Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host,
Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team and I produce
content that's informative, positive, fun, and
uplifting. This podcast is created and produced
with the help of students from the International
Community School of Bangkok. Hey everyone, and
welcome back to the Season 3 finale. I'm your
host, Mr. Jason, and today's episode is a special
one. We're celebrating the voices, ideas and
growth of our incredible student team as they
reflect on what this journey has meant to them.
You'll hear some great stories, honest takeaways
and reflections on things that have been learned
along the way. And of course, we'll be wrapping
things up with the final chapter of Legends of
the Yucatan. Okay, let's get started by hearing
our quote of the day, followed by some headline
news. Our quote of the day comes from Mr. Jason
Weimer. He's quoted to have said, Well said from
our leader and teacher. This quote means that
if you want to do something important or meaningful,
you need to give it your full effort, both mentally
and emotionally. Use your brain to think, plan
and solve problems, and use your heart to care,
stay passionate, and stay committed. Success
requires both. And now moving on to some news.
For our final episode of the season, we asked
three seniors one day to share one thing that
was on their mind at that moment. Like, did they
have any big news? Maybe a problem they were
trying to solve? Or if they just wanted to share
something they were thinking about at that moment.
And here's what we got. First, our veteran Rebecca
shared this. I have some amazing news to share.
I just got my F1 student visa. I'm officially
one step closer to college. Even better, my mom
got her tourist visa at the same time. She'll
be able to send me off to Wheaton and I'm so
excited for this new chapter to start. So congrats,
Rebecca. I know getting a visa, especially for
the States, like really hard. So good job. Very
excited for you to start your new journey at
Wheaton. Now, next up, we have Maddie from the
marketing team. He shared this. There was a pretty
devastating news when I was playing in the community
basketball league. We played against one of the
best teams in the league and the game was going
back and forth. Unfortunately, I twisted my ankle
during the game when I tried to go out for a
layup and had playing the rest of the game. However,
it was a fun game and I'm excited for next week's
playoffs. We really hope you get well soon, Maddie.
And finally, our other veteran, Premi, shared
this. I'm going off to college in the States
to study English and women's gender sexuality
this next fall. My news is I can't wait to be
excited about college once I finally choose where
to go. It's been crazy, memorable, and rewarding
to be a part of the Students Incorporated podcast,
and I'll miss the people, the memories, and all
the lessons I learned along the way. wait, we'll
miss you too, Prami. And there you go, some insights
into the minds of several podcast team members
on a random middle of the week day. And that
ends our Headline High School Random Thoughts
news segment for this last episode. All right.
Thank you. It's weird to think that after this
final episode of season three, we won't be sitting
together like this, hosting and co -hosting together
for any more episodes. You both are going your
own ways. College for you, Mia and Frank. You're
moving on to your senior year and taking different
classes, right? Well, do you guys have any personal
thoughts you'd like to share before we jump into
this first segment with the rest of the crew?
yeah i i had a really fun year you know being
in the podcast i feel like i got to learn a lot
about myself and not only that but also learn
a lot about you know my friends as well i think
it's always fun you know coming to class and
especially getting to meet a lot of really cool
special guests i think the special guests were
really like one of the highlights for me like
by like being in the podcast because you actually
you know get to talk to a lot of really cool
like professional people and like they actually
are like doing this like as their job like businesses
are and all that so I thought you know just being
able to talk to someone and really discuss and
have a proper conversation with them I thought
that was really cool And yeah, I feel like this
year passed by really fast. And I swear, I was
just getting used to talking into the mic. And
like, you know, now here we are, like after 32
episodes, like now I'm talking to the mic like
for the last time. So yeah, just really grateful
and thankful for the year that we had. You know,
I'm glad that like all the marketing campaigns
and everything really ran smoothly. Yeah, I just
had a really great year and I'm very, very grateful
to Mr. Jason and the production marketing leaders
and just this class as a whole. Honestly, I had
a great time here. It finished way, way quicker
than I thought. One second, I was recording for
the first time and show how close I should get
to the microphone. I was so nervous and anxious.
I remember studying so much. I had to retake
five times each one. And then the other second,
I'm here recording for the last time. and just
signing off and not coming again. I don't know
how to feel. It feels nice to be done, but it
feels weird to be done. So yeah, I don't know.
Well, it's been an honor to have you guys as
co -hosts for 32 episodes this season for Season
3, so I really appreciated that. All right, now
we're going to move on to our first group of
students to talk about some reflections that
they have as well. Okay, for this first segment,
I wanted the audience to hear from the Season
3 team, as many as possible. With such a large
team this year, it was challenging to get all
their voices on the show. However, I think we
were able to succeed in getting everybody on
the mic at some point. Of course, some more than
others. Anyway, I'm going to be asking different
team members different questions in the first
segment and in doing so, allowing them to do
a little reflecting about their time with the
show this season. Okay, let's start with this
first question and then you can just go around
the table and I'll answer it. Try to keep your
answers short as we will be rotating through
a lot of team members and questions for this
segment. Alright, so the first question is this.
What are some of your favorite things for this
season? And why don't you give us your name first
as well. That sounds perfect. Hi, this is Premi.
And so my favorite things I would say is having
a bigger team this year. And while like everything
comes with, you know, benefits and also challenges,
but I think it was really fun to be able to expand
this project and also really think we were able
to expand the reach of the project. So all the
memories, having fun while doing work and making
an impact within the classroom and just getting
to know more people was super fun. Hi everyone,
I'm Mia. You might recognize my voice. I'm the
co -host here on the Students Incorporated podcast
and I'd say that one of my favorite things this
year was just how, just like how big the scope.
our like marketing team really like got our like
podcast too I feel like we've gotten a lot of
you know viral videos on Instagram especially
and I think it was just really cool seeing the
people like you know commenting and being like
oh like what school is this like I feel like
it was just really cool to see how much we could
scale the Incorporate podcast this year yeah
Hi, I'm Highlight. I'm the producer. I truly
enjoyed the cross -department partnerships that
we witnessed this year. And I also particularly
enjoyed filming the story where the grift hawks
were dropping down from the sky and we were playing
around with Central's fans. And it was truly
memorable to be a part of the Donut Bash. As
a marketing coordinator, I'm so happy to be growing
alongside my team members. I'm also incredibly
proud of them. We've come a long way. We've made
mistakes together, fixed messes together, and
grown together. My favorite thing is seeing everyone
progress from being a beginner to becoming specialists
in their areas of work. Throughout the process,
I've also learned how to be a contemplative,
communicative, and mature leader. And really
cool, you guys. We got to take a field trip as
part of this class. I think it was just so cool.
And that is one of my favorite memories too.
Yeah, that was a fun time taking a field trip,
right? Getting on the bus and then just trying
not to get hit in the street by all those cars.
Yeah, that was a good time. Okay, let me move
on to the second question. So thank you for those
answers. This one's pretty easy. So the question
is, what are some things you've learned this
season? So maybe Mia, we'll start with you. Yeah,
I've definitely learned to be very flexible.
I've learned to adapt really well also with this
class I think because not only do you have to
know your own role really well but like what
if you know one of the other like people like
they're not here in class and then you'd have
to sub for them so I feel like you really have
to be on your feet the whole time and like especially
like hey as a co -host you don't know what your
guest is about to say back to you so I feel like
you always have to improvise really well and
really think on the spot so I think that you
know it helped a lot with my critical thinking
skills and also just being really flexible with
my roles yeah yeah just a quick note um like
regarding the trip right it was also great to
learn about like getting on the right bus on
our trip home and identifying like license plates
generally but um like in all seriousness I think
I've learned a lot about adaptability similar
to Mia and I also learned to share and delegate
tasks at the start of the class and also towards
the end through like the end of class meetings
and consistently updating the agenda Those are
great lessons. I think something I've learned
this season is how to be doing a different role.
How do I work through, you know, fitting and
kind of taking shape into a new role with a new
team, but within the same task and under the
same project. And I think one of the most important
things I've learned is to be very honest, just
to be to how to be a leader. I feel like so much
of it is so theoretical and it is like. idealistic
right but then I think I've come to learn that
realistically it looks different how are you
able to lead so that you can make it fun for
the class and for your team but also while getting
everything done and I think that is sometimes
a line or like where is the line where I say
okay that's it guys let's do work or you know
how when or like what's the time where okay you
can have fun for this a little bit I think like
learning the line and learning that the team
like we're all we're all just at the end of the
day we are all just humans too but then how do
we together come together to make this project
and to make it work to make it great and tap
on while doing it. I learned how to assist my
team members in the ways they need be an encouragement
to others and the importance of communication
and marketing. In my role, I know I need to work
hard to stay focused and motivate my team members
to stay on task and be hardworking. Very good.
Thank you so much for those answers. And yeah,
we've learned a lot from, well, I learned a lot
from each new season that we have because each
team member is different and we all bring different
talents to the game. And you guys, just like
the past seasons, you've brought in great talents
to our team this season. Okay, my final question
for you guys is this. What are you most proud
of when it comes to our teamwork this season?
So Premi, why don't we start with you this time?
Thank you so much. I can't believe this will
be like my last speaking part voice ever on the
students incorporated season. And like for the
past two seasons too, it's been such a great
time. And this brings so much nostalgia. In terms
of what I'm the most proud of when it comes to
our team, I think I would say the level of growth.
Firstly, the level of growth, you know, we've
come like from the beginning, not really knowing
anything, not knowing how to do our roles we
were interviewing to get into our roles. And
then now having come so far, so many episodes
later, I think we're able to really grasp the
dynamics of each other and just learn how we
work together and learn how we can be great together.
And one last thing I'll say on that is I'm also
really proud of how far we'll grow. And how far
we'll continue to grow. Even after this season.
We now have like marketing too. And now we will
have the structure of production team leader.
And marketing team leader. Set into place. So
that and throughout so many different things.
That I really do think. And I'm really so excited
and proud of. How our team. Collective team from
the very first season. Will continue to grow.
And thank you so much for this whole journey
together. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. What are you
most proud of? I would definitely say like the
friendships that we've made like in this class.
I feel like there's a lot of people in here.
Okay, not a lot of people, but I feel like when,
you know, coming into marketing class, like you're
not thinking like, hey, I'm A and you're B and
that means that we can't work together. Like
you're thinking like, okay, we're going to be
professional. We're going to, you know, do our
role as well. And I think at the end of the day,
I feel like I'm really proud of just the friendship
that we've made throughout. this season and I
feel like we've had to work with so many different
types of people and I think it really just goes
to show how like no matter like how much work
or how much talking or how much like producing
marketing we have to do like we really do it
for the love of this class and really like the
love of marketing and the podcast so I'm just
really you know proud of the growing passion
you know that happened over the season so yeah
I hope in retrospect when it comes to our team
I think I enjoyed building a lot of team camaraderie
across different departments also because I think
through students in group I was able to collaborate
internally with the production team and also
the marketing team in terms of the production
team like proofreading hyper personalized emails
with Abe and with Elsa and brainstorming interview
questions with smarty pants too of course like
our AI or bot and that was actually so like memorable
for me so I'm proud of that. I'm really proud
of the dedication, creativity, brainstorming,
sponsorship outreach, and video editing skills
that my team has. Everyone is really collaborative
and there have been no arguments or conflicts
within the team. And I believe together we'll
have a great future. And how about you, Mr. Jason?
What are you most proud of when it comes to our
teamwork this season? Oh, that's a good question.
There's a lot of things, especially... Mainly
because this is season three, so this is my third
set of students. And with each set of students
in the class, I get to see them on day one kind
of freak out a little bit and go, you mean we
have to produce 32 episodes this year? Because,
you know, I think, I don't know how many listeners
know this, but the students are also in. a lot
of other classes and they're taking high level
classes, honors classes, AP classes, and then
they get to come to marketing class and they
have to work a job. And it's very different than
the other classes. And so in the marketing class,
we put people together depending on what they
have self -selected of what kind of job they'd
like to do. So producer or co -host or marketing
director or whatever. And then through that,
they kind of work out with their team members
of how do we work together towards this common
goal of putting 32 episodes out in a school year.
16 in both, you know, 16 in first semester and
16 in second semester. And so it's fun to kind
of watch that happen. And I try to help guide
and direct and give advice when I can. But also
the students learn a lot by just figuring it
out as well. And the teamwork is a huge factor.
And what they can learn from this class, I feel
like, will take them into university and into
their first jobs. Because you have to work with
people no matter where you go. And if you can
learn how to do that starting in high school
or even younger, then it's much more beneficial
for you. Okay, now we'll move on to our next
set of students. And I've got two questions to
ask them. Come on in, guys, and have a seat.
All right. Thank you very much for coming and
being back on the podcast. My first question
for you is, what have been some of your biggest
challenges for this season? Matty, why don't
you start us off? I think the biggest challenge
I face is just finding sponsors in general, especially
in the second semester. I felt like the clubs
in our school didn't respond to my messages.
It was a struggle. And so we decided to find
sponsors outside of school instead. And so, yeah,
it was a big problem for us and a big challenge
that we had to work through. I feel like the
biggest challenge for me during this year was
just managing the podcast budget because there's
so many expenses that we have to use, but we
also get a decent amount. I feel like the most
challenging part of that is like, knowing how
much I could spend on each category and if we
could go over the certain amount or not going
over the certain amount. It's like making the
decision of if like the plan is atypical or not.
Biggest challenges? I think like of course I
had some struggles with like me and Esther like
to figure out how to put all this text into like
this square here like properly without looking
like awful. But like That wasn't, that was like
something we could like easily get used to. I
think just the biggest challenge was just like
being overall responsible, which is like, it's
like, it's different from academic, of course.
I feel like I've said this before, where just
being in a more work kind of setting, just being
like, this is part of something like I, that's
going to go produce and like show to other people
outside beyond our school, not just like an academic
place. I think just having that knowledge, being
in this kind of environment, it was just very
like, it was fun. Just strange. I think that's
just overall just like a challenge I had. Biggest
challenge probably. Yeah. I would say that the
biggest challenge for me was probably in the
beginning of the year. Adjusting to the way that
the class works because it's so different from
my other classes. All right. Thank you so much
for those answers, guys. I've got one more question
for you. So the second question is, what are
some key takeaways about this season that you
could take forward with you into the future?
Something that may be helpful for you as you
look at university and even beyond that. Yeah.
So for me, an important lesson that I learned
from this class is communication. I feel like
it's really important to. communicate well not
just with your sponsors or your partners but
also with your team with mr jason and just overall
like communicate with everyone so you guys are
working on the same page and you know what's
going on i feel like the most like important
thing i learned from this class is Being professional.
This class is different from other classes because
instead of a more traditional class, we're actually
running a podcast together and we all have different
roles. So for example, in my roles, I have to
give weekly analysis reports. I also have to
turn things in and communicate with everyone
like a real work setting. So this class really
helped me be more professional as I went to college.
And also in future works. I am a Canva master
now, but that's an exaggeration, of course, but
more so just like I've just become much more
familiar with like Canva or just using Google
Drive, being familiar with like emails, like
I'm sending out more emails and stuff like that.
And again, that goes back to being like, I feel
more confident if I were to work in say. in similar
office setting maybe not exactly like this but
just like being at setting i feel i could be
more ready for it and also i just i actually
have gone much better i can but more efficient
in my usage so yeah um i would take with me um
a better understanding of how important consistent
marketing is to promote brands um and also that
It was really nice to have a glimpse of the real
world work world before I even step out into
the world and into college. So I think this experience
I will definitely take as I look for a job, too.
All right. Thank you so much for sharing. And
it's been fun watching you all grow and learn
in each of your different roles. Good job, you
guys. And thank you so much for sharing. OK,
now we'll move on to our next set of students.
And I've got. Two questions to ask them as well.
Come on in, guys, and have a seat. All right.
Thank you. So my first question for you guys
is, what have you learned from either the marketing
or production side of producing the podcast this
season? We'll start with you, Hiwi. So one of
the things I learned is editing videos and creating
engaging post stories and reels that get posted.
every week and um i learned like the skills of
editing but also how to reach out to a lot of
audience and how to make them like interact with
what we're doing and the students incorporated
um so as the person who's writing the quotes
and use and like kind of like the script for
the podcast itself like i guess to like know
what they want and deliver it in the style that
they want is one of the important things to know.
But then aside from that, it's just also things
such as research or just getting a little bit
better in writing. I learned that communication
is actually very important in group work because
we need to make sure that we're all on the same
page and make sure that we get the best result.
uh my name is indy and then i think that what
i've learned is just how to make a better engagement
through uh whether it's like eye contacts or
just the entertaining wise like i feel that those
key components could really have a very big impact
on how to make the reels and stuff go viral as
well Yeah, I like that. And I actually have a
mix of production and marketing students in here.
So it's fun to kind of hear from both those different
departments. My second and final question for
you guys is, and it kind of is about this idea
of like in making our podcast, which is a lot
of time, very informative, fun. So the question
is, how do you make sure our episodes are both
fun to listen to and informative? from a marketing
standpoint and from a production standpoint.
So Hiwi, go ahead and go first with this one
too. So viewing from the marketing side, I think
podcast is a little heavy content for everyone
to listen. So as a social media role, I try to
make reels and videos at least engaging and...
light content so people get an idea of what students
incorporate podcasts is doing. I mean, from a
production standpoint, since we're the one making
the script, we got to choose to take in trends
or what people like in general. And I guess we
just format it to go with the flow. As a marketing
team, I think episode -related contents and reels
can bring more audience into listening. to the
podcast so I think we should make like content
that are related to real so people know what's
going on yeah so the other standpoint for in
order for us to make the episode both fun to
listen to and also informative I would say that
we have to have a mixture of formal and also
just like the trend like like the ongoing trend
because for our reels we try to focus on the
script that is given to us but then we also add
in the trends but yeah trends really like trying
to follow trends and do it in a way that you
know is appropriate and is doesn't like downgrade
the content that we're doing and just having
a fun group of people to work with i think is
highly important So thank you so much for sharing.
And it's been fun watching you to be growing
your roles and responsibilities in this season.
So thank you again. This PSA feels nostalgic.
It's our last PSA of the season and the last
PSA for a lot of our seniors ever on the Students
Incorporated podcast. Maybe you don't know what
PSA stands for. Well, PSA stands for Public Service
Announcement. We've had a wonderful season with
episodes from topics from abstract art to I,
T, V, or M employee styles, and of course, the
legends of the Yucatan. As per usual, the Students
Incorporated podcast will take a break that aligns
with ICS's school break and will resume with
season four in late August. Are you ready for
our 97th episode? If you miss us, you can always
go back and listen or re -listen to our completed
seasons one, two, and three. And we'll catch
you again for season four to begin in August
2025, just a short three months away. And we
are back with our second segment and we will
continue with part 10, the final chapter of our
story, Legends of the Yucatan. Part 10 is titled
The Return. If you missed parts 1 through 9,
you can get caught up by listening to episodes
87 through 95. Legends of the Yucatan is a sequel
to our Season 2 story, The Secrets of El Dorado,
we released last year during Episodes 55 -64
in audio narration. It's also available in book
form as a downloadable PDF from our website or
in paperback version on Amazon .com. Just visit
studentsincorporated .com to find out more. Now
moving on, Camden will give us a quick recap
before we jump into Part 10. Recapping Part 9,
The Safe House. Professor Hawthorne, Miranda,
and David go to Quebec to look for the mask.
They find a trap door which hides the golden
mask. As they were leaving the building, they
saw the cartel members driving towards them.
And without further ado, let's jump back into
our story where we join our eclectic group of
characters in their continuing adventure. Now
back at their hotel in Merida, Hawthorne along
with David and Miranda get out of the taxi. They
feel a sense of relief. The past few hours had
been stressful, yet exciting. They had found
the golden mask hidden in a crawlspace at the
not -so -famous Hacienda Tebeck, which supposedly
is a safehouse the cartel uses from time to time.
Their faithful and resourceful taxi driver proved
to be a valuable ally in their silent and stealthy
escape from the gun -toting and trigger -happy
cartel members. However, it was only a matter
of time before word spread of their group's presence
in Merida. The city of Merida was known as a
safe and cartel -free city, but this could be
a different situation for them. The Mexican media
had kept David and Miranda's story front and
center for many months. Not just the story of
the artifact discoveries, but their personal
story of becoming close. The media and public
were more fascinated about their growing relationship
than the artifacts themselves. They had been
portrayed and branded by the media as Mexico's
very own modern -day Indiana Jones couple, and
the public loved it. David and Miranda's presence
in Merida did not go unnoticed. There were already
several videos posted online of them, a few from
their time at Chichen Itza earlier in that day,
and a longer video of them at the bus depot in
Merida as they had confronted Maria and her niece
Renata. Not wanting to get caught up in more
media coverage in Merida, Which could attract
even more attention, David told Hawthorne that
he and Miranda were going to have the taxi driver
take them back down to Chichen Itza that night.
There was a small private locally owned hostel
close to the park. They would stay there and
then at first light would gain access back to
El Castillo to return the mask. Then, if they
were successful, they would travel together down
to Calakmul and return the J -Jar together. Neither
one of them wanted to return to Mexico City without
first returning the artifacts they had taken
months ago. The legends of the Yucatan seem to
be true. Unfortunate events and bad luck would
follow those who possessed the artifacts until
they had been returned to their rightful resting
place. Hawthorne waits in the lobby of the hotel
while Miranda goes back up to her room to retrieve
the bag that the jade jar was in. David was pacing
back and forth in the lobby, waiting as well.
The large black bag containing the golden mask
was resting on a chair next to him. Hawthorne
could tell that David was anxious about getting
back on the road and far away from Merida as
possible before daybreak. The cartel would be
looking for the people who stole back both the
jade jar and the golden mask. Professor Hawthorne
secretly wished he could be part of the trip
to return both artifacts, but he knew this was
an adventure that David and Miranda needed to
do together, without anyone else. Hawthorne watched
as Miranda entered the lobby. Having fetched
the jade jar from her and Ava's room, all three
of them were silent. Hawthorne nodded his head
at both Miranda and David, gave them a thumbs
up, and then watched as they got back into the
waiting taxi. It then drove off into the night.
It was early morning and Prof. Amanda picked
up her phone and tapped the green connect button.
She anxiously rubbed her forehead while she waited
for Professor Hawthorne to answer his phone.
She had stayed up late last night in an effort
to confirm the group's return plane tickets from
Mexico City back to Sacramento. She was also
coordinating the group's bus ride from the Sacramento
airport back to El Dorado College. She knew the
trip had been quite eventful as she had gotten
periodic text updates from Professor Hawthorne
each time there was a deviation in the original
schedule and plan. Prop Amanda had also been
practicing her public relations skills as she
communicated with the students' parents about
how the trip had been going. She had also reassured
the parents of the students who were on the trip
that everyone was safe and sound and would be
coming home soon. All of a sudden, Amanda's phone
connected and she saw Professor Hawthorne's face
staring back at her. He was smiling even though
his eyes looked tired. Amanda then said, Professor
Hawthorne, it's good to finally talk face to
face. Well, at least virtually. Regarding your
texts from earlier yesterday, I was able to rebook
all the students, including Lily, on an earlier
flight tomorrow out of Mexico City back to Sacramento.
Then, for your return ticket, I was able to get
you on the same flight, but just one day later,
as you had requested. Also, I understand Ava
will be handling her own booking, as she is going
to stay down there and work on her stories. So,
the students will be back here in Coloma in a
little over 24 hours, and you about 48 hours.
I'm sure you're all ready to get back. As the
professor holds back a yawn, he replies, Thank
you so much. You're the best. He continues, as
you can tell, I haven't had my morning coffee
yet, and it was quite the long day yesterday.
I will be able to fill you in with all the details
when I get back. It's been quite a trip. On this
end of things, we're flying out of Merida, where
we're at right now, back to Mexico City in about
two hours. We should be back on UNAM's campus
by early afternoon today. Yeah, I want to hear
all about it. It sounds like you may be busy
this summer, writing another book. I mean, these
weird and, I might say, amazing things just keep
happening to you, Amanda replies. Well, I don't
want to make this a habit, you know, finding
myself in the middle of, well, whatever this
is called, weird or amazing. The professor continues,
I'm getting too old for this. Amanda laughs a
bit and then says, well, you can send me next
time. I'll be happy to join your little adventures.
She continues, text me or call me if anything
needs changed on my end. I've got to go and get
ready for my classes today. See you soon. The
flight back to Mexico City from Rita was uneventful.
A Yunnan bus picked them up at the airport and
then took them back to the dorms they were staying
in on campus. The students were quiet the entire
trip back. Maybe they were tired or just ready
to get back to Coloma. Either way, Hawthorne
welcomed the peace and quiet. He was also thankful
for Lily's leadership with the students. She
had really stepped up on this trip and it showed.
Because the students only had one more night
in Mexico City before their return flight back
to California the next morning, Hawthorne let
them have free time on campus for their final
afternoon and evening. However, they did have
to be back in their dorms by 10 p .m. They had
an early flight the next morning and he didn't
want any of them to be missing it. Professor
Hawthorne wanted to see Anthony Garcia one more
time before he left, so he coordinated with Tommy
to meet up after the students had left the next
morning. Then Hawthorne and Tommy would go see
Anthony together again, but this wouldn't happen
until the next day. So Hawthorne had some free
time, which got him thinking about a few missing
pieces to the heist puzzle. He still had unanswered
questions that bothered him, so he picked up
his phone and sent a text to Ava. Ava, back at
the dorm having some free time of her own and
trying to get caught up with some work, got a
text from Professor Hawthorne which read, Are
you free? If so, let's meet up in the student
center at the cafe and chat. I've got some ideas
to run by you and about some things that don't
seem to add up. Let me know. Thanks. Ava texts
back and it reads, sure, I can meet you in about
an hour. That's okay. I know what you mean. There
are a few things I'm confused about still with
this entire situation. I've got a call scheduled
with a mutual friend first. See you in an hour.
Ava had already scheduled a call with her source
at the FBI, Agent Carson. She and Hawthorne met
Agent Carson. A few years back, he helped make
some high -profile arrests back in Coloma. He
was an ideal agent, reliable, honest, and helpful.
Since the El Dorado incident and investigation,
he had been promoted to special agent in charge,
and he had told Ava that if she ever needed anything,
to just contact him and he'd be happy to help.
So she did. She got on a call with Agent Carson.
and for the next 45 minutes plus was able to
get some very valuable information that might
help fill in the gaps and answer some more questions
about what was going on with the cartels, gangs,
and some of the bigger players in Mexico City,
including dirty politicians and business tycoons.
Of course, none of what they talked about could
be published officially because it was off the
record, but Eva did learn some new details she
and Hawthorne could discuss. After a lengthy
conversation with Agent Carson, Ava headed over
to the cafe at the student union to meet up with
Hawthorne with some new revelations to share.
Hawthorne had taken it upon himself to order
two Italian sodas and some nachos prior to Ava
arriving at the cafe. He was reviewing some of
the past few days' events in his head and trying
to think about some of the things that didn't
seem to add up. He wasn't trying to play detective,
but there were some things that were bothering
him, so he thought he'd talk through them with
Ava. And with her experience and connections,
maybe some of the questions could be answered,
or at least investigated. So as he sat there
munching on some nachos and fresh salsa, Ava
came in and sat down. Hawthorne then said, I
know you've got a few tight deadlines you're
trying to meet this week, but maybe we can talk
through some of the things about the last few
days that seem not to add up. Yep, I've always
got deadlines, but the series of stories I'm
working on related to the heist the other day,
the arrests of the three gang members, and the
carto's involvement with wanting to artifacts
are on top of my agenda. True pies, and then
ads. You go first, and then maybe my conversation
with Agent Carson will help piece some of this
together. Hawthorne then throws out some questions
to see if Ava has any thoughts to add. He then
says, So we know there's a bigger player in the
game, bigger than the three family members who've
been arrested already, and I don't think it's
just the cartel. I think Carlos, his aunt and
sister, and the cartel are just middlemen. So
who's the bigger player? The one who ordered
the heist of the artifacts in the first place?
That's my first question. Hawthorne then adds,
my next questions are, how did the thieves gain
access to the museum the night of the gala? The
security was really tight that night, so who
helped them? Are the police still investigating
that or do they think that they have their culprits
already? And finally, is this all connected to
the public controversy surrounding the big oil
company and the local indigenous landowners around
Calakmul where the Jajar was found? Hawthorne
watches as Ava nods her head in agreement with
all his questions and then he adds one more and
says, And finally, do you believe in the legends?
You have to admit, a lot of weird things have
happened since those artifacts were removed from
their resting place. Ava, having waited until
Hawthorne finished with his last question, takes
a sip out of her drink and then says, Yeah, I've
had some of those same questions circling around
my head for the last two days, she continues.
I just got off a call with Agent Carson, off
the record, of course, right before I came over
here to meet you. And here are some of the things
he told me. You ready for this? Hawthorne now
with a mouthful of chips and salsa nodded his
head yes and motioned with his hands to go on.
Ava continues, Agent Carson revealed that there's
a connection between the large oil company, a
prominent politician, and a higher -up person
at the museum where the artifacts were stolen.
He also said that the FBI is aware of the criminal
activity but has no jurisdiction. They were only
able to share intelligence with their counterparts
in Mexico City. The Federal Investigative Agency,
when asked, which hasn't happened very much.
Ava then adds, our conversation was a lot longer
than this, but this is essentially what Agent
Carson could tell me. He didn't have names, but
said there is electronic proof that backs up
these connections. Okay, good, Hawthorne replies.
So we're not going crazy thinking that there's
a larger thing going on here. He then says, maybe
the Mexican feds are working on the leads and
connections as we speak. But corruption can run
deep here, and they are content with the arrest
of Carlos, his sister, and his aunt. Case closed.
Yeah, either way, I've still got some work to
do. So says my editor and my own curiosity, Ava
says. I'm going to spend the day tomorrow visiting
some of the local newspapers and trying to meet
with some of the reporters. Maybe I can uncover
some non -published intel they'll want to share
with me about some of these revelations. Good
idea, Hawthorne says. Tommy and I are going to
go see Anthony tomorrow after we see the students
and Lily off at the airport. He's back from the
hospital and at home resting. Maybe he's got
some information that could help. Ava will quickly
finish her drink and some nachos before getting
up and then says, Okay, I've got a call with
my editor in an hour and I've got to move out
of the dorm room and check into the hotel before
that call. Not sure I'll see you again before
you head back to Coloma. If not, safe travels.
Let's keep in touch and see how this thing pans
out. Just like old times again. Yep, just like
old times again. Hawthorne replies and then waves
at Ava as she leaves the cafe and then exits
the Student Union building. The following day,
after accompanying the students and Lily to the
airport for their flight back to Sacramento,
then on to Coloma, Hawthorne, along with Tommy,
go visit Anthony Garcia at his home in the suburbs
of one of Mexico City's most affluent neighborhoods.
By this time, it's late morning and Tommy drove
since it was only the two of them. As Tommy drove
the car through the main gate to Anthony's property
and then up the long driveway, Hawthorne said,
wow, working for the museum sure has its perks.
Hawthorne also eyed the three very nice vehicles
parked in the driveway, a newer model Mercedes,
a mean -looking sports car, and a black Land
Rover SUV. Hawthorne looked over at Tommy, shaking
his head without saying a word. Tommy parked
his car carefully next to the very expensive
Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe, a beautiful piece
of British engineering and design. Tommy had
seen this model before, and a model of the car
being advertised at one of the luxury... car
dealers in Mexico City over the past few months.
Some call it a sports car and some call it a
sporty sedan. Either way, it was cool. The car
was brand new, it was a deep red color and it
looked mean, cool and fast, basically the envy
of any car enthusiast. Tommy knew this car was
the talk of the town, at least among those who
could afford it, which wasn't him. Cars like
this cost upward of 500 ,000 USD fully loaded,
at least that's what the dealers were selling
them for. It's definitely what makes a statement
when it's on the road. Like, get out of my way,
I'm the new kid on the block, and I'm rich and
fast. Tommy curses under his breath, looks over
Hawthorne and says, looks like our friend Anthony
has a side hustle that pays really, really well.
Hmm, my thoughts exactly, Hawthorne replies.
As Hawthorne and Tommy get out of their car and
start walking up toward the front door, the front
door opens abruptly and two guys walk out rather
quickly. They seem to be in a hurry and angry.
They pass by Hawthorne and Tommy, not giving
them a hello or even a quick glance. They get
into the black SUV and drive off. Hawthorne then
asks Tommy as they approach the open front door,
You did tell Anthony we were coming for a visit
today, right? Tommy stopped and looked over at
Hawthorne and then replied, I knew there was
something I was forgetting to do yesterday. Tommy
looks up at the open front door and then says,
Maybe we should leave. What if Anthony isn't
even here? So you've never been here before?
Hawthorne asked Tommy. No, I haven't. This is
my first time after all these years knowing Anthony.
I've had no reason to come before, as most of
our interactions have either been at the museum
or at the university. Tommy responds. As Tommy
and Hawthorne are still standing there, looking
at the front open door. Tommy adds, those two
guys that just left in the SUV, well, I don't
like to profile people, but they did look a little
suspicious. Suspicious how, Hawthorne responds.
Well, it's a common knowledge that cartel members
like to flaunt their design clothing, accessories,
and vehicles. At least in Mexico, they do. And
the police don't do anything about it. And those
two guys that just left were decked out in designer
clothing and had very expensive watches, Tommy
replied. At that moment, both Hawthorne and Tommy
looked up at the open front door and there stood
Anthony, just standing there and staring back
at them. Hawthorne didn't know what to say, so
he just blurted out, Hey there, we wanted to
come see how you were feeling. Sorry we didn't
contact you ahead of time. However, that was
our intention to do so. Just one of us forgot.
Anthony paused for a moment, then said, Hmm.
I really wish you had contacted me first before
coming here. You put me in a very difficult position
now. Why is that? Tommy responded. However, both
Tommy and Hawthorne secretly knew why Anthony
had said that. And both Tommy and Hawthorne knew
something was wrong with the entire situation.
We'd be happy to come back at a more convenient
time later today, Hawthorne then added. I leave
tomorrow to head back to the U .S. and I wanted
to see how you were doing. At that moment, two
different men came out the front door, passing
on either side of Anthony, and walked straight
forward toward Hawthorne and Tommy. These two
men were armed, their guns holstered in their
belts. They looked serious and not friendly.
One of the men was wearing a cowboy hat and wearing
designer cowboy boots, and the other guy was
wearing a designer Gucci jacket and sporting
an L .A. Dodgers baseball hat that still had
the sales tag hanging from it. Oh, Anthony, Tommy
said, shaking his head. He then looked over at
Harpoon and said quietly, You may miss your flight
tomorrow, Professor. As Hawthorne sat on the
clean, white, and very large, comfortable sofa
in one of the many sitting rooms in Anthony's
big house, Hawthorne was feeling a little anxious
as to what Anthony was going to do with them.
Things finally made sense, Hawthorne thought.
Anthony was the inside guy. But was he the big
boss? This was the larger question now. Hawthorne
felt that Anthony was just one of the many middlemen
getting paid off somehow by the real shot callers
at the top. Maybe Anthony was just under the
top guy, or two rungs down. Either way, the two
very nicely dressed cartel members were taking
orders from Anthony. Hawthorne knew the cartels
could be cruel and he was starting to think of
worst case scenarios now that he and Tommy had
accidentally stumbled into the middle of Anthony's
secret life. As far as Hawthorne could tell,
the only people on the property were him, Tommy,
the nicely dressed cowboy and baseball player,
and Anthony who was in the other room on the
phone. Both Hawthorne and Tommy stayed quiet,
just sitting there. Neither one of them wanted
to escalate the situation by asking a stupid
question or making a dumb statement. So they
just sat there looking at the other two guys,
who were looking back at them. Anthony got off
the phone, slammed it to the ground, breaking
it, and then walked back into the living room
where Professor Hawthorne and Professor Tommy
were sitting. He just looked at both of them
for a few seconds and said, Well, I'm in a really
bad situation here. He then said, My boss wants
you gone, but I like you guys. Both of you. So
there are two ways this can go down. You want
to hear them? Anthony replies and says, Either
I cut you both in this deal or you keep your
mouth shut. Take the money and go about your
daily lives as normal. Or my very unforgiving
boss makes you disappear. And believe me, they
are good at making people disappear. Anthony
goes on and adds, If you take the deal, which
I hope you do, just know that if you don't keep
your end of the bargain, not only are you at
risk, but you put your family at risk as well.
They're good at finding you and they're good
at finding your family members. They've been
doing this for a long time now and they're good
at it. Tommy speaks up first and then says, Well,
my friend, I think there's a third option you
didn't mention. Please enlighten me, Anthony
replies. You turn yourself in and let us go,
Tommy says. Anthony laughs and then responds,
I don't think so. You're living in a different
world, my friend. Anthony then says, Just take
the money, the deal. Walk away and go live your
life and keep your mouth shut. Tommy then asked,
so you figured your injury at the museum event
the other night? Anthony paused for a moment,
then answered, well, that was a bit of a mishap
on my guys. They weren't supposed to hit me that
hard. Either way, it made everything that much
more believable. Hawthorne then says, yep, it
was believable. Hawthorne then continues and
says, back to the money thing. So how much money
are you talking about? I mean, paying someone
off sure has suited you, from what we can tell.
So how much money are you offering us? Hawthorne
knew that at the end of the day, money talked
and it was usually a matter of how much. Hawthorne
wanted to change the subject and talk about the
how much, as it would probably and hopefully
diffuse the situation a bit. Maybe give Anthony
the idea he and Tommy were serious about the
offer. Hawthorne then says, I'm not sure about
Tommy here, but I'd be interested in this deal.
I, for one, value my life and the lives of my
family members, and I'm pretty good at keeping
secrets. I mean, I assume you're not going to
take Tommy's suggestion about turning yourself
in. Anthony smells a bit then says, Alright,
what about you, Tommy? We've known each other
for some time now, and the quote -unquote amount
would be larger than what I would normally offer
to the local politician and police chief. So,
what say you, Tommy? Tommy knew Hawthorne well
enough to know that Hawthorne was just stalling
and trying to get Anthony in a lighter mood by
agreeing to take the deal. However, Tommy knew
that his next word needed to be careful and measured
so as to sound convincing enough to buy some
more time. Tommy also knew, as did Hawthorne,
that taking a pay off now had no guarantee of
their future safety or the safety of their family
members. The cartel never kept that word and
Tommy assumed that Anthony and Anthony's boss
had no intention of keeping their words either.
It wasn't the idea of if these guys would come
after them sometime in the future, but it was
more like... When would these guys come after
them? Tommy knew that even if they did take the
money and felt that they had made a deal that
he and Hawthorne would be disposed of before
the end of the week, maybe even by the end of
the day. So it was a loose, loose situation he
and Hawthorne was in. Yeah, I took the deal too.
I know you're not a killer, Anthony, so I want
a lot of money. Our payoff needs to be significant
enough so me and my friend here can afford a
car, a house, just like you have. Hawthorne listened
to Tommy's response and thought to himself, wow,
that was a pretty bold ask. Hawthorne liked Tommy's
bold stance, so he nodded his head in agreement
to what Tommy had just said. Hawthorne then said,
yeah, that's just about right. Anthony put on
a fake smile and said, wait here, I'll be right
back. As soon as Anthony left the room, Hawthorne
noticed some movement out the back window located
behind the two guys guarding him and Tommy. Hawthorne
could tell it was a person or maybe several people
moving around the trees and bushes in the backyard.
They were there for a brief second and then they
were gone. Hawthorne knew he couldn't alert Tommy
about what he was seeing in the backyard as both
guys guarding them, the cowboy and Mr. Baseball,
were just sitting there staring at them. So Hawthorne
looked up at the cowboy, smiled and said, I like
your boots. Is that ostrich? The guy smiled back
and nodded his head yes. Hawthorne was unsure
if the guy actually understood what he was saying
or was just being polite. Cool, Hawthorne said.
He continued. I've got a pair of Stetson Caymans
back home. You know, John B. Stetson boots. Each
pair is made by hand. I've had them for years.
They get more comfortable the more I wear them.
They make quality cowboy hats as well. You look
like the kind of guy who'd appreciate a nice
quality cowboy hat as well. Stetson hats are
all made by hand too. Great craftsmanship. The
guy smiled again and nodded his head. Hawthorne
was trying to keep the guy's attention away from
what was going on in the backyard. Tommy had
known James Hawthorne long enough to understand
that James was trying to keep the Cowboys' attention
by talking about something he'd appreciate. So
Tommy joined in on the game, looked up at Mr.
Baseball in the Gucci jacket and asked, Have
you ever been to a Dodgers game in Los Angeles?
The guy, surprised by Tommy's question in English,
just nodded his head, no, and looked down at
the marble floor. Tommy couldn't tell if he was
embarrassed by the question or didn't understand
English. Either way, Tommy was going to give
him some more info about baseball. Well, my friend
James here took me to Dodgers game a long, long
time ago. We sat up high in the stadium, ate
hot dogs, drank Cokes, and sang the classic American
baseball song when it came on the loudspeaker.
You know, the sound that goes like... At that
moment, Hawthorne joined in with Tommy and they
both sang... Take me out to the ball game. Take
me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and
Cracker Jack. I don't care if I ever get back.
At that moment, there were several loud bangs
outside. Then the back door, which led to the
living room, where they were all sitting, burst
open. Within seconds, the room was full of six
elite Mexican SWAT team members, guns drawn and
shouting commands in Spanish and English. The
cowboy and Mr. Baseball had no time to react.
They were both thrown to the floor, knees jammed
in their backs, and then zip -tied all in one
motion. It was almost magical to watch a well
-trained SWAT team in action. Hawthorne thought
to himself as he witnessed it all happen in front
of him. Thank goodness there wasn't a gunfight.
The other SWAT team, another six -member team,
the team who had come in through the front entrance,
cleared the rest of the property. Hawthorne and
Tommy stayed put on the big white sofa in the
living room. They hadn't moved. They really couldn't
move as one SWAT team member had stood by them,
watching them the entire time, making sure they
didn't get in the way or didn't get hurt. The
entire house and property was a crime scene and
Hawthorne knew that he and Tommy wouldn't be
allowed to just wander around the property now
that they were free. All of a sudden Hawthorne
heard a familiar voice coming around the corner
from the kitchen area. Anthony had not known
what hit him. One moment he's on the phone, his
other phone, the one that he hadn't broken yet,
with the big boss. Then seconds later he's grabbed,
taken down to the floor, zip tied, and hooded.
The tackle to the floor didn't hurt. No, it was
the tight zip ties around his wrist that hurt
the most. Then everything went dark as two guys
in all black pulled him up to his knees, then
put a black hood over his head. They picked him
up to his feet. then directed him to start walking.
Anthony yelled out, Wait a minute! You have no
idea what you're doing? Do you know who I work
for? There was no answer from the SWAT team captain.
Hawthorne watched as the hooded and zip -tied
Anthony was manhandled and pushed out the front
door of the house, presumably to the police SWAT
van where the other two guys had been taken.
The house went eerily quiet as each of the remaining
SWAT team members exited, all but one member
who shouted, All clear! who was now accompanied
by two plainclothes officers wearing badges on
their belts. One of the plainclothes officers
looked at both Hawthorne and Tommy and told them
that they were free to go and that they'd be
in touch. As Hawthorne and Tommy walked out the
front door out of the house toward Tommy's parked
car, which was still parked next to the very
nice and expensive Austin Martin Vanquish, Hawthorne
looked at Tommy and asked, How in the world did
you remember that baseball song? I mean, that
one surprised me, man. As they both stood there.
looking at the Aston Martin before getting into
Tommy's car. Tommy answers, hollering and says,
I don't know how I remember that song. I guess
maybe because it was such a memorable experience
for me. I mean, that was my first time ever seeing
an American baseball game, live and in person
and in all places. The famous Dodger Stadium,
the details are hard to forget. I think I sang
a song a hundred times on my way home after seeing
that game with you. Hawthorne smiled at Tommy's
comment, opened the passenger side door on Tommy's
car, and then said, I guess I'll be making my
flight home tomorrow morning after all. Hawthorne
then asks a question as Tommy backs up the car
and then drives past two SWAT team vans and several
federal police cars. Hawthorne says, If the legends
are true about bad luck following those who stole
the artifacts, do you think the opposite is true?
Good luck will follow those who are helping return
the artifacts? Tommy looks over at Hawthorne.
for a moment as he turns the corner out of the
driver and onto the main road and says, I'd sure
like to think so after what just happened back
there. Tommy and Hawthorne then both look out
the front windshield, put their sunglasses on,
and drove off. A few days later, Hawthorne is
back in his office at the college in Coloma.
He's sitting there just looking at his email
inbox. He's wondering where he should start.
So many emails to go through, he thinks to himself.
Hawthorne scrolls a bit through the email inbox
and sees an email from Ava, dated yesterday.
He clicks it, opens it, and then reads. Hey there,
professor. Glad you made it back safe and sound.
Sounds like you and Tommy had quite the incident
at Anthony's place. I had several conversations
with Tommy since you left, and he's filled me
in on some of the details you learned about Mr.
Garcia. I mean Anthony Garcia. Pretty wild and
disappointing. Anyway, I thought you'd find this
fascinating, as I have done some extensive digging
into Mr. Garcia's life. Anthony, along with some
of his family members, own shares in the large
oil company, the same oil company that is vying
for that now -illegal contract in the Calakmul
region in the south of Yucatan, where the J -Jar
was found. Also, I received a random text from
Miranda and she said that David and her had been
successful at returning the gold mask back to
its original resting place. She also mentioned
that she and David had a meeting set up with
several village leaders around Calakmul to discuss
the return of the J -Jar. So that looks super
promising. And one more thing, and sorry this
email is really long. I was the one who tipped
off the Mexican feds to Anthony's involvements.
I didn't know or if they were going to raid his
place, but they did tell me that they were going
to act on my intelligence. My FBI source, you
know, Agent Carson, gave me the information about
Mr. Garcia and several of his family members
holding lucrative board seats and owning a lot
of shares in the oil company. Anyway, I thought
you'd find this information interesting and hope
it answers some more of your questions. Okay,
see you again soon. Your always investigating
friend, Ava. After reading the email, Hawthorne
packs up his bag, takes the stairs down to the
first floor instead of the elevator, exits the
front main building doors, gets in his car and
drives off. He calls his wife while driving home,
hands free of course. Mrs. Hawthorne had just
returned home from one of the many early summer
conference events held in Coloma. She was one
of the guest speakers. Her phone rings. She sees
that it's James. She answers and says, are you
done at work yet? She doesn't wait for an answer
and then says, the college semester is over.
You're back from your Mexico trip and my conference
is over. I think it's time to celebrate a bit.
I booked us a table at the new restaurant in
town. You know, the one that your friend Ethan
just bought and renovated. I hear he hired the
best chef in the county. She heard James mumble
something back, which sounded like, sure, that
sounds like fun. She then says, oh, and by the
way, it's okay if you want to write another book
this summer, but on one condition. The next time
you have an adventure, I'm coming with you. And
that ends part 10. Thanks for sticking around
and stay tuned for season 4 coming August 2025.
And that brings us to the end of Season 3. What
a journey it's been. To all of our student hosts,
guests, storytellers, and listeners, thank you
for being part of something truly special. The
season was filled with creativity, curiosity,
and courage, and I couldn't be prouder of the
voices that made it happen. But don't worry,
we're not done. Season 4 is coming your way in
late August 2025 with a brand new student team,
new topics, guests, and storytelling. However,
between now and then, we'll be releasing both
our full -length adventure stories uninterrupted
from start to finish. So stay tuned. Until then,
keep asking questions, keep storytelling, and
stay curious because your voice matters. See
you again soon. All music and sound effects are
courtesy of Pixabay .com, a vibrant community
of creatives sharing copyright -free images,
videos, and music. And we are signing off until
next time. We are Students Incorporated, because
your voice matters. Thanks for watching!