This week Waves of Awareness had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt “Man” Moore and his Best Buddy, Mason Shank! If you have been following along with WOA, you know the familiar voice of Matt Moore and you also know he is very involved with Best Buddies. We invited Mason on to talk about his 7-year friendship with Matt and how Best Buddies TN brought them together. Chris and Trent go down memory lane with these two best buddies and hear some incredible stories about their adventures together. Matt tells a story about the time he shared the stage …

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This week we have a surprise guest, invited by Beth herself! Meet Vera, roommate, and close friend to Beth. Chris and Trent sit down with Beth and Vera to talk about their longtime friendship and their time together at Waves. Chris and Trent talk more about Waves Residential Program and what that entails. WOW – Chris sits down with one of Waves founding family members and longtime Waves participant, Roger Sullivan. Roger has been with Waves from the very beginning in 1973. As Waves approaches its 50th anniversary in 2023, we thought it would be fun to reflect with Roger! …

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This week we have a very exciting guest on WOA! Waves is happy to introduce you to Amber Ferguson from Camp Southern Ground! Amber is the Inclusion Director for this incredible non-profit organization. Chris, Staci, and Trent had the pleasure of learning more about Amber and her journey to becoming such an important part of such an important non-profit. Camp Southern Ground was started by Zac Brown with the intention that children of all abilities could grow and learn from each other while experiencing the magic of the outdoors. CSG is so much more than an all-inclusive summer camp, they …

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This week’s episode is all things early learning. This episode is full of pertinent information for any parent/caregiver looking for information on how to best support their child. Early Interventionists Gina Wilson, Jenn Choate, and Kate Harris join Eric Wilson, Johnny Sunshine, and Trent Denson to share more in-depth information about Early Learning and how developmental therapy works. The team discusses different developmental milestones parents/caregivers should look out for at different ages and how to seek support from TN Early Intervention System (TEIS). At Waves, developmental therapy (DT) can start as early as birth depending on the child. Services start …

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We are excited to introduce you to Megan Jayroe on this week’s episode! Megan is a powerhouse in the population we serve and the Program Direct for Move Inclusive Dance! She has taken her passion for dance and teaching and combined them to provide an incredibly impacting activity for all abilities! This week we get to learn about the non-profit Move Inclusive Dance, located in Nashville and Franklin. They are an inclusive dance studio that empowers individuals of all ability levels to learn life skills through dance, using movement and music to transform their students’ lives. Listen along to hear …

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Waves of Awareness has a special announcement! WOA will be bringing Johnny Sunshine and Beth Hughes in as rotating co-hosts for Season Three! Matt “Man” Moore is pursuing his musical talents this fall by joining Backlight Studio’s Glee Club and sadly will be unavailable for most of the season. Waves is so excited for Matt and can’t wait to see him perform in the Glee Club!   WOA is excited to introduce Beth and Johnny as more frequent co-hosts this season to bring different conversations to the podcast! Listen along to catch up with Mr. Sunshine and hear exciting new stories …

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Welcome back to Season Three! WOA is kicking this season off with one of our favorite co-hosts, Matt “Man” Moore, and special guests Dana and Brent Bythewoods! Waves has a long-time relationship with the Bythewoods; it all started when their daughter, Emily Hope, went through our Early Learning Program. We are so excited to have Dana and Brent on to share a piece of their story and announce all the exciting things they are a part of!   Mark your calendars for upcoming events! You can support two incredible organizations on September 15th. Waves is hosting our annual fall fundraiser, Brews …

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Jimmy Parnel is a self-advocate for Waves and a graduate of the Advocacy in Motion (AIM) program. Through training, education, and advocacy, AIM transforms lives and cultivates independence for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community. Jimmy has put in the hard work to have graduated from the program and has now provided himself with opportunities to obtain meaningful employment and sustainable income with his desired level of independence. Jimmy talks about the training he leads for AIM and how he receives income for doing so. Listen along as Lance, Matt, and Trent learn more about AIM and …

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We have a very exciting episode this week! Kathleen Simcoe joins the podcast from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum! Not only does she have an extensive job title but an incredible passion for our field. Listen along as Kathleen talks about her background in Special Education and Behavioral Analysis and how it led to her current dream career with Vanderbilt, making waves! Gina Wilson, Matt Moore, and Trent Denson (Spread the Positive) join us in this exciting conversation to talk about the overlap with Waves.   This podcast is made possible through partnerships with Spread …

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TV star, Eric Wilson joins us this week to talk about his experience at Special Olympics 2022! Eric and Norris were featured on ESPN multiple times during their time in Orlando for the Special Olympics. Sadly, Norris couldn’t join us for the recording, but we are so proud of him for bringing home several medals for powerlifting. John Wilson joins us again to recount his experiences alongside his son and the enjoyable time they had together! Matt “Man” Moore catches us up on everything going on in his life and his plans to participate in the Special Olympics 2026! This …

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