The G Cast

Ali sits down with Eddie Ybarra, Athletic Director of Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas. They discuss the school they work at, their working dynamic (Ali assumed the role as Dean of Students when Eddie became the school's AD), Eddie's leadership philosophy, and more. Find him on Twitter @ecybarrajr.

Dr. Jordan Daniel of Angelo State University talks to Rev about Mental Toughness, how Rev's first professional football game made him doubt his goals, and what we can do to instill mental resilience in our day-to-day.

Rev and Ali discuss International Women's Day and shoutout a few women who have made meaningful contributions to their life AND give a challenge to listeners that will certainly brighten your day (and the day of others).

Rev and Ali sit down with Jen Maestas who began her career in education twenty years ago as a classroom teacher. Since then she's served the urban core of San Antonio as an instructional coach, assistant principal, and campus principal. Jen has a heart for serving students who have been traditionally underserved. Working as a school design coach allows Jen to facilitate conversations with school leaders and community partners that result in new opportunities for students. She believes that innovation requires a mindset shift to challenge the way things have always been done. Last year, she co-founded San Antonio Leaders & Teachers (San Antonio’s first social network for educators). Jen’s main ambition for the education landscape is to grow a thriving network of thinkers focused on creating the best education solutions for all our students and teachers. She hosts conversations with education leaders on Miss Education, in partnership with Geekdom Media. Jen’s a native San Antonian and also mom to a kindergartner and two high schoolers -- a freshman, and a junior; all in SAISD.

Rev and Ali sit down with Dr. Jordan Daniel of Angelo State University to discuss his approach to education, talents versus skills, and more. His recent research includes investigations into coach/player relationships in Texas high school football. Other research interests are: positive youth development; sport psychology; and summer camps.

Rev and Ali sit down with Cassie Smith - an absolute change-agent in social work and more. Cassie Smith has served as a faculty member in the School of Social Work at Texas State University since 2018. Cassie is a graduate of Texas State University, where she received both her BSW and MSW degrees. Ms. Smith serves as an Adviser for a student organization called, First Generation Bobcats. She will begin as a University Mentor in the Fall of 2019. Ms. Smith is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in the State of Texas and has worked in the dependency field for 4.5 years. During her time in the field she worked in a variety of departments ranging from admissions, detox, to the residential units for both men and women. Much of her time was spent working with the young to older adults who suffered from substance abuse and or co-occurring mental health and substance dependence. She provided therapeutic counseling, group work and taught psycho-educational lecturers to the residents and families. Ms. Smith remains an active member within the addiction field and serves as volunteer with Texas Association of Addiction Professionals ‘TAAP’. Ms. Smith also worked in non-profit world as a shelter director where she assisted victims of domestic violence and abuse. It was there that she provided trauma-informed care, direct service to clients, staff, volunteers and interns. She enjoyed providing training bi-annually for the incoming interns and volunteers. She also developed and sustained relationships within her community and with community partners in order to improve the work in this field and provide resources for the clients at the agency.

Rev and Ali sit down with an absolute change-agent, Sukh Kaur, to discuss her role in City Education Partners and how she's impacting education. Find her on Twitter and IG at @thesukhlife. After earning a degree in policy studies with a focus in law and justice from Rice University, Sukh was awarded a scholarship to take her passion abroad and research human rights in various countries including Chile, Rwanda, and India and it was there that her passion for education was born. Sukh joined the Teach for America corps, teaching Math and English at Stevenson Middle School in the Houston Independent School District. Wanting to affect greater change, she served as a College Adviser and then Dean of Instruction at the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy, while completing her MBA at Rice University as a part of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program. Eager to continue her education, Sukh is pursuing an Ed.D in Educational Leadership at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College.

Rev breaks down the six steps to mental toughness as given by Ben Bergeron's TEDxSantaBarbara talk that can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csF2sms5-eg

In Rev's absence, Ali talks about how micro chaos, and minimizing it, can lead to more happiness.

Prior to working with Girls Inc. of San Antonio, Lea served as the Development Director with Project MEND and served with the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas in the positions of Director of Girl and Volunteer Services and Chief Administrative Officer. Lea currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, is a member of the San Antonio Women’s Chamber; the San Antonio Nonprofit Council, and the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. She volunteers with TEDx San Antonio, the Institute of Texan Cultures Folklife Festival, and Fiesta Oyster Bake. Lea is also a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. Lea received her Master of Arts in Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Communications from the University of Oklahoma.

Rev and Ali discuss the idea that perhaps your "deficiencies" are just differences in who you are and that the progress you've made should be highlighted more than the journey you still have.

After growing up in Los Angeles and playing football at the University of Texas, Chase Moore found himself in front of the Texas State Board of Education testifying on behalf of adding African American history as a required component of TEA graduation standards. His video immediately went viral as a testament to the need for what he argued. In this episode, Chase shares his story of growing up in LA, why culturally relevant pedagogy matters to everybody, and why wearing dreads as he testified to the SBOE was a conscious decision. Find him on social media at @i_ChaseMoore.

Rev and Ali discuss how a new year doesn't mean a new you.

Alex Bailey is the Founder and Executive Director of Black Outside, Inc. A non-profit organization that provides culturally relevant experiences to youth of color across Central Texas. Follow his work on social media @blackoutsideinc and @ campfoundergirls for opportunities to volunteer.

Rev and Ali sit down with community leader, difference-maker, and exemplar of humanity, Waheeda Kara, to discuss trials and triumphs of fleeing genocide in Bangladesh, establishing a new life in America, and continuing to make a difference in her work. Find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/waheedakara/