Throughout the academic year, Melinda Giampietro, Options Founder/President, will share some of her favourite things in her monthly Founder’s Feature. Melinda loves reading, data, research, and following academic and adolescent news around the world.
April Book of the Month
In September 2021, I wrote my first Founder’s Feature. It highlighted Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End. It was a phenomenal read. His most recent book, All the Colors of the Dark, released in 2024 is the best book I’ve read in the last five years. I sped through the beginning and then rationed the last fifty pages to make it last.
When I finished it, I turned it over and immediately started to reread it, something I have never done before. It explores generational trauma, and its characters are so real, raw, and honest that you can’t help but cheer them on. Chris Whitaker is a phenom. See his interview with Hoda & Jenna here to learn more.
April Cookbook of the Month
I enjoyed working through A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner over spring break. This is a great cookbook for vegetarians with its two deepest chapters being “A Side of Vegetables” and “A Centre of Vegetables”. I also explored the “Delicious Fishes Dishes” chapter and found Corn, Bacon, and Mussel Chowder and Cod and Zucchini in Curry Coconut Broth enjoyable. And I enjoyed making use of the beginning of strawberry season with Dutch Baby with Berries and Crème Fraiche. Finally, I enjoyed her chapter “Dinners I Remember”, where author Christine Flynn reminiscences about her most impactful meals. I wish every cookbook had this.
April Concert of the Month
To celebrate a good friend’s birthday, we travelled to Seattle to see Kelsea Ballerini. WOW- did she overdeliver. I had never been to Climate Pledge Arena, where the Seattle Kraken play, before. It was a fantastic venue. This was the first concert of the West Coast leg of her shows and the first concert since she released the Deluxe version of her Patterns album. So, we were the first to hear many of her new songs live. Songs that were on my “To see live” list were: “Interlude,” “This Time Last Year,” and “How Do I Do This.” I’d see her again in any city.
April Charts, Graphs, and Article of the Month
Ken Steele is Canada’s premier education futurist. He is also a featured guest on our podcast. Listen to episode ten here. He has been tracking the effects of the IRCC caps on international visas across post-secondary institutions. On his Eduvation site (which requires a free login), he explores the budget impacts and revenues lost that Canada’s reduced international student income has triggered. He also tracks Reported Layoffs, Early Retirements, and Positions Eliminated since Fall 2024. He research is used as a powerful visual in Tracey Taylor O’Reilly’s Linked In article, “The Perfect Storm: Canada’s Post-Secondary Education Crisis Explained.” We are getting so many questions about the financial health of institutions from our grade 12 students making decisions on where to attend. I wrote a blog last year to help families understand this better, and it is still relevant, timely, and, hopefully, helpful information.
April Staycation Highlights
My husband and I decided to stay in Vancouver for a March staycation. The weather didn’t really cooperate, but we did finally watch Yellowstone. There were two specific highlights. We went to Elem for the first time with good friends of Hassib Sarwari, one of Elem’s owners. We got an insider’s tour and were fascinated with all the details (especially with the bar design). It was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. I loved both the Stracciatella and the Buckwheat Spaghetti. The highlight of the evening was the Chicago Mix Popcorn dessert, made from Cheddar Cake, Caramel Sauce, Corn Mousse & Foam, and Aged Cheddar. It was one of the best and most unique desserts I’ve tasted. PLEASE go and enjoy the full sensory experience.
I appreciate the cherry trees blooming in Vancouver, and it is always fun to see them rain pink petals. But, the real highlight of the staycation was tracking the magnolia trees blooming around the city, especially in David Lam Park near our apartment. These trees are so mature and a mix of pink and white flowers. They really are spectacular. There is something about a magnolia tree’s grace that inspires me. And I like that they represent stability and luck.
To read more Founder’s Features, check them out under the Options News category.
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