HeyJaredSoftPower/FulStories
Epic weekly tales from every corner of the globe. Forget politics, academia, or the office, these are "soft, powerful stories" told by those who lived them. Is what happens in Kinshasa really important in Kansas? Should an Idahoan care about the problems of an Indonesian?
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 17
- Latest publication
- Sep 25, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 6, 2026
Latest episodes
#58 - Derek Lowstuter (opens the original)
Read excerpt
When Derek Lowstuter joined the Peace Corps, he found the transition from Colorado to Ethiopia very easy... at least as far as the altitude went. Everything else? Way different. Becoming part of a community there came loaded with lessons. By learning to accept help, or reach beyond community, he strengthened his own place within it. 'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps
#57 - Lisa Cazacu (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Lisa Cazacu may have waited a long time to follow her Peace Corps dream, but once she started, there was zero hesitation. She jumped right into life in Romania. She was a regular at the nearby outdoor market, weaving her way through the towering mountains of cabbage, and only occasionally carrying a big bunch of bananas. 'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers,
#56 - Karl Stoltz (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Karl Stoltz continues to bring people together, after nearly four decades as a public diplomacy expert. As Co-President of the Public Diplomacy Council of America, he pays close attention to the many soft power tools the United States uses to win hearts and minds (which used to be a priority). As a diplomat, starting with the U.S. Information Agency, he deployed these tools, not least in Moscow, where his overseas career began and ended. 'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explor
#55 - Jason Carter (opens the original)
Read excerpt
There's no doubt that Jason Carter is following in some big footsteps. His great-grandmother, for instance, joined the Peace Corps at age 66 and believed passionately in the importance of service. Or his grandfather, who wasn't content with merely being the President of the United States--he too built a decades-long legacy of service after he left the Oval Office. But there's also no doubt that Jason has answered the call, and then some. As a Peace Corps volunteer, as a lawmaker, as an attorney,
#54 - Jennifer Erie (opens the original)
Read excerpt
"When you learn, teach. When you get, give." - Maya Angelou Growing up in a Haitian-American family in Queens, NY, Jennifer Erie hoped the Peace Corps might send her to West Africa to learn more about her ancestors' origins. Instead, she ended up in South Africa, the first of many places — along with her time at USAID — where she found countless new people to champion, collaborate with, and befriend. Far from her original expat community, she became a part of countless others. Flash forward and
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Not enough subject data for this period yet.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.