseling and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in crisis a...
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58:51
Emma Wooten: Being a Middle Sister, Battle with Thyroid Cancer, Nursing School, and the Role of a Personal Faith
Current nursing student, Emma Wooten, talks about growing up in a family of 3 girls, being a middle sister, and what it’s like to be diagnosed with cancer in high school; the months of treatment in Philadelphia, big changes in her social lif...
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1:19:41
Ed and Kellie talk Predisposition: A peek into one of our school events
Ed and Kellie explore the strategy behind FOR Students school events, then reflect on when they each first became aware of their natural strengths and areas for growth.
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1:06:26
Granger Bartee: Being Recruited as a College Athlete, Loneliness, and Mental Health in High-Level Sport
Ed and Kellie get to interview Granger Bartee, Charlotte-area high school senior, and future University of North Carolina swimmer. They get into how Granger got into swimming, and how his stand out performances at a young age led to this lif...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:22:48
Patrick Balsley: Addiction, humility, and why he doesn’t like the term, ‘COPING’
Ed sits down with Patrick Balsley, addiction counselor and founder of Sana Counseling and Sana House in Charlotte, NC. We dig into his personal recovery journey, why he feels it took more than one stay in treatment, and what changed during t...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:12:12
Student Interview with Evan Goodgee: “Homemade Hot Ones Challenge, Loving Severance, and Building Community as an Introvert”
Recorded the same day as Caroline Seaford’s interview at the end of the summer of 2024, Evan, a college junior, had also just finished his internship with us at FOR Students. We hear about how he and his friends recreated their own version o...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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55:06
Interview with a Student- Caroline Seaford: “BRAT Summer, Over Achieving, and Becoming an Adult at 7
Back in August of 2024, before we had convinced Kellie Shope to co-host with Ed, we captured this incredible interview with Caroline Seaford, one of our then summer interns. She had recently graduated high school as student body president, a...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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54:44
Caleb Jusay: LEGO, Improv, and When Your Best Friends Leave for College
We dive in with recent graduate, Caleb Jusay, and hear about his job with LEGO, his time doing improv as a middle schooler, and how he felt about his time in high school. We spend the second half of the podcast parsing through the difficult ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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48:43
Founder, Whitney D'Allaird Part 2: Grief, How Pain Became Purpose, and the birth of FOR Students
*TRIGGER WARNING* This episode includes discussion of suicide and the loss of a family member to suicide. If you are struggling, know that you are not alone and do not have to carry this weight by yourself. Please text the suicide hotline at...
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Season 1
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55:49
Founder, Whitney D'Allaird- Part 1: Raising 3 Boys, and Losing a Son to Suicide
*TRIGGER WARNING* This episode includes discussion of suicide and the loss of a family member to suicide. If you are struggling, know that you are not alone and do not have to carry this weight by yourself. Please text the suicide hotline at...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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1:01:45
FOR Students Podcast Kickoff: Ed, Kellie, and "What the Heck is This Thing About?
“How do you even start a podcast?” Meet Ed and Kellie, the hosts of the FOR Students Podcast. They discuss where the intro music came from, what people can expect from each of them individually, and what this whole podcast is hoping to do.
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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12:43