Student Athlete Listening Project

Sophia Nguyen
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  • Mental Health

Hi, I am Sophia Nguyen. I am the host and founder of Student Athlete Listening Project, an online podcast. The Student Athlete Listening Project is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the compassionate listening to build empathy and strengthen human connection by creating safe spaces for high- school and college student-athletes to share their medical experiences. Sharing sport injury stories can bring comfort and healing to the storytellers and offer insight and hope to the listeners. Watch SALP on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@studentathletelisteningproject

Episodes

  1. Apr 21

    The Story of a Resilient Football Player at Columbia University with Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome (ACNES)

    Stone Theis, an offensive lineman of football team at Columbia University, class of 2029. Stone graduated in 2025 from Lake Travis High School. He won numerous awards such as four-year letterwinner, Unanimous First Team Offensive All-District, Third Team All-State and was named as team’s most valuable lineman and Austin Area High School Sports Offense Award. He also played track and field and hockey in 2021 and 2022.

    The Story of a Resilient Football Player at Columbia University with Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome (ACNES)

  2. Apr 14

    Brain and Spinal Injuries from Sports by Dr. David Bauer, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine.

    Dr. Bauer is a Director of Neurosurgery Spine and Tenured Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Bauer received a BA from Johns Hopkins University and earned his MD degree from University of Michigan. He also earned an MBA at Darmouth College. Dr. Bauer is well known for his surgical skills and knowledges as well as compassionate care for his patients. https://www.texaschildrens.org/find-a-provider/david-f-bauer-md-mph

    Brain and Spinal Injuries from Sports by Dr. David Bauer, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine.

  3. Apr 12

    From the Perspective of a Head Athletic Trainer, Ms. Cynthia Griffing at the Kinkaid School, Houston TX

    Hi everyone. Welcome to the fifth episode of Student Athlete Listening Project, or SALP for short. SALP is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the kind of compassionate listening that creates safe spaces where student-athletes can share their personal experiences, build empathy, and strengthen human connection. I’m Sophia Nguyen, your host. In order to understand more about the effects of sport injuries among student-athletes, I would like to speak with Ms. Cynthia Griffing, who is a head athletic trainer at our school.

    From the Perspective of a Head Athletic Trainer, Ms. Cynthia Griffing at the Kinkaid School, Houston TX

  4. Apr 5

    Chronic Complex Migraine in a Competitive High School Rower

    Hi everyone. Welcome to the Fourth episode of Student Athlete Listening Project, or SALP for short. SALP is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the kind of compassionate listening that creates safe spaces where student-athletes can share their injury experiences, build empathy, and strengthen human connection. I’m Sophia Nguyen, your host. In this episode, MG shares with us her experience with chronic complex migraine as a competitive rower.

    Chronic Complex Migraine in a Competitive High School Rower

  5. Apr 5

    From the Perspective of an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Paul Shupe, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

    Dr. Shupe is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine with an emphasis on diagnosing and treating knee, shoulder, elbow, and other sports-related injuries and disorders. Dr. Shupe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He is also a head team physician for the NCAA University of Houston Cougars, the Memorial High School Mustangs, and the George Ranch High School Longhorns. He serves locally as the vice chair of orthopedic surgery at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and nationally on committees for the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. https://med.uth.edu/ortho/2022/11/02/paul-g-shupe-md/

    From the Perspective of an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Paul Shupe, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

  6. Apr 4

    From Spinal Fusion to Right Shoulder Labrum Repair Surgery by Sophia Nguyen

    Hi everyone. Welcome to the second episode of the Student Athlete Listening Project, or SALP for short. SALP is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the kind of compassionate listening that creates safe spaces where student-athletes can share their injury experiences, build empathy, and strengthen human connection. I’m Sophia Nguyen, your host, and today, I want to begin with my own story.

    From Spinal Fusion to Right Shoulder Labrum Repair Surgery by Sophia Nguyen

  7. Apr 4

    Literature Reviews on Mental Health in Student Athlete Sport Injuries by Sanjay Senthilvelan, Pre-Med Student at Rice University Class of 2027

    Sanjay is a pre-med student at Rice University in Houston, Texas, Class of 2027, where he studies cell biology and genetics, chemistry, and global health. Through his work as an EMT, his research in Malawi, and his role at Camp Kesem—where he supports children whose parents have cancer—he has learned how illness and injury can shape a family’s daily life, emotions, and sense of stability. Hearing these stories and witnessing the strength of the families he works with has taught him how deeply health challenges can affect young people, both physically and emotionally.

    Literature Reviews on Mental Health in Student Athlete Sport Injuries by Sanjay Senthilvelan, Pre-Med Student at Rice University Class of 2027

  8. Apr 4

    TRAILER: Student Athlete Listening Project by Sophia Nguyen

    Sports injuries are common among high school and college student-athletes, and they can dramatically affect teens’ physical and mental well-being. Due to forced inactivity and routine disruption, injuries can have a detrimental impact on academic performance, social interactions, and mental health for student-athletes, causing lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and sometimes even identity crises. I’m Sophia Nguyen. Welcome to my podcast Student Athlete Listening Project, or SALP for short. SALP is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the kind of compassionate listening that creates safe spaces where student-athletes can share their injury experiences, build empathy, and strengthen human connection. When I was 11 years old, I underwent an intensive spinal fusion surgery after an incident during ballet practice. I recovered well after a lengthy physical therapy. At the age of 15, I dislocated my right shoulder twice—once on a ski trip and another time at volleyball practice. I underwent right shoulder surgery before the beginning of my freshman year in high school. As someone who is extremely active, the year of rest and recovery following the surgery was excruciating. However, during this difficult time, I built strong connections with my medical teams, including my orthopedic surgeon, my physical therapists, and the other patients who had similar stories to mine. These experiences helped me become a more empathetic and warmhearted person. I learned firsthand that some pain and hardships aren’t visible from the outside. I founded SALP to share my own medical experience with others and explore the power of storytelling and listening to inspire and support other student athletes. I believe that sharing sports injury stories can bring comfort and healing to the storytellers and offer insight and hope to the listeners. If you or a loved one has a story they’re dying to share, please send us an email to salproject2026@gmail.com. Thank you for sharing and listening.

    TRAILER: Student Athlete Listening Project by Sophia Nguyen

Trailer

About

Hi, I am Sophia Nguyen. I am the host and founder of Student Athlete Listening Project, an online podcast. The Student Athlete Listening Project is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the compassionate listening to build empathy and strengthen human connection by creating safe spaces for high- school and college student-athletes to share their medical experiences. Sharing sport injury stories can bring comfort and healing to the storytellers and offer insight and hope to the listeners. Watch SALP on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@studentathletelisteningproject

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