Education With An Edge

Education With An Edge is a conversation podcast hosted by Jacqelle Lane, introduced in its cold open as an author, artist, educator, advocate and speaker. Its subject is young people. Lane describes the program on air as an anti-bullying and suicide prevention podcast, and that purpose comes through even when a guest has come to talk about a pageant title or a family history. The format is easy to learn. Lane starts to 'brag on' her guest, which is her own phrase, sometimes reading the biography aloud, and then moves into questions about the path that brought them to this point. Each of these episodes is titled with the guest's name, so the list of titles doubles as a list of lives. Itzel Lopez, described as a community leader who builds relationships across philanthropy, industry, nonprofits and government, points to the gaps in leadership for people of color and argues that leaders must be willing to take a risk on someone, as someone once did for Lopez. Yuridia Igbokwe, a Mexican-born rights activist and entrepreneur, is frank about how hard immigration is even through legal channels, down to the fingerprints and medical exams. Then the conversation turns to the pleasure of tasting the world's cultures without leaving Omaha. Marcos Eduardo Marcos Barrientos, a third-generation Mexican American raised in South Omaha, remembers a mentor who went from packing-house work to a doctorate and then into the schools and universities, a man described as 'our only Latino in the educational system'. Shannon Bingham, newly appointed Mrs. Nebraska International, says mentors pointed her toward the pageant and admits she does not like being the center of attention. Her first walk out in crown and sash came with a reminder to breathe. Dan Harr, an Omaha native, is open about eating his feelings when he could not fit in at sports, and about finding his voice in college, where working out led to his first male physique competition. Marisa Hattab, co-chair of Survivors Rising, explains the organization's speakers bureau, where survivors learn to use their stories to empower others, and is also part of the nonprofit Smile Bags. Several guests credit a mentor who believed in them early. Lopez turns that into a direct challenge to anyone in leadership. Place matters too, since several guests have Omaha roots, and one episode thanks the Nebraska Foundation for Suicide Prevention and BetterHelp as sponsors. Lane's manner is warm and complimentary. She calls Hattab a natural storyteller, states her own pronouns in some introductions and speaks about a belief in inclusivity and diversity. Mental health is never far from the conversation, and one closing points toward an LGBT-friendly therapist while another speaks directly to anyone dealing with suicidal ideation. The sign-off barely changes from guest to guest: any young person who is struggling is told that their love and their light are needed.