- 19
- Episodes
- 1
- Ratings
- Monthly
- Cadence
- 2022
- First episode
About SHECP Talks
During SHECP Talks, we invite guests who are or have been part of the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, to share valuable insights, experiences, and lessons they have learned throughout their time with SHECP.
- Publisher
- SHECP
- Category
- education · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 10 Apr 2022
- Latest episode
- 27 May 2026
Latest episodes
19 episodes in the feed.
27 May 2026
Intern Insights: Powerful Mentors & Mindsets
On this episode, Jen is joined by two SHECP alumnae – Kelsey Stapler (Birmingham-Southern College) and Leela Addepalli (Washington and Lee University). In 2017, Kelsey was a SHECP Intern with Legal Aid in Charleston, WV. After law school, she returned to Charleston to work as public defender for Kanawha County. In 2024, Leela spent her SHECP summer with Kelsey as her supervisor and mentor at the public defender’s office. Listen in as Kelsey and Leela reflect on their internships, discuss the power of mentorship, and share advice for future interns. More information: https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/post/shecp-talks-powerful-mentors-and-mindsets
27 Mar 2026
Expertise in the Field: Jim Kvach
On this episode of SHECP Talks, Emily Scaff, a student at Washington and Lee University, is joined by Jim Kvach, a farmer and engaged community member in Lexington, VA. Emily is pursuing a degree in Journalism with minors in Poverty and Human Capabilities Studies and Law, Justice, and Society. She is a member of W&L’s Campus KitchenLeadership Team, a group that works to address food insecurity in the area. Jim Kvach is a local farmer, Master Gardener, and board member of the Rockbridge Area Relief Association. For the past 18 years, Jim has grown and donated many tons of fresh fruit and produce to the local food assistance network, and he is now working on community-wide efforts to help neighbors nourish neighbors. This podcast episode was part of SHECP's 2026 Springboard Event Series on Farming & Food Security. For show notes and a full story visit: https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/post/shecp-talks-expertise-in-the-field-with-jim-kvach
17 Dec 2025
Intern Insights with Kelsey Dowling (U of Lynchburg) & Samuel Hudson (VMI)
On this episode of SHECP Talks, we are joined by two 2015 SHECP Interns — Kelsey Dowling and Samuel Hudson. Kelsey, a 2017 graduate of University Lynchburg, interned with Tenacity Inc., a Boston-based nonprofit that uses tennis to teach reading and life skills to youth from preschool through high school. Samuel, a 2017 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, spent his summer working with Code/Interactive, a New York City nonprofit that places high school students in coding internships. Kelsey and Samuel met during their SHECP summer, and the two are now married and living in Virginia. During their conversation with Abby, Kelsey and Samuel reflected on their SHECP internship experiences and how those insights continue to shape their personal and civic lives. Though their internship placements were in very different settings, both Samuel and Kelsey highlight similar lessons of adaptability and empathy from their internships. Neither currently works in the nonprofit sector, however both emphasize how their early SHECP experience continues to inform their sense of purpose. Kelsey now serves on the board of her local “Girls on the Run”, while Samuel applies the values of equity and perspective he learned during his SHECP internship to his work in clinical research. Both alumni also emphasize the importance of growth through discomfort. “Step outside of your comfort zone,” Samuel said. “Not too far to the point where you shut down but stretch yourself and stress yourself out a little bit. You grow through stress.” Kelsey encouraged future SHECP interns to build on what they already know when stepping into new, stressful environments. Try to find an internship that incorporates something you’re already interested in,” she said. “It gives you a point of comfort when everything else is new.” For more information about topics discussed in the podcast: Girls on the Run helps address mental and physical health concerns in young women by building confidence, fostering relationships, and encouraging the joy of movement. Tenacity Inc. meets a critical need for enriching after-school, in-school and summer programs for Boston youth. Athletic activities are closely integrated with literacy, tutoring, and mentoring programs to help build academic motivation and achievement. Code/Interactive which recently merged with Mouse is a nonprofit that empowers all youth and educators to engage with computer science and creative technology to solve real problems and make meaningful change in our world. For more information about the episode: https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/post/shecp-talks-intern-insights-with-kelsey-dowling-samuel-hudson
14 Nov 2025
Expertise in the Field: Lelaine Bigelow, Georgetown Center for Poverty and Inequality
Earlier this year, the Georgetown Center for Poverty and Inequality published an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey, that illustrated how the new work requirements in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” are poised to have a disproportionate effect on women, and, therefore, have possible long-term health, education, and future earnings impacts for children in those impacted households. In October, Lelaine Bigelow, Executive Director of the GCPI, joined Jeremy Everett, Executive Director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, for a live episode of SHECP Talks. In addition to discussing GCPI’s recent analysis publication, they touched on Bigelow’s career journey and her motivations for this work, as well as her vision for GCPI’s role in reducing poverty and inequality. In closing, Bigelow reminded us that no matter how we are involved in this work - as researchers, teachers, students, practitioners - success hinges on our ability to “listen first and connect as humans.”
26 Aug 2025
Intern Insights: Katie Schadler, Bucknell University
Hi everyone and Welcome to SHECP Talks! At this summer’s conference, the Friday night Welcome Dinner was co-hosted by SHECP’s six Policy and Nonprofit Leadership Interns. These amazing students had just completed their second summer with SHECP, and this time they had been focusing on understanding the challenges of leading anti-poverty organizations and the development of relevant policy. For this episode, we will honored to share with you Katie Schadler’s welcome address. Katie, an English Major at Bucknell, completed her SHECP Summer internship at Miriam’s Kitchen in 2024 and then served as our first Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Intern with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Stay tuned after her speech to hear some bonus advice from this year’s interns. You can read her speech and view photos from her summers here: https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/post/reflecting-on-my-shecp-summers-schadler We hope you enjoy.
12 May 2025
Expertise in the Field: Noor Al-Saloum, Shepherd's Clinic
In this episode of SHECP Talks, Noor Al-Saloum, staff at Shepherd's Clinic in Baltimore, encourages us to view patient intake as a core component of exceptional patient care and effective patient advocacy. For the past two years, Noor has served as patient coordinator and executive assistant at Shepherd's Clinic for the uninsured, a free clinic located in Baltimore. Noor is interested in understanding the systemic barriers to healthcare access and equity and has been able to explore these issues firsthand through her work on the ground. As an aspiring primary care physician, Noor hopes her insight into healthcare challenges will inform her comprehensive approach and attention to addressing social determinants of health needs to provide the highest quality care. For more information about topics discussed in the podcast: About Shepherd's Clinic: Since 1991, Shepherd’s Clinic has been providing healthcare to uninsured adults in Baltimore. Today, the clinic operates with thirteen staff members, and over 200 physicians, nurses, counselors, and others volunteering to offer services to over 800 patients annually. The types of case management and community relationships which the clinic has pioneered for the uninsured for more than two decades are now considered models of cost-efficient and effective care. This holistic and integrative approach proves to be effective in best meeting a variety of needs for patients. (https://shepherdsclinic.org) Interested in supporting the work happening at Shepherd's Clinic? Visit https://shepherdsclinic.org/donate/ to learn more.
7 May 2025
Faculty Voices: Dr. Troy Makal, UVA Wise
In this episode of SHECP Talks, Dr. Troy Makal, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at UVA Wise, invites us to consider how deeply interconnected everything truly is, from molecules to community building. Dr. Makal focuses on addressing medical mistrust in rural Appalachia, health disparities, and nutritional access. Blending science with service, Dr. Makal shares how education and community engagement can work hand-in-hand to illuminate the challenges of poverty and empower students to be changemakers. Dr. Makal discusses how he teaches students to approach community-based research through the idea that “everything is connected.” Applying the tenets of osteopathic medicine, a person is a sum of everything that affects them, body, mind, and spirit, to the classroom and community. This conversation highlights how engagement is highest when we use real-world and tangible learning to foster empathy, challenge assumptions, and inspire practical solutions to systemic issues like food insecurity and economic inequality. As he explains, his research on obesity and food deserts highlights how identifying “small problems that are systems of larger problems” is a powerful way to begin addressing entrenched social challenges. Throughout the episode, Dr. Makal emphasizes the value of curiosity, humility, and action: “Your judgment means nothing… what you have instead is an opportunity to learn if you’re open to it.” He urges students to identify what fuels their passion early on, encouraging a life of purpose rooted in understanding and impact. For more information about topics discussed in the podcast: Community Nourishment Project: https://swvagmec.com/cnproject/ Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium: https://swvagmec.com/what-gmec-is-and-does/ Reach out to Dr. Makal through email vem4r@uvawise.edu Thank you to Evan Clark, Geena Ravelo Cepero, and Lela Casey for supporting the production of today's episode.
31 Mar 2025
Faculty Voices: Dr. Christa Moore, UVA Wise
On this special episode of SHECP Talks, where we’re excited to share a recording of a recent event featuring Christa Moore, co-author of Gendered Power in Child Welfare: What's Care Got to Do with It? Joined by Ellen Prusinski, Moore delves into the critical issues explored in the book, including the flaws within Kentucky's child welfare system and the gendered power dynamics that shape it. Co-authored with Patricia Gagné, the book examines systemic shortcomings and offers thoughtful solutions to better care for children in need. Tune in for a compelling conversation on how we can reimagine child welfare systems for more equitable and effective care.
18 Dec 2024
Intern Insights: Lorena Bonet Velazquez, Centre
Abby Gilbert, SHECP's Internship Director, explores with Lorena Bonet Velazquez, a Health Policy Advocate with the National Partnership for Women & Families, how her SHECP internship and post-graduate work in immigration rights and women's health access shaped her career journey.
21 May 2024
Expertise in the Field – The UPSIDE Team at UNC-Chapel Hill
On this episode of SHECP Talks, we continue to reflect on the links between resilience and childhood poverty. Jen was delighted to welcome Dr. Desiree Murray (https://tarheels.live/upsideteam/people/) and Dr. Keadija Wiley (https://tarheels.live/upsideteam/people/) to talk about the work of the UPSIDE Team at UNC-Chapel Hill (https://tarheels.live/upsideteam/) and, specifically, their Be Calm Program (https://www.becalmprogram.com). The Understanding and Promoting Self-Regulation Intervention across Development Team or UPSIDE team for short — focuses on self-regulation interventions that promote resilience for children and youth. Their Be CALM program is a mindfulness-based intervention for middle and high school students that provides training and support for both students and educators. During the podcast, Desiree and Keadija explain the origins of the program, their multidisciplinary approach, and the challenges and opportunities associated with community-based research. The initial program roll-out was focused in school districts in rural NC. We also discuss how the program might change for a less-rural environment.
29 Apr 2024
Expertise in the Field: Middlebury College
On this episode of SHECP Talks, Kailee Brickner-McDonald, Director of the Middlebury’s Center for Community Engagement, and Sarah Stroup, Professor of Political Science and the director of Middlebury’s Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation, joined us to talk about the work happening at the Davis Collaborative and, more broadly, about their vision to “to embed principles and practices of conflict transformation in the liberal arts from high school to graduate school.” SHECP's work on Conflict Transformation is made possible by the Middlebury Conflict Transformation Collaborative. Middlebury College has “made a commitment to serve as an incubator for research, teaching, and student experiences to address divisiveness in society.”
11 Mar 2024
Faculty Voices – Dr. Katy Gray Brown, Manchester University
On this episode of SHECP Talks, Dr. Katy Gray Brown, Professor of Philosophy and Peace Studies and Director of the Peace Studies Institute at Manchester University, joins us to delve into the dynamics of conflict transformation and its significance in education and community development. In this episode, Dr. Gray Brown discusses conflict transformation and encourages us to think of conflict as a means for growth and positive change. The conversation addresses the opportunities of integrating conflict transformation education into various settings, such as the SHECP Summer Internship program. Dr. Gray Brown draws attention to the modest but important objectives of conflict transformation education: giving people the knowledge to resolve disputes courageously, empathetically, and effectively. Programs like the Peace Studies Institute at Manchester University and initiatives like the conflict transformation curriculum in SHECP play a vital role in empowering individuals and communities to build a more just world. To learn more about the Peace Studies Institute at Manchester University, visit their website here (https://www.manchester.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-arts-humanities/academic-programs/peace-studies/peace-studies-home). ----more---- SHECP work on Conflict Transformation is made possible by the Middlebury Conflict Transformation Collaborative (https://www.middlebury.edu/conflict-transformation). Middlebury College has “made a commitment to serve as an incubator for research, teaching, and student experiences to address divisiveness in society.” Soon, members from the Collaborative will join us on SHECP Talks to talk about their work with over one hundred partners and their vision to “to embed principles and practices of conflict transformation in the liberal arts from high school to graduate school.”
31 Oct 2023
Intern Insights: The Bucknell Episode
In today’s SHECP Talks episode, Dora Kreitzer talks with two other Bucknell University students, Lissandro Alvarado and Da’Mirah Vinson to discuss their SHECP Internships in Austin, Texas with Foundation Communities (https://foundcom.org/) and Lisandro's second summer with SHECP as a Policy and Nonprofit Leadership intern. Foundation Communities provides affordable homes and free on-site support services for thousands of families, veterans, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. They offer community resources, like college application assistance, tax advice, healthcare, and housing. During the episode, both Lissandro and Da'Mirah underline how their internships provided them with hands-on experience and a deeper comprehension of poverty-related issues. Da'Mirah recounts her time at Foundation Communities, where she engaged in community work and gained an appreciation for the significance of approaching social issues with empathy and a community-centric mindset. She reflects, "We work together to figure out solutions...I'm not here to fix anything. I'm just being in a community." Da'Mirah and Lissandro both expressed that their experiences have offered valuable insights into the kind of work they wish to pursue after graduation. Da'Mirah noted, "The internship showed me the mechanisms of a nonprofit and determined what I want and what I don’t want to do as my first career." After gaining experience at Foundation Communities, Lissandro was a part of the Policy and Non-Profit Leadership Internship (https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/policynonprofitleadership), spending this past summer in D.C. as an economic security analyst with the United Planning Organization (UPO). UPO supports Washington D.C.’s low-income residents on their journey to self-sufficiency. UPO currently offers more than 30 programs and services in such areas as early childhood education, youth development, job training and placement, health and wellness, housing, and volunteering. As an intern, Lissandro focused on the economic security for low-wage workers in the D.C. area. One important piece for Lissandro was being able to use his quantitative skills to understand poverty, merging data analytics major with his passion for poverty research. For Lissandro, being a part of SHECP again meant doing real policy work, “gaining the opportunity to present at the SHECP closing conference, and helping others interns who may be interested in the PNPL internship experience." Dora also participated in the SHECP Internship Program last summer and worked with staff at Intersection of Change. "Intersection of Change (https://intersectionofchange.org/) is a community-based non-profit in Baltimore, MD founded in 1996 to address poverty-related challenges." During the episode, Dora reflects on how IOC's work really illustrated the difference between working for a community and working with a community. A community based model is one of the agency's top values --"We are an organization of and for our west Baltimore community that strives to affirm the dignity of all our residents by empowering them as participants, partners, and fellow leaders. We value the differences and commonalities that bring us together in our community." (intersectionofchange.org (http://intersectionofchange.org/)) Austin, Washington D.C., and Baltimore all offered a lot of takeaways for both interns, and they hope that future SHECP interns try to get the most from this opportunity. Lissandro hopes future interns will remember – “Be meaningful during the internship: ask questions, be curious. There is always something to learn and be intentional in the work.” Stay tuned for more engaging conversations on SHECP Talks as we explore the variety of experiences SHECP interns have, and the positive impact they create in their communities. Want to know more about some of the agencies mentioned in the talk? Foundation Communities: https://foundcom.org/ (https://foundcom.org/) United Planning Organization: https://www.upo.org/ (https://www.upo.org/) Intersection of Change: https://intersectionofchange.org (https://intersectionofchange.org/) Interested in the Policy and Non-Profit Leadership internship? Visit https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/policynonprofitleadership (https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/policynonprofitleadership) to learn more. The 2024 PNPL application will be available in late 2023. The internship is open to any rising-juniors and rising-seniors who have completed the traditional SHECP Internship. These internships will run concurrently with the traditional SHECP Internship. This new program has been made possible by funding from the Middlebury Conflict Transformation Collaborative (https://www.middlebury.edu/conflict-transformation).
5 Oct 2023
Intern Insights: Mansi Tripathi, W&L
On this episode of SHECP Talks, Mansi Tripathi, a 2022 graduate of Washington and Lee University talks about her 2019 internship with the Gateway Center in Atlanta and her postgraduate Fulbright experience in Colombia. The Gateway Center (https://www.gatewayctr.org/) works "to connect people experiencing homelessness with the support necessary to become self-sufficient and find a permanent home.” Although the Gateway Center’s mission is pretty focused, the agency takes a more holistic approach to their programming. With efforts related to everything from housing to health to job readiness to education, they work to address the underlying barriers that prevent individuals and families from transitioning out of homelessness, such as unemployment, behavioral health, housing affordability, and medical conditions. During her time in Atlanta, Mansi was able to work in several of these programs, including the clothes closet and resume development. One of Mansi’s primary roles was to work with outside volunteer groups to provide services to Gateway Center clients. Each outside volunteer group went through a guided orientation before their service and had a time to debrief after the work. Mansi and the others working with the volunteers were able to educate volunteers about the complexities of homelessness and challenge any preconceptions. When reflecting on how her internship impacted the rest of her undergraduate career, Mansi describes how she realized her interest in criminal justice because of the ways in which homelessness is often criminalized. This motivated her to take classes about things that “make [her] the most productively angry.” She researched topics such as the language surrounding homelessness and pre-arrest diversion during her time at Washington and Lee. As part of the Bonner Program (https://www.wlu.edu/academics/opportunities/community-engagement/bonner-scholarship/), she spent several years working with Project Horizon (https://www.projecthorizon.org/), an organization dedicated to reducing dating, sexual, and domestic violence in Rockbridge County, VA that runs an emergency shelter for victims of domestic or sexual violence. Mansi encourages students interested in a SHECP internship to be open-minded and journal during the internship to unpack the experience. ”Go into it thinking, ‘Regardless I am going to learn something about this issue, the local area, and something about myself.’” While at Washington and Lee University, Mansi majored in politics and sociology and minored in Poverty and Human Capability Studies. After graduating, she taught English to college students in Colombia as part of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/types-of-awards/english-teaching-assistant-awards) program. Now, she currently works in Washington, DC for the DC Public Defender Service (https://www.pdsdc.org/) as an Investigative Specialist.
27 Apr 2023
Expertise in the Field: Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
A conversation about the power of language to improve programming, alter narratives, and support dignity in the food assistance network Listen in as Tyler Herman and Robin Swecker from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB) discuss the power of language to improve programming, alter public and internal narratives, and support dignity in the food assistance network. Tyler is the Director of Partner Engagement for BRAFB and Robin is the Partner Engagement Manager for the Shenandoah Valley. Last November, SHECP hosted a Springboard series event to discuss how the language surrounding poverty influences and complicates our daily work and is addressed in various fields of study. Click here to watch the recording and learn more about the panelists (https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/post/language-poverty). This podcast extends this discussion from the classroom to discussion happening with community partners and individuals these partners are hoping to reach. During the podcast, Tyler and Robin focus on how changes in the language used at BRAFB (and by their many partner agencies) have impacted which individuals choose to participate in services and how agencies like BRAFB communicate with a wide array of audiences, including community members, individuals in need of assistance, government agencies, funders, and researchers.
10 Oct 2022
Intern Insights: Noah Cady, VMI
In this episode of SHECP Talks, Noah Cady, a first-class (or Senior to the rest of us) at the Virginia Military Institute, discusses his 2022 internship with the Food Bank of South Jersey. The Food Bank of South Jersey is a massive operation with over 200 agency partners, programs of their own and a relatively large advocacy and education arm. Noah talks about his work with the agency’s health and nutrition programming, bringing in his “outsider” perspective, and his deepened understanding of the importance of strong, respectful relationships for impactful community programming. Later in the episode, Noah talks about waking up to the email telling him that his summer internship was going to be with the Food Bank of South Jersey and being a little confused. Although he thought he would be in a medical clinic, he went into his placement with an open mind. Looking back, he reflected that it was the perfect internship to prepare him to be a creative physician and strong patient advocate down the road - “You aren’t here to totally learn about your career. You are here to learn about the people you are going to serve, and you are going to learn about people in general...It is a skill you’ve got to learn.” His advice for students considering a SHECP Internship: “Just go for it! I don’t think you can get a better experience of where you get dropped into a community and [gain friends for life].” For more information about topics Noah discusses: Food Bank of South Jersey – The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) exists to provide an immediate solution to the urgent problem of hunger by providing food to people in need, teaching them to eat nutritiously, and helping them to find sustainable ways to improve their lives. FBSJ services Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County and Salem County. We remain the urgent solution these residents turn to when they are hungry and can’t afford to buy food. Through innovation and smart hunger-relief programming, the Food Bank has distributed over 150 million pounds of food, served more than one million fresh, nutritious meals to vulnerable children and provided tens of thousands of food boxes filled with healthy groceries to seniors. https://foodbanksj.org (https://foodbanksj.org/) Professional Insights event with Dr. Kelli Jarrell – Dr. Kelli Jarrell, a SHECP alum, talks about her work as a Social Emergency Medicine fellow, her development of the Social Emergency Medicine/Public Health Interest Group, and how her experience as a SHECP Intern impacted her professional life. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/8IKKQOQWAnQ (https://youtu.be/8IKKQOQWAnQ)
31 Aug 2022
Expertise in the Field: Gerald ”Bo” King
A conversation about working at the intersection of poverty and justice Gerald “Bo” King, Federal Public Defender and Chief of the Fourth Circuit Capital Habeas Unit, he discusses fighting for justice within the realities of our court system. Bo previously worked for the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama and Atlanta Legal Aid Society and will talk about how he saw both poverty and place play a role in his work.
27 Jun 2022
Faculty Voices: Dr. Rachel Terman, Ohio University
A conversation about teaching with a course with a strong sense of place with Dr. Rachel Terman from Ohio University Dr. Terman joins us to talk about her current class, “Sociology of Appalachia,” the strong history and sense of community in the area, cultural assumptions about the area, and looking at region with an asset mindset.
10 Apr 2022
Faculty Voices: Dr. Ellen Prusinski, Centre College
A conversation about innovative course design with Dr. Ellen Prusinski from Centre College Dr. Ellen Prusinski joins us to talk about her current class, “Education Policy and Social Change,” why she values incorporating community-based learning into your coursework, and some of her current research that has roots in a previous class project.
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