The LET's Talk Podcast

Join Dr. Gulley and Ted on the final episode of The LET's Talk Podcast for the 2022-23 school year as they reflect on their favorite moments from this exciting season. From insightful interviews to inspiring discussions, they revisit the highlights that made this season truly memorable. 

On this episode of The LET's Talk Podcast, Dr. Andrea Hensley, Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Services, shares an inspiring story about how getting to know people from different backgrounds changed her "why." She learned the importance of listening with empathy and understanding through a pregnant woman on trial, which led her to pursue prison ministry and make a positive impact on inmates' lives. As an experienced educator and leader, Dr. Hensley emphasizes the importance of truly listening to each other and planting seeds of hope that may have a lasting impact on our students. 

Carlos Bañuelos is a Family Support Liaison for Mesquite ISD, born in San Antonio to Mexican parents. When he was a child, his mother relied on food and low-income assistance programs to make ends meet while she continued learning English to enroll in college. Although they could have returned to Mexico after his parents divorced, he admires his mother's perseverance to earn a college degree to stay in the U.S. and make a living with her children. His upbringing helps him relate to the more than 1,000 MISD students identified as McKinney Vento or in foster care. Hear from Bañuelos, who is also a cancer survivor, as he talks about living a life of service and “doing what you can for others.”

Erica Asante is a children’s book author and a global health leader. Born in the United States but of Ghanaian heritage, she has always embraced and shared her culture. Erica, who has traveled to 20 countries and five continents, has observed that to assimilate, people often lose their culture and language. During the pandemic, she was inspired by her son to write a children’s book, Threads of Me, after he was asked what his favorite food was but was too shy to name his favorite African dish. Hear how she hopes to bring global awareness for children to be proud of their heritage and share it with others. 

Gilberto Prado joined Mesquite ISD near the end of the first semester, but his personality and leadership qualities allowed him to hit the ground running. He came to Mesquite after only 4.5 months in Northwest ISD. Despite his brief time there, his coworkers loved him, showing the kind of immediate impression he makes. Prado is the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, which sounds like a job that is both very important and very boring (Ted asks him about this). When he was nine years old, Prado’s family moved from Mexico to Dallas, and his educational foundation came from elementary and middle school in Dallas ISD and high school at St. Mark’s School of Texas. Prado also talks about his unique leadership style and how he has integrated into the Mesquite community in only a few months.

Chris Bingham teaches art at Mesquite High School, and he's also a practicing professional artist. In his mind, that makes him a much better art teacher. The Oak Cliff native who got in trouble for doodling in class now has large murals across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Chris would argue that we're all artists in one way or another and feels like it's his job to bring it out of all his students.

NBC 5 reporter and weekend anchor Vince Sims joins his old friend Ted Madden and Dr. Gulley. As a polished presence in local media in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, Vince is still country at heart, as he grew up on a farm in Southeast Arkansas. Vince's career has included stops in Monroe (Louisiana), Pittsburgh, and Atlanta. His compassion, along with his patience and grace, has helped him successfully navigate a career in TV that can sometimes be contentious.

Caleb Turner has come a long way from kindergarten parent-teacher conferences. Caleb is currently co-pastor at Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church and is in line to become a pastor when his father retires in June. Caleb admits to being a bit of a troublemaker in school; he says he wasn't a bad kid, just more of a class clown. Turner was a football and track athlete at Mesquite High and then Horn High before going to college on a track scholarship. He spent a night in jail, served in the military, got married and had two kids; so he knows what it's like to be a troubled kid who turns out to be an influential man. Those life experiences serve him well with all his parishioners, making him relatable and even more respectable, despite some of his previous failings.

West Mesquite Principal Karen Morris was an original member of the LET Committee – founded in June 2020 – but her desire for equitable treatment for everyone dates back to her youth in Burleson. As she said, "Everybody in the town looked just like me. So when I had the opportunity to go to the University of Texas, I went running." The former Spanish teacher enjoys the reaction she gets from students when she speaks to them in Spanish, and appreciates the grace they and their parents show her when her Spanish isn't perfect.

Regina Jackson has been part of the Mesquite ISD family since 2000 and has had a front-row seat to all the changes in MISD over the last 22 years. After joining North Mesquite as a science teacher and then moving into administration, Jackson became principal of A.C. New Middle School in 2018. Hear how the hiring practices at A.C. New have created a higher sense of belonging in their students. Learn how Jackson's experience with educational inequity, both as a student and as a substitute teacher in Dallas ISD, motivates her to make sure her students get every opportunity as anyone in the district or the state.

On this episode of The LET’s Talk Podcast, hear from Teresa Jackson, Founder and CEO of Sharing Life. Jackson’s journey in nonprofits began as a recent divorcee when she sought help for her three children. Learn how a disheartening experience at a food pantry helped her realize her authentic purpose leading up to the creation of Sharing Life. With over two decades serving Mesquite and surrounding communities hear what it means to share life and have compassion at the heart of this organization.

On this episode of The Let's Talk Podcast, hear the powerful story of Mabel Morales, a bilingual teacher at Hanby Elementary. Morales, who lost her mother at one year old, found her safe haven at school as she struggled growing up in a toxic home in her native country of Bolivia. At 18 years, to escape this situation, Morales fled to the United States. Hear how this working mother learned English and fulfilled her American Dream of graduating with a college degree. Now with over 20 years as an educator, she relies on her personal experience of hiding her emotions by being the “class clown'' to develop a relationship and nurture students in her classroom.

Deidra Rucker, Mesquite ISD Assistant Athletic Director, joins us on this episode of The LET’s Talk Podcast. An SMU college basketball alum, Rucker began her 20-year coaching career as a high school varsity head coach. Rucker shares an insight into her motherhood journey and how being a single mother changed her priorities, leading her to walk away from one of the most high-profile basketball programs in the state to coach middle school B and C teams. Realizing that a job title did not define her, Rucker says she discovered a new passion in mentoring young coaches, helping her redefine her career goals. Hear how her approach to being comfortable with the uncomfortable has guided her life and how she hopes to raise a more empathetic and compassionate son through traveling. 

Mesquite High School history teacher and head soccer coach Philip El-Aya grew up in Mesquite – a world away from where he was born in Lebanon. In this week's podcast, he shares the moving story of his family leaving a war-torn country when he was only 2 years old and how their journey to U.S. citizenship shaped his deep appreciation for America. Learn how his background and life experiences help Coach El-Aya connect with young people and create a sense of belonging for his players and students. #MadeInMesquite