Student Podcast Challenge: Nonconformity

NPR | By Kinsley Glassel,

Wynnona Mattison, Student Podcast Challenge

Published December 15, 2025 at 5:29 PM EST

It's every teenager's dilemma: How do you blend in but stay different enough to still stand out? Two Colorado middle schoolers share their secret to what they call "strategic nonconformity."

This is an excerpt from "The Anti Conformist Guide to Conforming" by Kinsley Glassel and Wynnona Mattison, students at Rocky Heights Middle School in Lone Tree, Colo.. Their story was a finalist in the 2025 NPR Student Podcast Challenge.

Kinsley Glassel

Wynnona Mattison

Student Podcast Challenge

SUSTAIN what matters. BUILD what’s next.

With federal funding eliminated, WKAR relies more than ever on community support to sustain essential services that remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan. Your support helps shape what comes next for public media in our region. The best way to support WKAR is by becoming a sustaining member today or by upgrading your current gift. Support WKAR TV Here | Support WKAR Radio Here.