by Bradley Adams and Erin Grasty

Public Relations Manager and Editor-in-Chief

For the few people who haven’t already heard, there is a podcast circulating through the halls of LGHS that changes the way students perceive each other and talk about societal issues. Mind in Pieces, a podcast created by senior Casey Kamali, features a variety of interviews with various students, helping illustrate the struggles teenagers face in modern day society.

The inspiration of Mind in Pieces germinated from Kamali’s personal struggles. She explained, “I just was kind of sick of feeling like everyone else had everything together and I was really messed up.” After her suicide attempt in February, Kamali started this podcast in hopes of creating a platform that would allow “teens to be able to talk openly about what they experience and struggles that they face whether it be mental health related, family stuff, and just anything [they’ve] been through.”

For the first episode, Kamali started by reaching out to peers asking if they would be interested in sharing their personal stories. She watched YouTube tutorials and found a producer for the theme song in order to prepare for the production of the series. Kamali records the podcasts in her self-constructed recording studio in her family’s guest house.

Thus far, Kamali has received nothing but positive and appreciative feedback. Many enthusiastic listeners have reached out to Kamali, expressing their gratitude for Mind in Pieces. One comment on Apple Podcasts says, “For a generation crippled by mental health issues, this is a great podcast to hear straight from the teens themselves what is driving their struggles and how they are working to get better. Casey is a superstar for launching this!” Another review from senior Jacob Ballou states, “This is an awesome podcast Casey! Los Gatos is such a surface level town and it’s interesting to see how others are going through similar experiences as us.” The number of listens for each episode averages around 900 plays per episode, starting at over 1000 listens on the first episode, “White Picket Fence,” a fan-favorite.

According to Kamali’s close friends and peers, the demographic of the listeners ranges from high school students to parents and educators. As Mind in Pieces gains traction, she is able to outsource guests for future episodes. Kamali informed us that one of the anonymous interviewees actually messaged her asking to share their story, one that they otherwise wouldn’t have been comfortable sharing.

Many listeners have expressed towards one another how appreciative they are for the podcast and how it has helped bring the graduating senior class in particular closer together. When asked what she hopes people take away from the podcast, Kamali responded, “You’re never alone in anything you experience as much as it feels like that, and trust me I know it feels like that… Also, that you shouldn’t feel ashamed to talk about this kind of stuff.”

Mind in Pieces is currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher with a new episode out every Sunday.