As we close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we just want to say — thank you.
Thank you for being part of our first season of Beyond What You See. This year has been full of growth, purpose, and perseverance. We’ve seen trials, triumphs, and transformation — but most of all, we’ve seen you keep going.

Dreams don’t have an expiration date. In this episode, we talk about dreaming at any age—and finding the strength to keep going, even when the path gets hard.

Dr. Howard Spearman reflects on attending Marquette University’s UBMS Program during the same summer the Jeffrey Dahmer case broke nearby. This is a story of purpose, mentorship, faith, and the unseen moments that shaped his path to becoming a college president.

This week, Steven Robertson sits down with Teon Austin, Director of Inclusion and Belonging at the Marquette University School of Dentistry — a TRIO alum whose journey embodies resilience, belonging, and purpose.

Teon shares how Upward Bound Math Science (SAMS), EOP-SSS, and his years as a counselor shaped his leadership. He reflects on 11+ years at Cardinal Stritch and the lessons he now applies in the Dental School through cultural humility, diversity, representation, and student-centered leadership.

This episode encourages anyone passionate about equity, education, and building environments where people can thrive.

Key Themes:
• Cultural humility & competence
• TRIO pipeline: UBMS → SSS → professional leadership
• Transformational student support
• Representation in higher education
• Belonging, identity, and leadership

In this episode of Beyond What You See, we unpack the moments when life said “no” — and how those very moments became the soil for purpose, growth, and clarity.

How do you help young people not just go to college — but believe they belong there?

In this episode of Beyond What You See, we sit down with Ashlie Dulaney — small-town Wisconsin native, lover of history and the royal family, AmeriCorps alum, and now Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs at Marquette University EOP.

Ashlie’s path took her from studying abroad in London to serving Milwaukee students through College Possible — and now leading a team impacting over 1,000 youth every year through college access and leadership development. Her story is one of purpose found through service, students, and a deep belief in possibility.

🎯 In this episode:

• Small-town roots → UW–Stevens Point → London study abroad
• Falling in love with culture, history, and purpose
• Serving students at Milwaukee Hamilton High School through AmeriCorps
• A student story: from ACT prep to QuestBridge to Tufts University
• Leading with conviction + empowering students at a PWI
• Watching former students return to mentor the next wave
• Balancing mom life, Bravo TV, and meaningful mission work

💡 “Purpose is often found while helping someone else discover theirs.” – Ashlie

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In this inspiring episode of Beyond What You See, host Steven Robertson sits down with Vondale Singleton — award-winning educator, mentor, husband, father, and founder of the CHAMPS Male Mentoring Program in Chicago.

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Vondale faced the pain of a father incarcerated and the loss of his mother to addiction. Yet through faith, mentorship, and perseverance, he transformed his challenges into a mission — helping young men discover their purpose and potential through CHAMPS.

In this episode of Beyond What You See, Steven Robertson sits down with Mario Hamilton — Milwaukee native, artist, and Upward Bound Classic Advisor at Marquette University.

From Milwaukee Marshall High School to Marquette’s College of Art & Design, Mario’s story is one of creativity, redemption, and purpose. A proud participant in GEAR UP and the P.E.O.P.L.E. Program, Mario turned his artistic gift into a platform for mentorship and empowerment.

Today, he helps first-generation and low-income students design their futures and believe in the masterpiece within themselves.