Jessica Sherr: The One-Woman-Wonder

(Photo cred: MinhTu Van photography)

 

This April, I was asked to review the Hudson Theatre Ensemble’s performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, “The Great Gatsby,” for an h-MAG piece. As an avid Great Gatsby fan, I was incredibly excited to see the performance, and how the theatre ensemble would present their version. While I found the early parts of the Ensemble’s performance to be a bit dull, the stage was lit up as Jessica Sherr took her place as Jordan Baker.

 

From the moment she took the stage, it was obvious to the entire audience that Jessica had studied Jordan Baker very closely, and was quite an impressive character actress. After reading the review, Jessica reached out to me and we got to talkin!

 

While catching up with Jessica, she explained that she credits some of her inspiring ability to morph herself into the character she is playing to the English major she pursued in college. As we bonded over our commonality (I just graduated with a degree in English as well), Jessica gave me a brief walk-through of her acting journey: from a dancer in Frosty the Snowman at age 3 through present day: writer and one-woman performer of her own show entitled “Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies.”

 

As Jessica began to detail her journey back in time for me, she started at the very beginning. “I was really a dancer,” she said. “When I was three I was taking a bunch of dance classes and was chosen to be a snow man in the ‘Frosty the Snowman’ routine at the recital.”

 

“I still remember it perfectly…oh..my…god we have pictures,” she laughed. “We had these little white leotards with green buttons and green cuffs. It was the first time I remember realizing I had a voice and I wanted to be heard” she said.

 

Now, while this may seem like the average dance recital thus far, Jessica’s second part of the story proved to be the kicker.

 

“I sneezed right before I was about to go on stage, and my mom, who is definitely not a stage mom let me go on stage with the remnants of the sneeze all over my face. I remember just standing up there crying in agony, but feeling this overwhelming happiness to be on stage and dancing at the same time,” she giggled.

 

“My face definitely screamed happiness mixed with sneezing child,” Jessica continued to laugh. “But honestly, it’s a day I will never forget and the day I truly believe it all began for me.”

 

It seems Jessica’s inclination was right. After her on stage debut as a crying/sneezing/smiling snowman she continued to pursue her passion and was cast as the narrator in a school play in 5^th grade.

 

“I was thrilled. It was my first speaking role and I always wanted to have a voice. The narrator gets to tell the story and I always loved the idea of being a storyteller,” Jessica explained. “My grandmother Alice was a phenomenal storyteller and I always really admired that about her,” she continued. In addition to her first speaking role in the 5^th grade theatre production, Jessica also went on tour with the Disney Spectacular in the 3^rd grade, where she had a singing solo.

 

While attending a fine arts high school, Jessica pursued community theatre and kept up with dance. At age 18, Jessica hurt her ankle and was unable to dance for two years. It appears this may have been a blessing in disguise.

 

“While unable to dance, the only way I was able to express myself artistically was to talk,” she said. “During this time, I learned I had more of an interest in the acting side, as opposed to the dancing side.”

 

“I loved to dance, but I couldn’t express myself as well as I could with words,” she said.

 

With the dream of making it as an actress in her pocket, Jessica moved to New York post-college with the intention of only staying in the big city for three months. With a chuckle, Jessica admitted, “Welp. That plan most definitely changed,” she said. I’ve been here like…ten years now,” she said.

 

As Jessica began to detail her transition to – and life—in NYC she explained her quirky habit to me…one that I fell in love with. “I tend to label my years in terms of what they consisted of,” she giggled. “So, I had a year of acting classes, a year of training, a year of getting used to the city, and a year of bettering Jessica,” she explained.

 

Following the transition years, Jessica landed her first paid gig: a 34^th street dinner theatre murder mystery where she would play the role of Shelia Shickmyer.

 

“Oh my gosh! I was in my glory,” she said excitedly. “I got to wear this sexy dress and kiss the lead! It was the first time I had even been that much of a story. I was thrilled,” she said. “I got paid $30 a show and I thought that was sooooooo cool,” she laughed. “It was a blast.”

 

While I’m sure there was a bunch of steps that came between Jessica’s sexy little dinner theatre performance and where she is now, our conversation shifted focus to her latest project, a one-woman performance of “Bette Davis Ain’t for Sisses,” which Jessica presented on two dates in May at the WestBank Café’s Laurie Beechman Theatre.

 

Because of the h-MAG review of Jessica’s performance of Jordan Baker, Jessica invited me to see her show, and I couldn’t be gladder that she did! Over a glass of Prosecco,

I was transported back to the night of the 1939 Oscar’s through Bette Davis’ eyes. Again, I was floored by Jessica’s performance and her ability to captivate and transport her audience….this time, completely alone.

 

How does she do this? I couldn’t wait to find out. As she explained it to me, to prepare for a role, Jessica asks lots of questions about the person/character she is playing. “I have to think about where that person began, what made them who they were, and how they got to the place they were in,” she said. Then, “I read the play 30-40 times over and try to get a sense of what other people think about the person. What does this person think about himself or herself,” she continued. Next- “Hair, costume, and shoes. I try not to think about learning the text until I understand what’s underneath the character.”

 

“I think that’s where some actresses/actors can go wrong. They go to the text first, instead of storytelling. Creating characters and making them different is way more important than perfecting the exact line,” she continued.

 

In continuing the conversation about what makes a successful one-woman performer, Jessica explains that the biggest challenge –and asset- is “only being able to rely on yourself.”

 

“You have to let your imagination take over, otherwise you don’t give the person/character you’re playing a full life. You must, must, MUST let yourself go,” she said. “Let yourself go and let yourself go with it. You have to.”

 

“Impulse helps a lot as well,” she said. “I actually started taking improv classes in order to be able to fill the space between the words. You have to have your own language. I think being on stage alone brought back the dancer inside of me. I learned to be open with my body, look at everything and develop my body language,” she said.

 

In addition to all Jessica has mentioned, she also stressed the importance of getting “historically accurately details.” But- with that said, in her version of “Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies,” she admits that she had re-written some of the play in order to be able to connect with her audience. “I wanted my audience to really be able to understand me, as well as Bette,” she said. “Being in front of an audience and learning how to connect with them is one of the most helpful things that has happened throughout my career,” she continued.

 

“I wanted the people who watched the show to feel inspired to go look her up after seeing the performance. Many people don’t know the real Bette Davis and I wanted to expose that to my audience. I wanted people to walk out with a real idea of Bette Davis. I wanted people to think ‘wow…I didn’t know that about her.”

 

While Jessica admits that Ms. Davis has been her favorite role to play, she explained that she “really loved Jordan [Baker] too.”

 

“But, Bette is the only character I’ve worked on so long. She was a real person so I really get to have fun with her. In studying her, she’s taught me a lot,” Jessica said. “She’s taught me to think about how to conduct myself and to fight for what I believe with an intelligent opinion. I love Bette, but I’m very excited to work on new projects as well. My passion is to work on and create new characters,” she said.

 

AND…. Just before this blog post was ready to be posted, Jessica received some wonderful news that I am thrilled to share with my readers: BETTE DAVIS IS GOING TO SCOTLAND to preform for 22 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! Please help Jesscia’s awesome dream come true by visiting http://igg.me/at/bettedavisaintforsissies/x/6433 to check out her Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign! She is wonderful and any contribution would mean so very much to both of us!

 

As a seasoned actress, Jessica’s advice to up and coming actors/actresses is to “brand [themselves] accurately. Delve deep into [themselves], and remember, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MAKE UP YOU PUT ON, IN THE END THEY HIRE YOU FOR YOU. THEY SEE YOU. AND THEY WANT TO!,” she emphasized.

 

 

 

 

 

Tommy Albelin: Hockey Mogul&A Very Special Friend

How many people can say that they had a member of a winning Stanley Cup team show up at their door to hand-deliver a team-authentic hat autographed by every member of that winning team? Probably not very many, but I am one of the select few that can brag that it happened to me.

On my first day of pre-school I was introduced to the most adorable little blonde haired boy I had ever seen; and, when I noticed his leopard print moccasins, the deal was sealed. He would be my first boyfriend and our families would fall in love.

My projection was not very far off. When our families met, it was love at first sight. Our mom’s have been best friends from the first day they met and our families have become one and the same.

My first playDATE with this little blonde haired boy looked something like me playing goalie in the kitchen and his mom screaming, “Adam don’t hit Kimberly in the face with that, you’re being too rough,” and him winning over my heart by showing me these soaps that had a dead bug at their core. Grossss.

(From left: Myself, Maria (Adam’s Mom/Tommy’s Wife) and Adam on right)

After some time turning me into a tomboy and grossing me out with the soaps with the dead bug at their core, I decided that hanging out at his house would be a lot more fun if I hung out with his parents (Sorry Adam, love ya!) Adam’s father, Tommy, now the coach of The Albany Devils (the News Jersey Devils minor league team), was a defenseman on the New Jersey Devils at the time. My favorite team in the world! So, as time went on Adam spent time shooting pucks at other targets, while I excitedly took a seat next to Tommy on the couch and helped him sort through his fan mail.

While these experiences are simply a brief snapshot into how special the Albelin’s are to me, to say they have become my second family is an understatement. They ARE my family, and my lucky number has remained 6, the number Tommy once wore on the Devils. I was such a fan that when Andy Greene joined the team in 2006 and took the number 6 for the first time since Tommy had left, I tried to convince the world he was a terrible person who did not serve the number any justice. And even today, as much as I love the Devils, I secretly loathe Andy Greene for this.

So, if it hasn’t already become clear, yes, Tommy was the guy that showed up at my doorstep in 2003 with the autographed hat. He was also the guy that made my whole middle school class hate me that year because when he brought the Stanley Cup to a Henry B.Whitehorne assembly, I was the only person other than Adam who was allowed to touch it. Haters gonna hate, what can ya do?!

OK—to get to the point, finally. According to Tommy, his passion for hockey began when he was around 15. “I had the choice to either become serious about soccer or hockey, and I decided to go with hockey because I thought it was more fun to play,” he explained. “It also proved to be a really helpful distraction from all the bad things going on in my life at the time, such as my parent’s divorce,” he continued.

Tommy’s hockey journey began on the Djurgarden (a Swedish Elite league team) and continued with the Quebec Nordiques, then the New Jersey Devils, the Calgary Flames, and then back to the Devils.

–To go off on a sidebar once again, I account the day Tommy was traded to the Calgary flames as one of the worst days of my life. And no, I’m not kidding. When my mom hung up the phone after talking to Maria, Tommy’s wife, she looked at me in complete fear. “Tommy got traded to the Calgary Flames, they’re moving to Canada,” she said as she began to tear up herself. Well, talk about complete devastation. I spent the rest of my day ABSENT FROM SCHOOL crying hysterically lying in bed giving myself nose bleeds because I couldn’t imagine life in NJ without our best friends around the corner. I wish I was exaggerating, but sadly, I am not.

Adam came over the next day to play for the last time before the move, and the story I’m about to tell about that day is one we still frequently tell when our families hang out. We were in my backyard swimming in the baby pool when it started thunder storming. Naturally, my mom told us to get out because of the lightning and Adam stood there, refusing, and blurted out, “I can’t go inside, I’m moving to Canada. I’m never going to swim again.”

Well, luckily after a few years, the NJ Devils wanted Tommy back and the Albelin’s came back to us in NJ! And- if I can find it within myself to stop reminiscing on all the great memories our families have shared, you will begin to see, just as I have, how much of a rock star hockey mogul Tommy is.

In rehashing some of the most exciting moments of his career, Tommy explained that in chronoglocial order, he defines these moments as, #1 Becoming the Swedish Elite Champions in 1983, #2 Winning a World Championship Gold medal against Russia in Vienna in 1987, #3 winning his first Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995, and #4, winning the Stanley Cup again with the Devils again in 2003.

“All were unforgettable moments that I will always cherish throughout my life,” he said.

In further elaborating on these amazing moments, I asked Tommy what he feels is more exhilarating, being asked to play on an Olympic team or winning a Stanley cup. As I anticipated, Tommy explained that this is definitely a very difficult question to answer.

“But, if I had to choose,” he said, “playing in the Olympics was definitely more on an honor for me. In the Olympics you’re playing for your country and you have the entire country standing behind you and supporting you. It’s so much more than just the competition, because you get to see everything other athletes are about; how they prepare, how they interact with teammates, and even how they eat,” he said.

After a playing career that spanned over 30 years of both domestic, international, and Olympic play, Tommy became the assistant coach for the Devils for both the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons, from there, he went on to his current position with the Albany Devils.

In speaking on the transition from player to coach, Tommy explained that he was, “Very excited, yet very nervous because I didn’t’ really know what to expect. The transition was definitely hard because I’d only known how to see the game as a player, not as a coach,” he said. “I learned that coaching is very time consuming and of course it was different preparing to get on the bench as a coach, not a player.”

While Tommy admits to missing playing because he “misses all the good times of being able to skate around and play with [his] fellow teammates,” he explains that he definitely enjoys coaching because it gives him a “sense of control.”

After making the transition from player to coach, Tommy also made the transition from coaching the NHL to the AHL. In speaking on this transition, Tommy explained that he feels, “The greatest challenge is that the skill level is not as high. It’s more of a challenge to get the players to play the kind of system you want them to. Plus, in the AHL you need to teach players more basic skills, whereas in the NHL those guys already know everything for the most part,” he said.

For young college lovers who aspire to live out a career in hockey that’s as exciting as Tommy’s has been, he offers some advice: “Don’t take anything for granted. Always be prepared and never get too comfortable.”

Additionally, he explained that his mantra to live by is “Treat people the way you want to be treated, just because it’s what [he] believes you should do.”

“I’m also a fan of second chances,” Tommy continued. “Because everybody makes mistakes in life.”

When not spending time watching, coaching, living, and breathing hockey, Tommy explained that spending time with his family is always a priority for him. “Spending time together in Sweden when we go away for the entire summer is especially fun and important to me,” he said. “I also really enjoy playing golf in my free time, it’s a great substitute for hockey.”

(NJ Devils trading card signed by Tommy) (Left: Tommy, coaching beside Jacques Lemaire)

Condoleezza Rice: The Most Inspiring of the Inspiring

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Drew University’s magazine to compile a list of the 6 most inspiring interviews I’ve conducted as a Drew student reporter.  I avoided this task indefinitely, knowing it was going to be tough to select only 6. Since my freshman year, I’ve been the reporter assigned to cover the Forum Speaker appearances; that is to cover the visits of prominent political or media figures to the likes of Dr. Robert Gates and Arianna Huffington. While I’ve conducted just over ten of these interviews, all of them were equally inspiring, in their own way, and it took me over an hour to narrow it down.

After compiling my list, which looks something like #1 Anderson Cooper, #2 Tom Brokaw, #3 Arianna Huffington, #4 Robert Gates, and #5 Gerry Adams, I explained to the mag’s editor that I needed to save the #6 spot for the interview I would be conducting at the end of that week with Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. I just had a feeling. Now, as I reflect on the interview just about a week later, I’m thinking of making her #1.

As I walked to Meade Hall for the interview, I had mixed emotions. I was obviously excited, but also beginning to feel the tiny beads of sweat roll down my forehead; I was incredibly nervous! Nervous for two reasons: The first, I was about to sit down with Condoleezza Rice. The second, I had a forum interviewer-to-be shadowing me. I wondered if the experience would be like the one I had with Gerry Adams: five minutes to ask seven questions, walls lined with CIA. I hoped not.

As I pulled open the door at Meade Hall, it was immediately obvious that the experiences would have little similarity. Not to say my experience interviewing Mr. Adams was bad in anyway, but having 15, or so, men in black suits lining the walls staring at you every move you make- is quite intimidating for a rookie journalist.

As Ms. Rice entered the room she waved happily at the group of students waiting to speak with her and immediately introduced herself to us. I shook out my last minute jitters and took my usual place across from Ms. Rice.

After a very touching introduction to her by the University’s Communications Officer, where he explained that Ms. Rice, “should remember [my] name, because I will be going very far in the field of journalism,” I asked her my first question.

“You grew up in Birmingham when it was still racially segregated,” I prefaced it. “What was that like and how did your experiences there shape your future,” I continued.

“On one hand, I had a really normal childhood,” Ms. Rice began. “I took dance lessons, piano lessons, did all the normal things. Parents made a very conscious effort to make everything seem normal and they did a really good job at it. For the most part, I don’t think we really knew anything was wrong because we never really crossed into ‘White Birmingham,’” she explained.

As her eyes began to fill with a very light trace of a tear, Ms. Rice continued, “It wasn’t until the bombing of the Birmingham Church, where I lost my very best kindergarten friend, did I know there was something wrong.”

Touched by her response, I let out the smallest “oh my gosh,” under my breath and we connected. In that moment, she smiled and said, “It was that moment that taught me how resilient the human sprit really is. How capable one is of putting the past behind them and moving on,” she said. “I’m not sure if the specific connection, but my experiences in Birmingham definitely had an impact on my decision to become Secretary of State,” Ms. Rice continued.

After opening the conversation with learning a bit about her background, I moved into a short conversation about an interview Jenna Bush conducted with Ms. Rice for Southern Living Magazine. In the interview, Ms. Rice explained that her parents taught her that she would always have to be “twice as good,” to overcome prejudice. Based on this idea, I asked whether or not she feels this ideal still fits in regards to women aiming high career wise.

“Yes, definitely,” she said. “But honestly, race and gender based prejudice aside, it’s not a bad mantra for anyone. It’s a great thing to remember when you’re in any environment where you are different or feel kind of confined. It helps you step outside of the box,” she said.

As my last kind of “introduction to the interview” question, I asked Ms. Rice how being told she would be one of the first two women admitted to the Augusta National made her feel. She simply explained that she felt very “surprised and excited.” She went on to explain that she feels it’s a wonderful institution that has really pushed the growth of the game.

After getting acquainted to Ms. Rice’s warm personality after these few questions, I moved into the more serious questions. The first of these being one of my personal favorite questions that I’ve ever asked: As a member of the Bush Administration, what piece of criticism about yourself/the administration as a whole that you heard of read hurt you the most and why?

With a firm nod and a clasp of her hands, Ms. Rice proceeded, “It’s really hurtful to hear that people don’t think you’re telling the truth. I never once intended to lie about anything during my time as a part of that administration. I always told the truth and presented things to the public in the way I believed they were really happening,” she said. “It made me really angry to see how many people really thought we were lying. It’s one thing for the public to disagree with us, but it’s quite another to repeatedly hear that you’re not being honest.”

Following my question regarding her time on the Bush administration, I moved into a question about the Boston Marathon bombing. Since her lecture followed the tragedy by just three days, I anticipated it would be something she would address in her forum to the Drew community. Her response reflected an agreement with information Dr. Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense, provided me with in an interview a few months ago.

“While visiting Drew, Dr. Gates explained that in his opinion, a large-scale attack like 9/11 is an unlikely threat for the U.S in present day,” I said. “He went on to state that we now need to be more concerned with smaller scale attacks, like what happened in Boston on Monday.  Do you agree or disagree with this,” my question read.

Very similar to the to the insight that Dr. Gates shared, Ms. Rice stated that currently, the U.S. needs to be concerned with Al Queda affiliates. “Home-grown people are actually a large concern at this point as well,” she said. “What occurred in Boston does not feel very foreign to me at this point. It feels Al Queda inspired but domestically executed.”

While our conversation about this continued for much longer than her assistants wanted to allow, my next question touched on the truth behind the recent Hollywood film, “Zero Dark Thirty.” As a viewer that was incredibly enthralled by it, I was eager to get her onion. Was it fact, fiction, or a mix of the two, I asked.

And…I think you’ll all be as shocked by her answer as I was. “I haven’t seen it so I can’t tell you honestly, Kimberly.” After a quick, “wow, really??” I asked her why and she didn’t really have an exact answer. That’s something I really wish I poked at a bit more. I would love to know!!!!

Although we were really beginning to engage with each other at this point in the interview, I thought her assistants were going to kill me if I took anymore of her time so I began to wrap the interview by asking if she feels the nation is ready for a woman president and if yes, would she ever consider running.

With a sharp yes, she assured me that of course the nation is ready for a woman president BUT it will NEVER be her.

“I love policy. I don’t love politics,” she said with an honest laugh. “I don’t have the right DNA. When I worked for President Bush he would be up alllllllll night working,” as she exaggerated the “all.” “I don’t want to do that- I want to go to bed at night,” she laughed.

“But seriously, Kimberly, I’ve never wanted to run for office. I like being behind the scenes,” she smiled.

As she thanked me for a great interview (which nearly made me pee my pants, by the way!) she also asked one of the other students sitting in on the interview to take a picture of us. Yes, that’s right I said SHE asked!!!!

As we began to part ways and head for the exits, she said, “I get what Dave said now. I really will see you doing this professionally one day,” then she shook my hand and said goodbye.

I called my mom and told her I could die happily. Condoleezza Rice approves of my journalism skills.

(Photo cred: James McCourt)

Dr. Vivian Bull: The Inspiring Story behind the face of Drew University’s Interim President

 As Drew University prepared to make several academic transitions this year, one of them included welcoming back Dr. Vivian Bull, a woman who had previously contributed over 30 years of teaching in the econ department, and served for eight years as associate dean.

While her time at Drew includes over 21 archaeological expeditions in the Middle East, and four Brussels Semesters on the European Community, Dr. Bull’s journey leading up to academia at Drew is even more aweing.

In beginning our conversation, I explained to Dr. Bull that all I would need in this interview was a brief synopsis of her career journey.

With a polite smile and obviously warm heart, Dr.Bull joked, “Well Kimberly, that’s over 72 years of work, you might have to be a little more specific,” she laughed.

As I sat with her just over a week ago to discuss the details for an Acorn story, I realized she would be the perfect fit to follow up last week’s post about Jessie. As one of the first women to work at the Federal Reserve Bank and major in Economics, she appears to be one of the examples Jessie was alluding to when she said that she feels she must continue to advocate for the betterment of women’s lives, because she must tribute the women who have already done as much.

“I grew up in a Swedish family in Northern Michigan,” Dr. Bull began. “The idea of something being ‘for the boys’ simply did not exist. There was a great deal of activity surrounding my family. We skied, did things outdoors, and we did all these things together. I was raised with the mentality that anyone could do anything if they worked hard enough,” she continued.

As she approached college age, Dr. Bull explained that she began to think a lot about becoming involved in church leadership. “But, they weren’t ordaining women,” she said. “I think around this time was when I became aware that there were things women just ‘wouldn’t do,’ she noted as she created air quotations with her hands.

“So, I went to community college first, we all did, in an attempt to save some money, and then I attended Albion College. There, I was the only female Economics major. I worked breakfast in the morning, worked at the bookstore, and was the housemother for my living space.”

While Dr. Bull was given a taste of gender discrimination when she thought about getting ordained, the severity of the situation set in post-college when she applied for a position at a large Detroit bank (the Federal Reserve).

“I got a letter back explaining that they only hired women for secretarial positions,” she explained. But- with nothing more than her own determination to get her to the top of the list, Dr. Bull contacted a male member of the bank that she had met and was eventually hired. “I was the only woman there for quite some time. I eventually recruited another. But then it was just the two of us,” she continued.

From there, Dr. Bull moved on to the London School of Economics, and then with $250 in her pocket, on to the Middle East. “I had this feeling that the Lord intended for me to travel, so I saved up my money and I went,” she explained. “I was born at the end of the depression people really did not have the opportunity to travel around for leisure but I was determined to do so,” she said.

And her prediction about the Lord intending for her to travel may not have been too far off. While traveling through Jerusalem, Dr. Bull met a member of Drew’s Theological School faculty and they were married in 1959.

As she paused the walk-through of her career journey, she smiled nostalgically as she reflected, just for a second, on her wedding night. “It was snowing and 39 below zero on that night,” she smiled. “We moved back here and we lived in Tipple D, [a Drew Theological School residence].”

“I thought perhaps I should still be in banking, but I did some job evaluating after the move to New Jersey,” she explained to me.

Around 1960 or ’61, Bell Abbotsford hired Dr. Bull. This name unfamiliar to me, it took until she stated that, “AT&T had a monopoly,” for me to understand that she was referencing Bell, like mobile phones, TV, Internet, and home phone services, Bell.

She explained that she was initially hired to HR, but eventually many staff positions opened up and she was hired for one of them because she kept herself very involved in the company.

“It was the coolest place in the world to be,” she said. “At this time, there was no computer science happening anywhere. But it was happening at Bell Abbs. It was an all male environment, and then there was me,” Dr. Bull laughed.

“I learned Fortran (a programming lingo) while there, and eventually used it as one of the languages in my Ph.D. It was an incredible learning experience,” she continued.

“It was a very stimulating place. We worked with sound and computer, human factors effecting engineering, satellite transmission tests, princess phones, and tested how people reacted to change. I was actually even used as one of the first computer voices because I’d always pop my head in the lab down the hall to see what they were doing, and one day they invited me in,” she said.

In the mid 60’s, Dr. Bull was asked by a friend of the University to teach an accounting class at Drew two days a week, and following her impressive performance as a professor she was hired full-time. “I was hired under the assumption that I would go back and get my Ph.D. So I did, I applied to Princeton.”

“When I was hired at Drew in ’64, there still a good amount of grief thrown my way for being a woman. And think about it Kimberly, ’64 is not really that long ago,” she said.

“The person who hired me joked with my husband that they should begin to hire more married people because they’d be getting two employees for the price of one. Women were still being paid less than men. It’s shocking to think about right,” she asked.

“From the moment I was hired, I knew that more work needed to be done to change the ideas and attitudes that surrounded women in the workplace. We still needed more women in the workforce,” she said.

While it may seem that a woman like Dr. Bull would have been sought out by the prestigious Princeton Univeristy, her rejection letter, yes, I said rejection letter, stated that they were still not accepting women. “That rejection was pretty recent, actually,” she said. “Can you believe it?”

I couldn’t, but Dr. Bull went on to explain that she then happily attend New York University where she, “never worked harder or had a richer experience.”

But, needless to say, even with a Ph.D from NYU, there were jokes about the University needing to make changes in order for Dr. Bull to have access to a restroom while at work.

Once at Drew, Dr. Bull and her husband still returned to the Middle East every summer. “I think in the years between the early 60s and 96, we only missed one two summers out there,” she explained.

The two engaged in various projects. Dr. Bull’s highlight being her research on the West Bank Under the first seven years of Israel’s occupation. “I served as a link between the economic bank in Israel and Jordan. I eventually published a data collection that engaged a conversation about what was happening between the two parties,” she explained.

In 1988, Dr. Bull engaged with a University Planning Committee Cross Cultural group in Zimbabwe where she served on the board for many years following.

Shortly following her ’88 trip to Zimbabwe, Dr. Bull learned of an opening for the president position at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon “I went for the interview, but then dumped the materials the second I got back to the airport. How could a woman be president, where were all the pivot-stones,” she explained she had asked herself.

“But I was hired. I suggested the school make a change- consider someone for the position who was slightly different, in gender, and they did. I was actually very shocked,” she said.

“When they called me, I told them they would have to re-send me the information packet,” she laughed.

While at Linfield, Dr. Bull helped lead a revolution. She re-made the college town and re-built the community, with help from everyone in McMinnville. “We raised over 100 million dollars and made the vision for what Linfield could be, contagious. We changed everything. Everyone got into it,” Dr. Bull said.

Post Linfield, Dr. Bull even still continued her summer trips to the Middle East. “Yes, there were eventually a lot of children running around South Africa and the Middle East wearing Linfield t-shirts. I accumulated a lot,” she laughed.

“In the midst of all of this, I got a call from Drew, and here I am,” she smiled a large smile.

As we began to touch on her interim presidency at Drew, I thought Dr. Bull’s incredible journey had reached its end. But I was wrong…

“Oh yes, and in ’48 I worked a war refugee camp for women. I helped them learn how to complete small tasks like making potteries, or providing food to tourists. I did what I could to help them turn their culture and trade into commodity and currency,” she said.

Talk about an impressive woman, huh? Well, after sitting down to chat with me about this inspiring journey, and kindly answering my questions for over forty minutes, Dr. Bull asked a few favors of myself and my female readers…

“You can do anything you want to do. Remember that, keep focus, and reach back to those behind us. I’ve lived a very rich and rewarding life thus far. I don’t think I’ve ever turned down an opportunity to travel or be educated. I hope many women will continue to do the same,” she said.

“Women need to begin thinking more about ‘team play.’ We will not do well if we do not mentor the next group,” she continued.

“Think about the women’s movement during all of this. The t-shirt that read something to the likes of: ‘Women need to be two times as good as men…well that’s easy,” she laughed in conclusion.

Jessie Haims: A Gut Feeling that Lead to A World Chamption Title

As someone who believes very strongly in fate, I often find myself saying, “When ya know, ya know.” In the case of Jessica Haims, this couldn’t be any truer.

Jessie, who graduated from Drew University with a degree in Women’s Studies in December, a semester early, discovered her passion for dance “by complete accident,” at age 15.

“I had gone with my mom to her dance lesson after school and she was planning on dropping me off at a friend’s house afterwards. As I watched her dance, I was mesmerized and thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Instead of going to my friend’s house…I took my first lesson,” Jessie warmly explained.

 “After that lesson, I said to my mom, I want to finish high school early and dance. I don’t know what came over me, I just knew that I had to be involved in it and in that moment, I knew my life would be consumed by the arts. It was kinda a gut instinct feeling,” she smiled.

Well, if Jessie’s journey with dance is any indication of how truthful your gut may be, we better all start goin’ with it.

In 2011, this gal won herself the 2011 national AND world champion titles in the American Smooth Pro Am ball room dance division, all because she trusted her instinct.

After the epiphany she had while watching her mom dance, Jessie, “petitioned [her] high school to let [her] graduate early so that [she] could have a year to focus on dance training.”

“I knew I had A LOT to learn because I was starting later and life, and if I really wanted this, I would have to work incredibly hard,” she explained. “I was granted permission to graduate early, and began driving from Connecticut to New Jersey on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and New York on Tuesdays and Thursday to train. On weekends, I practiced from home,” she explained.

“My entire life became about dance. I had no social life what so ever, but I was fine with it because I was pursuing a passion. I had the support of my family, and I got to travel around the country to dance,” Jessie said.

While Jessie’s discovery of her passion for dance was quite accidental, it eventually proved to be a saving grace that entered her life at the most perfect time. A victim of two encounters with sexual violence at a very young age, Jessie accredits dance, and other passions for making her whole again.

“Dance allowed me to heal, love my body, and realize that experience doesn’t define the rest of my life or who I am,” she explained. “It helped me in not letting the experience ruin intimate relationships for me. Dancing is very intimate, expressive, and personal so it helped me feel those emotions again without being scared.”

In line with this idea, Jessie explained that even though she has grown an incredible amount since her experiences with sexual violence, “emotions are very hard for [her],” even still. “When I started dance, it was the only place where I wasn’t sad for a very long time, it was the only place I could laugh and feel safe. Particularly in ballroom dance where you are so intimate with your dance partner, acting like you’re in love, it allowed me to establish a new, more defined, comfort zone with those feelings,” she elaborated.

“Dance created a space where I could express myself, know that I was in control over my own body and that no one else was, it taught me to be strong, and to never give up, to work incredibly hard, and to remember that giving up is not an option. If one way doesn’t work, you have to try plan b…or…c….or…d,” she smiled.

While Jessie is incredibly thankful for what dance has offered her, she explained that she most definitely still struggles with what she is feeling and how to express it. However, instead of feeling forced to hide, or cry it out, she now has the option to dance it out! “When I’m mad or frustrated, I can channel that energy towards an awesome tango. When I’m sad or upset, I channel that towards my waltz to give a real performance.”

Now, it is incredibly obvious that dance has been an extremely gratifying and rewarding part of Jessie’s life, but as of late, her dance career has taken a bit of a backset to her more recent passion: yoga. “During college, I would train for dance a minimum of four hours a day. I am currently looking for a new partner, so I haven’t competed in awhile, and I only train with my coach two times a week. But- I still practice daily by myself and can’t wait to get back on the floor,” she explained.

As mentioned, in the meantime, Jessie busies herself with yoga, among many other things. “I am teaching over 21 yoga classes, as well as training private clients. Additionally, I’m trying out new partners, working with a new company that wants to incorporate my yoga skills to help dancers, volunteering in centers to help women, and continuing personal yoga training,” she went on.

AND- Jessie proudly just registered her LLC. This LLC will eventually be a center for yoga and dance therapy to help women who are survivors of sexual violence, a dream this girl has been building towards since the day I met her four years ago. Since dance and yoga have helped Jessie cope with her own struggles, she says she feels that, “If [she] were able to survive and have dance and yoga help [her], it would be shame for [her] to not share these gifts with those who need it the most.”

“When I have a passion, especially one that can help others, I feel that to not try to pursue it one hundred percent would be so sad. I’m currently working towards this goal by reaching out to crisis centers and a lot of my clients are women who have body image disorders. Beyond working with women who are victims of sexual violence, I want to help young women feel empowered and proud of their bodies, not ashamed,” she continued.

As for a next step, Jessie explained that she would love to own her own yoga studio and start charity work out of it. “If someone finds a passion so young, it’s for a reason. With MY passion, it is my goal to help as many people as I can through my yoga and dance. When we have a gift, we should use it in the best way we can,” she said.

Outside of dance and yoga, Jessie explained that she is incredibly fascinated by the human body and how it reacts to food. “I’m always reading about it and looking to get my dietician’s license in a year or two. I’m always craving knowledge and looking to educate myself whenever I can,” she said. And, as someone who sat beside her in several classes, I will vouche for this J She is an inspiringly smart girl on a mission!

“I’m also very very very very,” she exaggerated, “passionate about helping women in all spheres: everyday life, personal life, and particularly politics,” she explained. “I am so worried about the direction in which our culture is headed in terms of the treatment of women. I try to do my part as best I can to fight this. As much as I love yoga and dance, I’ve always thought about going to get my PhD one day. We need more female voices so these men are no longer making laws about our bodies. I can’t believe its 2013 and there are still issues about women accessing contraception.”

In concluding our conversation, Jessie explained, “As you can see, I don’t like to stay still. I’m always working on another idea, always looking for work, and finding another way to improve myself. I am inspired and awed by women who fought for our rights and equality and for me to not continue that idea would be an insult to all of that hard work.”

“I don’t yet know where I will end up in terms of helping women and the fight for reproductive freedom, rights, and equality, but I know my strong passion for it will lead me and take me very far,” she said, and I, as her peer, couldn’t agree more. Whether it be through yoga, dance, politics, or a combination of the three, Jessie’s promising mission and method will most definitely prove groundbreaking in the journey of women’s health one day.

Arianna Huffington: Media Mogul at the Drew Forum

As a reporter for the Drew Acorn, I’ve been rewarded some pretty cool experiences. Among these experiences have been interviews with the Drew Forum Series lecturers; which have included the prominent faces of Anderson Cooper, Dr. Robert Gates, Tom Brokaw, and Robin Wright, just to name a few. While each one of these interviews have provided me with insight, education, and experience, I was especially touched by my most recent sit-down with media mogul, Arianna Huffington.

As an aspiring journalist, I’ve admired Huffington for many years. Recently named one of the most influential women in media, I could not believe I was going to have the opportunity to sit down with her –one-on-one and get to know a little bit more about her story, from her perspective.

In the days leading up to the interview, I obsessed over what I was going to wear and finally decided on an Ann Taylor dress that had a matching jacket, with tights and riding boots. I wanted to make it very obvious that I put a lot of thought into what I was wearing and how I appeared to Huffington (I don’t usually need to be this dressy for the forum speaker interviews).

From the moment she entered the room, wearing a black pant suit and gorgeous black flats decorated with shimmering bows, it was obvious that I made the right choice. “I love your dress,” Huffington said. “You look very pretty!” I took a minute to allow the fact that Arianna Huffington, my idol, called me pretty and then finally managed to get myself to compliment her flats that caught my eye immediately. “Your flats are gorgeous,” I said as my voice shook. “I’m Kimberly Ammiano, the Lead Reporter for the Acorn it is truly such an honor to meet you,” I went on nervously.

As we entered the small room in Drew’s Meade Hall, I anxiously awaited taking a set in the set “interview chair” that is always set up for these speakers. However, Huffington quickly made herself comfortable at the small table filled with refreshments on the opposite side of the room. Ted, Drew’s video journalist, was set to interview first, while I watched from a chair at the refreshment table. “Why don’t we have Kimberly go first,” she said. “We’re already comfortable here.”

For some reason, Huffington’s pitch at having me go first, made me feel like the most important person in the world. “She wants me to go first. That means she likes me,” I thought to myself excitedly. While I’m sure this had no real significance, it was all I needed to hear to feel more comfortable and ready to start the interview.

Against Huffington’s request, we let Ted take it away first while I waited, watched, and fidgeted away. After Ted’s ten minutes with Huffington it was finally my turn to take it away in the interview chair.

As we were set and ready to go, Huffington asked me to please tell her a little bit about myself before I started the interview. I was really shocked. In the many forum interviews I’ve done, not one single speaker had ever taken the time to want to know about me. I knew I was getting a really great vibe. So, as per her request, I told her about myself. By the end of the conversation, she was handing me her business card and asking that I please stay in touch; keeping her posted on my graduate school admissions and rejections and my job search process.

Smiling one of the biggest smiles of my life, (although I look very angry in the photo above! It was just sincere focus, I promise!) we began the more formal part of the interview. “Where did all of this begin for you,” I asked. “What initially sparked your interest in journalism and activism?”

With a warm smile, Huffington explained that she was, “the daughter of a journalist who always adored the romance of journalism. I started just like you, writing for my school paper and heading the debate society (I didn’t do this half of it!). I wanted to make a living by writing, I knew that from a very young age,” she continued.

Following this question that started the conversation, I touched upon the two sites that Huffington administrated before beginning the Huffington Post in 2005. Resignation.com and Ariannaonline.com served as Huffington’s self-run news outlets in the years leading up to the Post’s development. “How did, or what aspects of the Huffington Post grew out of the knowledge you accumulated while hosting these smaller scale sites,” I asked.

“My interest in blogging most definitely pre-dates the Huffington Post by a few years. I love doing a lot of different things, and running these sites kind of helped me cultivate my interests,” she explained.

Parallel to this idea, I followed-up by asking Huffington how she is so adaptable. “While also running the Huffington Post, you’ve acted as the voice for an animated character, worked towards achieving alternative fuel options, created technological advances, and so much more. How do you adapt so well to the role you are filling, and what motivates you to take on such a wide variety of projects,” I asked.

“It keeps my mind, body, and soul, in check and in line,” she answered. “I’m really good at knowing when I’m getting incredibly stressed out and it’s helpful for me to do things that are not so strictly work-based. Working with Seth MacFarland on the animated show is an outlet for me. It helps me calm down,” she went on. “As I said, I really like doing a lot of different things, it keeps me happy and grounded.”

Recently named #28 on the Forbes list of “Power Women,” I asked Huffington, “as a power figure, how do you hope to inspire other ‘power women,’ those like yourself, who have already been noticed, and those like myself, who are not quite there yet?”

With an affirming smile and nod, Huffington went on to explain that she hopes to help in, “re-defining success. I want to look at how women succeed and help convey the message that success is not rooted in burning out and includes being able to unplug.”

“I want women to rid themselves of the fear-of-failure and begin taking risks without being afraid they might fail. As my mother always used to say, failure is not the opposite of success, it is merely a stepping stone along the way,” she said.

While we were forced to wrap our conversation after these few short questions, Huffigton graciously thanked me for my time and wished me the best.

She then took the stage of the Drew Forum where she addressed the community about accessibility to the American Dream. She was incredibly well received as she graced all who attended with her warm heart, kind smile, and down-to-earth, conversational tone.

To check out the Acorn article on her lecture please visit: http://drewacorn.com/?p=15838

 (From left to right: James McCourt, Acorn Photographer, myself, Arianna Huffington)

Corinne Tucci: Make-Up Artist to the Stars

Ever hear of someone having an epiphany? As an English major, I’ve read about several characters having “epiphanies,” but I never really believed. Until I sat down to talk to one of my BFFS, Corinne Tucci, I thought that there always had to be something; some event, some person, place, or thing that made you aspire to be something.

After some chatting with Corinne, my galpal since 1^st grade, who is now 21, she explained that, “Literally it all of a sudden hit me in class that I wanted to do hair and makeup. It was a really weird experience that I had in seventh grade.”

“I told my mom and she was literally like, ‘okay, we’ll see,’ but I never lost interest and I’ve stuck with my gut since that day,” Corinne continued.

While I don’t remember Corinne’s dream dating back to seventh grade, I do remember the other 11 of us prepping for the SATs and being envious of her “get out of jail free card,” as I saw it. While Corinne was easily putting in just as much, if not more work than we were, I was incredibly jealous that her future would not depend on her ability to calculate the square root of 3,685804 like mine would. I’m just being funny, obviously.

No, but seriously. While we were all crying, complaining, and whining our eyes out about college acceptance letters that didn’t arrive or the perfect SAT score that we didn’t get, Corinne was on her way.

Following graduation, she attended Artistic Academy for her cosmetology license. “I already knew I wanted to do makeup more, but I felt getting the hair aspect would be fun and beneficial as well.”

Following Artistic Academy,  Corinne started working at a salon in Montclair, and then attended Makeup Designory, more commonly known as MUD in New York in November 2010.

“There I completed the Special Effects Course. While attending both schools I found having the ability to do special effects makeup to be suppppppppper importantant,” she said as she accentuated the superrrr.

“That July, I got signed with an agent which is really rare being so young, because I had both hair and makeup training.”

Corinne may say it was the fact that she had both hair and makeup training that got her foot in the door, but as an admiring friend, I’ll say it may have been a few things outside of her formal training.

Throughout high school, the majority of us stopped hiring hair dressers/makeup artists other than Corinne because we trusted her eye, hand, brush, scissor, curling iron, straightener, (you get the idea) way more than any one of her peers. She was a rock star in the making, and we knew it.

During the same time that we shared laughs about the other 11 of us bombing the SATs and awaiting college letters while Corinne spent her days perfecting a craft, I also joked that come college graduation, we would all be swimming in student debt while Corinne would be putting makeup on stars.

While I was kidding a solid four years ago, my prediction is not far off. To date, Corinne has had the pleasure (in most cases at least!) of making up Ben Stiller, P. Diddy, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Gavin DeGraw, Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, Joey Fatone, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Sharon Osbourne, Meredith Viera, and Hoda Kotb, to name just a few! (She is also the first of us to move out of Mom’s house and get her own place!)

I remain utterly jealous of her making-up Meredith and Hoda. As an aspiring broadcast journalist/talk show host, I essentially want to BE THOSE WOMEN! The twitpic of Hoda’s tweet with Corinne in the photo made me smile a very envious glare.

One of the (many) perks of being CT’s or Eeenie’s (a nickname given to her by her parents that I’ve called her for longer than remember) friend is getting some juicy gossip about the celebs that she works with. But, since this post is being released on the World Wide Web, I’ll keep it to the good stuff.

“Tina Fey went really out of her way to say hello to me and it was genuine, she’s really cool,” she said. “Chris Martin was sweet, and Joey Fatone was awesome. Hoda and Meredith were great also. One more is Sharon Osbourne, she was a total sweetheart,” Corinne smiled.

“Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty who I haven’t named that are very unpleasant or truly just don’t care to be nice,” Corinne said with a lighthearted laugh. …But for both of our sakes, we will keep it classy 😉

Now while it may seem that Corinne’s path has been a very bright one thus far, I do not want any of you to be fooled; Corinne’s achievements did NOT come easy.

“I’m determined as hell. I had a dream and I knew that I could achieve it,” she said. And I will say, she isn’t lying. From middle school soccer, to high school basketball, to always standing behind what she believes, Corinne is a dedicated, determined soul who will get what she wants.

“People are shocked when they find out my age, so I also get that I’m very mature. But, I think most importantly, is how genuine I truly am. I was raised right, and people can sense that I mean business but I’m also a nice person at heart,” Corinne stated.

With that determination, Corinne has achieved success, but she has also achieved long days, and a schedule that does not always match up with the other 11 of us, and while that may not seem like a big deal, to a 21 year old who is juggling a busy schedule with a boyfriend and 11 bratty girls, I’m sure it’s not always very easy.

“The typical day starts the night before for me. That’s usually when I get my call time/location of the job. Then I look up the train/bus schedule and where my job is from there. I pack my bag for hair and makeup; I get the schedule of what’s going on, set up and wait for the talent to arrive. Once I finish their make up/hair, we all go on set and then I do touch ups throughout the day,” she explained.

While this schedule keeps Corinne away from late nights out with the rest of us, I think working the 12.12.12 Concert, VH1 Unplugged with Alicia Keys, the 2012 Debate with MSNBC, THE Tony Awards, The U.S. Open, and The Thanksgiving Day Parade, just to name a few, may make up for it (pun intended!)

And while celebrities are a large part of Corinne’s daily life, it may come as no surprise that, “the most major and coolest person that [Corinne] has ever worked with was Paul McCartney.”

“HANDS DOWN the coolest,” she said. “Even before we met he was rehearsing and he would wink at me or smile…it WAS NUTS,” she said enthusiastically.

Now while I pegged Corinne’s success as a result of her determination and talent, she explained, “Everything I have is from God, and I really do thank him daily for it. Without him, I’d be nowhere and speaking generally, I don’t think people get that message.”

In regards to what Corinne has learned during her hair and make up journey, I’d say a hell of a lot. “The most important lessons I can tell people that I have learned from this experience is to BE HONEST. Be yourself, worry about yourself, but be honest in everything you do. If people detect you’re being fake-they’ll get rid of you because someone is always waiting for your position,” she said.

“Also, work hard and be nice,” she concluded.

Now, while it was my intent to celebrate Corinne’s achievements and tell you how cool my BFF is through this blog post, I’d like to tell you a little bit about why- among my long list of blog profile prospects, she jumped to my mind in the early days of Plethora of People.

During my fourth grade year at Forest Avenue Elementary School, I was diagnosed with a very rare autoimmune disorder that kept me out of school and in the hospital (on and off) for nine months. During this time, I lost my ability to speak due to inflammation in my vocal cords. Not that I hold anyone accountable at age 9, but this was when a lot of my friends forgot about me. But, not Corinne. A few months into my absence, Corinne dropped off a small, denim journal decorated with a pink furry heart, off at my house. Inside the journal was a note. Not just one note, a correspondence that went on, through my Mom’s handwriting until I was healthy.

And…continued after I was healthy for a long time. We still break out the journal to write something really important to each other.

So, while Corinne is this week’s feature because she is a rock star in the hair and make up industry, she is whole-heartedly this week’s feature because I love her; she had the ability to make me feel strong when I was incredibly weak.

(Left: Aviva Drescher of Real Housewives of New York. Right: CT at work)

Kevin Cale: Yeah, his Socks are what set him apart from the rest.

Last Wednesday, the Acorn graciously gave me the opportunity to sit down and chat with media mogul, Arianna Huffington, an idol of mine. My plan was to write this week’s blog post on Huffington and to enlighten you all with the wonderful advice she gave me. However, in my rush to get home for spring break, I left my notes at Drew. So…that post will come once back on campus.

Since that post had to be pushed back, I decided it was very appropriate to feature someone I admire as well, Kevin Cale, the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of hMAG, the lifestyle magazine where the idea for this blog originally stemmed from.

Before I more formally introduce you to Kevin, I will share with you the story of our first meeting. I fell in love with the idea of hMag in January 2011 when my Dad brought home a copy of the mag with Zach Parise, my favorite (at the time) New Jersey Devils Hockey player on the cover. Come April, my roommate Victoria suggested I apply for an internship with hMAG, as she had completed one there the previous summer and thought it would be a great fit for me. So, I did, and was asked to stop by the Hoboken office for an interview a few weeks later.

As I entered the penthouse office that offered a stunning view of the Hudson River, I was greeted by the smiling faces of Simon, Joe, (the other founders of the mag) and Kevin. Dressed professionally, I entered wearing an over-the-knee length, silk, black and white stripped dress, tan espadrilles, and a black cardigan. Now, this is not to insult the man who soon became my on-site supervisor, but I never felt more overdressed in my life. Kevin, whose personal website now reads that he “prefers to wear flip-flops to meetings, with a sport coat when necessary sat down to talk with me wearing the flip-flops his website mentions, ripped jeans, a T-shirt, and backwards hat.  Our meeting, which was interrupted by a UPS delivery, was my first clue that I would fit into the hMAG family just fine.

“I’m sorry but I have to get that package. It’s very important, I’ve been waiting for it all week,” Kevin smiled. As I sat there, anticipating something of dire need for the mag, Kevin opened up a pen that allowed for more perfect drawing on the iPhone “Draw Something” app.

From this moment on, Kevin proved to be one of the most interesting and unique people I had ever met. I quickly learned that he was a genius, but a modest and quirky one at that. I asked him to tell me a little bit about the hMAG story and the response I got was probably the longest SERIOUS explanation Kevin has ever given anyone.

“I was working in North Carolina when I randomly got an e-mail about working for Tisha through some online blog/job listing website. At the time it was Tisha Industries (more of a print shop and they were in need of a designer to help grow their company in a more design oriented way,” he explained.

“The company had three owners, Joe, his brother Brett and another guy named Chris. I flew up to meet them (in a snow storm,)” Kevin added, “and really clicked with them and what they were trying to build,” he said.

“At the time, they just took over the company over from their father and were converting it from a print shop to a design agency. Printing was slowing down and the work wasn’t there so it was a smart move. I accepted the job and moved up in 2002,” he went on.

In a year’s time, Kevin created web, photography, and illustration departments for Tisha. “I moved up the totem pole and really became more active in helping them grow the company,” he said.

Eventually, “I repositioned the company to be a full service design firm. We renamed the company, Tisha Creative, stopped doing printing and focused on marketing, design, and web.”

After establishing Tisha Creative, Kevin and Joe moved the company to Hoboken, NJ. “Then the worst happened…the economy tanked,” Kevin said.

“Due to the drop in business at the time, I approached Joe about creating a magazine for the town we lived and worked in. Being that we had already created magazines for our Tisha clients, we already knew the ins and outs and how to produce a magazine the right way,” Kevin said with a smile.

With Joe on board with the plan to launch hMag, the duo approached Tisha’s web director, Simon, and Art Director, Sang Lee.

“They accepted and we launched the mag in November 2009,” Kevin explained.

In the midst of the four partners success, Joe, Simon, and Kevin were saddened by the loss of the fourth member, Sang Lee’s death to a heart attack.

“It wasn’t easy, but the three of us remained and vowed to make the mag the best we could. Sang is still mentioned in the credits of every issue,” Kevin went on.

While Kevin and the hMAG/Tisha crew have seen much success in the area of creative development, Kevin explained that he never knew this would be his niche.

“Out of college, I got a job as the marketing coordinator to a white water apparel manufacturer. Because of this, I kayaked everyday and eventually got sponsored by Perception Kayaks, Oakley Sunglasses and Patagonia. For a couple of years, I got to travel with work and kayaking. I thought that would be the rest of my life,” he said.

As I mentioned earlier, in my eyes, Kevin is a genius. But, getting him to talk about what he’s accomplished is never the focus of conversation. In my conversations with him, his postings on his personal webpage, his info on hMAG.com, and his Facebook page, we learn way more about WHO Kevin is as a PERSON, than who Kevin is as a creative genius.

I’ve already mentioned that Kevin thought kayaking would be the rest of his life. But I find it very necessary to add that he has not been beaten in foosball in sixteen years.

“Foosball. Yes, it’s true. I learned in college and played everyday with my fraternity. I now only play once a month. I still haven’t been beat, but I’m sure my days are numbered,” he laughed.

AND! In addition to foosball and kayaking, Kevin also played on an Ultimate Frisbee Championship Team in Finland.

“I got my start in Frisbee when I learned to play with the two time Collegiate Champions, East Carolina University. From there, I moved on to play with Ring of Fire, one of the best teams in the world, based out of Raleigh, NC. While playing with them, we got set up at Nationals and lost our bid to go to the World Championships. Because of this, other countries picked up many of our players to play on their teams,” Kevin was one of them.

In addition to all of this, Kevin builds his own furniture, travels to work on the love of his life, his Vintage BMW motorcycle, and is the proud parent of two adorable little ones.

River, Kevin’s son, is 4 and a half, and TJ, Kevin’s daughter is 2 and a half. “They have changed my life in sooooooo many ways,” Kevin explained. “First, most importantly, they have taught me what true love really is. They have also taught me the importance of patience, given my life more meaning, taught me to talk less and listen more, and that there is so much more to life than money or fame.”

Now, while I may have already proven to you that Kevin is incredibly unique…when asked what makes him unique he bluntly stated, “my socks.” Talk about the modesty I commented on, huh? J

In describing himself, his personal website states that he is, a “passionate family guy, who happens to bleed creativity in every aspect of his life,” now ain’t that the truth?!

“While [Kevin’s] thirst for taking every creative project [he] touches to the maximum started at an early age…it was in college, at East Carolina University’s School of Art, that [Kevin’s] blood turned into a beautiful mix of RGB and CMYK,” that still fuels him, in his late thirties, to feel 21, and to keep on truckin’ in the fields of art, creativity, and passion.

 (hMAG Crew! From left to right: Kevin, myself, Josh (my boyfriend), Victoria, Tony, and Simon)

Hoda Mahmoodzadegen: “The Middle Eastern Martha Stewart, of sorts.”

It was my first day as an intern at hMAG, a community lifestyle magazine based in Hoboken, NJ last summer. I was eager to impress my new bosses, and create my first story from an idea of my own. Diana, the mag’s editor stopped by to meet me and explained that she could always assign me stories, but would love it if I had my own vision for what I wanted to spend my summer doing. Clueless about Hoboken, it’s people, and nightlife, as I was not yet 21, I endlessly searched the Internet. I stumbled upon what I thought looked like a cute, small, mom and pop food truck that would be opening the following week. Excited, I immediately reached out to a woman named Hoda, who appeared to be the owner in hopes of finding my first story. She agreed to speak with me over the phone a few days later and to tell me the story of what has now become Molly’s Milk Truck, a sought after Hoboken hotspot and so much more.

Our thirty minute phone conversation allowed me to learn not only about Molly’s Milk Truck and it’s goal of serving the hurried lunch crowd that roams River St. of Hoboken in search of a good quick eat, but to meet a woman I would soon call a wonderful friend. The interview did not go as most do. We laughed, Hoda did most of the talking, and before hanging up asked if I could please include that she was single in the article. She also asked if I would stop by to try some food and her signature iced coffee before posting the article on the web.

Shortly following Molly’s Milk Truck grand opening, my roommate Victoria (who was also interning with the mag) and I made our way to River Street to meet Hoda and try some iced coffee. As we turned off of Newark Street from our office and were in eyeshot of the pier, where the truck was parked we both blabbed, “Oh my god! It’s soooo cute,” in unison.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by a medium height, attractive, long brown haired woman with a perky smile. “You must be Kim,” she screamed out the trucks window. “Ohhhmiigood it’s soooooooo nice to finally meet you pretty lady! I’ll be right with you.”

Smiling, Victoria and I took our place in the line that was forming around the truck and waited our turn. To give you a more accurate taste of Hoda’s personality, while we waited, she forced an iced coffee on the man in the line in front of us. As she watched him take his first sip, she very bluntly stated, “That’s good. Right? Admit that’s good.” Before waiting for the man to even reply, she continued her thought, “If you don’t think it’s good than you can fuck off,” she blurted out from her large smile. From this moment, I knew I liked her.

After some chatting, she handed Victoria and I some iced coffee, on the house. Now, I am an iced coffee fiend. Can’t live without one a day, and have had iced coffee from a very large majority of cafes, bakeries, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Starbucks, just to name a few. From our first sip, we were floored.

Hoda waited for our reaction, paused for a second and giggled, “I know, ladies, it’s a party in your mouth.” Now, well I may not have stated it in the way Hoda did, I couldn’t agree more.

“And yes, I just said that,” she went on. “I’m sorry but it’s honestly just that good. My friends would come over and kickback three or four at any given point throughout the day,” Hoda boasted in the most playful way possible.

As I’m sure you’re all dying to know, the signature iced coffee called Molly’s Mellow Milk, is a mixture of almond milk, cinnamon, agave nectar, triple caffeinated coffee, and vanilla over ice.

After gulping down the iced coffee in just about three sips, Victoria and I moved on to Molly’s signature grilled cheese, made with low sodium cheese and continued chatting with Hoda for hours.

The Molly’s journey, which began in May for Hoda and her business partner, Jason Avon has come a very long way in just ten months.

When we met in May, Hoda explained to me that her desire to open Molly’s came after working a corporate job for a few years after graduating college. “I parted ways with my old job and my old life and set out to get myself healthy both mentally and physically,” she said.

After working with a personal trainer and losing close to fifty pounds, Hoda began to search for healthy food options that actually tasted good. Knowing herself, and her inability to survive on “lettuce and grilled chicken,” Hoda explained that she, “Began to play around in the kitchen, trying to learn how to make food that tasted good with her friends.”

Once a few of her friends tasted some of her creations, “I began hearing this is so good, I would pay for this, a lot,” she said. “I guess you could say I took the idea and I ran with it.”

Upon opening, Hoda’s main objective was to provide the 9-5 worker bee with healthy options.

“When I was working my corporate job, I was eating junk, sitting at a desk all day, packing on the pounds, going home, going to bed, and doing it all over again the next day, I wanted to give people a healthier alternative,” she said.

Now, ten months later, I admire Hoda’s ability to stick by, and even exceed her goal. Since I spoke with Hoda in May about Molly’s development, the truck as well as Hoda and Jason, and the newest member of the Molly’s team, Brian Keaton, have seen much success.

According to Hoda, “Molly’s was featured in Cooking Light Magazine, CBS News voted [them] #2 best food truck burger, and [their] branding was also featured in the Dieline. We have also built up our events catering business and have worked large scale events such as the 15,000+ Mumford and Sons Concert and the 5,000+ City of Water Day event,” she explained.

AND! The aspect of Molly’s success that I am most excited about: “We have also been able to use our profits thus far to re-invest in our business by means of venturing into the bottled beverage industry. We are meeting with a bottling facility and major retailer Whole Foods to get our product on their shelves. Our signature iced coffee will be on store shelves in the near future,” Hoda explained with a big smile. (I’m not sure who is more excited, her or I!)

While the truck that I initially pegged as a small mom and pop establishment is growing larger than Hoda or I ever anticipated, Hoda remains incredibly modest. “I create the ever-evolving menu for Molly’s while cooking for friends. All of the things we serve, I’d make for my friends at home. I think of myself as a Middle Eastern Martha Stewart of sorts,” Hoda said to me very sarcastically.

But, she’s right. She’s a domestic diva, with the girl power, determination, and smarts to build an empire; an empire that she’s already begun to create.

And while I see Hoda and her journey with Molly’s in this way, this female powerhouse and beloved friend of mine, is humble. “I am incredibly passionate about helping others. Whether it’s a small deed or a life-changer. I find great satisfaction in helping people that I don’t find from anything else. Putting myself second has always come very easy to me when it comes to those I take a liking to, or care about. Doing nice things for people impacts people’s lives and that’s huge for me,” she said.

This was proven true, when Hoda and the Molly’s gang became a delivery truck for Hurricane Sandy suffers in Hoboken. While many spent the week trying to get out of their apartments to safety, Hoda made sure they were fed and well nourished.

“I feel like typically people say their goal is to become successful. But, truthfully, I feel we are already successful because we threw ourselves into a business we had no clue about and we made it work. I guess my goal is to become a household name, if not because of our delicious foods and drinks, because of our story. We look to inspire others by showing them that where there is a will there is a way,” Hoda smiled as she reached out to give me a big hug.

Joseph Lee: Professional Thief turned Possible Cancer Curer

While walking down the path to class at Drew University, senior Joseph Lee, may not look any different than the average student. However, after sitting down to chat with him, one quickly realizes that he most definitely stands out among the rest.

Joe, who began researching and experimenting with cells under the direction of Drew professor, Dr. Bimal Dasmahapatra two years ago is incredibly close to finding the cure for cancer. Yep, that’s right. I said the cure for cancer. The one that’s been sought after by scientists, physicians, chemists, and patients alike for eternity.  Students like Joe come to mind when people ask me what’s unique about the Drew population. I always find myself quick to respond that “amazing things happen there.” Joe’s research is one of those many amazing things I’m referencing.

In late September, I literally could not believe my eyes when I opened the e-mail from the Acorn’s (Drew’s campus publication that I am the Features Editor for) ed in chief. It read, “Kim, get in touch with Joseph Lee. He’s a senior who has been conducting research. He’s like a step or something away from finding the cure for cancer.” I couldn’t believe it. This assignment came to me after I had already conducted interviews with world icons that had come to speak at Drew such as Robin Wright, Tom Brokaw, Dr. Robert Gates, and Kofi Annan. I handled those with ease. But- after setting up my interview with Joe, I was more nervous than I had ever been.

“This guys is potentially going to solve one of the world’s largest quests,” I thought to myself. “What do I say to him? Am I going to sound stupid? How do I make myself sound like I know exactly what I’m talking about? I don’t know science, I need to read about this before I go meet with him.” My mind ran a mile a minute until I was sitting there, in front of Joseph Lee. I promise, I really felt like I was sitting there with President Obama. My hands were clammy and I was afraid to speak. I was so afraid of sounding like an idiot as I sat there with the smartest man in the world.

From the moment I shook Joe’s hand, I was relieved. In front of me stood a medium height, dark haired college senior with glasses. He was smiling a big smile and told me he was thrilled to meet me. He heard I was a good writer and was really honored the Acorn wanted to feature him. I took a deep breath.

“OMG. He thinks I’m a good writer,” I thought to myself. Maybe he won’t think I’m so dumb after all.” With this in mind, I began the interview.

While Joe did all he could to provide me with the information I needed, he was modest. Shy, and quiet. He let me do the talking, and down played his accomplishments.

According to Joe, his interest in science and medicine began in middle school. “I always wanted to be a doctor, but I definitely went through that whole art phase thing,” he said. “I pursued math and science, but also art for a long time. But- when it came time for high school, I applied to Bergen Academy’s Academy of the Sciences. After my acceptance, there was really no turning back,” he continued.

“After being a student at the Academy of the Sciences, I couldn’t change my mind. I had no other education. Anything else I knew fell back to the middle school level. I only continued learning science. It might have been a rushed, childish decision to attend an academy of science, but i had to stick it out,” he said.

Parallel to this notion, come time for college, Joe applied to Drew’s 7 year medical program. Which, much to my disbelief, he was turned away from. Boy, that admission committee must be kicking themselves in the behind now! HA!

Although he was not accepted into the 7 year program, Joe still decided on Drew to pursue his passion for the sciences and health. At Drew, Joe furthered his understanding of exactly what type of science he wanted to pursue. “My classes at Drew made me further aware of my passion for anything to do with the human body and health,” he said. “I really loved the class called Anatomy of the Human Body,” as well as Immunology,” Joe smiled.

“I was a little nerd about Immunology after the course ended. Anytime I would cut my finger, I would sit there staring at the blood and think wow, I wonder how many proteins are in here and stuff like that,” Joe explained with a modest chuckle.

“That’s how you know you really love something,” I smiled back at him. “When your brain just starts thinking in that way. That’s how I knew I really wanted to be a journalist,” I said. “When I started noticing myself writing headlines and ledes in my head as I listened to people talk. That’s when I knew,” I said.

In addition to feeling nerdy about Immunology after the course ended, Joe explained that he also fell immediately in love with the idea of being a surgeon. After sitting in on a Drew biology class where students were preforming surgery on rats, Joe jumped on the chance to do it himself.

“From the moment I started the surgery, I loved it so much. It was just sooooo cool,” he said. “I think that’s when I really figured out where I want to go from here. I really want to be a surgeon,” Joe said.

While Joe found his passion for surgery in a Drew classroom, he explained that he will eventually apply to med school elsewhere. “I’m going to take a year off post grad, then hopefully get in to med school and become a surgeon. I’m really crazy about the idea,” he said.

As Joe and I continued to talk, I was very happy to hear he has decided to pursue a career as a surgeon, as he openly told me his prior life mission was to become a “professional thief.”

Acknowledging my blank stare in response to this statement, Joe assured me he was serious. “I had a problem when I was younger. I stole a lot. And the funny thing about it is, I’m a devout christian,” he said as he reached for his “I Love Jesus” lanyard to show me. “I learned a lot through my time of rebellion and I would never think of doing it again.”

A long way from his desire to be a professional criminal, Joe is now on an incredibly straight path. While taking steps towards becoming a practicing medical professional, Lee continues to care for his “babies,” as he lovingly called the cancer cells he is researching and experimenting with in the Acorn’s September article.

Caring for his “babies” includes feeding and closely watching the growth and development of these cancer cells. In the Acorn article, Joe paradoxically stated that, “he eventually wants these ‘babies’ to die,” because that means he is that much closer to finding the cure.

In addition to caring for the “babies,” Lee preforms what is scientifically called a, “Western Blot,” which essentially tests to see if the cells turn “good again.”  In short, he means observing the cells to see if the cells start growing, or kill themselves. If the cells kill themselves, Joe succeeds. If they start regrowing, it’s time to try again.

Overall, Joe explained that the goal of his research and experiments is to “find the small molecule that makes the cells ‘go good’ without killing the non-cancerous healthy cells.”

So, while Joe used to spend his weekends “checking stores for cameras” and “what he could rip off next,” the reformed Joe spends his weekends caring for his “babies” and researching his eyeballs out. All because he fell in love with science.