April 2022 Newsletter

JKL Co-Founder Camila Alves McConaughey’s Children’s Book is Available Now!

The healthy eating advocate and founder of Women of Today just released her first book, Just Try One Bite, with co-author Adam Mansbach.

The book – already a New York Times Best Seller! – features a funny role reversal in which picky-eater parents are confronted by their children. Camila writes from experience, as a mom herself to Levi (13), Vida (12), and Livingston (9). “When you get older, it gets harder to kick bad habits,” adds Alves McConaughey. “Just Try One Bite is a fun way to teach those healthy habits early on.” Check out Just Try One Bite, on sale now!


JKL Partners with Roku On An Inspiring Career Panel

We had an amazing career panel for our just keep livin students from ROKU!

The panelists were diverse in their backgrounds as well as their job titles. In attendance for the panel we had Joel Teklu (Sr. Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs), Sonia Ben Hedia Twomey (Sr. Computational Linguist), Gretel Perera (Director, communication LATAM) and Kevin Kelly (Sr. Hardware Program Manager). Each Panelist shared great content on how they fell in love with the tech world and the appreciation they have for the environment ROKU is fostering.

We also had a little fun and talked about everyone’s favorite shows to stream and even took a step deeper by discussing what mental health looks like for people who work in the tech industry. Students asked great questions ranging from “Are tech boot camps worth it?” to “Why do you like to work for ROKU?” to “What does a normal day look like in the various roles?” It also displayed to our students that if you have a passion for something, you can make a career out of it and thrive even if your path isn’t linear or as obvious as the world might make it seem. There are many avenues and none of them are wrong, just different! We look forward to our continued partnership with ROKU.


Cleveland JKL Students Enjoy an Array of Guest Speakers

Congresswoman and John Adams alum Shontell Brown was a returning guest speaker for our JKL program at John Adams High School in Cleveland.

She graduated from John Adams with our former instructor Ms. Rembert. While at John Adams, she received the Mayors support in her congressional re-election bid. JKL student Linell Mills read her bio for the event! They both talked about rebuilding the community and making it better for those after them. It is never too late to learn and we can help build a great community regardless of your age. 

Kat Frey, Founder and President of Oxygen Coaching Group was another wonderful guest speaker for our JKL program at John Adams High School! Kat spoke about “making the table bigger,” which she explained is about networking and bringing people into your life that can help you on many levels. She also encouraged the students to find three things to be grateful for everyday and not to let anyone take away from those things.

Kat also shared eight things to focus on every day; family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, physical health, and mental health. At the conclusion, the students discussed from those eight themes, what meant the most to them and what makes each of them the happiest.


just keep livin Students Give Back in Los Angeles

Students from our Huntington Park just keep livin program partnered with National League of Young Men to host a community service day benefitting Uplift Family Services at Hollygrove.

Uplift Family Services is one of the largest, most comprehensive behavioral health treatment providers in California. Each year, they do whatever it takes to help more than 35,000 children and family members manage and recover from challenges stemming from prior trauma—such as severe neglect and abuse—and learn the essential life skills they need to be successful at home, at school, and in their community. 

Students helped clean out sheds, organize donations, clean the dining hall, pool area and much more so they can welcome their students and families back for summer camp.


Camila’s Tips: Better For You French Onion Soup

This Better For You French Onion Soup is savory, slightly sweet, and extremely satisfying.

Most of these ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen or maybe you’ll just need to go pick up one or two things to pull it together.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 red onions, sliced thin
• 2 yellow onions, sliced thin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sherry or white wine
• 1.5 quarts beef or chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• French bread slices
• Clove of garlic, peeled
• Gruyere or Munster cheese, shredded.

GARNISH SUGGESTIONS
• Sliced green onions
• Chopped parsley

Directions

  1. Over medium heat, combine olive oil and butter and heat until butter is melted.
  2. Add all the sliced onion and stir well. Season with sea salt, cover, and cook until onions are reduced, soft and translucent. This is an important step because you do not want firm onions when you serve your soup.
  3. Add the sherry or wine to the cooked onions and simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the stock and the bay leaves and simmer for 25 minutes.
  5. Toast the sliced French bread, then rub the raw clove of garlic a few times across the French bread.
  6. Place each slice of French bread on a baking sheet, add the desired amount of shredded cheese on top of French bread and broil until the cheese is melted. About 1-2 minutes.
  7. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with a slice or two of toasted melted cheese bread.
  8. Garnish with chopped parsley or green onion tops.

Serve with sour cream on the side if desired.

Enjoy! Beijos Camila

Full recipe by Women of Today »


Swag of The Month

JKL Stainless Tumbler

Whatever your beverage of choice, this double wall stainless tumbler will keep it hot or cold.

I’ll drink to that!


Get Yours Today!

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