Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode of the Jeffrey van Leeuwen Podcast, I sit down with Ryan Yewell, a multimedia educator whose journey began with the inspiration of his high school teacher, Bill Henderson. We explore Ryan’s career, from testing video games at Electronic Arts to working in TV production, and ultimately teaching in Rwanda at the Africa Digital Media Academy. Join me for a conversation about creativity, resilience, and the lessons learned from a life in multimedia and teaching.
Thank you for listening. To support this podcast, please consider subscribing, liking, or following, depending on the platform you're using.
*VIDEO ISSUE:*
I'm aware that the background in the video occasionally cuts out, which has been confirmed as a bug in the recording platform. Unfortunately, this issue couldn't be resolved before the podcast release, so it's still noticeable. However, this only affects the video and does not impact the audio in any way.
*CONTACT LINKS:*
If you'd like to be on a future episode: https://t.ly/qoasL
*EPISODE LINKS:*
Ryan's X: https://x.com/ryanyewell
Recent Article on Bill Henderson: fvcurrent.com/p/bill-henderson
Africa Digital Media Academy: rwandaadma.com
1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi Stories: https://kgm.rw/about/stories-of-change/
*OUTLINE:*
00:00 Intro
01:20 The Spark of Storytelling
06:35 Impact of a Great Teacher
10:48 Teaching Method and Student Ownership
27:36 Last day on Vancouver Film School
31:56 Lack of Vision & University Costs
36:15 Starting Career as Video Game Tester
50:04 State of the Gaming Industry
57:40 The Beauty of Indie Games
01:00:28 Currently Playing
01:12:01 Transitioning to Media Production
01:17:53 How To Treat Your Previous Employer
01:21:37 Getting Into TV Production
01:32:07 The Path to Rwanda
01:36:49 Streaming during Kwibuka 2014
01:39:53 Managing Expectations
01:44:21 Adjusting to Life in Rwanda
01:51:28 Genocide Against The Tutsi (1994)
01:58:39 What's Next for Ryan
02:08:04 Outro
*PODCAST LINKS:*
Podcast Website: podcast.jeffreyvanleeuwen.com
Apple Podcast: apple.co/4lLpEXA
Spotify: spoti.fi/42kcOYy
YouTube Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOv56NTjNAeK7cUVamIPioSCsr06-vSGG
RSS: podcast.jeffreyvanleeuwen.com/feed.xml
*SOCIAL LINKS:*
X: https://x.com/RealJvanLeeuwen
Patreon: patreon.com/JeffreyPvanLeeuwen
In this episode of the Jeffrey van Leeuwen Podcast, I sit down with Ryan Yewell, a multimedia educator whose journey began with the inspiration of his high school teacher, Bill Henderson. We explore Ryan’s career, from testing video games at Electronic Arts to working in TV production, and ultimately teaching in Rwanda at the Africa Digital Media Academy. Join me for a conversation about creativity, resilience, and the lessons learned from a life in multimedia and teaching.
Thank you for listening. To support this podcast, please consider subscribing, liking, or following, depending on the platform you're using.
*VIDEO ISSUE:*
I'm aware that the background in the video occasionally cuts out, which has been confirmed as a bug in the recording platform. Unfortunately, this issue couldn't be resolved before the podcast release, so it's still noticeable. However, this only affects the video and does not impact the audio in any way.
*CONTACT LINKS:*
If you'd like to be on a future episode: https://t.ly/qoasL
*EPISODE LINKS:*
Ryan's X: https://x.com/ryanyewell
Recent Article on Bill Henderson: fvcurrent.com/p/bill-henderson
Africa Digital Media Academy: rwandaadma.com
1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi Stories: https://kgm.rw/about/stories-of-change/
*OUTLINE:*
00:00 Intro
01:20 The Spark of Storytelling
06:35 Impact of a Great Teacher
10:48 Teaching Method and Student Ownership
27:36 Last day on Vancouver Film School
31:56 Lack of Vision & University Costs
36:15 Starting Career as Video Game Tester
50:04 State of the Gaming Industry
57:40 The Beauty of Indie Games
01:00:28 Currently Playing
01:12:01 Transitioning to Media Production
01:17:53 How To Treat Your Previous Employer
01:21:37 Getting Into TV Production
01:32:07 The Path to Rwanda
01:36:49 Streaming during Kwibuka 2014
01:39:53 Managing Expectations
01:44:21 Adjusting to Life in Rwanda
01:51:28 Genocide Against The Tutsi (1994)
01:58:39 What's Next for Ryan
02:08:04 Outro
*PODCAST LINKS:*
Podcast Website: podcast.jeffreyvanleeuwen.com
Apple Podcast: apple.co/4lLpEXA
Spotify: spoti.fi/42kcOYy
YouTube Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOv56NTjNAeK7cUVamIPioSCsr06-vSGG
RSS: podcast.jeffreyvanleeuwen.com/feed.xml
*SOCIAL LINKS:*
X: https://x.com/RealJvanLeeuwen
Patreon: patreon.com/JeffreyPvanLeeuwen
