College During COVID: Author BJ’s Impactful Coming-of-Age Story on David's Saturday Night Sit Back
Manage episode 424877792 series 3453367
If you enjoy BJ's story, please make sure to give the podcast a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts!
Join us for an engaging episode with BJ, author of "COVID, College, & Life Transitions," and a writer for Texas A&M’s student news site, The Battalion. BJ shares his inspiring coming-of-age journey, filled with challenges, resilience, and personal growth.
In this episode, we dive into:
(0:00) - BJ gets banned from TikTok for violating community guidelines 10:00 - Story: BJ’s daring pontoon boat adventure with 18 people on a 10-person boat. We discuss memorable characters and favorite sections from his book.
(21:20) - BJ's future aspirations post-college
(27:45) - Key context to understand BJ's journey
(31:00) - BJ’s perception of 9/11, having been born after the event
(34:00) - Growing up playing football in Pearland, TX, and a story about a football-related injury
(46:00) - Transferring to a school in Rochester, IN, and retelling the chapter “Tunnel Vision” from his book. The importance of leaving a legacy and uniting his class during a global pandemic.
(59:00) - The impact of BJ’s mentor’s death on his mindset and the football team
(1:07:00) - BJ’s evolving relationship with his dad after his parents' divorce
(1:13:00) - Attending college during a national pandemic, the unnamed school, and dealing with institutional gaslighting
(1:26:00) - Discussing the concept of "faking it till you make it," lying to a mentor, and landing at Texas A&M
(1:37:25) - How to make an impact on your community regardless of age, financial status, gender, race, or any other factor
(1:40:00) - Men spending tens of thousands to battle loneliness
(1:54:00) - BJ shares something he’s never told anyone before
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring stories!
COVID, college life, life transitions, Texas A&M, Battalion, coming-of-age, football injury, mentor loss, community impact, TikTok ban, pandemic education, resilience, Pearland TX, Rochester IN, mental health.
87 episoder