It is approaching 10:30 a.m. on a bright and sunny April Wednesday and The Roar studio in the Meeman Journalism Building is starting to see signs of activity.
With a pre-recorded show already playing, the TigerLIFE Crew begins to fill the seven chairs around the studio table as well as a few chairs lining the walls. Included in the chairs with microphones in front of them are Tyler Brown and Jasmynne Knoll, two of the students soon to be recording, while Terris “TK” King, an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media, and Adriyana Hester, a senior health science major, are sitting away from the microphones.
TigerLIFE was founded in January 2013 and stands for Tigers Learning Independence Fostering Education and Employment. The purpose of the program, which operates out of the College of Education, offers “curriculum designed to help neurodiverse young adults succeed in obtaining and maintaining competitive integrated employment and live independently.”
The script for the show this day includes the seven students talking about the Good Friday and Easter weekend, their favorite spots on campus and how sports are good for your health. Hester, who hopes to find a career in special education following graduation, meets with the students twice a week as part of her internship, helping them craft a script on Tuesdays and recapping and brainstorming about the following week’s show on Thursday.
“I am going into special education, working with those with learning disabilities and assisting them with self-advocacy and independency in life,” Hester said. “I help them (the TigerLIFE Crew) and encourage them to talk about what they want to talk about.”
Brown and Knoll pace the show this week, both introducing segments and directing who should speak and when. It was Knoll’s idea to talk about April being Autism Awareness Month.
“I was chosen to do this as my internship,” said Knoll, dressed in a grey suit. “I hope I am able to continue doing this (next semester) as it is really fun and I definitely enjoy it a lot.”
“Last year, we went on a tour in this room of the podcast,” Brown said. “It’s all about learning how to keep the conversation going for the next 30 minutes. I enjoy coming here. It makes me feel comfortable talking behind the mic, giving a voice, making us feel OK being confident.”
This particular show only has six chairs filled at the start as Jaden Childs is still in the restroom when Brown and Knoll are ready to start. This garners not concern but a chuckle out of those around the table as they decide not to wait for him; they are on a timeline after all. But as King hits record, Childs saunters in and takes his spot, ready to participate.
The first subject is Good Friday and Easter. Childs introduces the subject, but also points out that his Friday wasn’t so good. This leads to a lively discussion on what everyone ate over the holiday weekend, which seamlessly turns into their favorite eating spots on campus.
“I was a little nervous on the inside but as I got on, it was kind of fun and it’s definitely helping my communication skills,” Knoll said. “Sometimes I get a little flustered or shy but being here doing the podcast and in TigerLIFE has given me more of my voice to voice how I feel and talk with others.”
Brown, wearing a blue Memphis Tigers jacket, throws up a ‘Hang Ten’ sign with his right hand and shakes it from side-to-side every time he approves of an answer.
“I feel pretty great and confident (about leading the show),” Brown said. “Somehow I feel a little nervous, but I feel confident as long as everybody else is.”
When conversation slows down, Hester makes eye contact with Knoll, who knows it’s time to move on to the next subject.
“Most of the time, if I am not comfortable, I won’t talk,” Knoll said. “But as I got comfortable people hear me and they hear me talking. Most of the time I go off the dome, but today I wrote a little something, so I went off of it.”
“We all talk about ideas together,” Hester said. “I help them come up with ideas for their scripts if they should need it, but most of them are independent with their scripts and do that on their own.”
For King, who started the podcast in 2023 with just one student and has overseen its rapid growth, the program is personal. She has a 28-year-old son who is autistic.
“This gives kids with special needs a voice and a chance to be heard and seen,” King says.
With the show wrapping up after 20 minutes, the gang knows what to do.
“TLC crew out!” they shout in unison.
“Being on the air is all about being relatable and vulnerable. It’s a way to connect to your audience,” King.
For the TigerLIFE Crew, the show is just one learning experience on a campus filled with them.
“I take some time to prepare myself for what’s about to happen and try to overcome my fears and try to get out there and do it,” Brown said.
