In this deeply moving episode of Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry sits down with her dear friend and “soul sister,” Stacey McAdoo, for an honest, sacred conversation about grief, loss, and learning how to live again after unimaginable pain. Stacey shares her journey following the death of her son in a car accident—a loss that reshaped her faith, her identity, and her understanding of what it means to survive and heal. With remarkable vulnerability and integrity, she speaks openly about the darkness of grief, the anger and confusion, and the slow, intentional work of caring for herself when the world feels shattered. A former Arkansas State Teacher of the Year and current Executive Director of Teach For Arkansas, Stacey reflects on how loss has influenced her life, her leadership, and her commitment to living fully—honoring her son by choosing to live with courage, honesty, and hope.

Content note: This episode discusses the loss of a child and may be emotionally heavy for some listeners.

• (00:00:03) - Stacy McAdoo on Grieving the Loss of Her Son
• (00:07:27) - Teacher on Becoming a Mother
• (00:13:29) - Living On An Airplane
• (00:20:52) - The Death of Norell Jones
• (00:25:54) - "I Was Surprised at the Funeral
• (00:29:57) - One of the Grieving Mothers's Favorite Exercise
• (00:37:51) - Gwen on Giving in Grief
• (00:43:56) - One Woman's Trip to the Beach With her Dead Husband
• (00:46:09) - How to Live After You Lose a Child
• (00:52:26) - A woman cleans up a woman's vomit
• (00:53:16) - Grieving People Share How They're Helping Others
• (00:56:23) - Grieving the Loss of a Child
• (01:00:51) - God's Mercy for Job
• (01:08:01) - Memories of the Loss of a Child
• (01:11:40) - One woman's message about gratitude after the death of her husband

In this episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry, Gwen welcomes Dr. Glen Fenter, superintendent of Marion Public Schools and one of Arkansas’s most experienced education leaders, for a wide-ranging conversation about public education in Arkansas.

With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, administrator, and superintendent, Dr. Fenter offers a rare inside perspective on why public schools are often labeled as “failing”—and why that narrative ignores the realities of poverty, state and federal mandates, standardized testing, and education policy.
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New episodes drop every other week!

#Education #arkansasstories #politics #publicschoolsystem #arkansas #SmallTownGirl #poverty

Welcome to the very first episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry! On this podcast, Gwen sits down for thoughtful conversations that move fluidly from politics in Arkansas to big, deeply human questions about love, vulnerability, faith, identity, and what it means to stay connected in a digital world.

In this premiere episode, Gwen Faulkenberry sits down with her childhood best friend, Tony Chapman, to talk about what it was like growing up gay in a small town; Ozark, Arkansas. Raised in a conservative evangelical culture, Tony shares his deeply personal journey of identity, faith, friendship, and the long road toward self-acceptance.

Listen & Subscribe!

Read Gwen’s Column:
https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/

Follow Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwendolannfaulkenberry?igsh=Mm9iNnNkcjhoMDQ3&utm_source=qr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwendolann.faulkenberry?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=VOmgTu5JpLnHLqcy&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1K7exmtJRN%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user6617143631818?_r=1&_t=ZT-92dPCrpt4id
X/Twitter: https://x.com/gwenfaulkenber1?s=21

Join the conversation:

Email gfaulkenberry@hotmail.com!

New episodes drop every other week!