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Brannagh Breslin & Diya Sharma – Hosts of YANA LV on WDIY 88.1 FM
In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, host George Wacker sits down with Moravian Academy seniors Brannagh Breslin and Diya Sharma, co-hosts of YANA LV, a youth-led mental health radio show airing monthly on WDIY 88.1 FM: https://www.wdiy.org/show/yana-lv
Brannagh and Diya explain how they started YANA LV with little more than an idea, a few iPhone recordings, and a shared belief that their generation needed a safe space to talk about mental health. The podcast, now supported by the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, features candid conversations with students, educators, and community leaders—tackling mental health from every angle.
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🧠 Episode Recap
Teen Voices, Real Conversations: Inside YANA LV on WDIY
“You are not alone.” It’s more than a title—it’s the foundation of YANA LV, the student-led mental health show created by Moravian Academy seniors Brannagh Breslin and Diya Sharma.
Their journey began in the summer before junior year with a few iPhone recordings and an idea. “We decided to start this podcast because we both had interest in mental health,” Diya says. “Our stories individually were so different, but they overlapped with the idea of mental health and giving it to a bigger audience.”
Mental Health Is Personal
The show is rooted in lived experience. “For example, if a girl is smiling to the world, happy, seems like the most bubbly person in the world—it’s not true,” Diya says. “She might be dealing with the most deepest things herself, and she’s afraid to tell other people.”
“And that’s another reason we started this podcast,” she adds. “Because the idea of You Are Not Alone means that we’re a community, and we’re going to support one another.”
From Voice Memos to Broadcast Airwaves
At first, the show was as DIY as it gets. “We would just record on our phones,” Diya recalls. “Obviously it’s not as great editing as we have here at the studio, but it was a start.”
They cold-emailed professors and local figures to ask about everything from ADHD to the psychological impact of injury and trauma. “Sometimes we would have to send five emails to five different people just to get one episode,” Brannagh says.
Eventually, with encouragement from a teacher and a few inspiring guests, they were connected with WDIY’s Youth Media Program. “I brought my dad into the studio,” Brannagh says. “I was so excited about it. It feels so professional.”
Standout Guests, Lasting Impact
Two moments stood out from their time on the show. “David Robertson… he came on to talk about Joshua Tree,” Brannagh says. “It’s for his little brother, who unfortunately passed away due to addiction… and he turned it into such a positive thing.”
Their very first WDIY episode also left a mark. “His name is Herman,” Diya says. “He’s an anesthesiologist and he has a prosthetic leg. The way he spoke and the things that he said were very inspirational.”
What They’ve Learned
“Even though situations aren’t exactly the same,” Brannagh says, “we’re still bringing attention to talking about the things that we go through.”
Diya adds: “Everyone has physical health—and I think everyone has mental health, whether they recognize it or not. I think just normalizing that and talking about it is the first big step.”
What’s Next?
Brannagh is heading to NYU to study liberal studies and political science or psychology before law school. Diya will attend UVA to study biology and pursue a career in medicine. But they’re not finished with YANA LV.
“Obviously, we can’t come here and record at the studio,” Brannagh says, “but we’ll keep YANA alive.”
