Hey, hey everyone! I’m glad to be back again with another episode of the “Spark of Hope Podcast!” On this episode, I interviewed my very good friend and fellow prequel lover, Britt! We chat about Star Wars (of course), our love of tea, our Star Wars Celebration adventures, and mental health. Britt is an avid film buff and photography student up in Canada! We first met virtually in 2015 and got to meet in person at Star Wars Celebration Orlando. She has been an amazing and supportive friend throughout the years and I’m so glad Twitter brought us together! I hope you enjoy our episode!

You can find Britt on Twitter @brittbarnim and Instagram @brittbarnim. Her website is That Film Girl, Britt!

WHOA, when did 2021 arrive? Over 2 months ago??  I’m a bit in shock that we’re in March already!  But a new year means a new episode (finally)!

On this episode, I interview a new “virtual” friend of mine, David Ian Lee!  We connected in January because our mutual friend Rachel (who you’ll remember from my last episode) put together a Zoom reading of the sequel trilogy.  It was a fantastic time and it led to David being on this episode, which I’m incredibly thankful for.  We had an amazing chat about David’s life and how Star Wars impacted him throughout the years through theatre, teaching, and so much more!  I learned so much from David and I hope you do too.  Check out his bio and pictures below! 

Thank you for listening and as always, I hope you enjoy this episode!

**Here are some of my favorite David quotes from this episode which I found incredibly inspiring:
~”So often we’re focused on pursuing the things that we want and this is the year for being grateful for the things that we have.”

~”There’s something to be taught about community and sacrifice and service and that we each have a responsibility to carry the torch when that is our time.”

~”But it was this moment of this thing brings me absolute joy.  In a world that really wants you to feel as little joy as possible it seems, why deprive yourself of the things that bring you joy.”  

~”In our time of crisis, Grogu will set us free.”

David Ian Lee is a freelance actor and director who has worked in New York for companies including The Pearl, Manhattan Theatre Source, Boomerang, and Flux Ensemble, for regional theatres including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep., and Nashville’s Pipeline-Collective (where he serves as a Producing Artistic Director), and classical companies including New York Classical, Arkansas Shakespeare, Illinois Shakespeare, and Utah Shakespeare. He is an internationally produced playwright, with productions of his work in Canada, South Africa, Scotland, and Greece.  

A graduate of the William Esper Studio, David received his MFA in Directing from Illinois State University. He serves on the faculty of the Theatre & Dance Program in the Department of Communications at Tennessee State University, one of several institutions where he has offered his master lecture “Theatre, Criticism, and Star Wars”; he has also offered this content as a semester-long special topics course at universities and as a weeks-long enrichment course for gifted young learners.

In 2019 he was proud to direct a benefit production of A Very Special Live Staged Reading of the Star Wars Holiday Special: Live, on Stage… and Special!with all proceeds going to the 501st Legion Make-a-Wish Endowment Fund.

Favorite credit: Father to Beckett Harrison Lee, on which he collaborated with his wife, Karen.  For more information visit davidianlee.com and Pipeline-Collective.com.

After a little haitus… Spark of Hope Podcast is back!! On Episode 9, I chat with my friend Rachel. We know each other through our local community theatre, but we also connected through our love to Star Wars! During this episode we chat about theatre, Star Wars, and most importantly, VOTING!

Thank you for listening and as always, I hope you enjoy this episode!

You can find Rachel on social media through the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/sewroguegorogue/

https://www.facebook.com/yoursinpod/

https://www.facebook.com/ResistorSisterhood/

Hello, again!  Episode 8 has arrived! In this episode, I got to chat with my friend of 20 years, Steve.  We met at community college when we took music theory together and have enjoyed seeing Star Wars together since “The Force Awakens” came out in 2015.   We talk about some of the hardships he’s faced in life, his struggle with depression, and how he grew up with Star Wars.

You can find him on Twitter @docsp76 and on Instagram @docsp76 and @imaginarytribe.

Click below and enjoy!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/episode-8-steve-final.mp3

Download episode here!

Steve @docsp76

Seeing “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” at SWCC in 2019, and seeing “The Rise of Skywalker!”

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to the 7th Episode of the Spark of Hope Podcast.  In this episode, I sent a call for help!  As the last movie of the sequel trilogy and the end of 2019 arrives, I wanted to do a collaboration with other Star Wars fans to express how we are thankful for Star Wars!

A huge shout out to Sandra, Kay, Eve, Andrew, Barb, Steve, Vani, Ally, Carl, Jessie, and Rachel for participating in this episode!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/episode-7-final.mp3

Click here to download Episode 7!

I’m back!  I know it’s been a while, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  I wanted to take a moment to actually talk about the biggest challenge I’ve gone through in my life, being diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.  So here’s a solo episode about my journey and of course there is talk of STar Wars!

P.S. The outro music is a special version of my theme music…

Click below and enjoy!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/episode-6-megan-final-edit.mp3

Click here to download

Episode 5 is live!  And Eve is striking back!  In this episode we chat about every day struggles.  Lately, I have personally been dealing with a lot of fatigue, not feeling motivated, and working on my relationship with food.  Eve and I dig deep into these issues and how we deal with them.  Plus, we chat about the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Chicago and positive opinions about three Star Wars topics!

Click below and enjoy!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/episode-5-eve-strikes-back.mp3

Click here to download episode!

Here is a little bit more information about Eve:                                     
“Eve, the co-host whose name isn’t really Eve, loves long twitter threads, silly memes and inside jokes. The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are her absolute favorites. When she’s not geeking out on the internet, Eve writes and takes photographs professionally in a cozy Pennsylvanian suburb.”

You can find Eve on Twitter @skywalker_eve.  You can listen to her on the Unmistakably Star Wars Podcast.  Follow them on Twitter and Instagram @UnmistakablySW! She also has started her own podcast!  Follow the Iron Sea Podcast @ironseacast on Twitter.

Theme song arranged and performed by Megan Cullinan (that’s me!) and mixed by Steve Resler.  Original music composed by John Williams.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2019 has finally arrived and so has Episode 4 of the “Spark Of Hope Podcast!” On this episode, I interviewed Neil Lowery. Neil is from England and has been a Star Wars fan since he first saw it in London in 1978. He is active on Twitter as “neil positive” and that is where I first met him. On this episode, we discuss how he has dealt with his learning disability and recent health issues as well as his love of Star Wars and how it gets him through those challenges.

Neil is a positive force in the online Star Wars community and I hope you enjoy our conversation!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Episode-4-Neil.mp3

Click here to DOWNLOAD Episode 4

You can find Neil on Twitter @LoweryNeil, on Facebook as Neil Lowery, and on Instagram @positivity_one. His podcast is called “Cloud Car Co-Pilot” and you can find it on iTunes and Anchor.

Episode 3 has finally arrived!  On this episode, I interviewed Sandra.  Sandra is an educator and the social media manager for the Fangirls Going Rogue podcast!  We chat about how she became a Star Wars fan, how she uses Star Wars in the classroom, how she has dealt with the passing of her mother two years ago, and how Star Wars connects us all!  So, sit back and enjoy the show!

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ep-3-sandra-final.mp3

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE

Here is a little bit more information about Sandra:

Manage Fangirls Going Rogue and Geeky Friends using several social media outlets.

Through social media, we reach approximately 2600 on Facebook, 4200 on Twitter, and 850 on Instagram. Provide and share engaging content, lead discussions on Star Wars television shows and movies, offer constructive interaction with users, and create a positive, safe place for all fans.

Interviews

• Looking for Leia Film
• Her Universe Fangirl of the Day: June 2013
• Every Day Fangirl: October 2015
• FULLY OPERATIONAL FANDOM: THE PERSONAL IMPACT OF STAR WARS

Podcast Guest

• LIVE: Walt Disney World CWK Meet Up, featuring Ashley Eckstein (151)
• Teaching With Geekdom: Fangirl Chat
• FANGIRLS GOING ROGUE EPISODE 20 (JUNE 2015)
• You Talk We Listen: Rogue One
• The Disney Universe Fangirl Special

Blog Post Contributions

• ‘As I Am’ – Star Wars Changed My Life
• Behind The Mask
• Star Wars Is For Everyone
• Creed – Review by Sandra Choute
• Barnes & Noble Fangirl Friday

Other Related Items

• Star Wars in the Classroom: Rogue # 157
• Geeky Friends Facebook Page

And now, presenting the second episode of the “Spark of Hope” Podcast!  On this episode I chatted with my friend Michelle, who is incredibly inspirational.  She has gone through so much in her young life.  She talks about being born in Tokyo, Japan and moving to the states, dealing with the death of her father, finding a new career, accepting what has happened to her, and so much more. You’ll also find out how she really feels about Boba Fett and Return of the Jedi!
#NeverTooOld  #ListenToThePositive  #DoGood

https://sparkofhopepod.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/michelle-episode-2-final-edit-mono.mp3

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE

Here is a little bit more information about Michelle:  

Michelle loves books, naps, puppies, pizza, and gifs of puppies eating pizza. She founded the @travelingbooknerds bookstagram, where she shares creative bookish photos to over 10K followers. She has contributed creative non-fiction to Rebelle Society, and is currently workshopping her first novel at the Writing Pad. She lives, writes, and photographs her book collection in West Los Angeles with her two chihuahuas-mix rescues, Halston Rose and Kennedy Eastwood, who is actually half porg, half Yoda.

You can find Michelle on Twitter and Instagram @tediously_brief. You can listen to her on the Tumbling Saber Podcast.  Follow them on Twitter and Instagram @TumblingSaber!

Theme song and vocal tag arranged and performed by Megan Cullinan (that’s me!) and mixed by Steve Resler.  Original music composed by John Williams.