diff --git a/app/api/stories/videos/route.ts b/app/api/stories/videos/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa41507
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/api/stories/videos/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
+import { getVideoStories } from '@/lib/stories';
+
+// Read at request time (the build has no database), then cached at the edge.
+export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
+
+// GET: public video stories for the rail on the homepage and program pages
+export async function GET() {
+  const videos = await getVideoStories();
+  return NextResponse.json(videos, {
+    headers: { 'Cache-Control': 'public, s-maxage=600, stale-while-revalidate=86400' },
+  });
+}
diff --git a/app/testimonials/page.tsx b/app/testimonials/page.tsx
index 119b624..a27966a 100644
--- a/app/testimonials/page.tsx
+++ b/app/testimonials/page.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-import connectDB from '@/lib/db';
-import connectImpactDB from '@/lib/impact-db';
-import { Testimonial as TestimonialModel } from '@/models/Testimonial';
-import { getImpactStoryModel } from '@/models/ImpactStory';
 import { getVideoEmbed } from '@/lib/video-url';
+import { getPublicStories, withPreviews } from '@/lib/stories';
 import { SubmitImpactStoryModal } from '@/components/submit-impact-story-modal';
 import { TestimonialRail } from '@/components/testimonial-rail';
 import type { Testimonial } from '@/components/testimonial-card';
@@ -10,38 +7,6 @@ import { Card, Eyebrow, PageHero, Panel, Section } from '@/components/site/page-
 
 export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
 
-async function getTestimonials() {
-  try {
-    await connectDB();
-    const testimonials = await TestimonialModel.find({ isApproved: true })
-      .select('name role before content cta videoUrl imageUrl type createdAt')
-      .sort({ createdAt: -1 });
-    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(testimonials));
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Unable to load testimonials:', error);
-    return [];
-  }
-}
-
-async function getPublicImpactStories() {
-  try {
-    const connection = await connectImpactDB();
-    const ImpactStory = getImpactStoryModel(connection);
-    const stories = await ImpactStory.find({
-      isApproved: true,
-      visibility: { $in: ['public', 'featured'] },
-    })
-      .select('name role program cohort sponsor before content cta videoUrl imageUrl type visibility featuredRank createdAt')
-      .sort({ featuredRank: 1, createdAt: -1 })
-      .lean();
-
-    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(stories));
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Unable to load public impact stories:', error);
-    return [];
-  }
-}
-
 export const metadata = {
   alternates: { canonical: "/testimonials" },
   title: 'Stories from our community',
@@ -49,16 +14,12 @@ export const metadata = {
 };
 
 export default async function TestimonialsPage() {
-  const [legacyTestimonials, impactStories] = await Promise.all([
-    getTestimonials(),
-    getPublicImpactStories(),
-  ]);
-  const testimonials: Testimonial[] = [...legacyTestimonials, ...impactStories].sort(
-    (a, b) => new Date(b.createdAt).getTime() - new Date(a.createdAt).getTime(),
-  );
+  const testimonials: Testimonial[] = await getPublicStories();
   // Video stories first. A "video" story whose link cannot be embedded reads as a written story.
-  const videoTestimonials = testimonials.filter((t) => t.type === 'video' && getVideoEmbed(t.videoUrl));
-  const textTestimonials = testimonials.filter((t) => !videoTestimonials.includes(t));
+  const videoTestimonials = await withPreviews(
+    testimonials.filter((t) => t.type === 'video' && getVideoEmbed(t.videoUrl)),
+  );
+  const textTestimonials = testimonials.filter((t) => !(t.type === 'video' && getVideoEmbed(t.videoUrl)));
 
   return (
     <>
diff --git a/components/home/data.ts b/components/home/data.ts
index fb25c64..0177225 100644
--- a/components/home/data.ts
+++ b/components/home/data.ts
@@ -358,11 +358,11 @@ export const videoStories: { name: string; role: string; url: string | null }[]
     role: "How Dev Weekends members cracked GSoC, ESoC and more",
     url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP25H9HX8D8",
   },
-  { name: "Muhammad Saqlain", role: "GSoC 2026, NumFOCUS", url: null },
-  { name: "Mateeb Haider", role: "GSoC 2026, FOSSASIA", url: null },
-  { name: "Muhammad Junaid Shaukat", role: "GSoC 2026, Apache Beam", url: null },
-  { name: "Aqib Nawab", role: "GSoC 2026, C2SI", url: null },
-  { name: "Kamran ul Haq", role: "GSoC 2026, FLARE", url: null },
+  { name: "Muhammad Saqlain", role: "GSoC 2026, NumFOCUS", url: "https://youtu.be/7mtCxDtcYvA" },
+  { name: "Mateeb Haider", role: "GSoC 2026, FOSSASIA", url: "https://youtu.be/VQHqeFUKvF8" },
+  { name: "Muhammad Junaid Shaukat", role: "GSoC 2026, Apache Beam", url: "https://youtu.be/6SfzvbiRspg" },
+  { name: "Aqib Nawab", role: "GSoC 2026, C2SI", url: "https://youtu.be/N_PP62MsaEE" },
+  { name: "Kamran ul Haq", role: "GSoC 2026, FLARE", url: "https://youtu.be/v01zfRuV9Vw" },
 ]
 
 export const voices = [
diff --git a/components/home/voices.tsx b/components/home/voices.tsx
index a3c9fac..46a73a5 100644
--- a/components/home/voices.tsx
+++ b/components/home/voices.tsx
@@ -1,24 +1,42 @@
 "use client"
 
-import { useRef, useState } from "react"
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
 import Link from "next/link"
 import { ArrowLeft, ArrowRight, Play } from "lucide-react"
 
 import { getVideoEmbed } from "@/lib/video-url"
 import { LINKS, videoStories, voices } from "./data"
 
+type LiveVideo = { name: string; role: string; url: string; previewUrl?: string }
+
 /**
- * Stories rail: videos first, then written quotes. It does not move by itself.
- * People scroll it with the arrows, a swipe or the trackpad.
+ * Stories rail: video stories, loaded from the same approved stories as the
+ * stories page (GSoC and LFX first), after the videos listed in data.ts.
+ * Written quotes only fill in when there are too few videos. It does not move
+ * by itself: people scroll it with the arrows, a swipe or the trackpad.
  */
 export function VoicesRail() {
   const rail = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
   const [playing, setPlaying] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const [live, setLive] = useState<LiveVideo[]>([])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    fetch("/api/stories/videos")
+      .then((res) => (res.ok ? res.json() : []))
+      .then((data) => setLive(Array.isArray(data) ? data : []))
+      .catch(() => setLive([]))
+  }, [])
 
-  const videos = videoStories.flatMap((story) => {
+  const seen = new Set<string>()
+  const listed: { name: string; role: string; url: string | null; previewUrl?: string }[] = [...videoStories, ...live]
+  const videos = listed.flatMap((story) => {
     const embed = getVideoEmbed(story.url ?? undefined)
-    return embed ? [{ ...story, embed }] : []
+    if (!embed || seen.has(embed.embedUrl)) return []
+    seen.add(embed.embedUrl)
+    const preview = story.previewUrl ?? embed.thumbnailUrl
+    return [{ name: story.name, role: story.role, embed, preview }]
   })
+  const quotes = videos.length < 3 ? voices : []
 
   const scrollBy = (direction: 1 | -1) => {
     const el = rail.current
@@ -64,9 +82,9 @@ export function VoicesRail() {
         className="hm-scroll mt-12 flex snap-x snap-mandatory gap-5 overflow-x-auto scroll-smooth px-[max(24px,calc((100%-1200px)/2+24px))] scroll-px-[max(24px,calc((100%-1200px)/2+24px))] pb-2 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-4 focus-visible:outline-[#0A0A0A]"
       >
         {videos.map((video) => (
-          <article key={video.name} className="w-[360px] shrink-0 snap-start overflow-hidden rounded-[20px] border border-[#E6E6E6]">
+          <article key={video.embed.embedUrl} className="w-[360px] shrink-0 snap-start overflow-hidden rounded-[20px] border border-[#E6E6E6]">
             <div className="relative aspect-video bg-[#0A0A0A]">
-              {playing === video.name ? (
+              {playing === video.embed.embedUrl ? (
                 <iframe
                   src={video.embed.embedUrl}
                   title={`${video.name}: video story`}
@@ -77,14 +95,14 @@ export function VoicesRail() {
               ) : (
                 <button
                   type="button"
-                  onClick={() => setPlaying(video.name)}
+                  onClick={() => setPlaying(video.embed.embedUrl)}
                   aria-label={`Play video: ${video.name}`}
                   className="group absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center"
                 >
-                  {video.embed.thumbnailUrl && (
+                  {video.preview && (
                     // eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element
                     <img
-                      src={video.embed.thumbnailUrl}
+                      src={video.preview}
                       alt=""
                       loading="lazy"
                       className="absolute inset-0 h-full w-full object-cover opacity-80 grayscale transition group-hover:opacity-100 group-hover:grayscale-0"
@@ -104,7 +122,7 @@ export function VoicesRail() {
           </article>
         ))}
 
-        {voices.map((voice) => (
+        {quotes.map((voice) => (
           <article key={voice.name} className="flex min-h-[320px] w-[360px] shrink-0 snap-start flex-col rounded-[20px] border border-[#E6E6E6] p-7 transition-shadow duration-200 hover:shadow-[0_18px_36px_-24px_rgba(0,0,0,0.3)]">
             <p className="text-[17px] leading-[1.6] text-[#262626]">&ldquo;{voice.quote}&rdquo;</p>
             <div className="mt-auto border-t border-[#E6E6E6] pt-[18px]">
diff --git a/components/testimonial-card.tsx b/components/testimonial-card.tsx
index c5c774a..b9189d5 100644
--- a/components/testimonial-card.tsx
+++ b/components/testimonial-card.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ export interface Testimonial {
   content: string;
   cta?: string;
   videoUrl?: string;
+  /** Preview image resolved on the server, for providers without a fixed thumbnail URL */
+  previewUrl?: string;
   imageUrl?: string;
   type: 'text' | 'video';
   program?: string;
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ export function TestimonialCard({ testimonial }: { testimonial: Testimonial }) {
   const program = formatProgram(testimonial.program);
 
   const video = getVideoEmbed(testimonial.videoUrl);
-  const thumbnailUrl = video?.thumbnailUrl ?? '/avatar.svg';
+  const thumbnailUrl = testimonial.previewUrl ?? video?.thumbnailUrl ?? '/avatar.svg';
 
   if (testimonial.type === 'video' && video) {
     return (
diff --git a/lib/stories.ts b/lib/stories.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ea338f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/stories.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import connectDB from '@/lib/db';
+import connectImpactDB from '@/lib/impact-db';
+import { getVideoEmbed } from '@/lib/video-url';
+import { Testimonial as TestimonialModel } from '@/models/Testimonial';
+import { getImpactStoryModel } from '@/models/ImpactStory';
+import type { Testimonial } from '@/components/testimonial-card';
+
+/**
+ * Public community stories, from both the original testimonials and the newer
+ * impact stories. The stories page and the video rail on other pages read from
+ * here, so a story approved in the admin shows up everywhere.
+ */
+
+async function getLegacyTestimonials(): Promise<Testimonial[]> {
+  try {
+    await connectDB();
+    const testimonials = await TestimonialModel.find({ isApproved: true })
+      .select('name role before content cta videoUrl imageUrl type createdAt')
+      .sort({ createdAt: -1 });
+    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(testimonials));
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Unable to load testimonials:', error);
+    return [];
+  }
+}
+
+async function getPublicImpactStories(): Promise<Testimonial[]> {
+  try {
+    const connection = await connectImpactDB();
+    const ImpactStory = getImpactStoryModel(connection);
+    const stories = await ImpactStory.find({
+      isApproved: true,
+      visibility: { $in: ['public', 'featured'] },
+    })
+      .select('name role program cohort sponsor before content cta videoUrl imageUrl type visibility featuredRank createdAt')
+      .sort({ featuredRank: 1, createdAt: -1 })
+      .lean();
+    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(stories));
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Unable to load public impact stories:', error);
+    return [];
+  }
+}
+
+/** Newest first, across both sources */
+export async function getPublicStories(): Promise<Testimonial[]> {
+  const [legacy, impact] = await Promise.all([getLegacyTestimonials(), getPublicImpactStories()]);
+  return [...legacy, ...impact].sort(
+    (a, b) => new Date(b.createdAt ?? 0).getTime() - new Date(a.createdAt ?? 0).getTime(),
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * A preview image for a video link. YouTube and Google Drive have fixed
+ * thumbnail URLs; Loom's includes a hash, so it is read from Loom's oEmbed
+ * endpoint and cached for a day.
+ */
+export async function getVideoPreview(videoUrl?: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  const embed = getVideoEmbed(videoUrl);
+  if (!embed) return undefined;
+  if (embed.thumbnailUrl) return embed.thumbnailUrl;
+  if (embed.provider !== 'Loom' || !videoUrl) return undefined;
+
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`https://www.loom.com/v1/oembed?url=${encodeURIComponent(videoUrl)}`, {
+      next: { revalidate: 86400 },
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(5000),
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) return undefined;
+    const data = (await res.json()) as { thumbnail_url?: unknown };
+    const thumbnail = typeof data.thumbnail_url === 'string' ? data.thumbnail_url : undefined;
+    return thumbnail?.startsWith('https://cdn.loom.com/') ? thumbnail : undefined;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+/** Adds `previewUrl` to every video story */
+export async function withPreviews(stories: Testimonial[]): Promise<Testimonial[]> {
+  return Promise.all(
+    stories.map(async (story) =>
+      story.type === 'video' ? { ...story, previewUrl: await getVideoPreview(story.videoUrl) } : story,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+export type VideoStory = { name: string; role: string; url: string; previewUrl?: string };
+
+/** Open source stories (GSoC, LFX and similar) lead the video rail */
+function openSourceRank(role: string) {
+  return /gsoc|summer of code|lfx|esoc/i.test(role) ? 0 : 1;
+}
+
+export async function getVideoStories(): Promise<VideoStory[]> {
+  const stories = await getPublicStories();
+  const videos = stories.filter((story) => story.type === 'video' && getVideoEmbed(story.videoUrl));
+  const withImages = await withPreviews(videos);
+  return withImages
+    .map((story) => ({ name: story.name, role: story.role, url: story.videoUrl as string, previewUrl: story.previewUrl }))
+    .sort((a, b) => openSourceRank(a.role) - openSourceRank(b.role));
+}
diff --git a/lib/video-url.ts b/lib/video-url.ts
index e906774..1cfc48b 100644
--- a/lib/video-url.ts
+++ b/lib/video-url.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export function getVideoEmbed(value?: string): VideoEmbed | null {
       ? {
           provider: 'Google Drive',
           embedUrl: `https://drive.google.com/file/d/${id}/preview`,
+          thumbnailUrl: `https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=${id}&sz=w800`,
         }
       : null;
   }