Blog · Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better, episode 42

What do you do when you have the lion's share of talent, intellect, and drive to make real change happen? Perhaps, you follow a path like Tina Vasquez's. Taking great care to carve one that suited her needs, she followed her heart's passions and explored the challenging opportunities that called to her. That tendency started many moons ago. Read on to learn more!

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better, episode 41

Ornely Aubourg was one of my tried and true students, my tiny dancer, so to speak. At Spring Valley High School, the dance studio was her safe space, a leotard and tights was her outfit of choice, and being in the spotlight was her comfort zone. Tune in to learn how this working mom has connected her performing arts training to her role as a first responder.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: episode 29

Jessica Butler (La Presidenta) was tiny force of nature in Thespians. Taking notice of our drama club in middle school, she made an instant decision: she would lead the troupe in her senior year. Challenge accepted. In this episode, we discuss mentorship, embracing your ability in the face of imposter syndrome, and learning how to "figure it out."

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: the power of arts in education, episode 17

We have a tendency to stay comfortable. Part of growing up is learning to sit in a space where you don't have control, that pushes your buttons and still tolerating feelings of awkwardness and instability. Sofia Poe tells us how she did just that.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: the power of arts in education, episode 11

Growing a leader requires an infusion of trust in a young person and giving them the support it takes to help them trust themselves. Becoming a leader requires taking that trust and further developing it yourself. This week's discussion with Hilary Becker-Jarusinsky shows how this can be accomplished through arts education.

Geriatric Gymnast

Geriatric Gymnastics 2

The road to skill mastery requires successful attempts over hundreds of trials over years and years. This chapter of Geriatric Gymnastics delves into the mental and physical development that is necessary in order to safely build confidence and consistency when you're training as an adult gymnast.

My Weight-Loss Journey

Weight-Loss part 2: Remembering What Works

Understanding the habits you must adjust and/or maintain to keep your weight and overall health in check. These habits are both mental and physical, require thought, planning, and daily mindfulness in order to get to and stay in your healthy weight zone.  Here’s a little summary of some of the main the strategies I’m using on a daily basis.

Family · Self Care

A new chapter in parenting

t’s been a long time coming. We hadn’t been away from the house for more than several of hours, much less an overnight. For a long stretch, maybe 5 or 6 years, we have had so many reasons to stay home. Kids, anxious pets, viral pandemic - they all gave us more than enough pause to do anything that was just the two of us.

Self Care

Smile – COVID Hasn’t Won

For the first time in over a year and a half, I dropped my daughter off at her theatre camp program in Nyack and went for a long walk. For years, this was a regular practice of mine; drop her off, park in my special secret free parking spot, and either start walking or take… Continue reading Smile – COVID Hasn’t Won