LIVE TV

© 2026 WGCU News

PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida

LIVE TV

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Student Podcast Challenge: Nonconformity

NPR

By Kinsley Glassel,

Wynnona Mattison, Student Podcast Challenge

Published December 15, 2025 at 5:29 PM EST

It's every teenager's dilemma: How do you blend in but stay different enough to still stand out? Two Colorado middle schoolers share their secret to what they call "strategic nonconformity."

This is an excerpt from "The Anti Conformist Guide to Conforming" by Kinsley Glassel and Wynnona Mattison, students at Rocky Heights Middle School in Lone Tree, Colo.. Their story was a finalist in the 2025 NPR Student Podcast Challenge.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Tags

Kinsley Glassel

Wynnona Mattison

Student Podcast Challenge

More from WGCU

Crime

Are you still a felon if you receive a presidential pardon?

Clinton Engelberger/Suncoast Searchlight

Yes — A presidential pardon excuses the punishments of a felony, but the crime isn’t automatically overturned or erased from one’s record.
Weather

Wind shifts in Florida ahead of the next strong front

Irene Sans

The extensive winter storm brewing over the Rockies and Plains will impact millions over the weekend. Florida will be spared from winter precipitation, but not from the cold.
Business/Economy

Maintaining 'the wonder' in Bonita Springs

WGCU News, Mike Walcher

A refuge for rescued animals and non-releasable birds, The Wonder Gardens is celebrating its 90th anniversary.

Culture and Connections

Jewish Film Festival of Southwest Florida returns for 30th year

Elizabeth Andarge

The Jewish Film Festival of Southwest Florida is preparing to celebrate a milestone anniversary.
Environment

Guess what? Florida has a mold problem; how does that happen?

Tom Bayles

A new study verified something most people who live in Florida already know: mold is a problem here. Mold is a persistent problem across Florida, driven by the state's humid subtropical climate and frequent rainfall. Indoor mold can damage walls and ceilings, reduce property values, and create health problems in people, particularly those with respiratory conditions or weakened immune systems. The problem is worse during Florida's summer rainy season when heavy showers and localized flooding can saturate structures.
Arts & Culture

After a 4-year layoff and two children, local actor Lisa Kuchinski returns to the stage in 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'

Tom Hall

Lisa Kuchinski’s last show was “The Little Shop of Horrors” at The Belle Theatre. “I was four months pregnant with my daughter Olivia,” Kuchinski noted. Four years and another daughter later, she has made a triumphant although unexpected return to the stage at the Belle Theatre in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change."