“The Supporting Cast,” the school-affiliated podcast hosted by Director of Advancement Eli Goldsmith, will begin its third season of production.

Since he started in January 2020, Goldsmith has recorded 36 episodes over two seasons, with guests including former Governor of California Gray Davis ’60, seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park. As a member of the school administration, Goldsmith said the conversations he has with people of different educational backgrounds inspired him to create the podcast.

“Much of my work is about cultivating meaningful relationships with donors and volunteers, which for me means learning from and being captivated by their personal stories,” Goldsmith said. “For many of these people, there was inevitably a teacher, coach or mentor who influenced the trajectory of their life and to this day inspires their support of education.”

The podcast features leaders from the school community, including administrators, teachers, alumni and parents. Goldsmith said he begins each episode by checking in personally with the guest, then transitions to their background and the supporting cast of people who impacted them.

Upper School Dean Jennifer Cardillo said interactions with teachers and mentors are integral to the school.

“Interviews with community members that we can listen to at our convenience are a great way to create more connectivity within the community,” Cardillo said. “Education and professional development are all about the sharing of ideas and about finding people you trust to help you discover new things about the world and about yourself.”

A former guest of the show himself, Spencer Rascoff ’93 (Sophia ’23, Luke ’27) said the podcast let him speak directly to students, parents and faculty about his experiences at the school.

“Being a guest on [‘The Supporting Cast’] gave me an opportunity to discuss the important role that [the school] has played in my life and my career,” Rascoff said. “I hope it shows current students that while the arc of life is curved and sometimes meandering, the foundational skills they acquire will serve them well throughout.”

Goldsmith said he hopes the podcast highlights the impact of schools, teachers and mentors on students.

“If you think about it, [the school] literally exists to create opportunities, every day, for students to be inspired by great teachers, coaches and mentors,” Goldsmith said. “As ‘The Supporting Cast’ demonstrates, the long-term impact of all those interactions, large and small, will be profound. For this reason, to me, schools are communities truly worth believing in and supporting.”