College Student's Podcast Wins NPR Prize, Honors Grammy

When Colby McCaskill sat down to color with his grandparents in their Florida condo, he did something that terrified him: he started asking his Grammy about her dementia.

The 21-year-old Fordham University senior had watched his grandmother Kathy, 77, slowly lose her memory over the past few years. She couldn't remember his name anymore or even her own age, once telling him she was 47.

Instead of avoiding the pain, Colby turned on his microphone and created an audio letter to his grandfather Dick. "It's hard to admit because it feels like there's no solution, but I really wish you and Grammy weren't growing so old," his podcast begins.

The result just won the grand prize in NPR's College Podcast Challenge, standing out among hundreds of entries for its raw honesty and vulnerability.

In the podcast, Colby captures his grandmother describing her experience. "When I walk in, and I'm going to do something, and then I can't remember," Kathy says. "But it is a little scary, honey."

For Dick, 76, who has cared for his wife through her progressing dementia, hearing his grandson's podcast changed everything. "I've listened to it four or five times, and it brings tears every time," he said, wiping his cheeks.

The podcast gave the family something unexpected: permission to name what was happening. Colby used the word "dementia" clearly and often, something Dick and Kathy had been reluctant to do themselves.

"Hearing the word, it's sort of like a cold cup of water thrown in your face," Dick said. "And you realize, well, it's a fact. That's what we're dealing with."

Why This Inspires

Millions of American families navigate dementia in silence, unsure how to talk about the changes happening to someone they love. Colby's podcast shows how one young person found courage to break that silence, creating something beautiful in the process.

His grandparents, who once adventured on 100-mile bike rides and skied double black diamonds, now spend their days coloring mandalas together, an activity that helps calm Kathy's anxiety and stimulate her cognition. They color one day at a time, facing their new reality together.

"Being with my grandparents is like a warm hug," Colby said after winning. "This was an opportunity to get my thoughts down and to make it clear: This is what I'm thinking and this is how I'm feeling and I want you to know this."

The audio letter gave Colby what he needed most: a way to tell his grandparents he loves them while he still can.