Welcome to UMGC’s "Unstoppable Stories," a podcast that showcases extraordinary journeys of individuals who turned their dreams into reality. Join hosts Lauren Cardillo and Nathan James as they sit down with inspiring people who have broken barriers, defied expectations, and achieved remarkable success in their fields.
In each episode, Lauren and Nathan dive deep into the real, unvarnished stories behind their guests' accomplishments. From military veterans turned entrepreneurs to working parents who became industry leaders, these inspiring individuals share the obstacles they overcame and the pivotal moments that shaped their paths to success. They offer compelling insights for anyone looking to transform their own life and achieve their dreams.
"Unstoppable Stories" goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the grit, determination, and resilience it takes to achieve your goals. Whether you're a student, career changer, or simply someone seeking inspiration, these powerful narratives prove that with dedication and perseverance, there's no limit to what you can achieve.
Unstoppable Stories S. 2 Ep. 20: Building Global Bridges: From Construction to the Classroom
Host Lauren Cardillo sits down with Joshua Nieubuurt, an assistant professor at UMGC in Asia whose path to the "ivory tower" was anything but direct. Josh shares how he pivoted from a budding career as a general contractor in booming Nevada to teaching English in South Korea and Japan after the 2008 housing crisis. He recounts the "ground-shaking" realization that his American upbringing was only one small piece of the human experience and how that perspective now fuels his work with Japanese bridge students and the military community. Josh dives into the fascinating intersection of digital rhetoric, AI, and memes, explaining how "cultural glue" can connect people even across language barriers. From hilariously awkward sushi dinners to witnessing the transformative pride of a graduating student, Josh’s story is a masterclass in the power of reinvention.
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Host: Lauren Cardillo
Guest: Joshua Nieubuurt, Assistant Professor, UMGC in Asia
Time Stamps & Show Notes:
00:00 The Hammer Analogy
00:22 From Contractor to Professor
02:17 The Housing Crisis Pivot
03:53 Landing in South Korea
05:19 Cultural Ground Shaking
07:38 Teaching in Japan
09:43 Rearview Mirror Lessons
12:45 Joining UMGC Asia
14:54 Overcoming Language Anxiety
16:14 The Sushi Dinner Mistake
18:39 Writing as Magic
21:45 Memes as Cultural Glue
24:02 Bridging Cultural Touches
27:22 AI: Tools vs. Voice
32:53 Military Community Dynamic
36:00 Finding the Real Dream
14 Oct 2026
Unstoppable Stories - Bonus Episode Beyond the Prompt: Building True AI Literacy
In this bonus episode of Unstoppable Stories, host Nathan James brings together UMGC faculty members Dr. Kate Goldberg and Mary Crowley-Farrell for a dynamic, forward-thinking dialogue on artificial intelligence in higher education. Together, they look past the baseline tech and examine the core issues of equity, digital awareness, and why AI literacy must go deeper than learning how to input prompts.
Mary shares crucial insights from the communications and journalism landscape, explaining how machine learning impacts human collaboration, the vital necessity of interrogating our tools, and how AI can sometimes have a "blanketing effect" on natural human curiosity. Dr. Goldberg addresses the rapidly evolving data science field, arguing against the potential "extinction of the expert" and highlighting why domain expertise is more valuable than ever to identify bias, inaccuracies, and ethical gaps in automated outputs. From restructuring assignments around real-time problem-solving to balancing AI assistance with peer review, this conversation provides a necessary roadmap for educators, students, and workforce professionals striving to remain authentic and adaptable in a machine-assisted world.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!
To learn more about UMGC, visit: UMGC.edu/ (http://umgc.edu)
Host: Nathan James
Guests:
Dr. Kate Goldberg, UMGC Professor of AI & Data Analytics
Mary Crowley-Farrell, UMGC Professor of Communications and Journalist
Time Stamps:
00:00 Welcome to the Bonus Episode
00:28 AI’s Classroom Challenges
01:11 Acclimating Students to Tech
02:23 AI Literacy vs. Tool Access
03:38 Defining Modern AI Literacy
04:15 The Vital Human Expert
05:30 Evaluating Visual Content and Reality
06:21 Comparing Platforms in the Classroom
07:32 Responsibility, Ethics, and Bias
08:56 Knowing Appropriate Use Cases
10:42 The Loss of Human Collaboration
11:55 Peer Review and Editing Workflows
14:13 Focusing on Process Over Product
15:20 Data Analysis as Storytelling
17:55 Grounding Instruction in Reality
20:43 Intellectual Property and Watermarks
22:59 The Complicated Math Debate
25:42 Defining Authentic Learning
28:59 Redesigning Higher Education Systems
30:27 Arguing for the Sages
32:14 Faculty Identity Under Pressure
34:52 Curiosity and the Blanket Effect
37:21 Audience Centricity in Media
38:14 Gumption to Question Data
44:18 AI as a Brainstorming Aid
47:29 Student Skepticism and Options
51:05 Content Creators and Workforce Trends
53:52 Individual Attention and Coaching
7 Oct 2026
Unstoppable Stories S. 2 Ep. 19: Words as Currency: The Marine, the Marketer, & Metastatic Advocate
Host Nathan James sits down with Jake Messier, a former Marine Corps combat correspondent, PR executive, and public affairs specialist whose career has transitioned into urgent healthcare advocacy. Jake opens up about his non-linear journey, which began with dropping out of college after his junior year to find direction in the military. Stationed at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo as a broadcast journalist, Jake fulfilled a promise to his father by earning his sociology degree abroad through the UMGC Asian Division while capturing the diverse lives of service members across 43 countries.
Following his military service, Jake navigated intense corporate environments, working as a CBS news assignment editor during 9/11 before founding the largest non-profit marketing agency in New England, an achievement that landed him in Forbes as a prominent "olderpreneur". However, his path took a drastic turn at age 52 when a routinely dismissed lump under his arm led to a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic male breast cancer. Now managing an incurable illness, Jake has mobilized his deep marketing expertise to combat toxic masculinity and emasculation within healthcare, building a massive digital community as "The Guy with Stage 4". Tune in to hear how Jake became the first male breast cancer patient appointed to a Susan G. Komen steering committee and why sharing our most vulnerable chapters is the ultimate catalyst for saving lives.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!
Host: Nathan James
Guest: Jake Messier, Marine Veteran, Stage 4 Breast Cancer Survivor, UMGC Alumnus
Time Stamps:
00:00 Deodorant Checks and Dismissed Symptoms
00:43 Introducing Jake Messier
01:21 Dropping Out of Traditional College
02:26 A Heritage of Seafaring Veterans
03:47 Discovering Public Affairs Job 4341
04:53 Good Morning Vietnam in Tokyo
05:39 Fulfilling Two Promises to Dad
06:27 Traveling Across 43 Global Countries
08:05 Capturing Every Marine Corps Specialty
10:04 The UMGC Asian Division Experience
11:43 Applying Sociology to Marketing Demographics
12:55 Desk Editing at CBS Affiliate WBZ
13:20 Reporting from the Center of 9/11
14:05 Navigating Historic New England News Crises
15:49 Finding Motivation in Loved Programs
18:12 Founding a Niche Marketing Agency
19:50 Embracing Humanitarian Uniform Ribbons
21:03 Scaling the Business for Social Change
22:20 Facing Stage Four Metastatic Diagnosis
24:37 Male Breast Cancer Mortality Rates
26:07 Finding the Hidden Axillary Lump
27:15 Transitioning to the Mammography Ward
27:57 Fast and Slow Realities Aloud
28:56 Psychological Trauma of Medical Emasculation
30:11 The Successful Strategy of Pink Marketing
31:07 Toxic Masculinity in Healthcare Settings
31:49 Mastectomy Surgeries and Inclusive Devices
33:16 Gender Inequalities in Patient Literature
34:31 Launching the Guy with Stage 4
36:08 Taking the Stairs for Chemo
38:25 Disproportionate Funding for Incurable Cases
39:08 Rare Disease Structural Disparities
41:15 Seated at Susan G. Komen Board
43:27 Empowering Men to Speak Bravely
Who has been a guest on Unstoppable Stories
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dale Dye
Danielle Rowell
Zachry Flores
Abigail Compton
Maurice Rudolph Hicks
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
33
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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