Building a Future of Belonging—In Education and in Life

What does it truly mean to design spaces where everyone belongs—not just in theory, but in practice?

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, host Linda Anderson sits down with Loc Nguyen—educator, entrepreneur, author, and storyteller whose work centers on human potential and inclusive pathways, particularly for students with intellectual disabilities.

Loc’s journey spans military service, technology, nonprofit leadership, higher education, and the university classroom. Across every chapter of his life, one throughline remains clear: a deep commitment to challenging convention and reimagining what’s possible when we lead with humanity.

He is the author of The Miles We Chase, a powerful blend of memoir, narrative, and policy that explores family, hope, reciprocity, and our shared responsibility to build systems rooted in belonging. In this conversation, Loc reflects on how personal story shapes public systems—and how writing the book transformed his own understanding of what belonging really requires.

Together, Linda and Loc explore:

• The difference between access and true belonging—and where institutions often miss the mark
  

• What human flourishing looks like in classrooms grounded in connection and vulnerability
  

• Why stories are essential tools for systems change, and what happens when leadership ignores them
  

• The assumptions we hold about intelligence, success, and productivity—and why they need reimagining
  

• How educators and leaders can take meaningful steps toward inclusion, even when the work feels overwhelming
  

Loc also shares what gives him hope when the work feels heavy—and what “moving forward” means to him in this current chapter of life and leadership.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and consider how belonging is not a soft ideal, but a responsibility, a design choice, and a daily practice.

Recommended Reading: The Miles We Chase: Building a Future of Belonging in Education and Life by Dr. Loc Nguyen

If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and share Moving Forward. Your listening and reflecting help these stories reach others who are also searching for healing, hope, and a way forward.

As you think about the spaces you shape—classrooms, teams, families, or communities—where might you move beyond access and begin intentionally designing for true belonging?

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

Some conversations come full circle.

In this episode of Moving Forward, Linda Anderson is joined by Dr. Kathleen Richardson—a lifelong friend, former college roommate, and now a globally respected scientist and educator. Linda and Kathy first met as students at Alfred University, sharing space, late-night conversations, and a formative season of becoming. Decades later, they reunite to reflect on how culture, curiosity, and purpose have shaped their paths.

Today, Kathy is a Pegasus Professor at the University of Central Florida, a leader in optics and materials science, a mentor to generations of scientists, and the 2025 recipient of the International Congress on Glass President’s Award, honoring a lifetime of contribution to the international glass community. Beyond the accolades, Kathy’s story is one of stewardship, resilience, and hope.

In this thoughtful and deeply human conversation, Linda and Kathy explore:

• How early environments and relationships shape who we become
  

• The cultures of science—and what healthy, purpose-driven scientific spaces look like
  

• Identity, voice, and navigating life as a woman in STEM
  

• Failure, uncertainty, and how challenge can be both productive and healing
  

• Mentorship, curiosity, and sustaining hope across demanding seasons
  

• Trusting curiosity as a guide toward meaningful contribution—whether or not you see yourself as a “scientist”
  

This episode is an invitation to reflect on your own journey: the cultures that shaped you, the setbacks that refined you, and the curiosity still calling you forward.

✨ Whether you work in science, education, leadership—or simply live with curiosity and purpose—this conversation offers insight, encouragement, and hope.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who believes in the power of learning, connection, and stewardship.

Thank you for listening—and for taking time to reflect on your own journey.

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Instagram: @lluande1

Facebook: @Linda Unrath-Anderson

LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

What does it mean to practice equity—not as an initiative, but as a daily leadership responsibility?

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, host Linda Anderson sits down with Anthony Robinson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, educator, and scholar whose work lives at the intersection of leadership, systems change, and human dignity.

Anthony’s leadership journey is grounded in lived experience and a deep commitment to justice. As a DEI leader, he collaborates across organizations to support cultural proficiency and educational equity, while advancing strategic equity goals within educational systems. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Los Rios Community College District, he teaches English Literature through culturally responsive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and language accessibility—centering voices that have too often been marginalized.

Throughout the conversation, Anthony invites listeners to rethink equity as a leadership practice shaped by identity, relationships, courage, and everyday decisions. Together, Linda and Anthony explore how leaders navigate resistance, sustain themselves in challenging work, and align values with action—especially in moments of discomfort.

This conversation is for educators—and for leaders across organizations, business, nonprofit, and community spaces—who are seeking to lead with integrity, humanity, and hope in complex and contested times.

This episode invites reflection for leaders across education, organizations, and communities: Where do your values show up in your decisions—and where might courage be asking more of you?

Follow us on:

Instagram: @lluande1

Facebook: @Linda Unrath-Anderson

LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez