St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

Welcome to the Podcast of St. Thomas More Academy in Raleigh, NC. We’re here to talk about the formation of the whole person, especially young men and women in the Catholic liberal arts tradition, all to the greater glory of God.

#58 Human Formation of Students 12/19/2025

#58 Human Formation of Students Deacon Brad, Dr. Noland, Mrs. Jackson, and Mr. McCants discuss a series of topics related to the human formation of students in this conversation. We will be on a two week break, but look forward to new episodes in the New Year. Merry Christmas to all! /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/39466600

#57 Thoughts On Being A Student Athlete (Part 2) 12/08/2025

#57 Thoughts On Being A Student Athlete (Part 2) Deacon Brad, Jake Noland, Kelly Jackson, and Charles McCants sit down for part 2 on being a student athlete, but this time some of the negatives and challenges that can come with participating in sports. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/39316320

#56 Fr. Leo Dornan (STMA 2014), Seminarian Ben Dornan (STMA 2024), and Seminarian Jorge Sotelo 11/25/2025

#56 Fr. Leo Dornan (STMA 2014), Seminarian Ben Dornan (STMA 2024), and Seminarian Jorge Sotelo Deacon Brad Watkins, Charles McCants, and Rob Kirkendall were joined on this special episode by alumni brothers Fr. Leo Dornan, CO and Seminarian Ben Dornan, as well as Seminarian Jorge Sotelo for a conversation following their visit for morning Mass. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/39170965

#55 What's The Problem With Side Conversations? 11/12/2025

#55 What's The Problem With Side Conversations? In this episode we discuss the ideal classroom and challenges to the learning environment as well as brief conversation about what it really means to get a low grade on a test or quiz. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/39006425

#54 The Argument For Doing Hard Things 11/05/2025

#54 The Argument For Doing Hard Things This week Deacon Brad, Dr. Noland, and Mr. McCants have a conversation about why believe in the importance of doing hard things - especially children being allowed and encouraged to do hard things, even if it sometimes means they fail or fall short of the goal. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38922715

#53 Newman's Kindly Light by Robert Kirkendall 10/30/2025

#53 Newman's Kindly Light by Robert Kirkendall In this episode, Mr. Kirkendall shares a talk he delivered to the student body, "Newman's Kindly Light," about the personal story behind St. John Henry Newman's composition of his famous hymn, "Lead Kindly Light." On November 1st, Pope Leo XIV will declare Newman a Doctor of the Church and co-patron of Catholic education. This is an exciting time to celebrate and learn more about Newman's teachings, but Mr. Kirkendall also hopes to show the depth and authenticity of Newman's personal discipleship to Christ, and his humble, life-long process of converting more deeply to the "Kindly Light" of God's truth. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38849795

#52 Thoughts On Being A Student Athlete (Part 1) 10/22/2025

#52 Thoughts On Being A Student Athlete (Part 1) Deacon Brad, Jake Noland, Kelly Jackson, and Charles McCants sit down to discuss STMA's athletics program and the many positives that can come with participating in sports for student athletes. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38739260

#51 Good Outcomes 10/08/2025

#51 Good Outcomes Deacon Brad, Kelly Jackson, and Charles McCants discuss some of the good outcomes we are seeing at STMA, and on an ongoing basis. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38510405

#50 Aligning with Standards 09/24/2025

#50 Aligning with Standards Following on last week's episode, this week Deacon Brad, Mrs. Jackson, and Mr. McCants talk about aligning with standards, and specifically how "Formation Notices" are a piece of the work we do at the school. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38337085

#49 Holding Standards 09/17/2025

#49 Holding Standards Dating back to ancient Greece, one definition of academy is an institute that holds and maintains standards. This is certainly a core principle of STMA and its founder/chairman, Mr. Robert Luddy. The challenge, as they say, is that your standards are what you allow and tolerate, and far too many schools have significantly lowered standards over recent decades with regard to behavior, dress, and academics. This seems to put STMA in an odd place locally via compare and contrast among student peers and parents, making us the supposedly "strict" school in the area - despite all the evidence to the contrary. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38249950

#48 Developing the Necessary Skill of Anticipation In Young People 09/10/2025

#48 Developing the Necessary Skill of Anticipation In Young People One of the unique and vital skills for successful people in all walks of life is the ability to anticipate. Unfortunately, it is a trait that is less and less common in young people today. Much of this stems from how the majority of schools educate children, but also how parents are raising their children. From math and science, to literature and philosophy, and even into sports, leadership, and business, the ability to anticipate the needs of others, what someone else is likely to do, or how things will change in the future, is vital. This becomes even more important as we prepare for the revolution that is to come with AI and SAI technology that is, to some large extent, computer based anticipatory programming. In terms of student formation, if they are not taught how to do this, if they are not allowed to try it and fail, they will likely find future employment and success more challenging. We believe strongly that STMA's classic liberal arts education model uniquely targets this sort of learning and formation. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38155940

#47 Discerning Fit for Families and Students 09/04/2025

#47 Discerning Fit for Families and Students Deacon Brad, Kelly Jackson, and Charles McCants discuss the types of families and students who see the best outcomes from the formation that STMA offers, as well as those families/students who may not find the school to be the best fit. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/38083515

#46 Best School? 08/27/2025

#46 Best School? After a year hiatus, the STMA Podcast is back and will (pray God) be much more consistent this year. In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, Mr. Charles McCants, and Mrs. Kelly Jackson, think through how people could objectively discern "the best school" and make the argument that STMA is that school. Perhaps not the best school for every family or student, but still objectively excellent based on outcomes. The conversation also touches on how this matters for students in relation to the coming AI revolution. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/37978760

#45 Zone-2 Your Life: Integrated Excellence with St. Teresa of the Andes and Servant of God Francisco Garcés 08/28/2024

#45 Zone-2 Your Life: Integrated Excellence with St. Teresa of the Andes and Servant of God Francisco Garcés Zone-2 Your Life: Integrated Excellence with St. Teresa of the Andes and Servant of God Francisco Garcés Humanities Instructor Mr. Rob Kirkendall discusses how to pursue virtuous excellence in all domains given our human limitations and high spiritual calling. He looks to profound examples in the lives of a young Chilean Carmelite nun and an early Franciscan explorer and missionary to the American Southwest. More about : More about St. John Henry Newman's meditation, /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/32773952

#44 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 2) 05/13/2024

#44 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 2) Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, Mr. Charles McCants, and Mr. Rob Kirkendall continue discussing the idea of "Classical Education," and our collective reflections on what it is and isn't from years of experience. Part two of a two part conversation. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/31260377

#43 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 1) 04/24/2024

#43 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 1) Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, Mr. Charles McCants, and Mr. Rob Kirkendall discuss the idea of "Classical Education," and our collective reflections on what it is and isn't from years of experience. Part one of a two part conversation. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/30968423

#42 Purpose and Care 03/27/2024

#42 Purpose and Care After a four month (unplanned) hiatus, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants dust off the podcast equipment and talk about Purpose and Care. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/30569928

#41 Gratitude 11/22/2023

#41 Gratitude As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the virtue of gratitude. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/28764223

#40 Five Attributes of Outstanding Students 11/08/2023

#40 Five Attributes of Outstanding Students In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants try something a little different. Before recording we each listed what we believe are five attributes of outstanding students - those all around 95th percentile students we've had the pleausre of working with over our careers in education and formation. During the episode we share our attributes and why we think they're important. Book mentioned in the podcast- . /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/28553114

#39 Mr. Bob Luddy, STMA Founder and Chairman 11/01/2023

#39 Mr. Bob Luddy, STMA Founder and Chairman Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants are joined today by Mr. Bob Luddy, Founder and Chairman of STMA, for a conversation about culture, standards, and integrity among other points of discussion. We remain ever grateful for Mr. Luddy's vision, leadership, and tremendous generosity in support of our mission at STMA, as well as his ongoing efforts aimed at the restoration of culture and the education/formation of young people to the greater glory of God. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/28483706

#38 Self-Discipline 10/25/2023

#38 Self-Discipline In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of self-discipline as it relates to student outcomes. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/28423355

#37 Holy Obedience 09/15/2023

#37 Holy Obedience In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of Holy Obedience as it relates to our faith and lives, especially in connection to the young people we are working to form to the greater glory of God. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/28042392

#36 Adriana Watkins lecture - "The Life Is Given Eventually: Joseph Dutton’s Story” 05/30/2023

#36 Adriana Watkins lecture - "The Life Is Given Eventually: Joseph Dutton’s Story” This episode features the story of Joseph Dutton, an American veteran who spent the last half of his life working with leprosy patients in Molokai, Hawaii. This lecture by Ms. Adriana Watkins was given to students at STMA in April 2023. Dutton’s life is a beautiful example of the way God’s Providence follows us through strange turns of fate, and even through our own mistakes. Some very helpful resources made this lecture possible, including: The Joseph Dutton Guild’s reissuing of an old Dutton biography: “The Soul of Kalaupapa,” a documentary about the colony: A collection of the only few of Dutton’s letters available online: " /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/26990931

#35 Robert Kirkendall lecture: Becoming Prayer: Adoration and the Life of St. Titus Brandsma 05/19/2023

#35 Robert Kirkendall lecture: Becoming Prayer: Adoration and the Life of St. Titus Brandsma This episode features Mr. Rob Kirkendall, Instructor in the Humanities, delivering a lecture to the student body titled “Becoming Prayer: Adoration and the Life of St. Titus Brandsma.” St. Titus, canonized a year ago by Pope Francis, was a Dutch journalist, educator, Carmelite priest, and mystic who was martyred in Dachau by the Nazis for coordinating resistance Nazi policies in the Netherlands. Mr. Kirkendall showcases how much we can learn from St. Titus about the life of prayer: beneath his vigorous apostolic work was a life nourished by intense prayer, especially adoration of Christ in the Eucharist. It is our special ambition at St. Thomas More Academy to form students in academic, spiritual, and moral excellence, above all nourished by an integrated relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, to the greater glory of God. May St. Titus’ example inspire us to pursue authentic prayer and work, true adoration and real virtue, fervent action and deep contemplation. Below are sources Mr. Kirkendall consulted for research, including three books and a web-page. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/26889204

#34 Girls On The Edge 05/07/2023

#34 Girls On The Edge In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants shift the discussion from Boys Adrift to the topic of girls and young women as related to Dr. Leonard Sax's book, A main point of emphasis for this conversation is the high levels of "anxiety" we see every year in a small number of female students over the years. The students themselves were usually at a loss for the precise cause for their anxiety. Parents and therapists were also unable to offer clues. Or hope is that this conversation might offer some helpful insights we have gleened from years of working with students. We also mentioned another helpful podcast episode: /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/26768679

#33 Boys Adrift (part 2) 04/27/2023

#33 Boys Adrift (part 2) Apologies, for some reason the recording of this podcast cut off at the 33 minute mark, and we didn't realize it until later. In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants continue discussing the topic of boys and young men that struggle (or more appropriately, don't) with positive engagement in life and arrested development. Over the years we've had more than a few conversations with parents about sons that seem to lack any and all motivation to work hard and apply themselves to tasks at hand. It's a difficult topic, because there are no quick and easy solutions. After years of reading, watching, and listening to countless resources on the subject, we are really no closer to "solving" the problem than we were over a decade ago. As we often say, it's more an issue of a death by a thousand little cuts than it is one huge "cut" that would be easier to correct. So while we don't have a simple solution, we have become a little better at assessing the problem and have a few insights ordered to better outcomes. We share our thoughts in this episode which is part 1 of a longer conversation. is the title of a book by Dr. Leonard Sax. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/26670963

#32 Boys Adrift (part 1) 11/14/2022

#32 Boys Adrift (part 1) In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of boys and young men that struggle (or more appropriately, don't) with positive engagement in life and arrested development. Over the years we've had more than a few conversations with parents about sons that seem to lack any and all motivation to work hard and apply themselves to tasks at hand. It's a difficult topic, because there are no quick and easy solutions. After years of reading, watching, and listening to countless resources on the subject, we are really no closer to "solving" the problem than we were over a decade ago. As we often say, it's more an issue of a death by a thousand little cuts than it is one huge "cut" that would be easier to correct. So while we don't have a simple solution, we have become a little better at assessing the problem and have a few insights ordered to better outcomes. We share our thoughts in this episode which is part 1 of a longer conversation. is the title of a book by Dr. Leonard Sax. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/25001814

#31 Paying Attention 10/04/2022

#31 Paying Attention In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of paying attention. The ability to pay attention is a critical life skill, but not unlike prayer it is one of those things we tell people (especially students) to do, without really explaining how they go about doing it. We share some thoughts on the subject and suggests listeners also download these podcasts on the subject as well: The Heights Forum podcast with Kevin Majeres: The Art of Manliness podcast on focus and paying attention: /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/24578241

#30 Deacon (Soon to be Father) John De Guzman 05/19/2022

#30 Deacon (Soon to be Father) John De Guzman Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants sit down for a conversation with STMA Alumnus Deacon John De Guzman ('14) about his time at the Academy, his studies at St. Charles Borromeo College Seminary, and Theological College Seminary at Catholic University of America. Deacon John also discussed his discernment and vocation to the priesthood, offering words of wisdom for others discerning a call to the Priesthood or Religious Life. Please pray for Deacon John and Deacon Erik Reyes as they prepare for their ordination to the Priesthood on Saturday, June 4th at 10:00am at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/23171864

#29 Gratitude for Students 04/12/2022

#29 Gratitude for Students In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Charles McCants express gratitude for the wonderful students we get to build relationships with at STMA. /episode/index/show/stmacademy/id/22771283

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