Beyond The Lines Season 1

Introduction: What is Beyond The Lines?

In this episode of Beyond The Lines you will get to meet our host, Delaney Hogg and get a little glimpse into what this podcast will be about. Delaney Hogg is a senior marketing major, expected to graduate in May of 2020.

On this season of Beyond The Lines, we will discuss very sensitive topics such as sexual abuse, alcohol, drug abuse, and self-harm. If you or someone you know is suffering from any of these (or different) crises, please contact ECU Counseling Center at 252-328-6661. If you are concerned about an individual, we encourage you to contact ECU Cares at 252-737-5555 or ecucares.ecu.edu.

Episode 1: Rachel Maynard, Resilient & Real

Sharing your story is the epitome of being resilient and real. Rachel speaks out on how she dealt with many issues. She abused drugs, she was drugged, she had a stalker, was arrested and experienced sexual violence throughout her early college experience. Rachel knew she needed help but didn’t know exactly how or where to get it. Follow Rachel’s journey of how she overcame many obstacles and has become a successful student, graduate assistant, and person.

Episode 2: Jahad Carter: Unapologetically Queer

Join Jahad Carter as he talks about his coming out story as a queer male in today’s society. Jahad struggles to find himself but after a roller-coaster adventure of life, he’s strong, resilient and ready to empower the ECU community!

“Life has always been a bumpy roller-coaster, it was tough at the bottom but I always had fun at the top. I lived, I cried and I learned to love and accept myself. I am unapologetically queer, and I am here.” Jahad Carter

Episode 3: Mackenzie Wrench: “…it didn’t define me.“

“I felt unworthy and alone, I was always cold and tire. Then came hospitals and treatment facilities. My eating disorder controlled me, but I did not let it define me. I learned to love myself again and bring awareness to what eating disorders truly are.”

At a young age, Mackenzie was diagnosed with an eating disorder. This later affected her high school as she spent time in an in-patient treatment facility learning how to love herself again. She shares her experiences in treatment and post-treatment and how she managed to not just get through college but thrive. She is an advocate for beating the stigma that society puts around eating disorders. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 24th – March 1st so we wanted to shed light on this topic that is not commonly talked about on college campuses.

Episode 4: Zecharia Felton: “I’m the First”

“First in my family to attend college. I felt alone and unworthy, stricken by fear and self-doubt, wondering if I even have what it takes. Now I stand before you, self-assured and confident in who I am.” Being a first-generation college student has its challenges.

Zechariah had to overcome financial difficulty and find his path through college and to find his way. Not only is Zechariah now thriving in college, but he has also started a student organization for first-generation students just like him. Hear more about Zechariah’s story of resiliency in today’s episode.

Episode 5: Ethan: “I wanted to be somebody.”

Ethan shares his journey of addiction beginning at the age of 12 years old when a family member introduced him to marijuana. That led to a series of experiments with many other forms of drugs to include pain killers and heroin. At one point in Ethan’s journey, he was homeless and staying in a retail store’s parking lot until he made the choice to get his life together and get clean. Ethan is on his way to law school and is excited about how he can keep telling his story to help other people in the future.

Ethan wishes to keep his identity anonymous due to his future career plans but felt that telling his story was a very important part of his recovery. We at CRW respect his decision and wish him all the best!

Episode 6: River: “Stopped from being myself.”

River shares her experience of being a transgender woman in college and the process of transitioning. She explains her experience in greek life, passing privilege, and how her friends and family reacted to the news. River is in the art school and will be entering her senior year in the fall.