In late April, I sat down with Lorena Culaj, the host of the EaglePod. We are both board members of Shoqata Akademike dhe Profesionale Shqiptare (SAPS), an organization bringing Albanian-American students together from universities throughout the country, where I also serve as Chief Editor of the monthly newsletter.
Lorena began the EaglePod at the beginning of this year with a simple goal: to shine a spotlight on Albanians doing interesting work who could be resources to the community and beyond. Guests are asked a series of questions about their backgrounds, work and aspirations, with at least one fun fact on Albanian history enriching each episode.
The first to be featured on the podcast was Luka Lamaj, the CEO of Docere Health, named the League of Innovators Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Next was another SAPS leading member: Klea Ahmet, a three-time Gjergj Kastrioti Scholarship Recipient pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. This was followed up by Dr. Klair Lubonja, who has completed research fellowships at Yale Medical School and the National Institutes of Health – among the most advanced medical centers in the US. The episode preceding mine was special as it featured Aron Tocaj and Rei Rama, president and vice-president of SAPS respectively. The dynamic duo spoke about their vision for SAPS, their early childhoods in Albania and the transition to American life among other themes.
I was the fourth guest on the podcast. Our conversation began with an overview of my journey, from my origins in the Southern Albanian region of Saranda to life in Southern California. Lorena humored me as I embarked on several historical tangents: we explored the Castle of Rozafa myth, the Rilindja (National Renaissance) period and one of its great luminaries in Faik Konica. Finally, we debunked a few myths surrounding the downfall of communism.
In each episode, Lorena has proven herself a stellar host, carrying on the passion that led her to launch the podcast in the first place. Seeing members of the community show such dedication to preserving and sharing Albanian-American stories is a source of deep encouragement. We can only hope that more such initiatives will emerge in the years to come and be prepared to support them when they do.
I urge everyone to support the EaglePod on all platforms and stay tuned for many episodes to come.
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