Sing Second Alumni

What a week it’s been, friends! We get to mid-week with a motivational YUT. We talk to Lt. Gen. David Beydler ‘81 about his career, his selection as a Distinguished Graduate, his time on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees…and much much more. General Beydler loves the Naval Academy, and it remains a great honor to give interviewees the megaphone they need to talk about their affection. Congrats to the Marine in the group on being a DGA and an overall great American. Chris and John also dish a little bit on the new amenities and features at Navy/Marine Corps Memorial Stadium this season. Of note - the new Naval Academy Athletic Foundation Tower in the South End Zone. They’re painting it now…so it has to be ready by Saturday!That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

It's a big week! We honor four new Distinguished Graduates this week. And where else are you going to get an exclusive interview with each one? Sing Second. We have Daily Drops this week with each DG. Our featured guest today is ADM Patrick Walsh ’77, USN (Ret.), one of the most accomplished naval leaders of his generation. A Naval Academy graduate, former Blue Angel, combat aviator, and four-star admiral, Admiral Walsh capped off more than 34 years of service as the 59th Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, responsible for operations across the vast Indo-Pacific region. He also served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations and Commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. In a wide-ranging half-hour conversation, Admiral Walsh reflects on leadership lessons learned from the cockpit, the importance of character and trust in high-performing teams, and how the Naval Academy prepared him for a lifetime of service. Chris and John also catch up on all things Alumni Association & Foundation, talk about what’s happening around the Yard this week and start previewing the first football game of the year against Towson. Whether you're a Midshipman, graduate, active-duty officer, veteran, or simply interested in leadership at the highest levels, this is an episode you won't want to miss. That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Here we go. As we recorded Ep. 2, the first day of classes of the 2026-2027 academic year were just getting underway. So, Plebe Summer is done. Athletic competitions are underway. And the first football game and Distinguished Graduate weekend is just around the corner. Chris and John talk about welcoming the class of 2030 to the FAC to engage them about membership, the Class of 2028 and their 2 for 7 experience last week and the Class of 2027 and challenges that await them this year and in the Fleet and Marine Corps that awaits them. We also talk about the new Leadership Institute Director position at USNA, which was advertised last week. We also break down "YP Next" and the autonomous training and collaboration USNA worked into its summer training regimen. And we're way excited to talk about the new "Alumni Pre-game," our pre-game get-togethers for every home game this season. Up first - September 5th from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the FAC for the Towson game. We'll have a live pod with guests from the two reunion classes ('81 and '96) and some other awesome guests. And, as always, there will be food and drink. So come be a pre-gamer at the FAC and help us usher in the new season. And our alum interview this week is with Nathan Getty '08. Nathan and his wife, Lindsay, join the pod to talk about their company, Story Sprouts. Find it at storysprouts.co for more info, but Lindsay and Nathan are making books as collectibles for your life events and memories. It's an awesome concept and a great way of having paper remembrances if you're trying to get Out of the digital world. They're giving a discount code - SINGSECOND - on your order. Check out their site and listen to their interview. That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. We…are….OUT. Beat Army. Always.

In this episode, John Schofield, Jimmy DeButts, and Emily Lucht discuss the July/August issue of Shipmate Magazine, featuring the iconic Herndon Climb on the cover. They catch up on I-Day for the Class of 2030, recap the successful Entrepreneur Summit that welcomed more than 200 attendees to the Fluegel Alumni Center, and follow Flat Bill on his latest adventure to the Brickyard in Indianapolis—so keep those photos coming! The center piece of the conversation, a remarkable interview with Charlie Duke '57, USAF (Ret.), the last living Naval Academy alumnus to walk on the moon, as he shares memories from his historic journey into space. Plus, we are adding to the Sing Second Fleet of podcasts, Voices from Orbit, launching in August and dedicated to sharing out-of-this-world stories from Naval Academy astronaut alumni. And that's not all. The team also takes listeners inside The 19th Hole, the new restaurant and gathering space at the USNA Golf Course, made possible through alumni philanthropy and led by CDR Jim Kelly '77. It's a new place for alumni and friends to connect, relax, and enjoy the camaraderie that makes the Naval Academy community so special. All this and more on Sing Second Shipmate. Thank you for reading—and listening to—Shipmate.

It’s I-Day! And the Sing Second team welcomed the Class of 2030 and their parents to Naptown with a live recording from the Pod's original sponsor - Dry 85. Grant Vermeer '17 of Academy Insider joined John Schofield for a discussion about I-Day with parents and alums in attendance at Annapolis' best Bourbon Bar. Jason Salata '94 dropped his son, Leo, off today. He talks about his experience...the emotions...and the leadership lessons he gleaned from his plebe summer experience. Isaac Phillips '19 joins the pod, as well, to talk about his I-Day experience and some of the programs we have in place at AA&F to engage Mids and their parents now and in the future. That and more on the best Alumni Pod there is. Beat Army. Always.

We arrive at mid-June with an awesome pod updating you on the summer happenings in Annapolis. The big one this week is the Entrepreneur Summit. This annual event takes place at the Fluegel Alumni Center and features an all-star lineup of panelists, graduates and experts in the entrepreneurial journey. This is the true connection and support the Alumni Association & Foundation is here for. We preview the summit. We also chat about the AA&F Travel Program...our amazing service to alumni allowing them to connect all around the world through incredible vacations and excursions. John Schofield talks about his recent trip on the Historic Rivers of Europe. Our interviews this week feature AJ Bauer...our Teammate at the Alumni Association & Foundation. AJ is the Associate Vice President for Development. She talks about her amazing team...the national and global reach of the development team and the impact of philanthropy at USNA. Get to better Know one of our amazing teammates. And we chat with Valhalla Sailing's Mike Wood and Michael Kuiper '06. They discuss the organization's critical mission of the organization to help vets...period. They deliver the camaraderie and sense of belonging that many veterans struggle to find after transitioning to civilian life. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always

Don’t like reading magazines? Want to hear some of the behind the scenes of how the greatest Alumni Association & Foundation Magazine comes together? Tune in for Sing Second Shipmate…where Emily Lucht, John Schofield and Shipmate Editor Jimmy DeButts talk about the stories in the latest issue. From the amazing cover photo to discussion about the continued 50 Years of Women Legacy of Valor series, this pod dives deeper into the content of your magazine. Jimmy breaks down the details of his exclusive interview with Tom Ripley about his father’s medal of honor…and we dish about the great Sandy Spadaro, who is featured in the magazine on the occasion of her retirement from AA&F after 29 years. Tune in for a great conversation.

Commissioning Week marches on…and the threat of rain is real. There is a forecast for rain for graduation, but the Sing Second team has your graduation day content in case you’re riding out the graduation in the rain. John and Chris talk about the graduation speaker - spoiler alert…there is no set schedule of speakers, so it wasn’t an oddity that POTUS didn’t speak. We shout out Maren Louridas ‘26 as the recipient of the annual Naval Academy Alumni Association Award, and we send an appreciation to the Class of 1976 as they see off the 2026ers as their Link in the Chain mentors. And our interviews this week are three mini-panels with our Thriving As Leaders Awardees. Hear from Bob Kuberski ‘93, Adrienne Griffen ‘87, Kevin White ‘92, Jake Harriman ‘98, Tom Schram ‘69, Kerwin Miller ‘75, John Schmorhun ‘77, Stefanie Goebel ‘80 and Lou Giannotti ‘69. These three panels drop the knowledge on leadership, resilience, giving back and continuing to serve. These panels are special. We also chat with Angela Domingos '00 this week about how to nominate amazing alums for these awards going forward. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always

Here we go! Welcome to May. The Sing Second team is steaming toward the end of the season with a special double interview segment featuring Perry Martini from 71 and CAPT Sydney Barber '21. Ever wonder why the Bill the Goat mascot wears #71? Well...Perry Martini can tell you. Perry also dishes about his time in the Athletic Department back in the day and being a long-time class president. Also joining us is Sydney Barber. Sydney was the first feamle African-American Brigade Commander back in 2021, but we chat less about that and more about what she learned as a leader balancing a Mechanical Engineering major, being a Track & Field varsity athlete and trying to lead the Brigade through COVID. An amazing conversation. Don't miss two different alum perspectives from two Link in the Chain classes. Chris and John also break down a great weekend for Patriot League Champion Navy Women's Lax and a successful Board Season for the AA&F. And it's now GREAT CLASS CHALLENGE week!! Get out there and give. Which class will run this ship? Let's see. And finally, we offer some appreciation for the Naval Academy community and our fellow podcaster and soon-to-be college alum Colin Schofield. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always

A great pod this week as we talk about a bunch of stuff happening at AA&F and around the yard. Two alums were drafted this weekend in the NFL draft. We talk about the storybook night for Landon Robinson and Eli Heidenreich Saturday…and a pretty special moment for Margo Darragh ‘16, too. WWe also chat about the last Roadshow of the Winter/Spring season and the upcoming Great Class Challenge. And our Alumni interview this week is with Capt. Erik Kenny ‘02. Erik is the CO of USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), the ship that just recovered the Artemis and her crew a couple weeks ago. Erik joins the pod to talk about it all and the leadership required to command a crew through such a high-vis evolution. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always.

Welcome to the best Alumni Podcast in the business, people. Chris and John bring the goods this week with an exclusive conversation with Bill Moran ‘81 and Becky Haase ‘94 about the name change of the Athletic & Scholarship Programs (A&SP) to the Naval Academy Athletic Foundation. The Admiral and Becky open up about the conversations behind changing the name and take the time to talk in plain terms about the organization’s mission and real impact to the physical mission at USNA. The Athletic Foundation is all about leader development. Don’t miss this amazing conversation about that and many other hot topics around the physical mission. Chris and John also preview next week’s 50 Years of Women gala and the other happenings on the yard as the ac year starts wrapping up. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always.

The last pod of March! Can you feel it? It’s the ending of the dark ages and the beginning of the countdown to Graduation and Commissioning. The Sing Second Pod team brings you the latest from the Army-Navy star series…some news about the new Lacrosse building on the yard…and an appreciation for our AA&F teammate, John Taylor, who just retired after 54 years here. 54!!! We have a great conversation with our very own Tony Spinler ‘91 about Alumni Support Services. And our alumnae feature for the last pod of Women’s History Month is with LCDR Emma Manzi ‘12. Emma is a SWO, a small business owner and a soon-to-be-mom. How does she balance it all? She joins the pod to give the scoop on that and her business - Grace and Yarmouth. Check out the “SWO Mama” and her stuff at https://www.graceandyarmouth.com/ . That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast there is. Beat Army. Always.