Finding Our Voices Today

About Finding Our Voices Today

This podcast is committed to celebrating the immigrant's journey to the U.S.A. and the process of learning how to navigate a new culture, new language, and finding resources that lead to a happy and independent life. From newly arrived friends, or those who have been in the country for years, you will hear inspiring interviews with adults and their family members. Additionally, you will hear from non-profit leaders, educators, and volunteers who are deeply committed to making impact on these inspiring people. Moving to a new country is a unique and daunting experience that takes courage and trust, but our mission is to include ALL voices, and to provide equitable space and an opportunity for them to be heard and celebrated as well as to learn from professionals how we can effectively support them.

Publisher

Lisa Sandstrom

Category

education · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Apr 2024

Latest episode

30 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

78 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Elba Sims - Teacher of the Year: Leading with Purpose and Compassion

   Elba Sims was born in New York to loving parents who were both very proud of their Puerto Rican heritage. As one of nine children, she grew up speaking Spanish at home and was totally immersed in Latino culture. She enjoyed eating meals from Puerto Rico and watching her mother cook. She fondly remembers the special spoon her mother used to call “Big Cucharón” to measure her sofrito to put in her most delicious rice. Some of her most vivid memories include listening to Puerto Rican musicians that her mother felt passionately about sharing with her children to ensure a deeper love of their background. As the first of her siblings to attend college, Elba paved the way for a family tradition of service. Drawn to education from an early age, she pursued a career working with children, while her siblings later entered healthcare professions after college. Elba credits her mother's example of compassion, resilience, and dedication to others for inspiring her siblings shared commitment to helping people. Today, Elba Sims is a passionate educator, advocate, and leader dedicated to creating opportunities for students and supporting families. Much of her work has focused on English language learners, particularly immigrant and refugee students who are navigating a new school system and adapting to life in a new country. Her empathetic yet direct approach fosters trust while helping students and families overcome challenges and build confidence. A strong believer in culturally responsive teaching, Elba creates welcoming classroom environments where students feel seen, valued, and celebrated. To honor the diverse backgrounds of her middle school students, she spends time learning the music and cultures of their native countries. Each morning, she begins the school day by playing a song from a different country, transforming a simple routine into a joyful celebration of identity, belonging, and cultural pride. As political and social changes have impacted student attendance, engagement, and family participation, Elba's commitment to advocacy has only grown stronger. She remains a steadfast champion for immigrant and refugee families, working tirelessly to ensure that every student has access to a supportive learning environment and a community that embraces diversity, inclusion, and opportunity.

2. 

   16 Jun 2026

   Michelle Doan - The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Building Emani Through Purpose & Perseverance

   Michelle Doan is the founder and CEO of Emani, a skincare and lifestyle company based in California. Michelle, an immigrant originally from Vietnam, and survivor of a Thai refugee camp, emigrated to Canada in 1979 with her mother and 5 siblings. Their journey wasn’t an easy one and she learned survival skills at an early age watching her mother as they moved to new horizons in search of a new life with opportunity. Michelle’s resilient approach to life and work is largely attributed to watching how her mother lived, but she also inherited her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit and creativity as she learned how to make her own clothes as a child, her initial steps into fashion, and to speak up for what she believed in as she worked diligently to meet her goals. This potent inner strength brought her full circle when she began to have skin issues as a teenager. Years later, she had tried a multitude of doctor-prescribed skin care creams and medications, but it only exaggerated the problem. It was when she met a specialized aesthetician that she found a pathway that would envelope all her talents and she began the initial steps on her entrepreneurial journey. Today, Emani has been thriving for more than 27 years, continually evolving to meet the changing needs of its customers. When Michelle experienced changes in her own skin during menopause, she once again adapted her perspective and expanded her focus to honor and support aging skin. Emani was founded on a clear purpose: creating beauty products that work in harmony with the skin, supporting balance, barrier health, and long-term resilience. Michelle's philosophy extends beyond skincare. Guided by a "get to" rather than a "have to" mindset, she approaches each day with gratitude and purpose. As a business owner, advocate for healthy beauty, wife, mother, and community member, she strives to create the same balance and harmony in her life that Emani seeks to bring to its customers. Her journey is a powerful reminder that resilience, adaptability, and purpose can transform life's greatest challenges into meaningful opportunities.

3. 

   9 Jun 2026

   Dave Hidalgo - Building More Than Business: A Story of Creativity, Vision, Family, and Gratitude

   Dave Hidalgo is the proud owner of DHS Home Improvement based in CT. He took a leap of faith 19 years ago leaving his native country, Costa Rica, and his loving family, to follow a dream and take his experience and creativity to a new level. With a work visa in hand, he left for new horizons and to chase a dream. In his interview, he illustrates his journey and shares that he first learned about furniture design and construction from his father who began teaching him when Dave was just 7 years old. He describes the first piece he created and that he still possesses, and how in a recent conversation on the phone with his mother she reminisced and recalled the many pieces of furniture he made for their family home over the years. For the last 11 years, he has been on his own, building his business with one referral to another. His reputation, one of honesty, integrity and impeccable attention to detail, makes him highly sought after in Fairfield County. He fondly remembers how his journey in the U.S. started and offers a respectful message of gratitude for having mentors helping him along the way. Dave offers excellent advice to new entrepreneurs and incorporates an important reminder about maintaining personal health while balancing the demands of business ownership. A true family man committed to his wife and two children, he shares that it can often be difficult to balance his business responsibilities with his desire to not miss the day-to-day school activities and memorable milestones. This conversation showcases a beautiful story of an immigrant with a dream to pursue his passion to create, bring joy into his customers homes, and to build a life and future for his family.

Who has been a guest on Finding Our Voices Today

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Edith Targonski
• Rivca Zacharia
• Amr Hallaba
• Mausumi Patra
• Silvano De La Cruz

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

16 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

47

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Finding Our Voices Today

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.