PODCAST · society
catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom
by Peter Ng
What happens to the people who shaped you — after the bell rings?catchiNG Up is a reflective podcast where educator Peter Ng reconnects with former students, colleagues, and friends to explore who they were, who they're becoming, and what they've learned along the way.Because learning doesn't stop when the bell rings.Want to be featured? linktr.ee/The_catchiNGupPodcast
Episodes
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Episode 28 - Risk to Blossom
Former Timber Creek A&P student Izaiah Burgos joins Peter for a second conversation after the first recording was lost to file corruption. Izaiah is now a large- and small-carnivore animal care keeper on the West Coast, and his path there took him from a pre-med track that never felt right…
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Episode 27 – Crossing the White Sausage Equator
This week I'm catching up with Marius Tesch, whom his students know as Mr. Tesch. He's a Timber Creek history teacher and musician, and one of the first teachers I met when I walked into that building as a long-term sub. Marius just wrapped Season 1 of his new podcast, Tesch Talks European…
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Episode 26 – Plot Twists & Page-Turners
Peter reconnects with former Timber Creek student Kamila Palermo. She took his virtual class in 2021 and recently graduated from UCF with a degree in English Creative Writing, a minor in Mass Media, and a certificate in Publishing & Editing. Kamila shares how an unexpected advising curveball...
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Episode 25 - Can You Teach That in German?
Peter reconnects with Nabeel Kandah, who just wrapped up 33 years of teaching in North Carolina public high schools. Nabeel's path into education wasn't planned: a German & Biology double major at Michigan, a need for a job, and a local ad that led him to Southern Durham High School, where he…
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Episode 24 - Rewriting the Story
In this episode of catchiNG Up: Beyond the Classroom, Peter reconnects with Jennifer Longbrake — a program specialist, curriculum writer, and fellow alum of the alternative certification program that brought them together nearly a decade ago. Jenn shares her journey from teaching middle school...
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Episode 23 - Objection, Overruled by a Trumpet
This week I'm catching up with Marcus Grey — a friend I met through Julia and Hannah, and now an in-house litigation attorney for a major record label in New York. We talk about what actually changes when you go from billing hours at a law firm to being "the client" in-house, and get into the...
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Episode 22 - Never Stop Learning
Growth isn't always linear — and neither is the road that gets you where you're going. In this episode, Peter reconnects with Rosa Maria Weaver, his former IB Spanish teacher from high school in St. Augustine, Florida. Rosa Maria opens up about growing up in Mexico City, navigating a rigid class...
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Episode 21 - Lord Randy: Music, Legends, and Living Full
This week I'm catching up with someone I know a little differently than most of my guests—Randy Poe, my wife's uncle, a man who has genuinely lived several lifetimes in one. Randy grew up bouncing between Alabama and Missouri, fell in love with music before he was old enough to understand what…
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Episode 20 - Lessons Learned
Season 2 comes to a close the way it started — just me, no guest, no script. Back in the first solo episode, I talked about why I became a teacher. This time, it's what a decade-plus in the classroom actually taught me: how the subject on your certification isn't always the one you end up…
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Episode 19 - The Other Side of the Mic
This week, we're flipping the script. Normally Peter's the one asking the questions — but for this special episode, his younger brother Matt takes over as host, and Peter sits in the guest chair for once. What follows is part conversation, part unfiltered sibling check-in. Peter and Matt dig into...
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Episode 18 - Lifting Through the Setbacks
This week on catchiNG Up, I'm reconnecting with Zach Nelson — someone I first crossed paths with back at Nike, where our timelines almost overlapped. Zach's now a store manager at a medical dispensary, and we spend this episode tracing the road that got him there. We open by swapping Nike stories…
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Episode 17 - The Girl Behind the Screen
Some students you never forget — even the ones you first met through a computer screen. In this episode, Peter reconnects with Jandayra "J" Gonzalez, a former student from the strangest chapter of teaching either of them can remember: hybrid learning during COVID, when a class of masked faces and...
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Episode 16 — Andres Valcarcel: Engineering Dropout to Serial Entrepreneur, Ironman Grit & the Nostalgia Economy
This week, Peter reconnects with Andres Valcarcel — a UCF classmate he shared math classes with 13 years ago — for a conversation that spans career pivots, entrepreneurship, endurance sports, and the search for meaning outside of a screen.Andres started at UCF chasing an engineering degree and...
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Episode 15: From High School Anatomy Class to NASA's Artemis Program — Mariana Ramirez on Chasing the Moon
Peter reconnects with former student Mariana Ramirez, a UCF computer engineering and game design grad heading into a full-time role with Lockheed Martin on the Orion program — the capsule that will carry astronauts back to the moon and, eventually, to Mars under NASA's Artemis missions. Mariana...
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Episode 14: From Angst to Action — with William Woods
This week on catchiNG Up, Peter sits down with William Woods — trading card store owner, political organizer, DSA Orlando chapter member, miniature painter, former YouTuber, and a self-described "very autistic" person who once walked a leash-trained Nile monitor around a Georgia high school. To…
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Episode 13 - From Boots to Wings
In this episode of catchiNG up, Peter reconnects with Mason Vilsaint, a former Timber Creek student who's traded a military police badge for a pilot's wings. Mason served three and a half years as an Army MP after enlisting just days after high school graduation, and is now a student at...
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Episode 12 - From the Library to Seoul: Natalie Fuentes Finds Her Place
What do you do when you're 15, back in a city you left behind, and every friend group has already formed without you? For Natalie Fuentes, the answer was a classroom — a room with the music, anatomy posters, and a teacher who never minded company at lunch. In this episode of catchiNG Up, I...
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Episode 11 - Jack of All Trades: A Conversation with My Brother Victor
Season 2 kicks off with a family reunion. Peter sits down with his oldest brother, Victor Ng, a realtor, Air Force veteran, and self-described jack of all trades. Victor shares what it was like growing up in the Dominican Republic, where the school system put students together from first grade…
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Episode 10 - The Long Way Around
This one is different. For Episode 10, there's no guest — just me. And I want to tell you something I don't think I've ever said out loud in this format: I never planned on becoming a teacher. I graduated from UCF in 2013 with a degree in Molecular and Microbiology. I had a plan. Med school, a...
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Episode 9 - From Model UN to Retirement Plans: Julia Porcher on Growing Up, Letting Go, and Moving Forward
On this episode of catchiNG Up, Peter sits down with someone who knows him better than anyone — his wife, Julia Porcher. A plan compliance consultant by trade and a self-described "lifelong partner" to Peter's "lifelong learner," Julia opens up about the path she thought she'd take (diplomat…
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Episode 8 - Blossoming Away from Home ft. Brianna Jacob
This week, Peter reconnects with Brianna Jacob, a former anatomy student turned work-from-home nurse living in El Paso, Texas. What started as a student-teacher relationship has grown into a story about bold choices, personal reinvention, and learning to find yourself far from everything…
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Episode 7 - Prescriptions, Pivots & Second Chances
Peter reconnects with Isabella Romero — UCF pre-med junior and dermatology medical assistant — who walked into the field at 17 with no certification and applied to every office in Orlando until someone said yes. In this episode, Isabella opens up about the high school moment she'll never forget,...
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Episode 6 - Shoot for the Stars, Land on a Cloud
Caden Redmond graduated from Timber Creek in 2022 and hasn't slowed down since. From winning a national championship at the NAIA level to recovering from a full ACL tear — with a double meniscus tear and partial fracture to go with it — Caden has had to fight for every yard, on and off the field....
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Episode 5 - Still Learning: From North Florida to the Classroom
In this episode, Peter reconnects with Connor Green, UCF friend, newly married husband, and middle school history and speech & debate teacher. They talk about the post-wedding exhale, what it's like watching students go from shy sixth graders to SGA presidents, and how a handful of unforgettable...
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Episode 4 - The Psych of Growing Up — ft. Matthew Ng & Ann Schlotzhauer
This week's episode hits close to home — literally. I'm catching up with my younger brother Matthew Ng and his partner Ann Schlotzhauer, both assistant professors of psychological science at Missouri S&T. We dig into what high school actually shaped us, what we'd tell our past selves, the...
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Episode 3 - It Takes One Decision: Peyton Stanley on Transfer, Growth, and Learning to Let Go
In this episode, Peter catches up with Peyton Stanley — a former student who skipped 8th grade, started college at 16, and had her first semester derailed by a car accident that totaled her car and landed her in physical therapy. Rather than stay at a school that didn't feel right, she made a…
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Episode 2 - Carter Benson
Join The catchiNG up Podcast as host, Peter Ng, reconnects with Carter Benson, a former student turned fellow traveler on the path of personal growth. Listen in for real stories about education, mentorship, resilience, and finding purpose after school. Whether you’re an educator, former student…
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Episode 1 - Isabella Maddox
Join The catchiNG up Podcast as host, Peter Ng, reconnects with Isabella Maddox, a former student turned fellow traveler on the path of personal growth. Listen in for real stories about education, mentorship, resilience, and finding purpose after school. Whether you’re an educator, former…
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catchiNG up Trailer
In catchiNG Up: Beyond the Classroom, Peter Ng revisits the stories and experiences that live far past graduation day. Each episode reunites him with former students, coworkers, and friends to talk about the people they were, the lives they’re living now, and the lessons learned along the way.…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
What happens to the people who shaped you — after the bell rings?catchiNG Up is a reflective podcast where educator Peter Ng reconnects with former students, colleagues, and friends to explore who they were, who they're becoming, and what they've learned along the way.Because learning doesn't stop when the bell rings.Want to be featured? linktr.ee/The_catchiNGupPodcast
HOSTED BY
Peter Ng
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom have?
catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom currently has 29 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom about?
What happens to the people who shaped you — after the bell rings?catchiNG Up is a reflective podcast where educator Peter Ng reconnects with former students, colleagues, and friends to explore who they were, who they're becoming, and what they've learned along the way.Because learning doesn't stop...
How often does catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom release new episodes?
catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom has 29 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom?
You can listen to catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom?
catchiNG up: Beyond the Classroom is created and hosted by Peter Ng.
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