Strangers of the Earth

Lainee Edwards is a student, poet, choreographer and multi-talented creative. Throughout her time in college she has maximized on opportunities to practice her craft and study all different forms of art. One dance she created to express the idea of paradoxes which are contradicting ideas that somehow make sense.

Nate Pinto is living with the mindset that any dream or goal can be reached by tactical goal setting, the right mindset and a simple to-do list. He talks about the KATA goal setting strategy, what it is and why it worked for him and so many others. If you’re looking to be inspired or reach a goal, you don’t want to miss this episode.

Morgan Render gives insight on her life as a busy college student and how she has learned to prioritize rest in the midst of a busy season.

From cooking meals with her family throughout childhood to living in a kitchen-less dorm, Kayton discovered that her passion for cuisine was more than a hobby. Follow along as Kayton tells her story taking the ultimate pivot to become a pastry student in Paris, France and what she learned along the way.

Southern hospitality, nuclear warfare and life under the sea—Josh Quackenbush spent last summer living on the USS Indiana. In this episode, he shares what it was like maximizing life in minimal space, cut off from sunlight and the outside world. Back at Iowa State University, Kentucky-born Josh finds himself in a very different environment, sometimes feeling like a fish out of water once again.

Decision making can be a long and exhausting process. Catherine Strauss reflects on her decision to study abroad in Athens, Greece and how it impacted her life for the better. She saw this opportunity as an open door for new friendships, some memorable moments (namely in Nice, France) life-changing experiences.

From Hawaii to Germany, Levi Van Dusseldorp has experienced two drastically different cultures on a long term level. He shares about the contrast of culture as well what it looks like to share the gospel overseas and what challenges he overcame. Growing in international mindfulness, a generosity outlook and becoming more aware of spiritual darkness—just a few of the lessons Van Dusseldorp learned.

All the way from Great Britain, Kenton shares about his experience coming to the U.S. and seeing the best in people regardless of their background or interaction.

Dawson Westfall is a music enthusiast and artist in the making. Listen in as he walks us through the joys and challenges of making music from start to finish. Keep an eye out for his debut album, "I Got By" dropping this winter.

From learning French to traveling Uganda, Emily Carr is a cultural enthusiast and an aspiring US diplomat. Emily spent her summer 2025 serving kids at a school in Uganda and immersing herself in a brand new culture— her stories and takeaways are nothing short insightful.

Moving to a brand new place can be daunting. Whether its an hour from home, somewhere across the country or on the other side of the world—acclimating to a new environment takes time. In this episode, Ziyang and Jun share about their experiences as students and scholars in Ames, Iowa all the way from China and how they took every opportunity to build a home away from home.

Nice, France is a tourist destination for most, but to Jean-Arthur, it's home. This episode covers French culture and Jean's life as an international student coming from sunny beaches & fresh caught fish to corn fields and brisket. Is Iowa really so bad after all?

Don't know what's next in life? Go to Nigeria! Or at least listen to Jason Broska Jr's episode covering life after college and his summer making a documentary in Nigeria. His film "Road to the Assembly" will be premiering on Sunday, October 26th at Iowa State University's Student Innovation Center. Check out our instagram page for more details!

Whether you're planning a trip to Asia or have never thought about stepping foot on the continent, this episode is for you. Clara covers here experience living in Thailand and the raw beauty of traveling solo. From the Ha Giang loop in Vietnam to the rice fields in Bali, by the end of this podcast you'll be ready to hop on the next flight overseas.

All the way from South America, Estefany and Val discuss the challenges and rewards of life as international students. These two passionate girls have over come language barriers, cultural differences and experienced the beauty of getting to know a whole new world. Listen to their stories to gain more perspective on the complexity of the English language and learn more about Latin American culture.

Rob Lawless is on a journey to meet 10K people through intentional, organic one hour meetings. He's fueled by the mindset that every interaction has the potential to change the trajectory of your life. Lawless has a riveting passion to meet and pursue the strangers of his world— everyone can benefit from hearing his perspective on life, people and connection. Find rob on Instagram @robs10kfriends and reach out if you're interested in being one of the 10K friends.

Straight from South Korea, Junghee and Gyuhan bring an insightful conversation about their experiences in the land of pickup trucks and corn. Additionally, we dive deep into the the societal impacts of the Oscar award winning movie, "Parasite" and the impact it had on their home.

Anna Lee discusses her experience as an American living in Indonesia. Lee teaches listeners about the art of slowing down and leaving space for the people around you, a lesson everyone can learn from.

Meet Elijah Moore, a recent Iowa State graduate and the host of "Spotlight with Elijah Moore." In this episode, Moore speaks about the real life ups and downs of being a content creator and a full time student— it's not for the faint of heart.

Welcome to Strangers of the Earth! Listen to this brief introduction from your host to you.