The Whole Student
The Whole Student offers notable people the chance to share the story of the teachers who influenced them — who made them feel seen, heard and known — shaping them into the leaders they are today. Join Kal Balaven, the Head of School at Dunn School in Los Olivos, Calif., for a heartfelt, sincere and often surprising trip through the educational experiences of his guests in this short-form podcast brought to you by the DunnCast network. Dunn School was founded on the idea of Whole Student Education, and, for more than 60 years, has been accomplishing its mission through the elevation of five Core Values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility and Moral Courage.
Episodes
Join Kal Balaven and Mo Pritzker on The Whole Student for a timely discussion with Kate Sheppard and Maya Sullivan of See Change Consulting, focusing on the essential elements of community, belonging, and purpose in education. This episode tackles the challenges of fostering genuine connection in an era of digital interaction and explores how educators can support students in their search for meaning.
Kal, Mo, Kate, and Maya delve ...
In this compelling episode of The Whole Student, hosts Kal Balaven and Mo Pritzker welcome Irshad Manji, New York Times Bestselling Author and founder of the Moral Courage College, for a transformative conversation. Kal begins by sharing a candid and somewhat "embarrassing" story: in 2008, based on secondhand information, he attempted to "cancel" Irshad, believing her to be an "Islamophobe." This episode documents Kal's journey fro...
In this thought-provoking episode of The Whole Student, hosts Kal Balaven and Mo Pritzker sit down with Jane Metcalfe, a visionary leader and co-founder of Wired Magazine, to delve into the dynamic intersection of technology, education, and human connection. Jane shares her inspiring journey, from the early challenges of launching Wired to the driving forces behind its groundbreaking success. She also reflects on the profound influ...
In this powerful episode of The Whole Student, NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas shares his journey from the West Side of Chicago to basketball greatness—and the mentors, teachers, and life lessons that shaped him along the way. Hosted by Dunn School’s Head of School Kalyan Balaven and entrepreneur Mo Pritzker, this conversation dives deep into the themes of belonging, trust, and the transformative power of education.
Thomas reflects ...
In this insightful episode of The Whole Student Podcast, hosts Kal Balaven and Mo Pritzker dive into the complex relationship between technology, community, and education with special guest Prakash Janakiraman, co-founder of Nextdoor. Prakash shares his inspiring journey from growing up in Hayward to creating one of the world’s leading platforms for building local connections. Together, they explore the dual role of technology as b...
In this powerful episode of The Whole Student Podcast, hosts Kal Balaven and Mo Pritzker tackle the critical issues of identity, belonging, and mental health in today’s students. Joined by renowned actress and mental health advocate Glenn Close, the conversation offers an intimate look into her personal journey and the inspiration behind her advocacy work. Glenn opens up about her family’s experience with mental illness, leading to...
Dunn alumnus, alumni parent, and current chair of the Dunn Board of Trustees, Guy Walker ’76 has dedicated himself in service to his alma mater. This year, we celebrate 65 years of Dunn School, and perhaps the most striking fact of all is that, come Saturday, Guy will have been in attendance at Dunn’s graduation ceremony for 50 of those years.
He attended his first Dunn commencement at the end of his sophomore year in 1974 after tr...
Pioneering advertising executive Mark Hurst joined Dunn Head of School Kal Balaven for The Whole Student's first ever live podcast! Filmed on campus at Dunn School during the inaugural Robert W. Jurgensen Entrepreneurship Program's shareholder summit, Mark talks about his secrets to success, how to deal with failure, and his journey starting as a student through an advertising career recognized by Ad Age for creating the campaign o...
In the longest episode of The Whole Student to date, Kal welcomes author, journalist, activist, public speaker, entrepreneur (and much more) Kevin Powell to discuss Kevin's educational journey as a student growing up in New Jersey all the way through his college career at Rutgers. The episode itself turns into a history lesson of sorts as the impact of rap music across generations is explored by one of the most acclaimed political,...
A New York Times International Bestselling Author 23 times over (including the Orphan X series), Gregg Hurwitz is a master storyteller whose work has appeared across many media – from books to comics to screen and digital. Also a writer of political editorials, Gregg works against polarization in culture and politics. Hear the origins of his liberal arts education and learn about the foundational moments that have brought Gregg to ...
Educator and author Elizabeth Denevi is one of the industry's foremost experts on promoting equity and diversity in schools, colleges, universities, and community agencies. As a former student who did not have a teacher of color herself until graduate work in college, Elizabeth personally understands the value of seeing yourself in history lessons — making concepts like Black History Month and ethnic diversity among faculty so impo...
Considering how comedy writer Les Firestein helped usher TV smash hit "In Living Color" to fame as an executive producer with the show's unique and irreverent brand of risk-taking sketch comedy, it's no surprise that Les also challenged the system in his days as a student. Watch him reminisce about his educational experiences and reflect on how a propensity for challenging authority as a youth has led to his latest entrepreneurial ...
In a matter of weeks, Mike "Oz" Osegueda lost his dream job then suffered a devastating family tragedy. But the former prototypical journalism student took inspiration from his grandfather's motor shop to pivot into entrepreneurship as the premier Fresno food aficionado, and has used those reporter skills to help bring awareness and reform to hit-and-run penalties in California.
Join Montecito Journal CEO and Executive Editor Gwyn Lurie as she details the most impactful teachers along an illustrious career that includes spans as an ABC News journalist, documentary filmmaker, Hollywood screenwriter, and on to her renaissance in local print journalism. In contrast to previous guests who leaned on classroom experiences, Gwyn heaps praise on the teachers and mentors who helped shape her in her adult life.
Nationally renowned for his writing and Ted Talk on racial literacy as well as his decades of experience as a clinical and consulting psychologist in low-income rural and urban neighborhoods across the country, Howard C. Stevenson had teachers who recognized and celebrated his talent and who challenged the status quo to give him and other black students opportunities that he still treasures today. Just as vivid in his mind are thos...
Season 2 of The Whole Student podcast starts now! Justin Ching, Forbes 30 Under 30 award-winning writer/director for TV and film — and Dunn School alumnus — returns to his alma mater to talk about his experience as a troubled youth in the Inland Empire, the transformational teachers he experienced at Dunn School, and an entrepreneurship mentor who influenced him at home.
As a collegiate and professional athlete, Grady Hall's formative teachers ranged from the third-grade teacher who first legitimized and encouraged his status as a day dreamer to high-level coaches who taught him in adulthood how to cope with pressure on the baseball pitcher's mound. They're lessons that stick with and influence him into the next stage of his life and career as a budding filmmaker.
As he supported his wife Giulia through psychotic episodes and grueling hospital stays, International Bestselling author Mark Lukach’s world was completely upended. He dedicated his waking life to supporting her and first imagined his unconditional love would solve everything.
But Lukach learned an important lesson during those times that is especially poignant as the country acknowledges National Mental Health Awareness Month: Yo...
Acclaimed graphic novelist Emily Bowen Cohen writes and draws from the perspective of her multi-ethnic identity — Jewish and Native American. But defining that identity was something she was struggling with as a youth after the death of her father, a Native American physician in Oklahoma. Then her English teacher in her mom's home state of New Jersey gave her an assignment that forced her to confront not only her feelings about the...
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