The Standard Podcast

Iranian American author and former faith prisoner Marziyeh (Marzi) Amirizadeh joins host Reuel Sample to share her powerful journey from childhood indoctrination under Iran’s Islamic regime to a radical encounter with Jesus Christ and an unmerited sentence in Evin Prison. She describes growing up under a system that taught children to hate America and Israel, her deep spiritual questions, her conversion from Islam to Christianity, and how God sustained her through 259 days of interrogation and the threat of execution. Marzi also offers an insider’s perspective on today’s Iran, the recent protests and crackdowns, and her vision through NewPersia.org for a spiritually renewed, free Iran covered in global prayer.

The Standard Podcast sits down with Carolina Beach mom and Lifewise Academy steering committee chair Alissa Sivils to talk about bringing Bible-based character education back into New Hanover County’s public schools during the regular school day. She explains how Lifewise operates legally off-campus with parent opt-in and private funding, why the program is exploding across more than 30 states, and what a locally driven pilot could look like in Wilmington. Reuel and Alissa tackle the hard questions—logistics, “indoctrination” smears, after-school vs in-school, and what it means for parents to reclaim their God-given role in their children’s education and spiritual formation.

Dr. Amy Dunning joins host Reuel Sample to introduce her candidacy for the New Hanover County Board of Education, tracing her journey from small-town Rockingham County to middle-school math teacher, master’s graduate, and PhD in education focused on how teachers conduct whole-class math discussions. She explains how discovering the limits of rote, algorithm-based math instruction pushed her toward conceptual, story-based approaches and ultimately into training teachers at the university level, giving her deep classroom and teacher-education experience.​

District Attorney Jason Smith discusses his first year leading the DA’s office for New Hanover and Pender Counties, taking over after Ben David’s resignation and then winning the 2024 special election while already looking ahead to being on the ballot again in 2026. He outlines his background as a 24‑year lawyer and 15‑year prosecutor, his “lead from the front” approach shaped by military service, and his focus on building a stable, accountable 53‑person office that moves cases instead of letting them backlog.

The Wilmington Standard Podcast debuts with Episode 1 featuring Richard Collier, fresh off his run for Wilmington City Council and bringing decades of engineering and planning experience to the conversation. Host Reuel Sample, Editor in Chief of The Wilmington Standard, sets the stage by highlighting New Hanover County’s explosive growth and Wilmington’s status as a destination city. Together, they dig into what that actually looks like on the ground for residents, taxpayers, and commuters who are feeling the strain of rapid development.