Author Archives: Natalie W.

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About Natalie W.

Hi! I love reading, drawing, playing the cello, and writing! I love contributing to the Teen Blog Post!

Top 5 Restaurants In Orange County

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Although Orange County has numerous restaurants to choose from when eating out, It can sometimes be hard to decide on just one. For your convenience, here is a list of my personal 10 favorite restaurants in Orange County that not only offer a delicious menu, but are also affordable.

1. Taco Mesa

Taco Mesa is an authentic Mexican restaurant offering many delicious options including burritos, tacos, and enchiladas. The restaurant itself has a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere, with brightly colored murals on the wall. Most of the food items available range from $10 to $20, and come with fairly generous portions, which are more than enough to satisfy one’s appetite. Between the delicious food that is offered, and the affordable price point for a meal, Taco Mesa is a great option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

TACO MESA - Updated January 2025 - 417 Photos & 620 Reviews - 22922 Los Alisos Blvd, Mission Viejo, California - Mexican - Restaurant Reviews - Phone Number - Yelp

2. Urth Cafe

If you’re looking for a fresh, new dinner option, try visiting Urth Cafe in Orange. Urth Cafe provides a wide variety of coffee, pastries, salads, and even dessert. Urth Cafe also offers many gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and plant based food options. Urth Cafe also allows online orders. Overall, Urth Cafe is a lively restaurant with so many different food options, available for people with different food preferences or diets.

URTH CAFFÉ ORANGE - Photos & Restaurant Reviews - Order Online Food Delivery - Tripadvisor

3. Panini Kebab Grill Panini Kebab Grill is a Mediterranean restaurant located in Mission Viejo. There are many types of bowls, plates, and salads available at Panini Kebab Grill, but family meals are also offered here, feeding around four people. This family meal includes generous portions of chicken or beef koobideh, rice, salad, and vegetables. At $54.99, this meal is a great value that fills the whole family’s bellies. In addition to the tremendous value, the food is delicious, making you want to eat here for every meal.

PANINI KABOB GRILL, Mission Viejo - 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Order Online Food Delivery - Tripadvisor

4. Diho Siam

Diho Siam serves a multitude of comforting Thai food, from Pad Thai to Pad See Ew. Furthermore, Diho Siam also offers a refreshing Thai Iced Tea to pair with any meal. Diho Siam serves generous portions of food for their entrees for a more than reasonable price. This restaurant offers food pickup in addition to sit down booths, if you feel like having a warm dinner in the comfort of your home. Overall, Diho Siam is a wonderful option for lunch, dinner, or even a light snack.

DIHO SIAM - Updated February 2025 - 286 Photos & 539 Reviews - 27001 La Paz Rd 100, Mission Viejo, California - Thai - Restaurant Reviews - Phone Number - Yelp

5. Delizie Ristorante

The last restaurant which I have included in this list is Delizie Ristorante. This charming Italian restaurant serves authentic Italian food, including pasta, pizza, and even meatballs. While prices are a bit higher than some of the other restaurants included, the portions are extremely generous, leaving you leftovers to eat all week! Delizie Ristorante also offers gluten free options for all of their pastas and spaghetti, making sure that they are considerate of people’s gluten diets or preferences. In addition to the numerous mouthwatering entrees which this restaurant provides, many appetizers are available for purchase, including fried calamari, and a wide selection of salads. Being mostly central to Mission Viejo, Delizie Ristorante is a great decision whether you are dining with a party, or simply enjoying a lunch by yourself.

Delizie Ristorante & Bar Restaurant - Mission Viejo, CA | OpenTable

Overall, Mission Viejo is host to a multitude of restaurants, and whether the restaurant is more formal or casual, all of these restaurants have one thing in common: all of these restaurants serve high quality food and a wonderful dining experience.

From Pen To Paper: An Interview With A Children’s Book Author And Illustrator

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This interview dives into the behind the scenes of the writing and illustrating process of creating a book with Cat Wiessbrod. Cat Wiessbrod launched her first children’s book, Honk! in 2020, and from there, she has expanded her brand and created even more children’s books including Honk! In The City, and A Celebration Of Polar Bears. In this interview, Cat will allow us a window into the process of creating as well as self-publishing a book.

Natalie: So, first of all, I was wondering if you could explain what first sparked your interest in writing and illustrating children’s books?

Cat: I’ve always loved writing and drawing ever since I could remember. I also was an avid reader as a kid. I loved studying the illustrations in the books, scouring every detail. I think Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was the book that really sparked my interest. That book has so much detail in the illustrations as well as a unique story.

Natalie: I know that inspiration is hard to come by often, and it is difficult to find a good story-line, so, where exactly do you get ideas, and more specifically, where do you get ideas when you are having writer’s block?

Cat: I’m often inspired by what’s going on around me. Honk was a book my husband and I wrote together inspired by our own run-ins with geese. I also wrote What Should We Do based off of activities I did with my own children. When I have writer’s block I like to take a walk. Often, my mind gets cleared when I take a step away from what I’m writing.

Natalie: So, one question that is very popular and that I, too, would like to know the answer to, is, where do you even begin if you are interested in creating and publishing a book?

Cat: I think that the process to publishing a book starts with a story, and those stories come from ideas. My advice is keep a little journal or notebook to jot down your ideas that you can flush out into a story. After writing the story if you are also illustrating the book, you can then storyboard your story where you can conceptualize how to lay out your illustrations and text throughout the book. If you’re working with an illustrator, then you can work together on these storyboards.

Natalie: I know that the writing industry is highly saturated, as there are many people eager to write books that will be seen. How is it possible to stand out a sea of people who are all aiming at the same goal?

Cat: You’re right. This is a challenge to stand out in a sea of choices. I think that in this day and age though, that you can really use social media to get your name out there. Social media is a great way to reach audiences you may not usually come across because of geography. I had a group from Scotland reach out to me if they could use my book for their story time, which was super cool. They found me through social media.

Natalie: I do know that when you wrote your books, you opted to self publish, rather than go through a publishing company. What factors played a part in this decision?

Cat: This was a joint decision between me and my husband since he and I write many books together. We wanted to retain more control over our books and how they get marketed. We wanted decisions such as the layout and size of the book, the cover, etc. to be ours. This is kind of a double edged sword though since being self published means that all of the editing, formatting, and marketing would also be our responsibility.

Natalie: Lastly, do you believe that in the future, authors and illustrators jobs will become irrelevant due to the rapid improvement of artificial intelligence which has the capability to carry out the tasks which authors and illustrators do in a significantly shorter amount of time?

Cat: AI is a tool that many people currently use to make books nowadays. But I think that human creativity is something that AI cannot replace (at least currently). I like to inject a lot of myself into the stories I write and the pictures I draw, so unless the AI algorithm is specifically tweaked to have my set of life experiences, it would be nearly impossible for it to draw or write in the way that I draw and write. And that holds true for all other writers and illustrators. That’s what makes stories so magnetic to people, is the human element and soul behind it, and that’s what will always shine through for writers and illustrators. And that is something that AI cannot replicate.

Natalie: Thank you so much for sharing your writing and illustrating experience and diving deep into the writing process with me! I can assure you that this will prove a captivating interview for many teens or young adults who have aspirations to write or illustrate a book!

Cat: Of course, It was my pleasure! I greatly enjoy seeing people in the next generation who have an interest in writing or drawing, or maybe both!

How to start writing a book – Lancer Spirit Online

Honk! and A Celebration of Polar Bears by Cat Wiessbrod are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

You Be You, I’ll Be Me

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One evening, I got to thinking about peer pressure. It is something that challenges each and everyone of us, and we have the choice to resist it, or to give into it. This may seem like a simple choice, but once you are the subject of peer pressure, you will realize the difficulty of resisting its forces. On that evening, I wrote this poem in the hopes that it will inspire many other people to be themselves, not what other people want them to be.

Everywhere,

Everyone,

A force pulls at them,

Pulls them until they cannot resist much longer.

It seeps into everything,

It tells people how to look,

How to act,

How to be,

It whispers to us our imperfections,

Slowly gnawing away at our sense of self.

It tells us we’re not good enough,

It tells us to look like the popular girls.

No.

Push it away,

stop it from taking over you,

From changing you,

Because you be you and I’ll be me.

No.

Ignore its’ demanding that you rip yourself apart and put yourself together again in the hopes that people will like you more,

because you be you and I’ll be me.

500+ Silhouette Pictures [HD] | Download Free Images on Unsplash

The Life Saving Job: An Interview With An Endocrinologist

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This is a part of a series of interviews with adults with different professions. This series was intended to assist teens as they figure out what job they would like in the future. This interview is with Dr. Nairi Berner, an endocrinologist.

Natalie: So, could you explain what endocrinology entails?

Dr. Nairi Berner: Sure. So, endocrinology is the study or the practice of medicine of hormones, and most people think of hormones as the things that help us grow from kids to adults or the way that our bodies change over time, but really, there are lots of different hormones that endocrinologists study and deal with. The primary ones are probably insulin, which is the hormone that is deficient in patients with Type 1 diabetes. We also deal with a lot of patients with thyroid problems, and hormones even play a part in keeping bones strong, and so men and women with a history of osteoporosis or poor bone density, we help them as well, so there isn’t a specific part of the body that endocrinologists are sort of responsible for looking at. We do look at the whole body because hormones are typically all over the body and have many, many system effects.

Natalie: What types of patients do you deal with in this medical field?

Dr. Nairi Berner: So as an endocrinologist, probably about 50% of the patients I see are people with diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2 or some of the other rarer forms of diabetes, but also, people who have thyroid problems, bone problems, and problems with any other glandular issues such as the adrenal gland and the pituitary gland. Those are all sort of in our field, so we do see people with those types of problems as well, but a large portion of our patients are people with diabetes or metabolic disorders.

Natalie: What sparked your interest in this medical field?

Dr. Nairi Berner: Well, it’s not that I always wanted to become an endocrinologist, you know. To become a doctor or to become a physician, for most people anyways, the road is we go to college and then after college, we enroll in medical school and after four years in medical school, we take some exams and then pick a residency. Residencies are sort of more general fields, so I picked internal medicine because internal medicine is what we mostly think of just a regular doctor who is overseeing our overall health. It’s not a surgical field, it’s not a specialized field, but after doing an internal medicine residency for three years, you can choose to become an internist or a generalist or you can narrow your field down and do what is called a fellowship in one of the more specialized fields like cardiology, dealing with heart disease, or pulmonology, dealing with lung disease or oncology which deals with cancer, and endocrinology is one of those fields.

I decided to become an endocrinologist when I was an internal medicine resident, probably around the end of my first to the beginning of my second year. It’s really because I liked having a longitudinal relationship with patients. Endocrinology has a lot to do with looking at labs and numbers and trying to figure out what is going on as far as whether someone’s medication needs to be tweaked or whether they have a hormonal disorder in one part of their body that is affecting another part of their body, and really, those are the things that sort of drew me to endocrinology. You kind of get to have a little bit of a hand in everything. You build long relationships with your patients because the conditions that we deal with are chronic conditions, requiring long term management care, and in many cases, particularly with diabetes, you really become a partner in the patients’ treatment with the person and their family because diabetes is a condition that we of course use medication for, but in many cases, it really has a lot to do with lifestyle, diet exercise, all those things, and you really become more of a team member in the care of your patients

Natalie: That’s a very interesting way that you came about endocrinology!

Dr. Nairi Berner: Yeah, I really like what I do. I always say being a doctor is the best job in the world, I don’t think I could’ve chosen anything else, and I really love it. Endocrinology was definitely the best choice for me, but I think after medical school, people have many different options and most of us end up practicing medicine. The types of medicine we end up practicing are very very different and our day to day lives are very very different and I spend most of my hours in a clinic setting, seeing patients, surgeons are in the OR, there are other doctors who are primarily hospital based, seeing patients who are admitted to the hospital, and there are lots of different avenues after medical school and because medicine has become so special because there is so much knowledge out there and so many things are changing so quickly, it has become important for trainees to become experts in our field because we’re often sent patients with problems that are not in our field, and so even though they are a doctor, they may not know much about the care that we could provide.

Natalie: So, while we’re on the subject, would you say that endocrinology is a more popular field that more people pursue or that it is a more unique position? Why?

Dr. Nairi Berner: No, I wouldn’t call it popular. I wouldn’t say its unpopular, but I would say that probably a bigger portion of medical school graduates in the United States pick fields that are procedure based because that’s just what people like to do. For example, surgical fields and even fields like gastroenterology, where procedures are common or cardiology, where procedures are common, those are probably a bit more popular, but it really depends on the personality and the likes and dislikes of the person. The field of medicine is just as varied as anything else and offers a lot of opportunities. There are some people who go to medical school and do not practice medicine. They go into the business field or the health administration field or they join a pharmaceutical company, and that degree gives them the background and the education to be able to pursue those types of things. I wouldn’t call endocrinology popular, but it is a growing field because the treatment options we have for a lot of the conditions we treat has grown, and we have a lot more ways to treat people than we previously had.

Natalie: I agree. I feel like endocrinology will most likely grow to be more popular over time.

Natalie: I know that in all jobs, there are stressful factors as well as good factors. What are some difficult situations that must be dealt with in your field?

Dr. Nairi Berner: For better or for worse, we always try to do our best for patients, and it doesn’t always work out. It’s always tough when it happens, and that can happen for a number of reasons. It can happen that a person gets sicker because they weren’t able to get the medication that we prescribed or that they simply didn’t want to take it or because of bad luck. I think that when things go wrong in medicine, when a person doesn’t get better or gets worse or we need a treatment option for the patient that, for whatever reason we cant have, that’s probably the most frustrating and most difficult challenge to deal with.

Other than that, I would say, less often, but it does happen when we have a patient who we think has something wrong with them, who has some symptoms that are unexplained and we can’t figure out what condition they have, even to start treatment. That’s a lot more rare, but it does happen and that’s extremely daunting because those things will keep us up at night. I would say the only other thing that is probably true in all of medicine is that we have to work to have a good work-life balance, to make sure doctors are taking care of themselves, their families, and their own health, in order to come in and take care of everyone else. That can be challenging because our jobs are challenging. Fortunately, over time, most of us are able to achieve a reasonable balance.

Natalie: Yes, it seems like in the medical field specifically, there are a lot of stressful factors involved.

Dr. Nairi Berner: Yeah, there is a lot of stress. It is a very long arduous road to get to where you are going, and that road starts well before even medical school because getting into medical school is difficult. You really have to be determined, know what you want to do, and be able to commit, and there are a lot of lost hours with family and friends and that can be hard to swallow, but I think for people like me, there are a lot of doctors out there that know that this is what they want to do. They’ve known that for many years before they came doctors, and it’s a very very fulfilling career, and those moments are definitely worth it in the end.

Natalie: Lastly, are there any pieces of advice or resources that you would recommend to teenagers who are interested in this career?

Dr. Nairi Berner: Yes. So what I would say is for teenagers who are generally interested in the field of medicine is to start volunteering at local hospitals, and if they are particularly interested in the field of endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association is a great organization that fundraises for patients with diabetes and diabetes research and that would be a great resource for them to get started with.

I think it’s really important to understand whether you feel like the working environment is something that you’ll be able to handle, something that you like, and something that you enjoy. Do you enjoy being around people? Do you enjoy helping? Do you enjoy forming these relationships with patients? Do you like the science of medicine? It’s important to understand those things early in teenagers, certainly in college, because once you take the step going into the medical field, you’re sort of making a commitment at that point and I think it’s important to evaluate if it is something you really want, and whether you want to go into it for the right reasons, because it is challenging and it’s also a big commitment of your time, and the years when you are young and would rather be doing something else.

I remember as a teenager volunteering at hospitals and doctors offices. There are lots more options now because there are probably a lot of web based things that can be learned. The ADA (American Diabetes Association) is one of my favorite organizations to tell people to join because anybody can go on that website and look for opportunities for volunteerism for learning about diabetes and local events, so I would say that that would be a great place to start. Don’t be afraid to reach out to local doctors to see if they are willing to talk and share their experiences, because we love to see young people going into medicine, so we are always willing to share our experiences and help young people pursue this really wonderful career.

Natalie: Thank you so much for making time for this interview! I am sure that it will be a helpful guide to teenagers who are still deciding what career they would like to pursue. Goodbye!

Fun Winter Activities And Crafts

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As we are nearing winter break, many fun activities are available at this time of year, yet sometimes, it’s hard to choose which ones. Over the years, my family and I have compiled many fin Christmas traditions, as well as fun crafts and activities. I have chosen 3 of my favorite winter activities that are fun, easy, and affordable.

1. Saran Wrap Ball

Although the name is quite confusing, the actual activity is quite entertaining. With a large group of people, a timer is set for each person for one minute, and they are required to put on oven mitts, and in the one minute, they will attempt to unwrap as much of the Saran Wrap ball as they can. With each layer they unwrap, there will be small gifts, and the more they unwrap, the more small gifts they get. The Saran Wrap ball is passed around, each person given a chance to unwrap the ball, until it has been completely unraveled. In order to create this activity, you will need Saran Wrap, oven mitts, scissors, and small gifts(stickers, dollar bills, candy, etc.). Many of these supplies can be found at Dollar Tree and 5 Below. Begin by wrapping one item in a film of Saran Wrap. Add another gift a few layers later, and repeat this until you have wrapped all of the small gifts and you have a large Saran Wrap ball. This game is great for all ages, and I hope that you enjoy this activity.

Saran Wrap Ball Game {Rules, Ideas + VIDEO | Lil' Luna

2. Modge-Podge Ornaments

Creating Modge-Podge ornaments was one of my more recent crafts, as well as one of my favorites. As well as being simple to make, they always turn out beautiful and are the star of all of your ornaments. To create these ornaments, you will need Modge-Podge, an empty ornament, a pack of paper napkins with beautiful designs, and a paintbrush. All of these supplies are easily found at the Dollar Tree. To begin with, cut out pieces of the design on the napkin, and cut until you have a good amount that you are satisfied with. Then, place a small dot of Modge-Podge on the ornament and stick the design onto the ornament. Then, paint a thin film of Modge-Podge over the design. You can repeat this until your ornament is completely covered, or leave space in between and paint the space between the design with Modge-Podge to give it a frosty appearance. This is one of the favorite crafts I have done, and it is perfect to do with your friends, family, and even to wind down at the end of the day by yourself!

Budget Friendly DIY Christmas Ornaments + Video – My Love For Paper

3. Create Clothes For Your Elf On The Shelf

In my family ever since I was a small child, our family had an Elf On The Shelf. When I was little, I always dashed to discover the Elf’s new hiding place. As I enjoyed the company of my seasonal elf, my favorite part of having the Elf around was making things for him. Over the years he has “visited” our house, we have created many small appliances for him including a miniature stocking, a miniature teddy bear, and a miniature bed, and pajamas. While you could purchase these things at the store, creating them by hand is a great family bonding activity and the things you create will be special to you forever.

The Elf on the Shelf Boy | Wonder Works Toys

I greatly hope that these ideas are enjoyable and prove useful to you this winter, whether you are having a small get together with your friends, spending quality time with your family, or are just feeling crafty!

Easy School Meal Prep Ideas

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Sometimes, it can be difficult to find a food that is quick to make and delicious to make for your lunch, and sometimes, you don’t have lots of ingredients at home. In this article, I will be sharing three quick meal prep ideas that do not require dozens of ingredients.

  1. Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is a quick meal that is delicious anytime. It will take about thirty minutes to prepare this meal, and it will make two servings. In order to make this pasta salad, you must have:

  1. Penne Pasta
  2. Black Olives(canned)
  3. Salami
  4. Pesto
  5. Rice Vinegar
  6. Olive Oil
  7. Dried Dill(optional)
  8. Flaky Salt(optional)

The Recipe

  1. Boil 1 cup of Penne pasta in a pot, according to the directions on the box.
  2. Drain the pasta and pour into a bowl.
  3. Add olives to the container and chopped salami to your preference.
  4. Add a small amount of pesto into the container and mix all of the ingredients.
  5. In a separate, smaller container, add 2 tbs. of olive oil and 1 1/2 tbs. of rice vinegar and add a pinch of salt.
  6. Pour the dressing onto the salad depending on your preference and mix all of the ingredients together.
  7. Distribute the pasta salad into two containers.

2. Turkey Pinwheels

Turkey Pinwheels can be a delectable food anytime. Whether you are craving an after school snack or looking for a quick lunch idea, turkey pinwheels are a great idea! It will take about 15 minutes to make this recipe, and it will provide 1 serving.

  1. Turkey
  2. Lettuce
  3. Havarti Cheese Slices
  4. Tortillas or Pita
  5. Mayo

The Recipe

  1. Lay out your tortilla/pita on a plate, and cover the tortilla with three slices of turkey.
  2. Place a slice of cheese on your tortilla.
  3. Place a few pieces of lettuce on top of all of the ingredients.
  4. Drizzle a light layer of mayo on top of your tortilla.
  5. Roll your tortilla up tightly.
  6. Cut your roll into small pinwheels.

3. Barbecue Chicken Sliders

Are you ever unsure what to pack for your lunch when all that’s in your fridge is some leftovers from last night. Worry no longer, for this recipe is quick and easy using ingredients that you probably have. It will take about 15-20 minutes to prep this meal, depending on how many sliders you make.

  1. Hawaiian Rolls
  2. Leftover chicken
  3. Barbecue Sauce
  4. Coleslaw(optional)

The Recipe

  1. Wash your coleslaw.
  2. Put your leftover chicken in a container, and toss it with barbecue sauce.
  3. Place the barbecue chicken and coleslaw on a Hawaiian bun, and place another on top.
  4. Repeat to create as many sliders as you like.

I have created this posting in the hopes that it will be useful to everyone reading this. I truly hope that these recipes prove useful (and delicious) to you throughout this school year, and that they can make your morning routine a bit easier!

Biomedical Engineer: The Career of the Future

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This interview is part of a series of interviews of people in different professions. These interviews are intended to assist teens in finding the profession that would suit them in the future. This specific interview is with David Cuccia, a biomedical engineer who currently owns a business. This interview will dive deep in all of the different parts of being in this profession.

The Interview

Natalie: Hello it’s so nice to meet you!

David Cuccia: You too!

So first of all, could you explain what you do for your job?

David Cuccia: My job, I am the chief technology officer or CTO. I work in biomedical engineering and medicine. I also do a lot of software. There’s also some physics involved. 

Natalie: So, what kind of projects are you currently working on?

David Cuccia: Right now, I am working on the next-generation of our medical device, called Clarifi.

The current device that we sell is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which means it is okay for doctors to use already.

The new device will be much smaller – we’re going from a system that’s over 100lbs (a cart system) to one that is handheld, so just a couple of pounds.

Natalie: Very interesting! Could you explain what your device does?

David Cuccia: Sure!

It is a camera system that takes a picture of how much blood is beneath the surface of skin, and the level of oxygen in that blood

So, it can be used to see if there is good circulation.

we’re focusing on using it to help people with Diabetes stay healthy.

Sometimes, if someone has Diabetes for a long time, they have bad circulation in their limbs, especially their feet.

That means, if they get a minor injury, like a blister or other small wound, it might not heal, or will take a very long time to heal.

A lot of the time, that means that they might have to have surgery.

Natalie: In the profession, is there an option to join a company?

David Cuccia: 

I’d say, for our company, over the years, we’ve hired maybe 30-40% of our people straight out of school (we were their first job)

Yes! There are so many different jobs for someone in my profession! Some people work at hospitals keeping the medical equipment running smoothly, some people do research their whole lives at a University, some people go into business to develop biomedical products (devices or drugs/pharmaceuticals). I’ve done a little of each, I guess! And the world needs those doctors that like doing surgery, because that’s definitely not me!

Natalie: Me too! I originally wanted to be a doctor, but I do not work well with blood either.

David Cuccia:I feel you 🙂 But you never know, that might change again! Just never be afraid to change directions if you have new information…that’s what a good scientist or engineer does.

Natalie: So, why did you choose to start your own company?

And what are the pros and cons of working independently?

David Cuccia: I’ve been REALLY lucky to hire and work with some awesome people.

But, yes, there’s lots of hard things about starting a business, running it, and managing people. Two times, we’ve had to let someone go (fire them) because it wasn’t a good fit. But that’s by far the exception to the rule. We’ve probably hired … I’m guessing here…45 people, over the years. Sometimes, they move on to their next great stepping stone or opportunity. Sometimes (like during the pandemic) we have very little money and have to let a group of people go. That was the hardest. But, we stay in touch with those people…it feels a bit like a family…everyone is still very supportive of each other!

Natalie: Is there a good work life balance in your profession? 

David Cuccia: One thing in smaller start-up companies is that if you are a founder, you’re always thinking about the next steps of the business. It’s not really something you “clock out” of at 5pm every weekday, so there’s often the extra stress of not being able to fully “turn off”. But the flipside of this is that schedules can often be very flexible. I’ve really enjoyed being able to opt-in to family activities that would be harder with a more rigid schedule, which is often the case in a larger company. Certainly, there have been times that have been very busy, such as when we would have a grant proposal deadline, scientific presentation, or product trade show/demo to prepare for. But, it can be very gratifying when one of these goes successfully!

Natalie: What are some common misconceptions about this profession?

David Cuccia: For me, a misconception was that as I progressed in my career, I would become more of a specialist, i.e. someone that would improve my skill in a particular area. My experience in entrepreneurship and project management has been that, while my knowledge and experience in specific areas/fields has grown, my work has been more and more varied and interesting! I have learned how to work with a diverse team, each with diverse skills in engineering, science, computer programming, project management, marketing, business development, finance, human resources, legal support, etc. I really have enjoyed connecting the dots between all of these fields and communities to communicate and accomplish a shared goal.

Natalie: Thank you so much for finding some time in your schedule to make time for this interview! I am sure that it will help many teens to determine what profession they would like to work towards, and I wish you the best of luck for your product and your business!

Dave Cuccia: My pleasure!

The Teaching Journey: An Interview With A Grade School Teacher

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This is one of many interviews that I will post. Each post will feature an interview with someone of a specific career. These interviews are meant to help teens find the career that they want. In this post, I will be interviewing a teacher going by the pseudonym of Jane-I refer to myself as Natalie-. Jane has taught lower grade levels such as preschool, kindergarten, first, and second grade. All of this information came from a real grade school teacher, and I hope that this interview allows you to decide if teaching is your true calling!

The Interview

Natalie: What was your inspiration to become a teacher?

Jane: I really love how children learn and I find child development fascinating and I love figuring out how to explain things or how to get children to understand and learn concepts. 

Natalie: Do you truly enjoy teaching? What is your favorite part that makes you love your profession?

Jane: It’s just so magical to watch them learn and grow and have fun and I also love telling them stories. That’s my favorite thing.

Natalie: What is the most difficult part of being a teacher?

Jane: If there are parents who are challenging to collaborate with, that can make it more difficult, and the most challenging thing is the increase in class size. Currently I have a class size of 26. 

Natalie: Since you have taught multiple grades such as preschool, kindergarten, first grade and second grade, which would you recommend? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each grade?

Jane: Every age and grade has advantages and disadvantages, and most teachers find something to love in each grade. I love kinder and I taught it for a long time so I could tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of five and six year olds. It’s a magical age where they are figuring out a lot of things such as social emotional growth as well as academics, but there is also a lot of academic growth. Children are all very different. Part of teaching is finding their strengths and building their confidence. One of the disadvantages of teaching this age is that they have lots of energy.

Natalie: What kind of classes or courses would you recommend for aspiring elementary school teachers?

Jane: Aside from required courses such as child development, if there is a course on storytelling or picture books I would recommend that, and using math manipulatives.

Natalie: Other than the cost of college tuition to get a degree in teaching, are there any ongoing costs of teaching?

Jane: Yes there are. First, aside from college and graduate school, I pay for classroom items and supplies and I don’t get reimbursed for them. 

Natalie: What would you say is the most mentally challenging part of being a teacher?

Jane: There’s a lot of multitasking and juggling, prioritizing and time management are important.

Natalie: Currently, AI is replacing many careers. Do you believe that in the future, teaching will still be a good career choice?

Jane:I think so, the connection between a human teacher and a student can’t be matched, especially for young children.

Natalie: Is there a good work/life balance in the career of teaching?

Jane: I think it’s tricky especially for new teachers, but they have to mindfully set that goal.

Natalie: If you had to do it all over again, would you choose to teach?

Jane: Maybe…I love teaching. I know I’m good at it and it makes a difference but it is underpaid and underappreciated and exhausting. 

Natalie: Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed. I am sure that this interview will prove useful to many teenagers still choosing their path.

Novel Review: A Door In The Dark

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Among the many novels that I have read, A Door in the Dark had me at the edge of my seat with my eyes wide open, longing to flip to the next page. I was at the bookstore one day when this novel caught my eye. I read the description on the back and assumed that it would be a decent read, but as soon as I began reading, a million different emotions hit me at once. I read of friendship, hatred, love, and every one of these things felt so real and relatable. If you enjoy adventure and excitement, then you have found the perfect novel, but keep in mind, this novel is not for the faint of heart.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

A Door in the Dark takes place in a magical and highly elitist city known as Kathor. Unlike all the magical worlds that you know of, the magic in Kathor is distributed by the wealthy families and is limited amongst the citizens. The magic is known as Ockleys and they can be bought by coins and are stored in objects known as vessels. Amongst Kathor’s residents, Ren is an intelligent and hardworking girl born into the Lower Quarter (the poorer area of Kathor). Nobody seems to take her seriously because of this, despite her high intelligence, but with her father dead, she must find a way to support her mom and herself. Due to her high performance in school, she is invited to attend Balmerick, a prestigious school. In her free time, she enjoys creating new spells and hopes to earn a position in the Shiverian House, but her hope is crushed when her interviewer for House Shiverian does not show up.

One day, Ren Monroe, her best friend, Timmons, and four other students break out in a fight in a waxway room on campus and are accidentally transported to the wilderness. In their new location, the students discover that one of them is dead. Everyone is shocked by this and has trouble processing it, but to get back home, the party must push on through rough terrain, frigid weather, and many other things getting in the way of their return home. Over their journey back home, the students grow closer and get to know each other, but just as soon, the students are killed one by one by a monster chasing them that will only stop when all of them our dead. Ren is forced to make important choices, even of saving one person from death or the other. How many of the students will make it back to Kathor alive? Will anybody?

Intensity Rating 5/5

For this specific novel, there are many parts that have you holding your breath and clinging to the side of your chair. There are many chasing sequences that are not scary, but definitely make you brace yourself!

Profanity/Drug Usage 3/5

This novel contains some mild language, so make sure that you are aware of this before reading this book. Also, there is a made up drug called “Dragon’s Breath” used by most of the main characters throughout the novel

Overall Book Rating 5/5

Of the many books that I have read, this has been one of my favorites! The novel describes the emotion and setting so well that I almost feel like I been inserted right into the story line. I highly recommend this book if you like magic and adventure!

(I chose to use monster to describe what was chasing the students, but as you progress in the book, you will understand that the monster in not necessarily in the form of a monster, I only used that term to identify what was chasing them in a way that will not spoil the plot in case you would like to read this novel.)

A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.