Introducing The Panther10 Podcast

“How do we continue to tell students when they’ve had to enroll at a distance — who may have never set foot on campus — that we are still here and that we still care?” This was the question that Student Development Instructor Meg Foster and Director of Academic Support Services Todd Parks were pondering halfway through this spring semester when the first seeds of PVCC’s new podcast The Panther10 began to sprout. The podcast, which was Parks’ idea, was created in an effort to make students aware of the resources offered by the college in an easily digestible, fun, and accessible way. With only half a semester to put it together, a multitude of PVCC services to choose from, and the help of the SGA, The Panther10’s first season began in April 2021.

As the title suggests, each episode of the podcast is approximately 10 minutes long, though those ten minutes go by quickly when each guest starts to talk about what resources they have available for PVCC students. While each episode focuses on a different PVCC service, the first season of The Panther10 had a clearly defined overarching theme: student success. 

“Piedmont has so many resources available for students. We just want more and more students to know of those resources,” said Foster, the podcast’s faculty adviser. “We had to ask ourselves, if we could only make six episodes, what were six resources we wanted students to know about?”

Hosted by SGA members Ana Doder and Ashab Alamgir, the podcast’s guests so far have included Parks, Amanda Key, Emily Kingsley, Shelley Moss, Tamara Whyte, and Ruth Yoder. Each guest took an in-depth look into what services they provide at PVCC, as well as sharing tips for students trying to succeed. 

“All of the staff and faculty we spoke to really talked about the community at piedmont,” said Foster.  “I really do enjoy being able to listen in on our initial season and where the students went with the questions,” she added. “It was all very fun.”

Though the first season did not have much time to blossom, Foster is hopeful that The Panther10 will continue to grow in the fall. “We’re a really simple operation at the moment, and I hope to get more students involved so we can become more sophisticated,” said Foster. “In the fall, we might have entrance music.”

With student hosts and a focus on student success, The Panther10 is mostly student-driven — even the name was chosen by students. “Students can really help us create content that’s engaging and meaningful to them,” Foster said. “I’m always looking at how we can elevate students’ voices — it’s the work of my heart.”

The Panther10 is available on both Spotify and Sounder. 

“It’s here for student learning and support. Use this resource!” said Foster. “There are people at this college who care about you.”