Two Neshaminy High School students discovered their voices, and then used them to help hundreds of other youth find theirs. What started as a pandemic-era experiment has grown into “Giving Youth a Voice,” a student-led podcast that’s tackling tough topics, amplifying teen perspectives, and changing lives, both for its listeners and for its hosts.
“We’ve talked about a range of topics such as grief, mental health, and substance use,” said Brianna Aspero, a recent Neshaminy High graduate and one of the podcast’s founding voices. “This podcast, hosted at Neshaminy High School, gave us the chance to say the things that don’t always get said out loud, but need to be.”
Brianna and her friend since middle school, Patrick McCullough, a fellow Neshaminy graduate, have been the creative heart behind the podcast for the last four years. Both were introduced to the concept as middle schoolers, when the Neshaminy Coalition for Youth (NC4Y) was looking for new ways to keep students engaged during the isolation of COVID-19.
The podcast started with seed money from the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. (BCDAC). Then, backed by a prestigious Drug-Free Communities federal grant secured by The Council of Southeast PA, Inc., NC4Y created the podcast as a platform for student-led storytelling, advocacy, and outreach.
“The idea came during COVID because we couldn’t be face to face,” said Melanie Swanson, the project coordinator for NC4Y. “We were trying to figure out how to still engage students, and the podcast became our way of saying, your voice still matters, even if we can’t be in the same room.”
Brianna’s guidance counselor at Poquessing Middle School thought she’d be a great fit. “I’ve always loved helping others,” Brianna said. “So when they explained the idea to me, I said, ‘This is something I need to be a part of.’” She then recruited Patrick, who was already interested in filmmaking and shared her passion for mental health advocacy.
Since then, the two have co-hosted more than 20 podcast episodes, covering everything from the adverse effects of smoking and vaping to interviews with figures like Miss Pennsylvania Alysa Bainbridge, who spoke candidly about losing her brother to mental illness.
The duo’s approach is natural and conversational, steering away from rigid formats. “We want our guests to feel comfortable, like they’re just having a conversation,” Brianna said. “That’s when the real stories come out.”
That sense of openness extends to the students themselves, who choose their own topics based on what they, and their peers, are going through. “We brainstorm together and ask ourselves, what are we experiencing that other students are too?” said Patrick. “For example, we just did a podcast about the transition from high school to college because that’s something we’re both facing right now.”
The podcast is produced with guidance from media specialist Sarah Foisy and a dedicated team of adult advisors like Swanson and youth coordinator Donna Foisy. But the students remain the driving force.
“We wanted this to be youth-driven and youth-led,” Swanson emphasized. “It’s not about us adults; it’s about helping kids thrive, and that means letting them speak up, shape the conversation, and run with it.”
That model has clearly worked. According to Howard Podgurski, NC4Y executive board member, this podcast is now in the top ten percent of podcasts in the U.S. The podcast also has a significant following throughout the six municipalities of the Neshaminy School District and has been showcased at state-level advocacy events, including the CPA Youth Summit in Harrisburg. There, Brianna and Patrick not only interviewed legislators and prevention advocates, but also other students from across Pennsylvania.
“For some of those students, it was the first time anyone asked them what they thought,” Swanson said. “One student told us, ‘It felt good to have someone listen to me, like I actually do have a voice.’ And that’s exactly what this podcast is about.”
“This has helped me more than I can explain,” said Brianna. “I’ve dealt with mental health issues since I was in fifth or sixth grade, and being able to talk about that while helping others; it’s empowering. It’s also given me real-world skills, like interviewing legislators, speaking publicly, and even taking initiative.”
Patrick agreed. “I’ve grown a lot through this. It’s given me a safe place to talk about serious issues that I’ve dealt with personally. And I feel more confident now that I can help someone else who’s struggling.”
Both plan to take what they’ve learned into the next chapter of their lives. Brianna will be attending Arcadia University this fall to study early childhood education and hopes to continue speaking up for mental health awareness.
Patrick is heading to Penn State for secondary math education and says the podcast has made him more empathetic and open. “I’ll carry this with me,” he said. “Now, if someone I meet is struggling with something like grief or mental health, I’ll know how to be there for them, and I’ll be more aware of what to say and how to help.”
As they prepare to pass the mic to a new group of students, including Patrick’s younger sister, Adriana McCullough, along with newcomer, Erik Cassidy, they’ll stay on as mentors ready to help others find their own voice, just as they once did.
You can find “Giving Youth a Voice” on Spotify or learn more at www.nc4youth.org.
