Parker Podcast: Perspectives Off the Page

Off the Page with Leonardo Giovannelli ’96, Jessica Morera ’95, and Barry Cheskaty

In this episode, we sit down with Parker Alumni Awardee Leonardo Giovannelli ’96, USN, currently the Commanding Officer of Surface Combat Systems Training Command San Diego. Joining him are Jessica Morera ’95, Executive Officer of the same command, and Vietnam veteran and longtime (now retired) Parker faculty member Barry Cheskaty. Together, they reflect on their naval careers and share how their experiences at Parker—and the influence of dedicated teachers—helped shape a lifelong commitment to service and leadership in the U.S. Navy.

Off The Page with John Cook '75

In this episode, we sit down with John Cook  '75, whose legendary coaching career began at Parker and culminated in a historic tenure as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women’s volleyball program. For more than two decades at Nebraska, John led the Huskers to four national championships, numerous conference titles, and consistent Top-10 finishes, becoming the winningest Division I volleyball coach of this century. A three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and 2017 AVCA Hall of Fame inductee, John reflects on his journey, leadership philosophy, and the experiences that shaped his remarkable career. John also talks about his experience leading a team that helped set a world record for attendance at a women's sporting event, with over 92,000 fans at Volleyball Day in Nebraska, and discusses Parker's current education-based athletics programming with Director of Athletics Mahina Hannemann-Gago and Associate Director of Athletics John Herman.

Off The Page with Julie Newman '10 and Laura Crabtree '00

Hear from alumni awardees Laura Crabtree [https://www.epsilon3.io/laura-crabtree]’00 and Julie Newman [https://www.juliejnewman.com/about]’10. Laura, CEO of Epsilon3 and a former Crew Operations & Resource Engineer, shares her journey from Parker to helping return the U.S. to human spaceflight. Julie, Vice President of Engineering at Outpost, reflects on her path as an engineer, author, and advocate for women in STEM. Together, they discuss their Parker experiences, careers in aerospace, and the lessons that continue to guide their work.