From the time she was a 7th grader in rural Minnesota, Deb Core knew she was passionate about livestock judging. Her mentors in 4H inspired her to pursue a path that would lead her to build a new layer on a family farm's legacy here in Pleasantville and become the first woman to judge the famous American Royal Steer Show in 2023. But beneath a growing tower of accolade and prestige is a humble, Jesus-loving woman with a feed bucket and a warm smile. When it comes to hard work, Deb sets the standard. As a member of the Pleasantville community, Deb has been an advocate, mentor, and friend to many. Her love for God and people has been demonstrated in her generosity, wise words, and open arms.

Emily and Jennie sit down with Deb to talk about her life and passions. She shares wisdom with us on faith, raising kids, and the rewards of living a sacrificial and hard working life.

And, we even picked a GenZ word of the pod just for her! Find out what your GenZ teen means when they use the word, "Slaps"! If you're a member of the livestock showing community, you'll know why we picked THAT word in particular.

Read more about Deb and her family farm in this article.

Check out the farm Facebook Page: Boyert-Core Show Cattle

Mr. Wilkins: A name which shall live in Pleasantville infamy. A name which nearly anyone who attended middle school at PCSD holds with both reverence and fondness. Why? Because Mr. Tom Wilkins is the kind of teacher you remember. The kind of teacher who has high expectations for his students, but who also has high hopes for his students.

Mr. Thomas Wilkins has been teaching English at Pleasantville Middle School for 27 years. Ask any PCSD middle school alumni what they remember about Mr. Wilkins, and they'll give you at least one story, if not many, that will make you laugh and say, "I wish I had a teacher like that."

We sit down with Mr. Wilkins to talk about his career in teaching and why he has chosen to teach middle school for nearly three decades. He shares advice for parents and community members to help us understand this age group better.

We also share our personal memories with Mr. Wilkins and reminisce a bit about how things have changed and the greatest challenges middle school students are facing today.

We had a BLAST talking with Tom and hearing his philosophy on life and teaching! We know you'll enjoy hearing it too! And hey, let's make common sense common again!

Don't fall asleep, or you're cooked! (see our guide to GenZ speak here)

Tara Williams is a Pleasantville girl through and through and she is BACK to her hometown as the Pleasantville Community School District's Activities Director. Tara sits down with us to talk about being a life-long learner, how athletics helped keep her on track in high school, her faith, family, and so much more!

Whether you've just met Tara this year or you've known her since pre-school, you'll love hearing her perspective and laughing along with us as we hear all about her journey to where she is today.

Other links:

PVILLEYI Building Project