1861: The North Central College Podcast

Today’s students — and their parents — are increasingly focused on the value of a college degree and how their college experience will provide them with a stable future. In her role as assistant provost for student success and engaged learning, Dr. Jenny Smith understands. After all, she’s a parent, too. In this episode, Dr. Smith addresses those concerns, and a whole lot more, as she talks about the importance of curiosity, high impact teaching practices, and how North Central College prepares students for an unscripted future, and for jobs that might not even exist yet.

North Central’s new Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MENP) program will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2026. The program is designed, in part, as an opportunity for career changers to enter the College’s master’s level nursing program, regardless of their undergraduate major.Our guest, Dr. Christina Nordick, founding director of the MENP program, knows a thing or two about career changes. The first-generation college graduate was a Naval officer before becoming a nurse practitioner, and then a teacher.Nordick reflects on the winding road—which started on a goat farm in Wisconsin—that led to her own nursing career, how she developed her teaching philosophy, and how North Central’s nursing program stands out from the pack through their passion for nursing and integration of lifestyle medicine.

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Dr. Karl Kelley, a longtime North Central faculty member, as he retires from teaching at the College—or as he prefers to say: moving to a new phase.From growing up on a farm in Virginia to being a first-generation college student, a bus driver, a computer scientist, and eventually a beloved psychology professor, Kelley’s journey has been defined by curiosity, storytelling and connection with students and alumni from across 37 years on the North Central campus.Kelley reflects on discovering his passion for teaching undergraduates, or as he calls them: “human becomings.” He shares why psychology is at the core of who we are, how statistics become a tool for better decisions and relationships, and why friendship and fun matter in learning. Tune in for warmth, wisdom and wonderful stories.

This fall, the North Central women’s triathlon team did something that no other Cardinal team had done before: they won a fourth consecutive team national championship. It was their eighth national title in nine seasons. Head Coach Tyler Woodward M’20 joins senior Bethany Smeed ’26 and sophomore Keeley Mick ’28 to share how each of them discovered the sport, why they chose North Central and what it takes to compete at a championship level. They describe the team’s close bond; the confidence and mental strength built through rigorous training and the experience of racing in an emerging NCAA sport.Together, they highlight not only the keys to national success, but also the friendships and personal growth that come from being part of the close-knit North Central triathlon program. 

In October, campus community members saw something they hadn’t seen in more than a decade: a print edition of the student newspaper, The Chronicle. The newspaper – which is still available digitally – returned to print this fall under the leadership of editor-in-chief Brianna Eloiza ’26, a journalism and media communication major who is also pursuing a minor in sport management. Listen along as Brianna describes the process of bringing The Chronicle back to life in print and the feeling of seeing it in the hands of readers across campus.

Lauren Benson ’27 is a biology major, member of the Cardinal women’s volleyball team and first-generation college student who has found her home at North Central. She credits athletics for teaching her time management, teamwork and perseverance — and she channels those skills into student leadership roles and campus-wide service work.From early team bonding to connecting with faculty, Lauren reflects on personal growth and preparing for the future, including applying for grad school to become an occupational therapist. Her advice to new students: “Do what you’re passionate about — what you get out of college is what you put into it.”

Dr. Vicki Williams, vice president for student life, is a new face on the North Central campus. An avid sports fan and proud first-gen college graduate, she brings high energy and a fresh perspective as she works to enhance the vision for student life at the College.From campus events, clubs and organizations to student employment, residence and commuter experiences, gathering spaces, and more, she says every moment matters. “We want to create those opportunities where memories are made outside of the classroom.”

Dr. Carly Drake, associate professor of marketing, says that “Everything is marketing, all around us, all the time.” Her research focuses on gender, bodies, and fitness culture, and her teaching includes everything from the basics of marketing to helping students use digital tools to tell their own stories.Listen along as Drake shares her relationship-based approach to marketing and how she teaches students to sell not just products, but ideas. Plus, learn why she says her favorite students are B students.

Growing up as a Cubs fan in west suburban Chicago, Wayne Randazzo dreamed of a career in the big leagues. But rather than on the field, he wanted to be in the booth calling games like Chicago legends Pat Hughes, Harry Caray, and Steve Stone. North Central’s award-winning, student-run radio station, WONC, proved to be the perfect sandbox for Randazzo to hone his craft as a live play-by-play announcer for Cardinal athletics and co-hosting weekly sports talk shows. Today, Randazzo is living the dream as the TV play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels and for Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball.”Listen along as Randazzo talks about the realization of his childhood dream and how North Central played a critical role in helping him get there. He also shares a few career highlights (like calling slugger Albert Pujols’s 700th career home run on national TV) and offers advice for aspiring broadcasters looking to break through in today’s media landscape.

Al Carius H ’06 and Frank “Grammy” Gramarosso are two of the most accomplished coaches in the nation. Together, as stewards of the North Central College cross country and track & field programs, they won a combined 31 NCAA Division III team national championships – 19 in cross country and 12 in indoor and outdoor track & field. At the center of that success was a focus on student-athletes and a commitment not just to winning, but to winning the right way: by putting the athlete before the sport.Listen along as Al and Grammy relive some of their rich history of coaching success, their commitment to North Central College as a “special kind of place,” and the legacy that carries on at North Central and at schools across the country through their alumni coaching family tree.

Four years ago, on “Decision Day” at her high school, Olivia Rosenberg ’25 was wearing spirit wear for a big state school she planned to attend in the fall. Six months later, she found that college environment wasn't a good fit for her.After transferring to North Central College, Olivia has never looked back. She talks about majoring in communication studies and sociology, competing as part of North Central’s “Sonata Problem” a cappella group, conducting original research about female executives in the workplace, and more. Besides reflecting on the opportunities she's had as a Cardinal — from pre-professional experiences to making connections — Olivia also shares her interesting take on the pressures around making a college decision.