Yakking with Yante Season 2: Episode 2 Megan Makarchuk

Editor’s note: In this episode of Yakking with Yante, Daniel interviews Megan Makarchuk. Megan was a teacher in the Life 101 program from 2019 until 2024. She was a favorite among many of our members for her classes on relationships and co-leading the Life 101 Theater Program with Ms Shivali. Currently Megan is living in upper state New York where she is from originally.

DY How would you describe your time working at the HUB Houston? 

MM: Fun, exciting, full of laughs! I would describe my time at The Hub Houston as one of the best times of my life. I worked with awesome people and got to do lots of really fun things. Everyday seemed like a new adventure. 

DY What were your favorite classes to teach at The HUB? 

MM: This is a tough question, because I liked all the classes I taught. I enjoyed teaching theater with Ms. Shivali. It was so cool to see everyone trying new things and stretching out of their comfort zones. And lots of times we just got to be silly, which was fun. I also really liked culinary classes. I remember an afternoon culinary class I did with Ms. Wendy and we made some really good snacks. Oh, and relationship classes were great. We had so many good conversations about friendships. See, I liked them all! Each class was special because I got to spend time learning and exploring with great people.

DY What was the story behind your dogs Maddie and Jarvis before you raised them? 

MM: Great question! I wish I knew more about their lives before they were rescued. I think Maddie was found in a little town outside of Houston and Jarvis was found in the city. They were taken in by the same rescue, K-9 Angels, who even helped Jarvis fix his broken leg. The Hub really helped Maddie so much when I first got her. Some people may remember that when I first started bringing Maddie to The Hub, she hid under the table all day and never made a sound. This went on for months. But so many Hubsters showed her love, kindness and patience. It really helped her to feel safe. Maddie misses The Hub for sure. 

DY How would you describe your time being at New York for the last year and a half?

MM: Being in NY has been cool because I’ve been able to spend time in Upstate NY and New York City. My time upstate has been full of family time. I get to see my nieces and nephew a ton. I’ve gone to a lot of my niece’s soccer games and just got to see my other niece perform in a cheerleading event. I’ve also done some fun things in the city. My most favorite thing to do there is get coffee and sit in Central Park and people watch. 

DY What were your favorite camping experiences that you had? Camp For All or Dixie Dude Ranch or even both? 

MM: Both!! I had so much fun at both of these places, I hope I get to go back someday. At Camp For All I loved seeing the animals, especially the cow and pigs. And the morning singing and dancing was so fun. I had so much fun horse back riding at Dixie Dude Ranch. I really like that both places are out in nature. One of my most favorite places is being out in the woods. I grew up camping a lot, so the outdoors is my happy place. 

DY How would you describe your time living in Houston? 

MM: I feel like my time in Houston was full of lots of new experiences. I got to meet new people, try new restaurants, visit cool places. There were so many good coffee places to try! Also, I had never owned a dog on my own, so getting Maddie and Jarvis made my time in Houston really special. I know lots of people say that Houston is one of the most amazing cities for food, which it is, but whenever I talk about Houston I think of just how nice the people are. 

DY How would you describe your time in New York? 

MM: Because I grew up in New York, I feel really comfortable here. I’m used to the cold winters and even like the snow sometimes. I also really enjoy the wonderful parts of New York. We have beautiful mountains and lots of wildlife here. And being able to spend time in NYC is really lucky.

DY What did you think of the Into the Woods Play the HUB did in 2024?

MM: Preparing for and watching the Hubsters perform Into the Woods was one of the highlights of my time at the HUB. It has been one of my most favorite musicals since I was a kid. I’ve seen it on Broadway, and I must say that The Hub version was just as amazing to watch. I loved being a part of helping everyone prepare and practice, and it was sort of neat having Into the Woods songs stuck in my head for a few months. It was just so fun! 

DY What do you think of the Annie Play The HUB did in 2025? 

MM: The Annie Play was so awesome! I could tell from the performance that so much time and effort had gone into making it something special. I love that the actors were able to perform such a range of different scenes and emotions. And the music was just phenomenal. 

DY What have you been up to recently since you moved to New York?

MM: Like I mentioned earlier, I am just lucky that I’ve been able to spend lots of time with my family in New York. I’ve also joined two run clubs in my area, and I’ve been able to visit NYC. Last time I was there I ran around the whole Central Park loop and tried two different ice cream places, it was great!

DY What are your personal plans for yourself going forward in the future?   

MM: Great question! Right now I’m really excited for the holiday season. I’m looking forward to decorating and drinking lots of hot cocoa. And I know for me it’s important to always have some goals I’m working on. A goal I have right now is to not eat too much candy from Halloween. Just kidding, I’ve been eating lots of Twix this past week. All jokes aside, a real goal I have for myself right now is to make sure I’m balancing my time and prioritizing things that are important to me, like my family, health and happiness. I’d also love to plan a trip out to visit the Hub. I miss you all!