27-02-2025
'Labor of love': Podcast promotes Pitt-Johnstown alumni and preserves their stories
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Tuck Shop Podcast is archiving the stories of University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown alumni as a way to share their successes and connect generations, host Matthew Sernell said.
"Out of every UPJ alum, every single person has a story," the Pitt-Johnstown instructor said.
The idea for a university-based podcast came from Sernell's involvement in Pitt-Johnstown events at which he was exposed to interesting stories of alumni across generations. That got him thinking about preserving tales of campus experiences, internships and jobs after graduation.
Sernell is a proud Pitt-Johnstown alumnus who serves as co-president of the university's Alumni Association Board and is passionate about giving back to the campus that shaped him, he said.
He said the podcast isn't a marketing initiative or a university product, but a way for him to "give back time and talent" to his alma mater. He said that the endeavor is "a labor of love."
"It's legitimately an alumni who said, 'I want to do something to promote my alma mater,'" Sernell said. "This is a way I can ... tell cool stories, find neat people and kind of promote that out."
David Janusek, Pitt-Johnstown's director of alumni engagement and giving, described the show as a "powerful tool in engagement in this day and age." He assists Sernell from time to time with recommendations for guests and sometimes co-hosts the podcast.
"It's really helping to draw that spotlight back to our alum to say, 'Look at what this alum has accomplished,' " Janusek said.
To date, The Tuck Shop Podcast – named for a student gathering spot that connects multiple classes – has premiered 46 episodes, starting in October 2023, and has reached 17 countries, 27 states and Washington, D.C.
The episodes are released every Wednesday during the academic year, and they run anywhere from 20 minutes to 35 minutes in length. They feature graduates who worked on the Apollo program, professors, certified public accountants, administrators and live shows at school events.
One memorable episode featured the late Pat Pecora, Pitt-Johnstown's legendary wrestling coach, talking about his early days on campus and about recruiting team members at the cafeteria because there wasn't a budget for that work at the time.
Janusek noted the importance of preserving these type of stories to share with past, current and future students. That's highlighted by the Pecora interview since Pecora's death in September, he noted.
"A podcast is a living first-person narrative," he said. "We are a society of storytelling."
There's also a new chance for alumni to connect with each other after listening to The Tuck Shop. Janusek views that as a key benefit for the show, which he describes as continuing the bond of Pitt-Johnstown graduates.
Since the launch, Sernell said the podcast has been embraced by the Pitt-Johnstown community – a fact he said "is really cool."
The Tuck Shop Podcast can be found on Podbean and a variety of other platforms. For more information, visit
