Growing Up Archives - Page 34 of 40 - StoryCorps

Roger Villanueva and Lourdes Villanueva

Lourdes Villanueva talks to her son Roger about growing up in a family of migrant workers, and the dedication and hard work she put in to get her GED—and her desire to graduate before her own children got their diplomas.

Originally aired February 27, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Reverend James Seawood

Reverend James Seawood grew up in the 1950s in Sheridan, Arkansas, and attended an all-black school.

The town’s main employer and landlord was a lumber mill. Following the federal mandate to integrate the public schools, the mill forced its African American employees and tenants out of town. As the population diminished, James’ mother became his school’s principal, janitor, and whatever else was needed.

At StoryCorps, he recalls how integration led to African Americans being forced out of his hometown, the human cost of “urban renewal,” and the fate of his beloved school.

Originally aired February 20, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Kim Wargo and Ida Cortez

Ida Cortez, 10, talks with her mom, Kim Wargo, about Ida’s dyslexia, and how she wishes people understood, “it’s not like an illness of the brain, it’s a difference of the brain, every brain is a little bit different.”

Originally aired February 6, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Ed Miller and EJ Miller

Ed Miller talks with his son EJ about the lessons he learned and the advice he received from his own “Pop,” and offers EJ some of his own advice about becoming a father and raising children.

Originally aired January 23, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Dr. Jim Fleming and his daughter Janetta

Dr. Jim Fleming tells his daughter, Janetta Fleming Concepcion, about being trapped indoors by the Great Ice Storm of 1951.

Originally aired January 2, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Ledo Lucietto and Anne Lucietto

Ledo Lucietto and his daughter Anne talk about their shared passion for mechanical engineering that has been passed down through generations and discuss when Ledo first knew that Anne would become an engineer.

Originally aired December 12, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Barbara Cooper and Jody Houston

Barbara Cooper (left) and her mother, Jody Houston, talk about Barbara living with a rare genetic condition called progeria, which speeds up her body’s aging process. While most people with progeria do not live past 13, at the time of their interview, Barbara was 31 years old.

Originally aired December 5, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Mike Kilgore

Mike Kilgore remembers his grandmother, Sara Louisa Matilda Elizabeth Nowles, who played a large role in his upbringing and helped him stay out of trouble while teaching him about life.

Originally aired November 21, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Lillian Howell and Thomas Howell

Lillian Howell tells her son Thomas about the three-day trip her family took during the Great Depression from Ohio to Virginia to live with her father’s family after he lost his job.

Originally aired October 31, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Kenny Sailors and Anne Brande

Former NBA player Kenny Sailors is credited with pioneering the modern jump shot. Growing up on a farm in Wyoming, he played basketball with his older brother, which required him to find a new way to shoot the ball. (Until then, shots were taken with two hands from chest level while the player stood on the ground.)

Kenny Sailors' jumpshotKenny went on to become a three-time all-American at the University of Wyoming and later played a few years of professional basketball. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Kenny, who never explicitly claimed credit for inventing the jump shot, told StoryCorps he likes Ray Meyers (DePaul University’s famed coach) explanation of his place in history best, “Sailors might not have been the first player to jump in the air and shoot the ball, but he developed the shot that is being used today.”

Kenny came to StoryCorps with his friend, Anne Brande, in July 2008, to talk about his early life and the lasting fame the jump shot has brought him. (Kenny Sailors passed away on January 30, 2016 at the age of 95.)

Originally aired October 24, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.