Oyler Students Launch Podcast to Explore Career Pathways, Feature Superintendent in First Episode

Students at Oyler School are amplifying their voices and exploring career paths - literally - through a new student-led podcast called Beyond the Tassel. 

The show is produced and hosted by students in the school’s Media Arts career and technical education (CTE) pathway. It aims to highlight real stories, advice and insights for peers considering life beyond graduation.

Their first guest? Superintendent Shauna Murphy.

“I was nervous at first, but I felt really good after,” said Olivia Knue, a 9th grader and co-host of the podcast about interviewing Murphy. “I thought I was going to be overwhelmed, but I was able to get a real conversation going with her.”

The students named the podcast after the District’s Beyond the Tassel initiative, which focuses on preparing students for college, career and service. But for the student producers, the name also represents something broader: the wide range of futures students can pursue after high school.

“We wanted to show that no path is ever wrong,” said Alejandra Martinez, a senior who developed a passion for podcasting after attending a high school journalism workshop at Ohio University. She also co-hosted the episode with Murphy. “There’s always an outcome to the path you choose.”

The podcast is part of the school’s broader efforts to provide hands-on experience in media production, including classes in photography, video, design and broadcast. Teacher Stephanie Landry said she hopes the podcast helps students build confidence and make meaningful connections - both with guests and listeners.

“At the end of the day, these powerful people they’re interviewing are still people,” she said. “And the students are learning how to connect with them and see themselves in those roles someday.”

The team plans to release episodes monthly, beginning with interviews of students and staff in other CTE pathways at Oyler and throughout CPS. Future episodes may include industry professionals from across Cincinnati.

For now, the podcast can be found on platforms like Podbean, and the students are more focused on quality than quantity.

“If five people listen and it helps them,” Knue said, “that’s a win.”

Listen here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-txr5c-1858ce6