In this thought-provoking and timely episode, we catch up with Dr. Raul A. Mora to discuss his work in the award-winning Literacies in Second Languages Project research lab and what it means to find community and purpose across and within our interconnected worlds.

Horses have always inspired the collective imagination. In this compelling episode, we talk with Dr. JuliAnna Avila about her research which “collapses the distance” between geographical and cultural boundaries, digital and physical spaces, and, most significantly, horses and humans. Influenced by New Literacies scholarship and employing a sociocultural theoretical framework, Ávila explores self-directed learning journeys; the flexibility of apprentice and expert positions; the influence of consumer culture; the philosophy and significance of the cultural roots of Vaquero horsemanship; the role of technology; and what the future of this continually evolving horsemanship might include.

As a country, we are in unprecedented times. In this special episode, we speak to four young voters all of whom are voting in a presidential election for the first time:

Rylee Gore- University of Memphis

Malachi Drumgole - James Madison University

Jeffrey Jones - University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Quinton Smith - University of Maryland, Eastern Shore