The People of Penn State Penn State Alumni Association

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Michaels '02, '05 Dickinson Law, has served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps since January 2006. 

During his time as an Army lawyer, he has served in military units all over the world. In addition to service in Iraq, South Korea, and Europe, he most recently returned to the United States after serving for two years as the first-ever U.S. Army Exchange Officer to the Republic of Poland. During that assignment, he was the Operational Law Attorney to the General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces.

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Timestamps for our conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Michaels:

0:00 — Intro

1:46 — Becoming a Penn Stater

7:20 — A strong family connection to the U.S. Military 

16:00 — Lieutenant Colonel Michaels' attempt to become Penn State student body president 

16:55 — Experiences in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps

22:10 — Time as a JAG Officer with the Polish Armed Forces 

32:24 — Lightning Round Q&A

41:34 — Outro 

Misconceptions of autism and the frequency in which people are excluded, threaten access to the vital information, resources and support autistic people and their families need.

Sarah Kernion '06, a distinguished global speaker and neurodiversity advocate, is first and foremost a mother of three children, two of which have non-speaking autism.

Through her work, she fosters a supportive community around the ‘inchstones’ vs milestones mentality of parents and neurodiversity, advocating for greater acceptance and valuing of the contributions of neurodivergent individuals in society.

In 2023, Sarah officially launched Saturday’s Story, LLC, alongside a charity, Milly & Mack’s Marchers, Corps, supporting children with autism and their schooling and related services. 

Connect with Sarah on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Watch the video version of this episode. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Sarah

0:00 — Intro

1:48 — Sarah's Penn State story

9:40 — What is neurodiversity?

10:55 — Personal connections to autism and neurodiversity

22:00 — Recognizing signs of autism

31:16 — How Sarah became an advocate for  neurodiversity

38:45 — Milly & Mack’s Marchers

40:19 — Lightning Round Q&A

50:42 — Outro

From Fortune 500 giants to burgeoning startups, Rebecca Friese '93  navigates outdated practices in the workplace, fostering the capacity for impactful cultural changes.

Rebecca is a seasoned change management leader dedicated to transforming organizations. On a mission to enhance workplaces, she champions innovative, engaging, and forward-thinking environments.

As the author of "The Good Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Creating a Workplace That Doesn’t Suck," Rebecca is also the Co-Founder of FLYN, Co-lead at the Samudra Next Generation Leadership Trust, and the Founder of the 12@12 Women’s Network.

Connect with Rebecca on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (also @flynconsulting).
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Timestamps for our conversation with Rebecca:

0:00 — Intro 

2:15 — Becoming a Penn Stater

8:30 — Rebecca's initial career path

14:20 — Independent film production and acting 

17:40 — Consulting/coaching  

20:57 — Igniting change in the workplace through inspiration 

26:00 — Rebecca's book: "The Good Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Creating a Workplace That Doesn’t Suck"

34:34 — Lightning Round Q&A

39:25 — Outro 

Jasmine Forsberg '21 is an emerging star of Broadway...and she's a Penn Stater!

Forsberg is currently performing in the hit Broadway musical "Six" after touring the country for over a year in the First National Tour. Last summer, Jasmine made her Broadway debut in the all-Filipino cast of "Here Lies Love."

In addition to her successes on stage, Jasmine starred in the 2021 Hallmark movie "One December Night," which featured her singing her own original music.

A talented songwriter, Jasmine's music is also featured in "Results Will Vary," a 45-minute musical sketch comedy show that prepares incoming students for life at Penn State and is performed during each New Student Orientation program at Penn State University Park.

Connect with Jasmine on her website or Instagram. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Jasmine: 

0:00 — Intro

2:00 — Becoming a Penn Stater

7:00 — Developing a passion for stage acting 

9:50 — Jasmine's career journey 

14:15 — Being a part of the first all-Filipino cast on Broadway

18:45 — Playing Jane Seymour in "Six"

27:45 — Starring in a Hallmark movie 

32:00 — How Jasmine has left a legacy at Penn State

36:30 — Lessons learned in the Penn State Musical Theatre program

39:15 — Lightning Round Q&A

44:15 — Outro  

From early days with the Daily Collegian to time spent with the Centre Daily Times and the Associated Press, photographer Pat Little '77 has chronicled life at Penn State for fifty years.

Some of Pat's most famous photos include a lion cub...sitting atop the famous Nittany Lion shrine, President Bill Clinton eating Berkey Creamery ice cream, and the return of the team busses to State College after Penn State football's 1983 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

He takes us through the stories behind these iconic photos and more on this episode of The People of Penn State Podcast.

You can see Pat's tremendous work on his Facebook page.  Also be sure to check out the Penn Stater magazine's feature on Pat from the March/2024 issue.

Timestamps for our conversation with Pat:

0:00 — Intro

1:07 — Growing up in State College and becoming a Penn Stater

3:05 — Joining the Daily Collegian

7:55 — Pat's book "Penn State Then and Now," which chronicles Penn State's history in images

18:27 — The story behind Pat's photo of a lion cub sitting on top of the Nittany Lion Shrine

20:04 — Capturing a famous photo of Bill Clinton at Berkey Creamery

25:10 — Meeting Neil Armstrong

28:37 — Joe Paterno stories

32:45 — Pat's journey as an artist

38:05 — Being featured in the Penn Stater magazine

43:00 — Lightning Round Q&A

45:03 — Outro
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
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Alumni Association Paul Clifford '20g is joined by journalist Erin Strout '97 for an engaging conversation on her career — including covering health, fitness, and Olympic sports — mental health awareness for female athletes, the state of media coverage on higher education, and more.

Erin's work has appeared in the Washington Post, ESPN-W, Self, Women's Health, Outside, Runner’s World, and more.

Her upcoming book, "The Price She Pays: The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women's Sports — From the Schoolyard to the Stadium,"  co-authored with Tiffany Brown, Ph.D., and Katie Steele, LMFT, will be published in June 2024.

Watch the video version of this podcast on our YouTube page.

Connect with Erin on her website, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Timestamps for our conversation with Erin: 

0:00 — Intro

2:20 — Becoming a Penn Stater

4:17 — Ad Read (The Football Letter)

5:27 — Erin's career path

11:35 — Media coverage of higher education

18:05 — Experiences covering the Olympics and Olympic athletes

21:20 — Mental health awareness for female athletes

35:41 — Contributing as a writer for the Penn Stater  magazine

38:07 — Lightning Round Q&A

42:07 — Outro
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Instagram
LinkedIn