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Conversations about the challenges military-connected kids face as they navigate multiple education systems from birth through high school.
Episodes
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Description: Hannah discusses her struggles as a mil-kid and how she finally found community by connecting to her roots.
This podcast was made in part by support from the Tyndall Spouses Club.
Show Notes:
National Suicide Hotline 988 Call or Text
https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/attempt-survivors/
Virtual Hope Box: Coping, Relaxation, Distraction, and Positive Thinking
MCEC Wellbeing Toolkit, PTSD, TBI, Physical Injury tab, look for the Family Communication activities as well as the Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness & Wellness tabs for personal reflection activities and support
https://www.militarychild.org/wellbeingtoolkit
Bio:
Hello! My name is Hannah Andringa. I am 19 years old and I am from Ellsworth, Kansas. I was a military dependent for 14 years of my life. Currently, I am Miss Czech/ Slovak Kansas 2022-2023. I am a current freshman at Kansas State University, studying Agriculture Economics with a focus in Pre-Law. I plan to pursue a secondary in Global Food Systems Leadership as well. I hope to shed light on my experiences of feeling rootless as a dependent as well as inspire anyone feeling this way through my story.
Bio: Sue Lopez
Sue is an Active-Duty military spouse (25+), parent of two adult children, and a licensed school counselor who takes pride in being a resource for military-connected students and families in transition. Families rely on Sue for her compassion, knowledge, and empathy as she has personally experienced 14 PCS relocations, 6 deployments, and one unaccompanied tour to the Republic of Korea.
She holds a Master of Science in School Counseling. Her professional license 20+ years of education experience has yielded a unique set of skills and knowledge regarding state and national policies that impact military-connected students during times of transition to include academic transcript evaluation, enrollment, and graduation as well as social-emotional supports.
Prior to her role as an MCEC Instructional Systems Designer, Sue used her field experience as a Military Student Transition Consultant to inform and establish the MCEC Military Student Consultant role. As and MSTC, Sue provided one-on-one and small group transition counseling services to military-connected students and their families at seven middle and high schools. Additionally, she provided district-wide professional development and enhanced community relationships with instillation command, community stakeholders, school administrators, and district faculty.
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Description: Mil-Kid, Addison chats about her art piece, how it helped the family to celebrate life’s moments even when her dad was deployed and about the challenges she faces as a military kid with type 1 diabetes and celiac.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Offutt Officers Spouses Club.
Show Notes:
Information on Diabetes
Information on Juvenile Diabetes
Information on Celiac Disease
Bio:
Addison Richter
Addison Richter is a US Army Active-Duty military child. She is a rising seventh grader who epitomizes the word resilient. Our family has endured 4 overseas deployments and multiple training rotations stateside. Addi and her younger sister, Grace, have also been through 5 PCS moves. In her 6 years of schooling, Addi has attended 5 different schools.
In 2020, Addi was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as Johns Hopkins Medical Center saved her life. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 months later. This kid doesn’t let her multiple diagnoses define her. She has played soccer for 9 years and is currently on a club travel soccer team with hopes of playing for the US Women’s National Team in the future. Addison has been involved with her school’s student council and is a current fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She is an honor roll student who uses art to celebrate her triumphs.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Description: Chatting about STEM opportunities for our military students and how these can lead to a future outside the classroom.
This podcast is presented by eCYBERMISSION, a free STEM competition for 6th-9th graders sponsored by the Army Educational Outreach Program.
Show Notes:
- eCYBERMISSION
- Register for eCYBERMISSION
www.ecybermission.com/register/?
- eCYBERMISSION Mini-Grant Program
www.ecybermission.com/MiniGrantProgram
- eCYBERMISSION YouTube Channel
www.youtube.com/eCYBERMISSIONTeam
Bio: Carey Dieleman
With degrees in biology and elementary/secondary education, Carey Dieleman utilizes her experiences in diverse learning communities to collaborate with STEM advocates and engage nationally with students, teachers, and school districts to encourage participation in NSTA and AEOP programs, namely eCYBERMISSION.
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Description: Dr. Ginsburg discusses coping mechanisms for military teens as they face life’s challenges and the importance of human connection.
This program is powered in part by Wounded Warrior Project® to honor and empower post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.
https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Show notes:
Center for Parent and Teen Communication
MCEC Well-Being Toolkit
https://www.militarychild.org/wellbeingtoolkit
Hidden Helpers
https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
Bio:
Jake
Jake is a senior in High School and grew up in a veteran caregiver household. He has a deep appreciation for the United States Military and is planning to pursue a degree in nursing.
Kelsey
Hello! My name is Kelsey. I am a 17-year-old senior living in DuPont Washington. I love reading, hiking, running, and eating ice cream. I am involved in cheerleading, choir, leadership, and S2S. I have been an advocate for military children since 6th grade, and I hope to teach about the resilience that comes through the difficulties of military life.
Dr. Ginsburg
Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., M.S. Ed, is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Co-Founder and Director of Programs at Center for Parent and Teen Communication. He also serves Philadelphia’s homeless youth as Director of Health Services at Covenant House Pennsylvania. The theme that ties together his clinical practice, teaching, research, and advocacy efforts is that of building on the strength of teenagers by fostering their internal resilience. His goal is to translate the best of what is known from research and practice into practical approaches parents, professionals and communities can use to prepare children and teens to thrive. The bottom line is that he strives to prepare adults to be the kind of people youth deserve in their lives.
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Description: Mil-Kid, Katie Faye, discusses the impact of losing a friend to suicide and how she learned not only to survive but to grow from the experience.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Maxwell-Gunter Spouses Club.
http://www.maxwellgunterspousesclub.com/
Show Notes:
National Alliance for Children's Grief
https://childrengrieve.org/find-support/
Call or Text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Live Through This: Suicide Attempt Survivor https://livethroughthis.org/
Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org/back-to-school/young-people-lose-someone
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Family-to-Family Program, Mental Health for Military Families https://nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Homefront
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE):
Grief Support for Suicide Loss Survivors
https://save.org/what-we-do/grief-support/,
Suicide Attempt Survivors https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/attempt-survivors/
MCEC Wellbeing Toolkit
https://www.militarychild.org/wellbeingtoolkit
Bio: Sue Lopez
Sue is an Active-Duty military spouse (25+), parent of two adult children, and a licensed school counselor who takes pride in being a resource for military-connected students and families in transition. Families rely on Sue for her compassion, knowledge, and empathy as she has personally experienced 14 PCS relocations, 6 deployments, and one unaccompanied tour to the Republic of Korea.
She holds a Master of Science in School Counseling. Her professional license 20+ years of education experience has yielded a unique set of skills and knowledge regarding state and national policies that impact military-connected students during times of transition to include academic transcript evaluation, enrollment, and graduation as well as social-emotional supports.
Prior to her role as an MCEC Instructional Systems Designer, Sue used her field experience as a Military Student Transition Consultant to inform and establish the MCEC Military Student Consultant role. As and MSTC, Sue provided one-on-one and small group transition counseling services to military-connected students and their families at seven middle and high schools. Additionally, she provided district-wide professional development and enhanced community relationships with instillation command, community stakeholders, school administrators, and district faculty.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Description: Understanding Ambiguous Loss and how it relates to our military children.
Show Notes:
https://www.ambiguousloss.com/
https://www.ambiguousloss.com/resources/
This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support from the
Scott Spouses Club.
https://www.scottspouseclub.com/
Bio: Dr. Pauline Boss
Pauline Boss, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a former president of the National Council on Family Relations. She practiced family therapy for over 40 years. With her groundbreaking work in research and practice, Dr. Boss coined the term ambiguous loss in the 1970s and since then, developed and tested the theory of ambiguous loss, a guide for working with families of the missing, physically or psychologically. She summarized this research and clinical work in her widely acclaimed book Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief (Harvard University Press, 2000). In addition to over 100 peer reviewed academic articles and chapters, her other books include Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss (W. W. Norton, 2006) and Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (Jossey-Bass, 2011). Her most recent book is The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W. W. Norton, 2022). Her work is known around the world wherever ambiguous losses occur, and thus her books are now available in 18 different languages. For more information about Dr. Boss, her writings, and the ambiguous loss online training program, see www.ambiguousloss.com.
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Description: Dr. Leskin discusses the topic of suicide and our military children.
This podcast has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Naval Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Washington D.C
Show Notes:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
The Military Child Wellness Kit
https://www.militarychild.org/wellbeingtoolkit
Military One Source
Webinar Link:
https://www.militarychild.org/webinars
Bio:
Dr. Gregory Leskin
Dr. Gregory Leskin is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as Director, NCTSN Military and Veteran Families and Children Program and the Academy on Child Traumatic Stress at the UCLA/Duke University’s National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.
Dr. Leskin directs the NCTSN/DoD Academy on Child Trauma, an online training and social media platform developed to train DoD Family Advocacy Program staff clinical skills related to child trauma and behavioral health prevention for military families and children.
Previously, Dr. Leskin has worked as a Clinical Researcher and Director of Clinical Training at the National Center for PTSD, Stanford University, and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. He completed a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) post-doctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Medical Center.
Dr. Leskin has written, consulted, and lectured on a number of clinical topics, including risk factors facing military-connected children, combat-related PTSD, impact of deployment on families and children, and promoting psychological resilience and well-being.
He is the primary developer for the MiTi Kids program bringing together Military Informed and Trauma informed Principles for organizations to serve the needs of military and Veteran Families. Dr. Leskin is also a member of MCEC’s Science Advisory Board.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Description: A candid look at the life of a military caregiver teen.
This program is powered in part by Wounded Warrior Project® to honor and empower post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.
https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Show Notes:
Hidden Heroes: https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
Bio:
Kris Rotenberry is an 18-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland. While his father Chuck was active- duty U.S. Marine Corps, the family moved 11 times over the course of Chuck’s 12-year career, followed by two more in the reserve at Quantico, Virginia. While deployed to Afghanistan, he was injured by an IED, causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which was not diagnosed until after his symptoms and behaviors began to impact his marriage to high school sweetheart, Liz, and their family’s well-being. As the oldest son of four kids, Liz relies on Kris to help care for his younger siblings so she could leave the house to run errands. The responsibilities of caregiving cause Kris to become anxious and hypersensitive to his father’s moods, and he has developed secondary post-traumatic stress disorder. Liz could see the changes in her son’s mood as he would often become distant. She said he shared the same traumatic stare as her husband during bad memories of war. One day, Liz found Kris in his room, shortly after he attempted to take his own life by hanging. Kris has entered therapy, which has greatly helped his wellbeing.
Kris shares that being a military caregiver kid is an entirely unique experience compared to children who do not live the sort of life caregiving entails. It requires mental and emotional strength to overcome daily challenges. He believes it has taught him lessons and skills he can use in his future and has shaped him into recognizing the needs of others. Kris recently graduated from high school and is interested in pursuing a career in trade. He has a real talent for working with his hands and loves mechanical design. He has made health a priority, and the gym is his safe space to release any emotional or mental weight. Kris has grown into an incredible young man, and he’d tell you that his past has made him into a stronger person.
Bio:
Elizabeth Rotenberry, Liz, is a military caregiver for her husband, a USMC Wounded Warrior of Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran. As an Elizabeth Dole Fellow Alumna, Liz works to advocate not only for herself and her family, but for all Military and Veteran Caregivers. Liz joined the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as their Caregiver Community Program Coordinator and is now the Foundation’s Fellows Program Manager.
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Description: Dr. Ruth Van Reken discusses when military children understand their story they can connect on a global scale.
Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd edition
Letters Never Sent, updated, 2012, by Summertime Publishing
https://www.expatbookshop.com/book/letters-never-sent/
Understanding Third Culture Kids:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-third-culture-kids/id1386801038?i=1000568728491
Purple Up: Meet Alana a Third Culture Kid
This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Keesler Spouses Club.
http://www.keeslerspousesclub.org/
Bio: Dr. Ruth Van Reken
Vice-Chair, Governing Board, Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN), co-founder, Families in Global Transition (FIGT)
Ruth Van Reken is a second generation Third Culture Kid* (TCK) and mother of three adult TCKs. She is co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd ed., author of Letters Never Sent, and multiple other writings. For more than thirty-five years Ruth has traveled extensively speaking about issues related to the impact of global mobility on individuals, families, and societies. She is co-founder and past chairperson of Families in Global Transition. In 2019 she received an Hon. Litt.D for her life's work.
Bio:
Ashley Brooke Schlicht, MCEC State Coordinator for South Carolina. Ashley is a proud Alumna of the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work, My Carolina Veteran’s Alumni Council founding board member and former director of community engagement, prior servicemember, and former Active-Duty Military Spouse. She has a background in non-profit work, macro level advocacy, and child welfare, holding numerous positions and chairs in various national and local organizations, while moving and traveling frequently. Ashley and her husband, Rob, share three daughters.
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Description: Tutor.com discusses why students struggle with setting achievable goals and provides strategies to find academic success.
Today's episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Cannon Spouses' Club.
https://www.cannonspousesclub.org/
Show Notes:
Book from Podcast: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Planner ideas from the Podcast:
Happiness Planner: https://thehappinessplanner.com/
Legend Planner: https://legendplanner.com/
MCEC's Goal Setting with Tutor.com Webinar Link:
Bio:
Evelyn Sullivan
Evelyn Sullivan is the Director of Onboarding at Tutor.com, responsible for staffing over 3000 expert online tutors annually in 100 on-demand subjects to meet the demands of Tutor.com’s 24/7 service. Outside of Tutor.com, Evelyn is a MAC-award winning performer in the NY Cabaret scene. She is the acting coach for Get Your Shine On where, alongside vocal coach/musical director Sarah Glassman, she encourages New Yorkers to take the stage for the first time following a 6-week acting and singing intensive. She has served as adjunct faculty at Suffolk County Community College, helping Radio/TV & Film majors learn Adobe Premiere. She also taught Intro to Graphic Design at Briarcliffe College. Her passions are fostering human connection, improving efficiency, and spreading joy through creativity.