Walk in my Shoes Podcast

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We talk to people who face adversity in their lives everyday and explore what it is to be dependent on a drug like heroin, or to live with HIV, or to be transgender for example. We explore their day to day lives and delve into the circumstances that surround their life. *Explicit language*

Nicky Jennings


    • Apr 26, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 20m AVG DURATION
    • 25 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Walk in my Shoes Podcast

    Season 2 Update

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2021 1:48


    Season 2 is in the works. If you'd like to be on a future episode email me at ruszkown@upstate.edu.

    Joslyn - Foster care, rape and her first child

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2020 13:38


    Joslyn talks to us about growing up in foster care, running away frequently and the rape that resulted in her daughter. Her bubbly personality is infectious despite all the trauma she has experienced.

    Brandon - living with HIV, recovery and growing up in foster care

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2020 25:39


    Brandon is a 31 year old white man who talks to us about living with HIV, recovery from substance use disorder and his incredibly difficult childhood in foster care where he experienced abuse. 

    Eddie Revisited - Suicide attempts, bipolar disorder and mental health challenges

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2020 30:58


    We sit down and chat with Eddie again, today we chat to him about his mental health and suicide attempts. He discusses how his struggles with his sexual orientation caused his first suicide attempt when he was 11 years old. *Explicit language*

    Shelly - Living with HIV, abusive relationships and recovery

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2020 27:58


    Shelly is a 54 year old black woman from Newark, New Jersey. She is a wonderful role model to many. She lives with HIV, has 15 years in recovery from drug use and now works helping people who are newly diagnosed with HIV come to terms with that diagnosis. She talks about her spent time in prison for killing an abusive boyfriend, her HIV and how her husband dealt with her HIV diagnosis with great kindness.

    Erin - Living in a shelter, disability and the future

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2020 24:27


    Erin is from Mexico, NY and currently lives in a local homeless shelter. She's trying hard to get back on her feet but continues to struggle to find housing. We talk through her life and discuss her plans to get married in December 2020. Donations to Erin's wedding dress can be made through Venmo @weddingdress2020

    Mateo - law school, growing up in a conservative family and being transgender

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2020 47:38


    Mateo is a 24 year old transgender man from California. He's in his first year of law school but its taken an incredible journey to get there. Born into a highly conservative family with a pastor for a father, he grew up in a homophobic and trans phobic home. 

    Emily - escaping an abusive marriage, sex work and trauma

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2019 23:41


    Emily chats to us about the sexual abuse she experienced as a teen, her abusive marriage and her goals for the future.

    Amber: Dating as a trans-woman, sex trafficking and church

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2019 16:42


    Amber is a 20 year old trans woman. She was "pimped out" when she was only 11 years old and tells us about her experiences. She explain the loneliness associated with being transgender and the challenges dating.

    Clifford: Preventing violence, gangs and the death of his 17 year old son

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2019 26:48


    Cliff explains to us the work he does now to prevent violence after he lost his 17 year old son in a shooting several years ago. Cliff literally walks the streets with the goal of intercepting violence. We discuss the loss of his son and how he shows others different ways to resolve conflict.

    Ana'lise: Sexual abuse, marriage at 18 and mental health challenges

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2019 12:59


    Ana'lise talks about her experiences with sexual abuse when she was 9 years old, we discuss the longer term mental health implications and how she's found love in her 3 year marriage to her wife.

    Lanika: Losing her parents to AIDS and honoring their legacy - World AIDS Day Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2019 28:30


    Lanika is a 45 year old black woman from Syracuse, New York. She lost both her parents to the HIV epidemic. We talk about her mother's life and legacy, while exploring why people of color are more affected by HIV/AIDS and still face significant health disparities.

    Henry: Codependency and loving someone using heroin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 24:45


    Henry has never used drugs but he fell for a woman who did. He talks to us about how he got sucked into helping her get drugs, her using in his car and the codependency he developed as the relationship progressed.

    Miguel: Life after prison, Latin Kings gang affiliation, and avoiding drugs

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2019 13:59


    Miguel explains what it was like to come out of prison after 18 years. He talks about his long affiliation with the Latin Kings gang and the importance of respect on the streets and in prison.  

    Kim: Growing up transgender, passing and coming out

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2019 19:42


    "Kim" is a young, bi-racial, transgender woman from Geneva, NY. She talks to us about realizing that she was transgender when she was around 4 years old and how she dealt with her family's negative reaction to her gender identity. We talk about her experience in college being outed by people she thought were her friends. 

    Cody: Juvenile detention, bloods affiliation & childhood abuse

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2019 12:38


    "Cody" is 21 years old and he's already spent 9 years in juvenile detention and prison. We explore his childhood and what led to an aggravated assault charge at 11 years old.

    Hector: Heroin, ADHD and recovery challenges (mini episode)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2019 8:59


    "Hector" is a 56 year old man from the Bronx currently using heroin. In this short episode we talk through his challenges with drug use, but his resolve to keep picking himself up and making another go at recovery. 

    Karen - Part 2: HIV and preventing youth gang involvement

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2019 19:29


    "Karen" explains her journey from using crack cocaine, being in prison and being diagnosed with HIV to now working on her MBA. In this episode she talks more about living with HIV and her work with young people to keep them from making the mistakes she did.

    Karen - Part 1: Crack cocaine, prison and HIV

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2019 23:13


    Karen talks about her experiences growing up in Syracuse, NY. Running away from home when she was 18 and then being pinned down by a boyfriend and injected with a heroin substitute. She explains the drug dependence that followed and her time in prison.

    Kittie: Sex work, heroin and pornography

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2019 20:56


    "Kittie" is a local woman from Canandaigua, NY. She talks about her experiences with early drug use, law school, and sex work. She helps us to understand her poly relationship model and how it works for her and her husband.

    Kristen: Heroin, harm reduction and substance use disorder

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2019 22:45


    Kristen talks about her experiences using prescription opioids and eventually heroin. She explains her journey away from heroin use and how she now uses her experience to help keep other people using drugs alive. 

    Fly Girl: Sex work, drug use and being transgender

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2019 21:14


    "Fly girl" is a 29 year old trans woman from Auburn, NY. She talks about her experiences as a black trans woman, her battle to stay away  from crack cocaine and her constant fear for her safety. 

    Alexis: Crack cocaine, homelessness and poverty

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2019 18:16


    We talk to "Alexis", a 44 year old black woman from Upstate NY. She explains her struggles with crack cocaine, homelessness and sex work. We explore how she doesn't see a way out of the cycle of poverty. 

    Eddie: Coming out, sexual health and sex work

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 17:31


    We talk to "Eddie", a 30 year old black, gay man about his experiences safeguarding his health with HIV prevention medication PrEP. We get to chat about his experiences with sex work and explore his thoughts on sexual health. 

    Nicky: What's going on here?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2019 3:23


    Our intro episode. A short background from your host, some information about whats ahead and what we're trying to achieve. 

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