August 17, 2025

Michael Vargas in his room on April 3, 2024, in Miami.Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui for NPR

Hey there!

It’s Janet Woojeong Lee, producer on NPR Ed. Hope you’re hanging in there and staying cool wherever you are!

One of the coolest things I get to do at my job is run the NPR College Podcast Challenge, our annual student podcasting contest for college students.

Over the last four years, we’ve gotten to see what a difference it has made for students. Students like Michael Vargas Arango, who won the grand prize last year for his first-person piece on what it’s like to be a college student with schizoaffective disorder.

He called it The Monsters We Create.

And we weren’t the only ones who thought his work was award-worthy. Just this week, Michael and NPR’s story received an Edward R. Murrow award for Excellence in Innovation. 🏆🎉

In a new podcast, The Monsters We Saved, Michael shares how winning the College Podcast Challenge changed his life. He reads out loud the surprising responses he received from listeners – many from folks dealing with similar conditions – who shared how his story made them feel understood and seen.

Parents wrote to ask him how they could best support their kids with schizoaffective disorder. Several listeners even asked him to recreate his podcast in different languages!

In his new podcast, Michael tells the story of one listener from his hometown, Medellín, Colombia: Stefano, a teen who also has schizoaffective disorder.

"I felt like I was talking to myself in an earlier stage of my journey," Michael says in his podcast. "Having the opportunity to guide someone else on their own journey was just priceless. I felt so happy, so fulfilled and not scared anymore."

Listen or read the latest from Michael, here

If reading this leaves you feeling inspired to pick up a microphone (or pass the mic to the students in your life!) check out our Sound Advice resources page for getting started in podcasting.

The College Podcast Challenge will be back this fall. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the finalist and winner announcements from our Student Podcast Challenge for grades four through 12. That’s coming NEXT MONTH!

So please keep an eye out! Until then, take care.

Warmly,

— Janet Lee, Assistant Producer, NPR Ed

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In other news...

1. Trump orders colleges to share admissions data, with an eye on affirmative action. President Trump signed a presidential memorandum last week requiring colleges and universities to submit expanded admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education.The move is intended to reveal if schools are still preferencing race in admissions even after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in 2023. Read the full story here.

— Cory Turner, education correspondent

2. Boston Public Library aims to increase access to a vast historic archive using AI. One of the oldest and largest public libraries is teaming up with OpenAI and Harvard Law School to make its historically significant government documents more accessible to the public. They’re working on digitizing 5,000 documents by the end of this year, as a start. Read the story here.

– Chloe Veltman, culture correspondent

3. And some podcast episodes to make this back-to-school season easier for everyone. Our friends at NPR’s Life Kit team compiled a list of podcasts and digital stories to help parents and students navigate the transition from summer break back to school. Check out this list for tips on everything from how to have difficult conversations to simple tips for leveling up your lunch box game. Check out the list here.

— Malaka Gharib, Life Kit digital editor

Did you hear? With federal funding for public media all but eliminated, NPR relies more than ever on support from listeners like you. That’s why we’re inviting you to take part in a special giveaway to help keep public media strong — and maybe win a once-in-a-lifetime trip in the process!

One lucky winner (and their guest!) will visit NPR HQ and see a Tiny Desk Concert live in person — and even get to choose from a lineup of upcoming shows.

It’s free to enter, but when you donate through this giveaway page, you’ll score exclusive, limited-run merch and boost your chances to win.

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And here's something to make you smile...

In case you missed it: Our friends at NPR’s Tiny Desk are doing a giveaway! Here’s your chance to win a trip to a Tiny Desk Concert! You can enter before Sept. 12, or really, just take a second now to sign up now, to get a free trip to NPR’s headquarters in DC. Good luck!

Thank you always for reading and listening!

— The NPR Education Team

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