Jennifer's Angels

Angels Come Together

In this last episode of the season, it’s time to finally talk about the magic wand answers. IYKYK. The Angels Co-Hosts come together to talk through their experiences in participating in the podcast, lessons learned, and what they’ve been up to since our last recordings. And then Angels on the Street Laura and Vera talk through their thoughts on, well, being Angels on the Street.

This Angel Carries a Badge and Gun: Peter Pacillas

El Paso Police Department Chief Peter Pacillas’s lifelong public service began with a simple act of friendship involving $20. Turns out effective policing requires empathy, responsibility and having a strong commitment to the community. Co-host Andrea Palm and Aaron check in with the Chief Pacillas and hear about his approach to leadership and Chief’s regular guy interests like woodworking and his family. And this week’s Teacher Hot Tip comes from James Causey who discusses how trips to Washington D.C. spur self-confidence and civic engagement.

Our Youngest Angel: Andrea Gates Ingle

Co-founder of El Paso non-profit, Creative Kids, Andrea Gates Ingle somehow doesn’t consider herself an artist. Yet she and her husband Steven have forged a creative path that helps kids every day to learn how to make and appreciate art. And accomplish profound and long-term healing. Ann joins this week as co-host referencing her obsession with Billie Eilish her enjoyment of Jayne Eyre and coining the phrase “turn the pizza”. And new this week, Elliot steps in an Angel on the Street Segment about the value and experience of young people getting involved in politics.

Therapy Angel: Jason Wyatt

What’s it like to grow up with a therapist in the house? Apparently it’s not so bad. Joining Aaron this week as a co-host, Zeke interviews his dad, Jason Wyatt, a therapist in Las Cruces. Jason also directs local community theater and does a little acting himself. Talking through the merits of finding your people and developing your own identity even with a significant other, it turns out some therapy techniques like empathy and introspection also moonlight as great parenting. Angel on the Street, Laura Chacon then talks about what leading a spiritual life means to her.

• Chapters

Pageant Angel: Gia Soleil Espinoza

This is not your grandma's pageant winner: Gia uses her platform as Miss Earth USA to hone her skills at advocacy, conversation, and public speaking. She tells us she used to have social anxiety, but you wouldn't know it to hear her now. Listen as she describes her friend Mia Molina and the reason she has taken up the important work of advocating against domestic violence. Then Angel on the Street Vera Chacon talks about... wait for it... lessons learned from dating. It could have been awkward but our Angel on the Street handles the topic with grace, emotional intelligence, and maturity.

• Chapters

Trooper Angel: Rob Robledo

We’re keeping you on your toes this week by adding two new co-hosts to the mix. Eastwood High School Juniors Elliot Urey and Eli Rodriguez and Aaron sit down with Principal Rob Robledo to ask the usual hard-hitting questions. Spoiler alert – empathy and kindness came up again in this episode as a guiding principle for how to be a principal. See what I did there? Then in Ganmer Corner, Canadian gamer Robin Ghosh discusses his game called UnEarth - a game about conflict resolution through communication strategies.

• Chapters

Boss Lady Angel: Gloria Aguilera Terry

This week we welcome the Borderland’s own Gloria Aguilera Terry who leads the Texas Council on Family Violence, one of the most effective anti-violence agencies in the county. Not only is Gloria at the forefront of advocacy work she also finds time for her family and get this her Harley!

• Chapters

The Courts Have Angels: Anna Perez

Turns out you can find angels in all sorts of places. This week Judge Anna Perez takes the stand as our guest. Her daughter, Julianna Fierro, joins Aaron to hear from Anna about her judicial philosophy, how she uses faith in her own life and offers insight on how she helps kids develop a healthy self-image. Then Eastwood High School Teacher Sarah Behrens offers a Teacher Hot Tip: English class as a way to develop healthy self-image and critical thinking.

• Chapters

Angels Back At It: Drew Crecente

Wow it’s the Season 2 premiere at long last. We took some time off, but now the Angels are back at it talking with Jennifer’s Group Founder and Executive Director Drew Crecente. He tells Juliana, Ann, and Aaron about how he came to do the work he does addressing teen dating violence prevention using positive gaming on a global scale. Then teacher Lizzie Mullins weighs in on how the sciences encourage a healthy self-image in the young people she teaches every day.

• Chapters

Singing Angel: Courtney Santana

It’s the Season 1 Finale! Here’s your chance to meet the super star behind this podcast’s theme song, Hardcore Believer! Courageous, smart, and ebullient, Courtney Santana joins Co-Hosts Andrea Palm and Aaron to talk about Courtney’s new album, Living Through It All – get this album! We also hear about Courtney’s decades of activism for survivors of intimate partner violence and her harcore resilience. In a two-fer, this week, you get two final segments. First, Gamer Corner features Drew Crecente speaking with game designers Damian Hadyi and his daughter Miranda Hadyi Olmedo from 2GEN Team about their award winning game Wasteland of Eloquence. Last, in the Teacher Hot Tip, Stephanie Yuen (a previous guest and my sister!) offers advice on prioritizing the journey over the goal; how’d she get so smart?

• Chapters

Accountability Angel: Cynthia Caro

Cynthia Caro built her career on helping victims of violence get safe and helping to hold offenders accountable. As important as those roles are, she still ranks Mom as her most important. Listen to how she developed an informed point of view in working with offenders seeking to turn a corner and has used many of those lessons learned and core beliefs to inform her approach to that most important job. In the Teacher Hot Tip, theater teacher Rachel Mullins expresses the true value of learning, working in and enjoying the theater for young people, and, well, all of us.

• Chapters

Angels Run, Kick, and Jump: Stephanie Yuen

It’s even more of a family affair this week, with Aaron co-opting the podcast to talk with his sister Stephanie Yuen and her son -- and more importantly Aaron’s nephew, Avery. Fans of the Healing Arts from the Borderland Podcast may recognize Avery as the sage at the end of every episode offering his unique take on life. He joins as co-host in this episode as Stephanie walks – er, runs – us through her passion for teaching, approaches to fostering empathy, re-focusing young people on process more than the end result, and overall showing off her going-on-two-decades-worth of teaching expertise. Jessica Malone provides this week’s Teacher Hot Tip: using the romance novel as a method for cultivating healthy self-images of teens.

• Chapters

Media Angel: Stephanie Valle

El Paso’s own media darling, Stephanie Valle, steps up to the plate this week with her daughter Velora as co-host. A long-trusted source for news, insight and community services, Stephanie discusses how raising her son and Velora required the same and different skills at the same time; how going to work with curly hair actually stands as an example of her own and others’ empowerment; and Velora’s heroics in her latest softball game. Bringing some international flare, Lucas Vially, from France, joins Drew in Gamer Corner, discussing the video games 'Culture Overlord' and 'Time to Explain!', previous winners of the Live. Love. Game Design Challenge in 2020 and 2025.

• Chapters

The County Has Angels: Christina Sanchez

This week’s co-host, Luna, joins Aaron in interviewing her mom, the El Paso County Attorney, Christina Sanchez. How does a county attorney help shape boys’ and girls’ healthy self-images? Christina discusses her approach in her own home as well as in her professional life. Exposing kids to travel, mock trial, helping at-risk young people who need it…turns out county attorneys have a key role to play. And then Angel on Street, Vera Chacon, talks the real real when it comes to graduation.

• Chapters

Angel in the Law: Maureen Franco

Plot twist – this is our first episode in which the Co-Host and Guest have particularly close ties. Listen as Ann (and Aaron) cross examines Ann’s mom, Maureen Franco, about key matters like the family dogs’ names and Ann’s perfectionist tendencies. Oh yeah, and hear how Maureen leads a federal public defender’s office larger than most states in a compassionate and family-focused manner. Angel on the Street Vera talks about her experience in mock trial and how she sees that activity as enriching for all participants.

• Chapters

Sheltering Angels: Sandra Garcia

This week Juliana and Aaron talk with the fun and impactful and brilliant Sandra Garcia. She leads the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV) in El Paso – the region’s domestic violence shelter and resource center. Did you know CASFV shelters more children than adults? Hear how Sandra works to support survivors and their children and her meaningfully contributions to the teen dating violence prevention movement. Then, Angel on the Street Laura discusses what it’s like to live in Juarez and commute at 5am daily to El Paso for swimming and school. Spoiler: time management is her superpower.

Angel in Charge: Nancy Tovar

This week, Ann steps in as co-host. Loretto High School Principal, Nancy Tovar, puts the “pal” in principal, serving as a guiding mentor to Loretto’s angels and seeing herself as a mom to them all. Loretto’s 100 year history fosters a culture supporting the development of healthy self images of its students. Ann weighs in on challenges and the pride she has come to feel in being a quirky theater kid; and this week’s magic wand question yields a book reading assignment and an extemporaneous definition of feminism. Loretto teacher James Causey then serves up this week’s Teacher Hot Tip about the life lessons students learn in participating in mock trial.

• Chapters

Angels Get Started: Dr. Elizabeth Richeson

All hands on deck this week to get us started: Juliana, Andrea and Ann join Aaron to talk with Dr. Elizabeth Richeson. A practicing clinical psychologist, Dr. Richeson discusses her love for her granddaughter, Jennifer Ann, the namesake of this podcast. And she spotlights Jennifer Ann’s Group’s efforts in addressing teen dating violence in El Paso and beyond and she waves our first magic wand. Don’t forget Gamer Corner: Drew Crecente, founder of Jennifer Ann’s Group and Jennifer Ann’s dad, highlights a whole library of video games sponsored by Jennifer Ann’s Group and that address teen dating violence prevention. Intrigued? Give us a listen!

• Chapters

Angels Introduction

Get to know the Jennifer’s Angels Podcast crew! Andrea, Ann and Juliana join Aaron to brainstorm about a new podcast supported by Jennifer Ann’s Group and aimed at addressing teen dating violence prevention, developing a healthy self-image and generally getting together to have a little fun. Angels on the Street Vera and Laura come up with a couple fun segments for each episode and Editor Desmond keeps us in line. Take a listen to the Jennifer’s Angels theme song, Hardcore Believer.

• Chapters