NOHS Roundtable Discussions

THE GAME PLAN FOR GROWTH | Episode 3: Cultivating Grit & Growth | Cally McSweeney

In this final episode of The Game Plan for Growth, host Cally McSweeney sits down with Coach Annie Lahey, the architect behind Assumption University’s remarkable turnaround field hockey program. Over her 13-season tenure, Coach Lahey has taken a team that once struggled to win and transformed it into a perennial Division II powerhouse built on resilience, grit, and community. Throughout their conversation, Coach Lahey explains how she channels every setback into motivation for the next challenge, why she believes “we’ll laugh as hard as we run,” and how she balances high expectations with genuine care for each athlete’s wellbeing. She discusses her passion for continuous learning—adapting to new rules, innovating practice drills, and embracing feedback—and describes the human-first approach that keeps her players motivated, confident, and ready to face whatever comes their way. Tune in, trust your game plan, and keep pushing past your limits. 📧 Email us at info@nationalhumanservices.org for details on how to get involved with The Student Podcast Collaborative. In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes. About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.

MIND OF A KILLER | Episode 3: The Vampire of Sacramento | Anneliese Chase

In this chilling conclusion to Mind of a Killer, host Anneliese Chase examines Richard Trenton Chase—the “Vampire of Sacramento”—who murdered six people in 1977–78, drinking their blood and mutilating their bodies. We trace his descent from a tortured childhood of animal cruelty and untreated schizophrenic delusions to a horrifying killing spree fueled by paranoid psychosis. Through expert analysis and firsthand accounts, we explore how genetic vulnerability and environmental neglect combined to create one of America’s most disturbing killers. Join us as we ask: could early intervention have saved lives, and how can society better support those at risk before it’s too late? 📧 Email us at info@nationalhumanservices.org for details on how to get involved with The Student Podcast Collaborative. In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes. About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.

MISSING OUT | Episode 3: NOMO (No More Missing Out) | Tori Richardson

In this final chapter of Missing Out, Tori Richardson introduces NOMO—No More Missing Out—a personal framework for finding balance between engagement and simplicity. Rather than dwelling on fear or even joy in what you skip, NOMO celebrates the normalcy in life’s trade-offs. To illustrate this, Tori sits down with her parents, Jenny and Adolf Richardson, who share how their own childhoods—rooted in discipline, community and family activities—shaped a mindset where missing out was simply part of a well-rounded life. As Tori guides her parents through questions about regret, “normal” experiences, and pivotal life decisions, you’ll discover that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all blueprint for happiness. Instead, NOMO is about owning your schedule, honoring the stages of life, and trusting that the moments you choose to embrace—both big and small—are exactly where you’re meant to be. 📧 Email us at info@nationalhumanservices.org for details on how to get involved with The Student Podcast Collaborative. In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes. About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.

TURF TALK | Episode 3: Managing & Merging Identities | Roderick Boyd

In this third installment of Turf Talk, Roderick Boyd reflects on a season unlike any other—one defined by a serious labrum injury that benched him for his senior year and forced him to rediscover who he was off the field. From the locker room to the media center, Roderick shares how he leaned on teammates like Gavin and Quinn Seager to stay connected, then channeled his energy into his true passion: communications and media. You’ll follow Roderick’s journey into TV-production classes, behind-the-scenes work at Assumption’s Media Center, and a bold leap into daily vlogging that skyrocketed his TikTok views. He explains how he balanced early-morning workouts and film study with editing graphics, live-streaming D2 combines, and even shooting battle-rap events for his family’s businesses. As he prepared to return to the gridiron, Roderick confronted the challenge of merging two identities—student-athlete and content creator—and learned to embrace vulnerability in front of the camera and on the sideline. This episode is packed with hard-earned insights on staying motivated through identity shifts, finding new ways to contribute when you can’t play, and the mindset it takes to step back into competition after a year away. If you’re navigating your own crossroads—whether injury, career change, or creative pursuits—you’ll walk away inspired to merge your passions without losing yourself. 📧 Email us at info@nationalhumanservices.org for details on how to get involved with The Student Podcast Collaborative. In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes. About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.

MIND OF A KILLER | Episode 2: The Highway Killer | Anneliese Chase

In this chilling second episode of Mind of a Killer, host Anneliese Chase unravels the story of Aileen Wuornos—dubbed “America’s first female serial killer”—and asks how a deeply abused child became a cold-blooded murderer on Florida’s highways. You’ll hear the harrowing details of Aileen’s childhood: abandonment by her teenage mother, sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her grandfather, and a life on the margins where survival meant drug use, sex work, and petty crime. As she drifted from motel to roadside, Aileen developed a profound distrust of men—one that she later claimed justified her brutal killings in self-defense. Through eyewitness accounts, court testimony, and the voices of psychologists like Todd Grand, we explore each highway slaying—from Richard Mallory to Steven Nesson—and how ballistic evidence, stolen property, and Tyra Moore’s betrayal finally brought Aileen to justice. Along the way, we delve into nature vs. nurture debate: Were her violent impulses born from a genetic predisposition and neurological differences, or forged by decades of trauma and neglect? This episode paints a nuanced portrait of a woman shaped by both her biology and her brutal upbringing. 📧 Email us at info@nationalhumanservices.org for details on how to get involved with The Student Podcast Collaborative. In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes. About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.