First Lady & Friends

Latest Episodes:

Solving Conflict and Disagreeing Better with Steve Young Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Steve Young (Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback) joined Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, and Governor, Spencer Cox, last month to share his experiences and views on solving conflict and disagreeing better with each other at this year's Fall One Utah Summit.

The audio quality is less than what you're used to but we're sure you'll love the conversation!

Thriving Teachers, Schools, and Communities Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

Educator Well-Being: From Principles to Practice Podcast

This podcast is brought to you by Utah First Lady Abby Cox and Western Governors University Senior Vice President and Executive Dean of the School of Education Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, facilitated by Marty Carpenter of Northbound Strategy. This limited series focuses on supporting teachers nationwide by providing strategies and resources to help educators thrive. This podcast is designed as a discussion forum with topics important to classroom teachers as well as school district leaders and other community members who have a vested interest in the well-being of our nation’s educators. Hosts and guests will share practical advice, tips, and tools to support teachers and help them thrive. Also included in each episode are reflective questions to help expand educator expertise.

Episode 2: Thriving Teachers, Schools, and Communities

In this episode, the hosts are joined by Amelia Azul-Elgas, Learning Experience Designer/Online Community Engagement Specialist on the Healthy Learning Team in WGU’s School of Education. Together, they explore the traits and characteristics that can help create environments where teachers and students will thrive. Azul-Elgas talks about taking a research-based, character-focused approach that contributes not only to the well-being of the teacher, but also to the classroom, school, and the community it serves. They share empirical data and results from 500 worldwide studies with more than half a million students to understand what works in this holistic approach that begins with self-reflection and includes compassion, empathy, respect, critical thinking, and other key proven characteristics to positively impact teachers while also creating healthy thriving classrooms. The panel also shares personal and professional experiences that highlight the importance of teacher candidates having this training embedded in their curriculum to build resilience and reduce burnout.

About Amelia Azul-Elgas

Amelia Azul-Elgas is a former classroom teacher who worked with more than 3,000 pre-service teachers as faculty in the WGU School of Education during her first seven years at WGU. She currently serves as learning experience designer/online community engagement specialist on the Healthy Learning team in WGU’s School of Education. She is also the elected director of membership for the WGU Latinx Employee Resource Group. With over 25 years of experience in education, community, and government organizations, Amelia is passionate about advancing equity and thriving in education. She holds a master’s degree in Education from UC Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Community Development from New College. She also has a certification in trauma-informed Dynamic Mindfulness from Niroga Institute.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5v7jcd16wVNVj641jmBHmz

WGU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPA99rNPivw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-thriving-teachers-schools-and-communities/id1715758947?i=1000634810273

Presenting Your Best Self and Becoming an Advocate for Change with Sarah Sun, Miss Utah 2023 Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

Sarah Sun (Miss Utah 2023) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about her experience growing up as a Chinese-American in Cedar City, UT, Utah’s first monument honoring Chinese railroad workers that’s set to be displayed on the southeast lawn of the state capitol, and how her mother’s desire to be more fluent in English helped inspire Sarah to be passionate about her education.

Then we dive into Amy Chua’s book, ‘Political Tribes’, the correlations between various disciplinary parenting styles and how they develop positive habits in children, as well as how Sarah’s parent's support for her passions helped lay the groundwork for her to become Miss Utah.

Lastly, Sarah opens up about using her platform as Miss Utah to advocate for better education and programming in prisons, the impact that different cultural evolutions have had on modesty, and why we need more women in leadership.

Miss Utah: https://missutah.org/

How the Utah PTA Sets Our Children Up for Success with Corey Fairholm Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Corey Fairholm (Utah PTA President) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about how she initially got interested in the Utah PTA, the need for parents to be more involved with their children’s education to give their children the best chance at success, and why there are always opportunities to help serve our kids through the PTA.

Corey also talks about how the PTA is bringing support to schools and communities throughout the state, the work that the PTA board puts in during the General Session to advocate for our children, and why attending the local school board meetings is so important to understand the changes that are being made in schools.

Lastly, we dive into the importance of having a great parent-teacher relationship to help reinforce a child’s education.

Related Links:

Utah PTA
https://www.utahpta.org/

The Importance of Healthy Learning and Working Environments for Teachers Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Educator Well-Being: From Principles to Practice Podcast

Episode 1: The Importance of Healthy Learning and Working Environments for Teachers

In this episode, the hosts are joined by Dr. Mamie L. Pack, WGU’s Manager of Healthy Learning. In a “Help the Helper” approach, Dr. Pack shares the six Healthy Learning Pillars at WGU that are being integrated into the curriculum for teacher preparation and explains why helping teachers requires a holistic approach. The conversation goes deep into specific steps teachers can take to protect and grow their healthy learning and working environments through self-reflection, community, and advocacy, all to increase educator wellness so teachers and students can thrive in today’s classrooms.

About Dr. Mamie L. Pack

Dr. Pack is the manager of healthy learning at WGU. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Pack is an innovative and transformational leader with a proven history of building safe spaces for faculty and students to thrive. As a thought leader promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Dr. Pack is committed to amplifying diverse voices in education centering her work in restorative and trauma-informed practices to improve equitable outcomes for all learners. She is passionate about breaking barriers in education and creating inclusive environments for healthy learning. Dr. Pack holds a Ph.D. in Education and a M.Ed. in Divergent Learning.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5v7jcd16wVNVj641jmBHmz

WGU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh-kMylOxkw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-thriving-teachers-schools-and-communities/id1715758947?i=1000634810273

How The Ron Clark Academy is Transforming the Classroom with Michael Bonner Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Michael Bonner (Teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, International Speaker, CEO of Bonnerville) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about developing ways for students to be passionate about the process of learning, how the Ron Clark Academy is transforming the classroom, and why pouring love into students is so important for their growth in and outside of the classroom.

We also talk about the challenges that Michael faces in the education system, some of the ways that he recharges to stay focused on being the best teacher possible, and why we all need to be advocates for our teachers as a community.

Lastly, we dive into practical ways to talk about social media in the classroom, how to navigate AI in the classroom, and why traditional educational curriculums may need to be reformed to fit in today's era of technology.

Related Links:

The Ron Clark Academy
https://ronclarkacademy.com/

Michael Bonner
https://twitter.com/MichaelBonner_
https://www.michael-bonner.com/

Talking All Things Utah Nonprofits with Saru Ramanan Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Saru Ramanan (Manager of Marketing and Communication at the Utah Nonprofits Association) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about feeling a sense of home as soon as she moved to Utah, bridging connections across different cultures and communities, and the root of her passion for working with nonprofits.

Then we talk about how nonprofits collaborating with each other have the ability to create great opportunities for our communities, the competition that arises amongst nonprofit funding, and various ways that the UNA helps guide nonprofits throughout the state.

We also talk about the integral role that nonprofits play in our communities and how nonprofits can address funding challenges by seeking help through philanthropic entities.

Related Links:

Utah Nonprofits Association
https://utahnonprofits.org/

UNA Job Board
https://utahnonprofits.org/resources/job-board

From Silicon Valley Entrepreneur to Humanitarian Advocate with Amy Antonelli Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Amy Antonelli (CEO of Humanitarian Experience, Inc.) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about her experience working in the Silicon Valley boom, the impact that Steve Jobs had on her passion for creating positive change, and how a natural disaster completely shifted her mindset towards helping others.

Amy also opens up about her experience working in the leprosy colonies that existed throughout India while working with Rising Star Outreach, being invited by Mark Zuckerberg to join Facebook to change their internal culture, and the events that led her to joining HXP to continue her passion for humanitarianism.

Lastly, we talk about the early beginnings of Humanitarian XP, the connections that HXP aims to develop through volunteerism, and some of the amazing places that HXP has been able to serve over the past few years.

Related Links:

Humanitarian XP: https://www.humanitarianxp.org/

Rising Star Outreach: https://risingstaroutreach.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giving service on this year's 9/11 Days of Service with Curtis Bennett Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Curtis Bennett (Co-chair of JustServe) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to share his experience growing up in Mesa, AZ, and to talk about how mentors he gained in Mesa made an incredible impact on his work ethic.

Curtis also shares the lessons he and his family learned while living in Santiago, Chile, learning to be successful in the business sector, and why it's so fundamental to find a positive mentor in life to promote healthy personal growth.

Then we dive into just a few of the service opportunities that JustServe provides throughout Utah, why it's beneficial to get out of our normal routine to serve our communities, and various ways that you can participate in this year's upcoming 9/11 Days of Service to honor those killed and injured on 9/11.

Related Links:

JustServe: https://www.justserve.org/

Mentors International: https://mentorsinternational.org/

9/11 Days of Service: https://911day.org/

Tiny Tim's Foundation for Kids: https://tinytimstoys.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love, Belonging, and Service: How Volunteerism Can Counteract Hate and Foster Unity with Mike Moon Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Mike Moon (Associate Director at UServeUtah) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to discuss finding his passion for volunteerism, pursuing a career in higher education, and introducing volunteerism to students of all ages.

We also talk about UServeUtah's impact on volunteerism throughout Utah, the bond built among communities when people come together to help serve each other, and the benefits we receive when we bake service and volunteerism into activities that we already partake in throughout our lives.

Then we discuss Utah Philanthropy Day, a day used to celebrate Utah's outstanding philanthropists and volunteers that takes place on November 15, 2023, as well as UServeUtah's upcoming business training program, Leading for Impact, that will teach businesses to think more philanthropically.

Related Links:

UServeUtah: https://userve.utah.gov/

Utah Philanthropy Day: https://utahphilanthropyday.org/

AmeriCorps: https://americorps.gov/serve

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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