x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Pre-Made Podcast

Matthew C Collins

In this podcast, you"ll hear stories primarily from my Amherst College Class of 1994 classmates as we reflect on life 30+ years removed from graduation day. What have we been up to all these years? How has Amherst and a liberal arts education impacted our lives? What college memories have stayed with us? How are we thinking about the next 20 years?

society & culture performing arts

All Episodes

54:10

Jane Rohde Bowers Excels In Public Health By Meeting...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/07/17

Jane Rohde Bowers grew up both overseas and in the Pioneer Valley, with parents who graduated from Amherst College and Mount Holyoke. She also had a front-row seat to international public health via her father’s career. A self-described “beach gal” who dreamed of marine biology, she instead found herself pulled into anthropology at Amherst and later, public health herself. Today, Jane is a Health Program Manager in Los Angeles County, where she champions equitable access to HIV and sexually

en

53:12

Adam Bonin Champions Democracy One Ballot at a Time

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/07/10

Adam Bonin’s voice, passion for politics, and Philadelphia sports devotion certainly will sound familiar to his Amherst classmates, but his post-college path has been anything but predictable. Adam takes us through his early certainty that law was his calling, the disillusionment he experienced practicing corporate law, and the path he carved into political law and election work. We hear how a career pivot allowed him to integrate his passion for politics with his legal skills, how he’s become the

en

54:08

Toby King Made His Own Path—From Geology To Bluegrass...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/07/03

When I think of people who’ve allowed life’s serendipities to shape their course, Toby King comes immediately to mind. In this episode, he walks me through a zigzagging journey that began with a keg behind the geology building before his freshman year at Amherst College even started and took him to UNC Asheville, where he's Associate Professor and Chair of Music and, starting this fall, the chair of the UNC Faculty Assembly. Toby’s story is a reminder that we don’t always have to know where we’re

en

58:00

Ana-Claire Meyer Finds Meaning in Medicine By Going...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/06/26

Early on in this project, a close friend told me that he hoped I'd interview Ana-Claire Meyer. Now I know why. Take a listen, and you will, too.AC's professional and personal journeys are marked by curiosity, humility, and an eagerness to tackle big problems. After graduating from Amherst College, she held a variety of different jobs, but HIV test counseling piqued her interest enough to propel her to medical school. She studied neuroinfectious diseases, earned a Fulbright scholarship that took

en

44:30

Maki Uchiyama Realized Everything Would Be Okay

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/06/20

Maki Uchiyama grew up as an only child in upstate New York, where her family’s Japanese restaurant functioned as both a business and a fourth member of the household. The experience left her with a certain set of skills—versatility, the ability to multitask, customer diplomacy, and, of course, how to cook. After graduating from Amherst College in 1994 with a degree in political science, Maki joined the Japan Foundation, eventually pivoting to law school and a fulfilling career in real estate

en

43:20

Sean Gibbon Is A Storytelling Talking Ball Machine

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/06/05

Sean Gibbon lives a dual life. He has one foot planted firmly on the squash court, where he teaches the game, and the other in the imaginative realm of fiction writing.In this episode, we explore Sean’s journey from Amherst to professional squash coach, or what he playfully refers to as a talking ball machine. By that, he means the way he coaches towards experiencing the game fully versus preparing for elite competition. That vocation has given him the freedom and fuel to pursue a deep, deliberate

en

67:30

Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian Makes His Mark In Medicine,...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/05/29

It's time to catch up with Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian, a leading orthopedic surgeon and researcher specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery at the University of Utah. Buck’s journey to medicine was anything but linear. Despite achieving academic and athletic excellence at Amherst College, he faced a major setback when he was initially rejected from all the medical schools he applied to. What followed was a year of physical labor, soul-searching, and a well-earned admission to Tufts School of

en

51:54

Ed Castillo Is Not Your Average...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/05/22

Ed Castillo’s post-Amherst path might be one of the most uniquely purposeful stories you’ll hear from our classmates. In this episode, we follow his journey from a philosophy major at Amherst to advertising Chief Strategy Officer - and registering and acting as a foreign agent. He may not drive an Aston Martin and pack a Walther PPK, but the man loves words and has a very spicey take on reading that will get you thinking.Highlights from our conversation: 🧠 Why Ed pursued philosophy not despite,

en

44:24

Nate Smith Missed His Exit But Found His Way

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/04/21

Nate Smith's post-Amherst journey literally reads like an epic. At the age of 26, he got in his car after work one day at the school where he had been teaching and kept on driving, never to return to the job. Instead, he embarked on a life-changing, sometimes harrowing road trip all the way from Maryland to Central America, living out of his car and taking odd jobs to survive.His journey reached a turning point when he had to sell his car and found himself homeless in Panama. With the help of the

en

58:10

Brian Shactman Finds His Voice – And Amplifies Voices...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/04/14

Brian Schactman in many ways has become the voice of Connecticut. As a co-host of a morning radio talk show, he travels the state to meet residents of interest and explore the topics that animate the 169 towns and cities that call Connecticut home. Having listened to his stuff, I can tell you that he's awfully good at what he does. Thankfully, streaming makes it possible for anyone to listen to him, so I'll include a link to do just that in the notes below. Our candid conversation covers his

en

55:15

Luke Ryan Comforts The Afflicted – And Sometimes...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/03/31

Luke Ryan is a fifth-generation Northampton resident and defense attorney. In his line of work, he often finds himself shepherding clients through their lowest moments. But it also has required that he pursue people in positions of authority who have committed wrongs and attempted to cover them up.Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in his work to expose crime lab misconduct in Western Massachusetts in a quest to seek justice for his clients, a quest that Netflix brought to life in the

en

53:59

Andy Ward Shows How He Edits Some Of The Most Beloved...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/03/24

Josh Hamermesh asked, and boy, did Andy Ward deliver. In this episode, Andy, the Executive Vice President and Publisher of Random House, takes us deep into how he edits books written by some of our finest authors. In this episode, you'll learn: How Andy's father shaped his writing and editing skills. His intricate process of editing, emphasizing both detailed line edits and broader feedback. (Plus, the unlikely place where he does some of his best work.) How he approaches having tough

en

57:57

Ben Batory Gives A Master Class On Building A Winning...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/03/18

Ben Batory, an Amherst College classmate of mine who played professional basketball in Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, and Mauritius, has taken an unconventional path to Wall Street. Today, Ben is SVP and Head of Trading at Franklin Equity Group, but in this conversation, he talks mostly about his role as Boys Basketball Program Director and Varsity Head Coach at Menlo School in Atherton, California. As you'll hear, Ben has made himself a student and

en

51:08

Lee Maicon Sees A 1994 Revolution in Advertising

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/03/10

Lee Macon has worked in advertising through arguably its greatest transformations. He began at the dawn of the consumer internet, navigated the shift to social media, and now is helping clients figure out AI. As the Chief Strategy Officer at the Community, a global creative agency, Lee oversees strategic efforts for major clients like Verizon, Netflix, and Porsche. When he's not helping his clients grow, Lee is a dedicated father, navigating the challenges of parenting across different

en

42:54

Jim Confalone Goes From Art School to Business Cool

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/03/05

Jim Confalone's journey from fine arts to founding a successful B2B marketing firm is marked by tragedy and a timely eye for opportunity.Jim, the founder of B2B marketing agency Modicum, shares the evolution of his career, from his initial passion for painting to servicing blue chip clients like Google and Qualcomm. Modicum specializes in creating powerful visual designs that help businesses make distinctive and lasting impressions on their customers, especially at big product launch events. His

en

47:23

Vicky Levy, Part 1: Survivor

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/02/24

Vicky Levy’s story is so compelling that one episode of this podcast can't contain it all.In Part 1 of her extraordinary story, she touches on her journey into life sciences and her current role as Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry Leader at Deloitte. But her reason for staying in life sciences and healthcare is even more profound than her reasons for pursuing the industry in the first place. You see, Vicky is a cancer survivor. As luck would have it, her diagnosis occurred at just

en

54:39

Inger-Lise Schwab Reflects On Life, Work, And...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/01/31

The Amherst Class of 1994 diaspora has expanded all over the world, including to Norway. That's where we find Inger-Lise Schwab representing the Purple and White.In this episode, she shares thoughts on how to combat sunlight deprivation, the distinctions between the elite colleges and universities in the United States and the more egalitarian Norwegian system of higher education, and lots and lots of Amherst College memories, many of them dripping with mischief. Oh, and she's the only classmate

en

62:37

Josh Hamermesh Transformed Near-Tragedy Into Living...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2025/01/24

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I want to spend the next 20 years of my life. How should I dedicate my time, which is more precious to me than it ever has been? My Amherst College classmate Josh Hamermesh has asked and answered this big question for himself, and the results he has achieved have me feeling more optimistic about my own future. After graduating from Amherst in 1994, Josh played professional basketball in Israel, went to work in consulting, and earned his MBA from Harvard

en

45:08

Fernanda Bressan’s Mission: Help Her Clients Get Unstuck

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2024/12/30

As you prepare to ring in the New Year, you might be asking, in 2025, how can I achieve a better alignment with my family, career, and especially myself?This episode just might help you answer that question. Join me as I chat with my Amherst College classmate Fernanda Bressan (nee Soicher), a business coach who is an expert in helping clients get unstuck in any aspect of their lives. In this episode, you'll learn: Why it's so hard to achieve work-life balance - and what's better to pursue

en

51:31

Hector Garcia Encourages His Students To Silence...

The Pre-Made Podcast ·

2024/11/04

Put down your phone. Pick up a real book, and give yourself time to think deeply.That's the message of this episode's guest, my Amherst College classmate Hector Garcia. Don't mistake his perspective for a desperate clinging to a fading past, though. This guy loves to teach young minds at Loyola University Chicago, and he never stops innovating through course design. Along the way, he reminds his students - and us - that there's a great big world to explore. We can't engage it meaningfully if we

en

72 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger