The University of Maryland Global Campus “Unstoppable Stories” Podcast
According to Podcast Statistics & Industry Trends 2025: Listens, Gear, & More, there are 4,509,765 podcasts registered globally—and who knows how many more are unregistered? We shouldn’t be asking then, “So, who has a podcast these days?” Instead, the question should be “Who doesn’t have a podcast?”
Well, the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) has one. It’s called Unstoppable Stories.
Hosted by Nate and Lauren, each new monthly episode of this college podcast which premiered at the beginning of this year, features individuals who have pursued their educational goals while balancing families, jobs, health, and especially military service— UMGC has been affiliated with U.S. military personnel striving for high education goals for over 75 years.
Some of the past guests of the Unstoppable Stories show include:
- Army Reservist/Logistics Offer for the U.S. Federal Government, Lieutenant Colonel Merissa Blackwell, discusses how her years of service led to her adult life of lifelong learning.
- Theater historian and UMGC alumnus, Kevin Finkelstein, reveals his lifelong passion for the arts, acting in his high school Shakespearean troupe, and then an unexpected detour into IT, leading to his ultimately landing in higher education.
- UMGC graduate, military veteran, and actor—including a role on NBC’s “Quantum Leap” reboot—Caitlin Bassett, recounts her service in Afghanistan, earning her degree while deployed overseas, and making her way to Hollywood after deployment.
- UMGC alumna and Maryland’s Mom of the Year, Lynnette Lamp, walks the listener through the trials of being a young widow and student to a graduate and eventually a therapist.
Modern college podcasts run the gamut, featuring and being hosted by educators, students—current and recent graduates—college administrators, and various industry employers. The best of these shows are entertaining and informative, but with so many to choose from and each of us with ever more activities to occupy our time, there are simply only so many hours in each day to bend one’s ear to a podcast. UMGC’s Unstoppable Stories continues in the grand tradition of the very best of these shows, presenting entrepreneurs and artists, athletes, educators, and so many more, sharing their journeys.
Unstoppable inspiration can be found in everyone’s story, and the Unstoppable Stories podcast can be found here: UMGC Podcast | UMGC
Image: “University of Maryland Global Campus Administration Building, Adelphi Maryland USA” by TC Fenstermaker on Flickr