Leo Jungermann is not your typical ten-year-old. The Gator Run Elementary School fifth-grader travels the country playing travel hockey, with games as far away as Washington DC and Chicago, and records his own podcast called Anything in the World. The thought-provoking podcast focuses on topics that appeal to all ages like holidays, vacations and the importance of teamwork.
Leo says he selected the name Anything in the World because it gives him freedom to talk about whatever is on his mind. “I chose the name because my brother once said it when he was pretending to do a YouTube video and I found it smart because I noticed that it would mean I could talk about anything.”
In choosing what subjects to cover, Leo says he usually looks at the calendar to see if there is something special taking place during the month. “If there isn’t, I just take something of my own and I create it, like in Episode 0, which is about some of my cool facts.”
Even when talking about himself, Leo goes into each podcast prepared with a script. “Based on the structure my dad builds for each episode, we research and then I write a script. When I’m recording and think it’s better to change some words, I just wing it.”
Leo acknowledges that writing the script is the most challenging part of doing the podcast because of all the research involved, but it’s important to have organized thoughts in order to produce a popular and successful show. He says Anything in the World has received a very positive reaction.
“Adults say that it is impressive for a kid my age to have such a great speaking voice,” shares Leo. “My friends (the kids) always ask to get a shout out, to be featured, or even for me to help them build their own show.”
He encourages other children to have a voice and make their opinions known. “I think it’s important for kids to express their opinions because this can cause effects later on in their life, like getting a job, getting people to know them, or even being elected for a public role.”
For now, Leo is just enjoying the experience. “It makes me happy to record the podcast. I have so much fun and I like when people know me better.”
From listening to his show, you would never know Leo is actually a shy kid. “I decided to start a podcast because at first I wanted a YouTube channel but I was kind of shy in front of the camera, so when I listened to some podcasts with my dad and I tried one episode, I found it a lot more comfortable because I didn’t have to show up on the camera.”
Student Makes Voice Heard Through PodcastAnything in the World is available on many platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud and more. The full list can be found at https://campsite.bio/aitwpodcast. You can interact with Leo on Instagram @aitwpodcast.