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.
May’s Featured Cookbook and Recipe of the Month
I’m embarrassed to say that the Oh She Glows Cookbook has been collecting dust in my collection for many years. This spring, I have tried to go refined sugar-free, and I pulled it out for some inspiration. I am so glad I did. It is a treasure trove of really easy, filling, healthy recipes. Some of my favourites include: raw buckwheat breakfast porridge (you can find buckwheat groats in the Whole Foods bulk section), gym rat smoothie, summertime cherry-basil bruschetta, oil-free baked falafel bites, and the orange-maple miso empowered noodle bowls. Angela also has an excellent recipe blog: ohsheglows.com
I made these for the office Monday treats; they were delicious (and no white sugar!): Glow bars
May Founders Vancouver Featured Businesses
As a small business that has thrived on word of mouth referrals, I thought I would show some of my favourite Vancity businesses some love and hope that others support them, too.
My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in April. He sent me flowers from the @Flower Factory (4825 Main Street). They were so stunning. I appreciated the incredible combination of different types of flowers and colours. They were the happiest bouquet I have ever received. A delivery from Flower Factory just might be the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
I tore my meniscus in my right knee in February. It was devastating. But two ladies have helped me recover, and I now understand more about rehabilitation, movement, patience, and whole body movement. I owe a big thank you to Ella Hebron at @VanCity Physio and Jade Lipton at @Sculpt Studio.
Every team lunch, we order @Dirty Apron lunchboxes. We love them. They come with a sandwich (excellent veggie and gluten free options), a side salad (we love the kale Caesar), a cookie, and a healthy soda. These never get old. It is easy delivery, and everything is recyclable. Shout out to Anoush for always taking care of us!
May’s Fun Activity
In March, the NY Times released its Build Your Own College Ranking. It lets users choose areas that are important to them on a sliding scale. Some measures include: Economic Mobility, Academic Profile, Racial Diversity, and Athletics. While fun to play with, the tool seems to not ask enough information about field of study/academic interests. My top three picks were MIT, Cal Tech, and Harvey Mudd. As much as I would love to be, I am definitely not STEM focused.
May’s Featured Articles
And speaking about rankings, I was quoted in The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities article about the educational consulting industry. While it was great interacting with its writer, Michelle Cyca, I think she missed the mark on the industry and what it offers students and families. That being said, we are grateful for the opportunity to be included in a nation-wide publication and discuss our student-centered approach
I also really enjoyed this article: “Taylor Swift is sending a powerful message to women in the Eras tour.” It discusses how Ms. Swift is owning her success and not apologizing for carving her space out in the music industry. Everyone, regardless of gender, should be allowed to celebrate their successes with no judgement or commentary. I can’t wait to see her energy for myself in August at her LA concert.
I really found the article “Who are the International Applicants?” from Inside Higher Ed, which recaps the Common Application’s international student data, interesting and important. We are always tracking how Canadian students in the US admission pool stack up in the broader international student demographic. This article discusses Canada as the third largest applicant pool with 30% of the 3080 Canadian applicants applying early decision in the 21-22 cycle.
Something to watch for in June:
As my own son graduates from university in May, I will be constructing a list of best graduation gifts or high school and university students in the June Founder’s Feature.
To read more Founder’s Features, check them out under the Options News category.
