The daily news can fill us with despair. My Unsung Hero is an antidote to that despair. Each episode reveals what the news ignores: everyday acts of kindness and courage that transformed someone’s life. Listen — and renew your faith in humanity.
Recent Heroes
In 2008, Prop 8 passed in California, leaving Kate feeling unwelcome in her own state. Then one stranger’s quiet courage on a train platform reminded her she wasn’t alone.
When he was 15, Eric lost his mother to suicide. When he returned to school, most adults avoided the subject — until his chorus director got up from the piano and gave him a wordless hug.
In high school, Elizabeth’s choir solo ended in embarrassment after her high note came booming through the mic. But a classmate's kind words restored her confidence just when she needed it.
When Silvana realized she didn't have enough money to finish the school year in college, her teacher told her she had been accepted to a scholarship. Later she learned the truth: the “scholarship” was from him.
Minutes before an important job interview, Oliver realized he’d forgotten his dress shirt. A stranger offered a kind and unexpected solution.
When she was in the sixth grade, Tanya's world was unraveling. One day, overcome with grief, she cried in class — and her teacher, Mrs. Welch, wrapped Tanya in a hug.
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Podcast:
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Newsletter:
Go behind the scenes, see what Shankar is reading and find more useful resources and links.
If you’d like to submit an Unsung Hero for use on the show, please record it and click the button below to email it to [email protected]
Instructions:
Find a quiet room and open a recording app on your phone. (Here are tips on how to record yourself properly.)
Speaking in full sentences, please tell us about your Unsung Hero. No need to write down your story and read it from paper— speaking conversationally is best. A recording of 3-5 minutes is plenty. Your story should include (but does not need to be limited to):
- Your full name and where you’re from.
- The full name of your Unsung Hero, if you know it.
- A particular moment or event that prompted you to make this person your Unsung Hero. Tell us as much about that event as you can remember — what the scene was like, and what emotions you felt.
- Did you have a chance to thank them?
- If they were standing in front of you right now, what would you say?
- How does this person continue to impact you and your life?