Immigration has been in the news a lot these days, but this podcast hopes to focus on the people and humanity behind the headlines. The two hosts have made careers out of teaching English to non-native speakers, all the while marveling at the stories of these amazing people who find themselves in an ESL classroom in the suburbs of Houston, TX, the most diverse city in the country. “The Shape of a Person” features weekly guests who share their stories and laughter with their teachers as well as with you, the audience.New episodes drop on Friday.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/28/20/0e079d3d-0216-4e92-b644-46c221415c07_soap_s301_-_ilknur.mp3

Our new season presents Ilknur from Turkey as our first guest. Talking with her is always both thought-provoking and fun! Please enjoy this episode as you are sure to learn something new and fascinating!

Ilknur from Turkey

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/5/7/4/564e525a-e0a0-48e4-aa9c-898dd6320e5c_soap_s212_-_rubi.mp3

Rubi is studious and intelligent but also bubbly and fun! Her delightful story is a great way to close out this season of the podcast!

Rubi from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/5/1/0/8ca8092d-7aae-46cd-8b95-94bdd1587208_soap_s211_-_lucy.mp3

Our guest today was Lucy. She is warm and thoughtful. It is clear she thinks and feels deeply, and it was a true pleasure to speak with her.

Lucy from Brazil

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/4/23/3/72f1edf8-33af-46f4-9028-e7fab6967bfa_soap_s210_-_roberto.mp3

We were thrilled to welcome Roberto to the podcast. He is brilliant and funny, and just like all the members of his family, he is quite the over-achiever!

Roberto from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/4/17/2/878582f3-fa4a-4f46-a06e-6ae92d1d096a_soap_s209_-_hien.mp3

In this week&#39;s episode, we interviewed the amazing Hien! And let me tell you, she is unstoppable. Please enjoy her inspiring story!

Hien from Vietnam

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/4/9/2/ffb11595-36e2-4b71-97fb-9164a889321c_soap_s208_-_maricarmen.mp3

Maricarmen is this week&#39;s guest, and what fun we had! She is a dedicated and diligent student, but she is also hilarious and positively delightful.

Maricarmen from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/4/2/23/d1acd713-2df2-4901-930b-0162c99cc0f7_soap_s207_-_delia.mp3

This week, we welcomed Delia to the podcast studio! She is warm, kind, and exudes positivity. In other words, she was the perfect guest to kick off the spring semester episodes! Enjoy!

Delia from Nicaragua

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/26/22/c3a84244-b88b-4112-93bf-a6fa93ed0f03_soap_s206_-_gaby.mp3

We adore Gaby! She&#39;s so full of warmth and fun. She&#39;s a great student and a kind friend, and she&#39;s the perfect person to close out this season of the podcast (well, at least the fall semester half of it anyway...)

Gaby from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/19/19/a2500efb-e153-4af3-83a1-d8c1a6e5d375_soap_s205_-_imtiaz.mp3

Imtiaz is everyone&#39;s favorite conversation partner in class. He is always full of new and exciting information! His journey to our campus took several turns in his quest to learn and grow as a professional chef. We&#39;re so grateful he took time out of his crazy schedule to chat with us!

Imtiaz from Pakistan

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/13/22/b885b837-883b-4af7-b112-e6ae091e2178_soap_s204_-_ana.mp3

Ana is so accomplished but assures us that we, too, can do hard things - it doesn&#39;t take magic or super powers but commitment and discipline. Get ready to be inspired!

Ana from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/6/3/34854ca5-01fb-4cd8-affe-9c704a22228d_soap_s203_-_alexey.mp3

Alexey is truly one of a kind, and we are so grateful he agreed to be a guest on the podcast. He&#39;s an incredibly organized and deep thinker, and he loves to solve problems. Please enjoy his AMAZING interview. (side note, &#34;amazing&#34; is Alexey&#39;s favorite English word)

Alexey from Russia

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/10/29/21/0658f1f3-54ff-4c57-a80b-d277d8a2d9e0_soap_s202_-_andrea.mp3

We loved interviewing Andrea because she speaks so openly and candidly about how difficult moving to a new country and forging a new community can be. It takes time and effort and patience. She also makes us laugh a lot, and we&#39;re sure she&#39;ll do the same for you!

Andrea from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/10/23/2/95698f24-94ab-4f30-b722-de9c3155e9f3_soap_s201_-_duda.mp3

We are so happy to be back with a new season of The Shape of a Person! This week, we welcomed Duda to the podcast, and she was the perfect first guest. She&#39;s full of adventure and possibility, and we know you&#39;ll enjoy hearing her stories just as much as we did!

Duda from Brazil

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/5/8/14/7b51f8b9-03c1-4292-8af3-19a8556fd2ef_soap_s110_-_joao.mp3

This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Joao. He teaches us about the value of a parent’s sacrificial love, which he received from his mother and now embodies for his children. He is thoughtful and devoted, and we know you will enjoy his story as much as we do.

Joao from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/5/2/1/2c2673a3-be6c-4f81-aba5-f82276621417_soap_s109_-_andrea.mp3

What a joy it was speaking to Andrea! She exudes peace, calm, and positivity. We&#39;re certain she will inspire you the same way she did us.

Andrea from Colombia

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/4/24/21/75f804bf-f7e6-4a71-9a75-27a7a316bf56_soap_s108_-_denisse.mp3

Denisse is delightful. She is full of personality and fun. We loved learning about her background as well as her plans for the future. Enjoy!

Denisse from Panama

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/4/18/2/de58a9fb-c4b6-47f9-858d-3ec0a496dbbe_soap_s107_-_marcos.mp3

This week we speak with Marcos. He reminds us to never give up, whether starting a business or finishing a marathon. He is also a true gentleman.

Marcos from Brazil

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/4/11/2/472aef26-0248-458e-8343-4f6c0fa45c30_soap_s106_-_pedro.mp3

This week&#39;s episode features our dear Pedro. Pedro is warm and generous and takes care of his friends, always. He also made us double over with laughter. Enjoy!

Pedro from Mexico

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/4/3/22/1ead9979-5c17-49ff-b4b2-4d3e5c288ba5_soap_s105_-_melina.mp3

In today&#39;s episode, we speak with Melina. Her story is a powerful reminder to be open to life&#39;s blessings as well as its challenges. She is truly inspiring.

Melina from Honduras

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/27/4/6c07a673-3b92-46d6-8a61-7c80f4b68477_soap_s104_-_iris.mp3

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Iris from Mexico. She discusses her initial resistance to leaving her home country but shares the many lessons she has learned along the way.

Iris from Mexico

Immigrant stories from Houston, TX.

Immigration has been in the news a lot these days, but this podcast hopes to focus on the people and humanity behind the headlines. The two hosts have made careers out of teaching English to non-native speakers, all the while marveling at the stories of these amazing people who find themselves in an ESL classroom in the suburbs of Houston, TX, the most diverse city in the country. “The Shape of a Person” features weekly guests who share their stories and laughter with their teachers as well as with you, the audience.

New episodes drop on Friday.