Welcome to 1861, the North Central College Podcast
With countless great stories across the North Central College campus and the wider Cardinal community, we’ve created a new way to share them.
Join us on this journey. Let’s see where it leads. A liberal arts education is about examining diverse perspectives, asking questions, and engaging in dialogue, so we’ll aim to have conversations that will get you thinking — inspire and challenge you. Maybe even smile ... or laugh.
Whether you are a current or prospective student, faculty or staff member, alum, friend or fan, we hope you enjoy a bird’s-eye view of what makes North Central College special.
Dr. Michael Earing ’93 came to North Central College with two goals: study biology and play football. Growing up in Minooka, Ill., he was drawn to North Central’s small-school environment, close-knit community and opportunities to pursue both academics and athletics. During his time as a Cardinal, he found the support, discipline and confidence that helped prepare him for medical school and, ultimately, a nationally recognized career in cardiology.
Listen along as Earing, a 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, reflects on finding his place at North Central, balancing the demands of academics and athletics, and the professors and classmates who helped shape his journey. Now chief of pediatric cardiology at the University of Chicago Medicine, he also shares how his North Central experience continues to influence his approach to medicine—and what it means to see his daughter begin her own Cardinal journey.
