Cal Maritime Health Educator Angeli Acosta was already a fan of podcasts -- which she enjoys while commuting or working out—when she realized that she could do more than just listen to them. She could create them. 

Tasked with finding a way to help develop Cal Maritime’s Resiliency Project website, Acosta stumbled upon another CSU website’s podcasts and began to think about how useful they could be as a tool for teaching resiliency. When she shared the idea with colleagues Ryan Rodriguez and Vineeta Dhillon, they teamed up to bring the make the idea a reality.  Cal Maritime’s Resiliency Project podcasts were born. 

“We realized that podcasting would be a way to foster connection in a time of disconnection,” say Acosta, “and that we could use the podcasts to share stories around resiliency.”  They also saw that they could use the platform to offer a way to share ideas about Cal Maritime and encourage students to reach out to different departments, professors, clubs, or programs, especially during the pandemic. 

Though Acosta, Rodriguez, and Dhillon got the resiliency podcasts started, they wanted students to own the project. 

“It’s the cadets who run the show – or at least do the interviews,” Acosta says. “I encourage them to just have fun.  The more fun you make the conversation, the more engaging it is for your audience.” 

The stars of the show are cadets who also have a role as peer health educators: Matt Vanegas ’20 GSMA, Angelica Matos ’21 GSMA, Nathan Bond ’22 IBL and three others who are serving as resiliency peer advocates: Justin Agbayani ’21 GSMA, Kent Suzuki ’23 ME, and Andre Jang ’22 ME.

So far, the cadets have recorded about 13 podcasts that feature a wide range of community members – from alumni, to faculty and staff, and students. The interviews cover everything from the guest’s career, to personal obstacles and growth. Posted to YouTube, a few of the podcasts have reached over 100 views and Acosta says it's rewarding to see the growing audience.

Kent Suzuki is glad he has participated. With no experience in podcasting, he hesitated briefly and then jumped right in—recording his first podcast with Professor Frank Yip along with Andre Jang. Since then, he’s gained confidence in his skills as an interviewer and overcome one of his own pain points—the sound of his voice. 

“I was self-conscious about my voice since the recording sounded a lot different than how I hear it in my head. My Japanese accent also made it worse. But after hearing it when listening to the podcasts, I got used to my voice and I’m no longer self-conscious about it.”  

And the podcast he and Jang recorded with Yip, who was a first generation Mexican-American Chinese college graduate and now a Cal Maritime professor, gives listeners insight into Yip’s fascinating journey. Yip also reminisces about the wildfire that burned a portion of campus in 2019 and touches on what it’s been like to transition to remote teaching during the pandemic.

Another newbie to world of podcasting, Nate Bond worked on three episodes and is proud of what the team has accomplished in a few short months.

“I’m confident that what we’re doing is making a very positive difference in the mindset of students regarding faculty, and even the mindset of faculty in regard to students,” he shares. “Speaking for all the peer health educators, we’re grateful to be in the position to make even the smallest of differences in these difficult times.” 

To be updated on new podcasts, follow the campus news or check out the Resiliency Project at www.csum.edu/resiliency.