Find Your Calling w/ Terry Ayzman

CA's 1st Gen Z legislator — its youngest in 80 years — UC Davis graduate Alex Lee, is slated to be sworn in by the Golden State's lower legislative chamber tomorrow. Before voters officially crown him "Assembly-member," he sits down with the "Find Your Calling" pod to spill the tea on corporate money in politics, the most frustrating aspects of the campaign trail, and his unlikely ascent from Capitol intern to Sacramento politico. He's 25 years old but commandeers important subjects like he's been traversing the political waters for a substantial amount of time. Whether your politics align with his or not, listen to his rationale & share your thoughts! To learn more about his policy planks, head over to his Twitter & campaign pages. Twitter handle: @VoteAlexLee2020 Website: VoteAlexLee.com

With Fall quarter now upon us, "Find Your Calling" heads to the boss of LA County's Education team, Superintendent Debra Duardo. She's a three-time Bruin with a twist. Starting at the university as a so-called non-traditional student, she attended classes while caring for 4 children, including one with a severe disability. Nevertheless, she persisted and rose to the highest position at LA County's Department of Education, now leading the largest regional educational agency in America. In this episode, we discuss her fascinating life; CA's student performance metrics; the delicate balancing act of letting kids back into the classroom; and the surprising mental-health benefits that come with living in the ZOOM age. If you'd like to dig deeper into the student outcomes I cited, here are some trustworthy websites: 1) CA Educational Dashboard Info about LAUSD https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/19647330000000/2019 2) The Nation's Report Card https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/

Today, "Find Your Calling" is privileged to trace the pitfalls & ultimate triumph of former gang member & recent UCLA graduate Romen Lopez. Growing up in East L.A., a socioeconomically disadvantaged part of the city, Romen joined a street gang in 7th grade & ended up in detention facilities 5 times by his mid-20s. Then, came his turning point: education & a longing for a high-school equivalency degree. As we discuss the UCLA organization he founded & his community-college partnership with L.A. Mayor Garcetti, we learn about how a blend of perseverance and a few gold-hearted people can allow one to make a leap of faith & emerge victorious. *Note*: Romen is currently seeking to enter the mental-health arena. Armed with two UCLA degrees and a breadth of unbelievable experience, his contributions to the field would undoubtedly enrich it. If you'd like to connect with him, drop me a line on my Twitter, @Terry_Ayzman, or my Facebook. Thanks for listening!

This week, "Find Your Calling" dips its feet into the November election with a fellow Bruin, CA Assemblywoman Christy Smith, who's running to snag CA-25's Congressional seat. After Congresswoman Katie Hill, the latest Democrat to control the district, resigned, Ms. Smith & her opponent Republican Mike Garcia duked it out in a special election. Ultimately, Mr. Garcia prevailed, capitalizing on an endorsement from President Trump. This November, Ms. Smith plans to unleash her experience & base to send him packing. In our half-hour interview fashioned for the COVID era, we discuss her passion for education & campaigning in a tumultuous era, as she doles out her advice to students feeling frozen in quarantine.

Former San Francisco DA George Gascón has entered the potentially priciest & most-watched DA's race in the history of Los Angeles. A self-identifying "progressive prosecutor," Mr. Gascón, a former LAPD Chief, is slated to go toe-to-toe with L.A.'s incumbent chief prosecutor, Jackie Lacey, in November. In appealing to her constituency, he touts his track record in San Francisco & his long-fought battle to terminate mass incarceration practices. In our socially distanced sit-down, we delve into his military service & hear his elevator pitch to Angelenos; well, the 30-minute 'pitch' isn't quite as optimal for an elevator as it is for a car ride. Enjoy!

Tanya Ortiz Franklin is an education equity advocate, Columbia & UCLA Law graduate & candidate for LAUSD's School Board District 7 seat! Dubbing educational equity the "civil rights issue of our time," Franklin discusses her vision to improve students' academic performance; proposals to disband LA Unified's police force; and her personal experience as a teacher in the 2nd largest school district in the United States.

This week, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joins the "Find Your Calling" podcast to reminisce about his Angeleno roots, lessons from a career spanning decades in Golden state politics & the indelible imprint that UCLA left on his life. Without his mother's "indomitable spirit" & UCLA education, he says he wouldn't have made it this far, given his many hardships, like partial paralysis at 15 years old. His candor on the condition & the mettle that crystallized thereafter are mesmerizing. A special THANK YOU to my dear friend Brenda Contreras, a rising UCSD senior & Alumni360 Board Member, for co-hosting this episode along my side. CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming graduation & an extraordinary 2 years at a tip-top academic institution!

This Sunday, I sit down with the broadcaster who's left a positive, indelible mark on MY professional trajectory: FOX11 anchor Elex Michaelson. With sophisticated political chops & dogged determination, he's snagged interviews with the most influential newsmakers of our day, including President Donald Trump, former CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger & Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He's respected by figures of all political stripes -- and, tonight, he divulges the techniques he enlists to turn down the partisan noise & turn up his guests' candor. Catch him on Twitter: @Elex_Michaelson & Tune into "The Issue Is:" -- CA's ONLY statewide political program -- Fridays at 10:30p on FOX11 LA. Go to TheIssueIsShow.com for your local listings!

After 2 decades of catering the Oscars & running dozens of restaurants worldwide, Wolfgang Puck is known as the gold standard of the culinary world. This Sunday, he looks back at his illustrious career, dissects his accomplishments, and implores students to enlist a few strategies for success: find a mentor & fashion every circumstance into an opportunity — sound advice for a generation facing a challenge of unprecedented proportions.

From her days as a VJ to her nights as host of her primetime FOX Business program, "Kennedy," Lisa "Kennedy" Montgomery is a broadcasting trailblazer who's always reinventing the wheel. This Sunday, she sits down with "Find Your Calling" to reflect on her ideological awakening, the jacuzzi birth of her first FOX show "The Independents," and how censorship in her early days informs the way she crafts her program today.

Sketch artists immortalize the most pivotal moments happening inside America's courtrooms, but how much do we truly know about them? This week, Mona Shafer Edwards, an illustrator whose work has been featured in the LA Times & 20/20, divulges the most fascinating stand-offs she's experienced -- from the trial of OJ Simpson to her restroom rendezvous with Dolly Parton.

UCLA Anthropologist Daniel Fessler, Director of the world's first Institute for Kindness, sheds light on the groundswell of goodness supporting us through quarantine life & weighs in on the evolutionary "ins and outs" of those protesting Stay-at-Home orders.