Iola ISD: Bulldog Pride Podcast

Iola ISD

Welcome to Bulldog Pride, the official podcast of Iola Independent School District in Texas. Join us as we spotlight the students, educators, coaches, and community members who make Bulldog Nation special. From Friday night lights to classroom achievements, state competitions to hometown heroes, we share the stories that define small-town excellence. Each episode takes you behind the scenes of life at Iola ISD, where tradition meets innovation and every student has the opportunity to shine. Whether you're a current family, prospective parent, alumni, or community supporter, discover why Iola truly is a hidden gem in the heart of Texas. Plus, don't miss "Spike's Top Dog Trivia" - our fun segment featuring friendly competition and Bulldog history. Subscribe now and join the pack!

  1. May 21

    15 - Top of the Class: Valedictorian & Salutatorian Celebrate Success

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're celebrating academic excellence! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with Assistant Principal and Girls Athletic Director - Miss, Valedictorian - Shaylee McKown, and Salutatorian - Ava Bessette, during the final week of school to honor these remarkable seniors. Miss reflects on watching these young women grow up through volleyball camps, Little Diggers, and PE since sixth grade. Both Shaylee and Ava are all-state volleyball players who helped bring home the state championship this year while maintaining top academic standing. Miss shares how she's seen them study on the bus with lights on after games, working hard to excel in both athletics and academics. Shaylee and Ava share their journeys to the top of their class, emphasizing high standards, strong role models, and incredible support systems. They discuss their biggest challenge: time management and balancing schoolwork with club sports, school athletics, organizations, and friendships. Their solution? Planning out entire weeks in advance and prioritizing academics first, even when it meant studying on the bus or sacrificing social time. The young women give heartfelt shout-outs to teachers, coaches, family, and friends who supported them along the way. They reflect on how they've pushed each other throughout high school, going back and forth academically while motivating one another to be their best. Looking ahead, both are Texas A&M bound! Ava will attend Mays Business School pursuing business administration, while Shaylee will major in kinesiology with plans for medical school. This summer, they'll coach opposing teams in Miss' new summer volleyball league while also starting jobs—Shaylee at The Physician Centre in College Station. Graduation is Friday at 7:00 PM in the high school gym. Congratulations, graduates! Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    19 min

  2. May 21

    14 - Leading with Heart: Elementary Leadership Reflects on the Year

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're wrapping up the school year with Iola Elementary's leadership team! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with Principal Hollie Guillbeau and Assistant Principal Lauren Sanders during their final week of school to reflect on an incredible year. These dedicated leaders share how they focused on celebrating students as individuals and bringing back beloved traditions like Grandparents' Breakfast, Vocabulary Parade, Color Run, and fun national days. They created a culture where families feel welcome and students feel valued. Ms. Sanders reflects on her inaugural year and shares their innovative approach to STAR testing—sending students on field trips to the park, movies, and zoo to create a calm, focused environment for those taking the big test. Ms. Guillbeau highlights celebrating staff through monthly teacher awards and newcomer recognition. She shares exciting news about implementing a new aligned K-5 curriculum next year that will raise the bar and better prepare students for their futures. Their message to students: Be safe, make memories, find rest, and renew your spirit. To everyone: Find one thing you love to do this summer and do it every day. School starts back August 12th with Meet the Teacher on August 10th.  Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    25 min

  3. Mar 19

    13 - Little Bulldogs, Big Hearts: PreK - 5th Student Spotlight!

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're hearing directly from the students! Host Amanda Rollert and Elementary Principal Ms. Guilbeau sit down with one representative from each grade (Pre-K through 5th) to hear what makes being an Iola Bulldog so special. Meet our student panel: Pre-K student - Ramsey Gillis, Kindergartner - Cameron Jolly, 1st grader - Rhys Abbott, 2nd grader - Josiah Smith, 3rd grader - Everly Jackson, 4th grader - Eve Hurst, and 5th grader - Kolman Barksdale. These young Bulldogs share what they love about Iola. They reveal their favorite subjects (spoiler: lots of mathematicians in this group!), what they're learning in class—from telling time and shapes to volume and rectangular prisms—and how their teachers make learning fun. The conversation gets personal as students share favorite foods (asparagus was a surprise!), what they play at recess (football, kickball, freeze tag, and monkey bars), and special talents like rodeo goat tying and UIL competitions in oral reading, writing, and chess strategy. Students also share how they help keep their school clean and safe: picking up trash, bringing reusable water bottles, setting good examples, and helping friends up when they fall. Their special memories from this year include field trips to the Waco Zoo and Texas A&M basketball games, the Color Run with teachers and Officer Montgomery throwing colors, and Friday game days in class. From Pre-K to 5th, these students show what Bulldog Pride looks like at every age. 🐾❤️ Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    36 min

  4. Mar 5

    12 - Elementary Special Teams: Where Every Kid Shines

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're celebrating Iola ISD Elementary's Special Teams! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with PE teachers - Ryanne Jolly and Coach Jayme Timm, Art/Music teacher - Gayla Blenden, and Library/GT teacher - Kylie Hammack to discuss how they build relationships, foster creativity, and help every student discover their unique gifts. These dedicated educators share how they connect with students they see on rotation—through movement in PE, creativity in art and music, and discovering new worlds through reading. Coach Timm emphasizes teaching lifetime sports like pickleball and tennis because "you can't pay somebody else to exercise your body for you." Coach Jolly highlights the joy of seeing kids try new activities and share their stories daily. Memorable moments include: a student who struggled with confidence now embracing "the power of yet," fifth graders audibly gasping during a World War II novel study when pieces clicked together, and daily excitement from kids asking "Is it art day? Is it music day? Where do we get to travel to today?" This episode celebrates the educators who teach kids that movement matters, everyone is creative in their own way, and reading opens infinite possibilities. Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    31 min

  5. Feb 26

    11 - Keeping Iola Running: Meet the Maintenance Team

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're going behind the scenes with the crew that keeps Iola ISD running smoothly! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with Maintenance Director Mr. Anthony Marks and team members Mr. Michael Evans and Mr. Rudy Galvan. These dedicated team members share what their day looks like—arriving before students and staff, responding to urgent issues with an "all hands on deck" approach, and handling everything from AC repairs and door closures to mowing fields and retrieving tennis balls from rooftops! The crew shares projects they're especially proud of: building a wheelchair-accessible ramp and covered porch, remodeling an entire building, expanding the elementary playground, and transforming the baseball and softball fields with maroon dirt that makes the white lines pop like a professional field. They share an important reminder for students: simple habits like picking up trash and cleaning up after yourself help keep the campus beautiful and teach lifelong skills. When they're not maintaining the school, you'll find them deer hunting, fishing, chasing grandkids to games, working cattle ranches, or caring for horses! This episode celebrates the people who work tirelessly to make Iola ISD a clean, safe, and welcoming place every single day.  Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    23 min

  6. Feb 12

    10 - Tenacious & Revolutionary: Senior Band Spotlight

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're celebrating the sound and spirit of Iola Band! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with Band Director Mr. Taylor Fowler and six incredible seniors: Head Drum Major - Haley Hejl, Assistant Drum Major - Fallon Smith, and Band Members - Emmy Renfro, Addy Cerrillo, Blake Whitaker, and Steven Chavez. These seniors—most playing their instruments for seven years—share what makes band so special: the lifelong friendships, leadership opportunities, and the constant pursuit of improvement. From learning consistency and problem-solving to appreciating how hard the band works in the Texas sun for hours to entertain others, they reveal what people on the outside don't see. Mr. Fowler reflects on his first year at Iola. He highlights their historic achievement: scoring Division 1 at marching competition for the first time in 5-6 years, a moment that shifted the band's belief in what they could accomplish. The conversation gets fun as students share favorite pieces of music, the funniest moments, and which instruments they'd try if they could switch for a day. The episode wraps with each senior describing band in one word: Tenacious. Memorable. Loyalty. Robust. Family. Revolutionary. Then things get competitive with Spike's Top Dog Trivia—Team Haley vs. Team Emmy in a battle of food, pop culture, science, sports, and music questions! A huge thank you to these seniors for seven years of dedication and to Mr. Fowler for building on success and creating a culture where students believe in themselves. Go Bulldogs! 🎺🐾 Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    42 min

  7. Jan 8

    9 - New Year, New Beginnings: Staff Spotlight at Iola ISD’s Middle School & High School

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're kicking off 2026 by celebrating Gold Star Peer Award winners from Iola’s High School & Middle School campuses and welcoming a new staff member to the Iola family! Meet our award winners: January Paraprofessional - Wendy McKown, December Employee of the Month - Cathy Oliver (US & TX History), Paraprofessional Newcomer - Kamryn Michael, Overall Newcomer - Taylor Fowler (Band Director), and September Employee of the Month - Debbie Lero (Algebra 2, Pre-Cal & Calculus). We also recognize Coach Eric Blenden (November Employee of the Month) and Anthony Marks (October Employee of the Month), who couldn't join but were celebrated by peers. Plus, welcome new Life Skills staff member Celina McKown! Band Director, Taylor Fowler, shares exciting news about the program earning top competition marks for the first time in five years and calls the Iola staff "the most wholesome I've ever been part of in 10 years of education." Staff share powerful testimonies about what makes Iola special—from Mr. Marks' dedication to repairs to Coach Blenden leading the team to feed multiple families at Thanksgiving. The conversation includes holiday traditions, wedding planning updates, binge-watching confessions, must-have holiday foods, and heartfelt New Year reflections about fresh starts and finding joy in small moments. Congratulations to all our award winners, and welcome to the Bulldog family, Celina! 🎉🐾 Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    43 min

  8. 12/09/2025

    8 - Honoring Excellence: Elementary Employee Spotlight

    This week on the Bulldog Pride Podcast, we're celebrating some truly exceptional educators! Host Amanda Rollert sits down with Iola Elementary's Employees of the Month, Newcomer Teacher of the Semester, and Paraprofessional of the Semester for a heartwarming conversation about what it means to serve with grace, grit, and growth. Meet this incredible group of award winners: August Employee of the Month Christy Steinmann, September Cathy Wheaton, October Kara Shive, November Shaina Bostick, December Kylie Hammack, and Paraprofessional of the Semester Ashley Bunch. We also recognize Newcomer Teacher of the Semester Leighton Brackin, who couldn't join the recording. These dedicated educators open up about Ms. Guilbeau’s campus theme of "grace, grit, and growth" and what it means in their daily work with students. They share why teaching at Iola ISD is so special—from the small-town community feel to peers who truly support one another. Many share powerful testimonies about coming from places where grace wasn't freely given, making them appreciate Iola even more. The conversation gets deeply personal as these teachers discuss how they overcome obstacles through faith, vulnerability, and leaning on their community. From 20-year veterans to those new to the profession, each shares how God called them to this mission field and how their students inspire them every single day (yes, there were beautiful tears of joy!). The episode takes a festive turn as they share Christmas traditions—from Christmas Eve church services and light tours to cookie decorating parties for 200+ people, hidden stockings, Christmas pajamas, and special family recipes. They reveal their favorite Christmas carols (Silent Night, O Holy Night, and Mary Did You Know top the list) and share heartfelt wishes for the new year centered on family health, following God's plan, and being the hands and feet of Jesus. This episode is a beautiful reminder of why Iola ISD is such a special place—it's the hearts of the people who serve here. Congratulations to all our award winners! 🎄🐾 Learn more about Iola ISD on their website HERE Follow Iola ISD on Facebook HERE Got a tip, tale, or shoutout? Email us at podcast@iolaisd.net

    45 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Bulldog Pride, the official podcast of Iola Independent School District in Texas. Join us as we spotlight the students, educators, coaches, and community members who make Bulldog Nation special. From Friday night lights to classroom achievements, state competitions to hometown heroes, we share the stories that define small-town excellence. Each episode takes you behind the scenes of life at Iola ISD, where tradition meets innovation and every student has the opportunity to shine. Whether you're a current family, prospective parent, alumni, or community supporter, discover why Iola truly is a hidden gem in the heart of Texas. Plus, don't miss "Spike's Top Dog Trivia" - our fun segment featuring friendly competition and Bulldog history. Subscribe now and join the pack!

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