The Normal Life Podcast

Do you ever feel like culture is just passing you by? Well, you are in luck because we have an expert in the studio today to give us all the lowdown on Gen Alpha slang. Yes, that's right.

Kate is an engaging educator, athlete, writer, and encourager. She helps us to tackle topics like; human trafficking, OCD, and ADHD. These topics can be awkward, misunderstood, and scary and our conversation helps to break down these barriers to gain better understanding. Kate is also looking for youth mentors to invest in the lives of teenage girls who receive support through Tharros Place.

This week‘s episode features Taylor Warren, a Savannah native who works for the The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, is a strong advocate for body positive events, and has an optimistic outlook on life’s ups and downs...including her failed softball career.

For the first time in the history of the Savannah Youth Mentoring Podcast show, we have a three time guest! Judge Burke is back to discuss juvenile justice, his Oakland Raiders, parenting tips, and how retirees can make a difference in the lives of youth.

Today is all about summer camp programs in Chatham County, GA. Summertime is fast approaching and camp open slots are filling up quickly! Maybe one of today's featured programs will be the right one for your child.

A fan of Nina Simone? Okay, that's a great place to start for an interview! Growing up as a "military kid", Kayla was used to not being overly attached to any particular place. After spending the last 8 months becoming involved in her new community, mentoring students through The Front Porch, and connecting on public policy with the Deep Center, Kayla has started calling Savannah "her home".

We started 2026 with Alonzo Truitt and today we end the year with him. Alonzo loves chess, despises pumpkin pie, and believes strongly that serving others is the key to happiness. He also runs the non-profit "I Is We" with his wife. Check them out at iiswe.org

Angela became a mother while she was in high school. She was able to embrace the responsibility and move forward as a new mom and student. The path had many challenges along the way, but Angela was able to persevere and create meaningful opportunities for her family, herself, and she youth she works with through her non-profit, the T.I.P. Organization.

Daphne Coffee-Roberts has taken a challenging childhood, learned to forgive those who contributed to it, and grown into a self-reflective adult who isn't afriad to makes changes and say, "I'm sorry". Since 2020, Daphne has been the director of the non-profit, The Coffee Foundation, that is dedicated to cultivating leadership, fostering mentorship, and promoting meaningful collaborations to support youth.

In today's episode, we revisit our conversation with "Cheesesteak Jack" from earlier this year. Topics range from setting up shop in tough areas of New Jersey, to bicycle clubs, to how his faith guides his choices, to the ways food can changes a young person's life.

We runnin' it back! Last week went so well, Judge Burke is back for part 2. How did Judge Burke join Da Raiders cult? How was his life guided by "being a nerd"? Why has Jimi Hendrix been such an inspiration? We answer these questions and more...

Today's Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB Podcast features our conversation with Judge LeRoy Burke. From early failed chemistry experiments to passing the Bar - to being a lifelong Raiders fan -to decades spent as a juvenile court judge, LeRoy has had a fulfilling journey that doesn't look to stop any time soon.

This week, we revisit an episode from late 2021 that paid homage to one of my greatest mentors, Wally Fox. There’s a small handful of people who I consider to have been a mentor in my life. Coach Fox was one of the very first, and even though it was an honor to have known him for almost 30 years, his recent passing from COVID was way too soon and tragic. In this weeks episode, a few friends join in to share some stories as we pay tribute to a man who was our mentor, friend, teacher, coach, spiritual leader, and so many other things.

Okay, professional wrestling isn't everyone's "cup of tea" but I've been drinking it down since the late 80's. Mentors, or managers, have been a big part of the wrasslin' game since the 1940's...so today's topic kind of fits our usual youth mentoring focus. Today. I'm spilling the tea on my favorite "baby faces" and most despised "heels".

Jazmine has formed a life of fitness through athletic pursuits, youth mentoring, and parenthood. She aims to be the mentor she had growing up, and the one she didn't get the chance to meet in her early years.

This week's Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB Radio Podcast features our conversation with Winsphere Jones (aka Tim Wright) from the City of Savannah Government's ONSE office. From comic book doodles - to college playwrights - to writing full-length plays that focus on ending gun violence, Winsphere's journey of art and mentoring has been wide and varied.

An almost yearly trip to Ireland leads to a different kind of podcast episode this week. So thankful for these trips that started as a way to process the loss of my childhood friend Stacy. Six years later, Ireland is still a magical place that is teaching me lessons and reminding me of what I cherish the most.

Growing up in Gary, Indiana, Armand was drawn to the music of Michael Jackson, couldn't help but become a big fan of nearby Chicago professional sports teams, and found out firsthand how youth mentoring happens on the field and in the classroom.

So often, we come to the end of our week with more personal, local, and national tragedies clinging to us. How do these situations motivate us? Today's episode touches on that dynamic, we get a surprise co-host, and we revisit a previous conversation with Ambria Berksteiner

This is part 2 of the discussion with Geoffrey Alls. We continue our conversation about the way Geoffrey's life was forever changed when unspeakable tragedy stuck him at the age of 15. He shares about the ways he stays involved in mentoring youth. And, we also talk about the joy and pain of being lifelong Atlanta Braves and Falcons fans.

When unspeakable tragedy stuck at the age of 15, Geoffrey's life was forever changed. During this week's episode, we talk with him about that moment, how it's impact affected his family, and how it fueled him to pursue a career in seeking justice for others. We also talk about the joy and pain of being an Atlanta Braves and Falcons fan.

Important questions on the show this week: Are our youth actively involved in guiding the experiences, events, and programs that we want them to be a part of? How much of their voice is being considered and incorporated into the things that we are asking (or oftentimes forcing) them do? Also, we revisit an earlier conversation with Tharros Place’s Gabriella Maravaldi.

You may know Justin Bristol from his work with the LIVE OAK Library location on Bull Street, but did you know he also once had a promising punk rock career? This bit of history was just one of the hidden chapters we uncovered on this week’s episode, along with the many surprising programs that the library is offering to Chatham County youth every day of the week.

This week, we get to sit down with Jimmie Johnson (no, not that one) to talk about his newfound love of Savannah, his passion for Memphis, and his desire to be the type of mentor that he had during his teenage years. Since Jimmie is involved with vital youth work through the ONSE (Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement) office, we will let it slide that he is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

A New York native, Bill Monroe, grew up surrounded by various ethnic communities within a stone's throw of his family's Bronx-area home. One day, while at his father's store, Bill stepped outside to hear Malcolm X deliver a speech to a group of onlookers, not knowing what he had just witnessed. In the early 2000's, Bill and his wife and kids moved to Savannah in hopes of "slowing down" and easing into an early retirement. While he found the pace of Savannah to be conducive to retiring, Bill soon found himself actively engaged with something he never thought he would be...a tutor for elementary students. This was the start of an over 20-year commitment to mentoring and tutoring younger learners through Bill's involvement with Love Mentors. 107.5FM https://youtu.be/QdQ5oV98w9Y https://www.wruu.org/shows/savannah-youth-mentoring-hub https://www.savyouthmentoring.org/

Sometimes you have to leave your hometown before you can appreciate what it has to offer. This was the experience for Savannah-native Marisa G Arnold. Since returning, she has figured out ways to incorporate her love for the arts into the mentoring she does through her role as Director of Youth Programs for Deep Center.

"Armed with curiosity."   Three basic words, when combined make for a powerful philosophy to live by. "Socks", from The DEEP Center, gave us this daily mantra when we sat down for an interview earlier this year. Today, we revisit part of that conversation and highlight an important youth opportunity that The DEEP Center is hosting next week.

Today's "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" podcast episode will be different and unique. We are taking a trip to Charleston, South Carolina in the summer of 2015, days after the #theemanuel9 lives were tragically taken. You will hear "man of the street" interviews with Charleston residents and visitors to the city, on the day of the memorial. We are thinking about the members of the @motheremanuel_ame_official today. #charlestonstrong #lovewins

For the first time, we have a youthy person in the studio for our Friday "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast show. We discuss hot topics like skincare, youth mentoring youth, and the intellectual disconnect between owning a stuffed pig and eating bacon on a regular basis.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. How can YOU support the mental health of a child? We look at a few ways to do that.

This week we got to sit down with the magnetic Ambria Berksteiner to discuss female engineers, mentoring through STEM, being a twin, and Girl Scout cookies.  Check out “One STEM At A Time” on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more about Ambria’s youth mentoring organization.

The first recorded instance of the word “mentor” is in the story of The Odyssey. While we don’t take a deep dive into this story, we look at the origins of this word that has become a part of pop culture. We also talk about the importance of setting, adjusting, and accepting varying levels of expectations in relationships.

In anticipation of the "Pray 4 My Hood" HOG MOB Ministries event this weekend (4/26/2025) in Savannah, we review our interview with Harold "Zion" Edwards from earlier this year. Learn more about HOG MOB Ministries at https://hogmob.com/ The promo video for "Pray 4 My Hood" can be found at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI1V3y4Ie8U/

A New York native, Bill Monroe, grew up surrounded by various ethnic communities within a stone's throw of his family's Bronx-area home. One day, while at his father's store, Bill stepped outside to hear Malcolm X deliver a speech to a group of onlookers, not knowing what he had just witnessed. In the early 2000's, Bill and his wife and kids moved to Savannah in hopes of "slowing down" and easing into an early retirement. While he found the pace of Savannah to be conducive to retiring, Bill soon found himself actively engaged with something he never thought he would be...a tutor for elementary students. This was the start of an over 20-year commitment to mentoring and tutoring younger learners through Bill's involvement with LOVE Mentors.

Chef Jack joins the Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB podcast this morning (Friday) at 11am to talk about motorcycle clubs, small business ups and downs, how his father mentored him throughout his life, and how "A Seat at the Table Cafe" is training the next generation of chefs.

This week’s "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast episode, we take a look back at the 9 guests we have featured so far. We also look at some famous mentoring relationships you may not know about. As always, episodes drop LIVE ON FRIDAYS at 11am on wruu.org, on 107.5FM, on savyouthmentoring.org, and on the TheFrontPorchSavannah YouTube channel - UCJ7nTK_BfdDW65zx-0xxhNA

Anki came to SCAD after Googling them from her home in India. She was looking for a way to take her love of design, mix it with an ethical framework, and weave together a sustainable framework for her career and interactions with others. Along the way, she has found a new passion in mentoring children as an afterschool tutor. You can stream this interview, and the other Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB shows, on WRUU.ORG, on SAVyouthmentoring.org, or on The Front Porch Savannah YouTube channel.

“Armed with curiosity” is a three-word approach that Socks takes into daily interactions with the world around them. As an organizer and a person, Socks is an explorer of art, community, and nature. Though they didn’t have the mentor they needed in their younger days, Socks is trying to be the influence that is now needed in their work with youth through the Deep Center. Listen to our conversation on today's "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast. You can stream on WRUU.ORG, SAVyouthmentoring.org, on 107.5FM, or on The Front Porch YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TheFrontPorchSavannah

I enjoyed sitting down with Gabriella Marvaldi this week to discuss her journey from figure skating Junior Olympian to advocating for human trafficking survivors. You can learn about Tharros Place at tharrosplace.com You can always listen to or watch these "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" episode on the following platforms. WRUU.ORG, 107.5FM, on The Front Porch YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ7n..., or on SAVyouthmentoring.org

On Episode 6 of the podcast, Shawnessy Cargile – podcast host and creator of the Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB – talks about his career-long dedication to supporting & advocating for youth. His 20+ years working with youth ranges from youth in schools to foster care to the juvenile justice system to those he now assists in his role as Family Engagement & Activities Coordinator for The Front Porch. Shawnessy candidly shares what drives him, why little quirky positive interactions can have a big impact, and how a memorable mentoring disaster and mentoring misstep from his college and early career days taught him what NOT to do as a youth mentor. Lean more about The Front Porch at frontporchchatham.org.

After spending many years as a regular visitor, Danica became a Savannahian in 2024. We sit down this week to talk about her career in public education, how mentors helped shape her early life, and why #stevienicks means so much to her. As always, you can listen or watch this episode on the following platforms. WRUU.ORG, 107.5FM, on The Front Porch YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ7n..., or on SAVyouthmentoring.org

On this week's show, we sit down with Harold "Zion" Edwards to discuss HOPE Initiative, embarassment that comes from live performance mishaps, and the various ways that youth mentoring can happen.

This is not The Normal Life, but it is the debut episode of a new weekly podcast that Shawnessey is hosting. The "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" radio podcast officially dropped on 1/24/25 with special guest Alonzo Amon Truitt. Truitt has a youth mentoring organization in Savannah, GA called "I Is We". He and Shawnessey sat down to talk about youth mentoring, how Truitt's organization is influencing Savannah children, and discuss ways that folks can volunteer as a youth mentor. This episode, and future "Savannah Youth Mentoring HUB" episodes, can be found by visiting... WRUU - 107.5 FM Savannah - Listen on the radio at 107.5FM and online at https://www.wruu.org/shows/savannah-youth-mentoring-hub Youtube - Watch the podcast interview at https://youtu.be/rSSvsNePZv4?si=0XCD1R9WT4bg0zOn (@TheFrontPorchSavannah) You can also listen to the audio podcast version on the SAVyouthmentoring.org site.

Cheris by Shawnessey Cargile

Backed by the talented Butch Ross (butchross.com).

Self-loathing, regret, disappointment, reflection

From time to time, and in the meantime, and in between times, there may be a need for a side hustle. This needed could rise out of low, cash flow, total loss of a job, for the need to try something new.

better than before by Shawnessey Cargile

Comparing two things that end up telling a story of an unusual love affair. Featuring the musical talents of Butch Ross (butchross.com)

An ode to the Sandhills cranes I’ve seen for the past 6 years in Birchwood TN. I’m not an avid birder, and do not appreciate nature as much as I should, but these 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall creatures are rather notable.