Chris and Diana Brouillard have enjoyed living in Westwood as their family grows along with Diana's business at Dream Spa Medical. Diana's escape from Communist Latvia in 1989 opened the doors to building the American dream, which she contunues to do with two flourishing locations and a third set to open in Foxboro this summer.
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By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
The year was 1989, and life as many knew it was in the process of changing forever. For nearly 70 years, the Soviet Union had grown in power as the world's strongest Communist state, yet civil unrest had begun to chip away at the power of the USSR's centralized government. In this period of global uncertainty and strife, tensions were at an all-time high.
In Latvia, the first Baltic state to challenge the sovereignty of the Soviet empire, a young girl named Diana Shwartzman fled her parents' home, hand in hand with her grandmother. The pair quietly and slyly headed for Moscow by train. In these challenging times with crime on the rise, any steps as dramatic as those being taken by the Shwartzman family had to be taken with the utmost care and precision.
"People stole children," said Diana. "If you had enough money to leave the country, then you had enough money to pay ransom. If families arrived together at the Moscow airport, it was a high-risk situation."
Diana's parents, both established and successful doctors, traveled to Moscow by a different route, eventually connecting with their young daughter just moments before a scheduled flight from Moscow to Vienna, Austria - the first haven in the Shwartzman's pursuit of freedom.
"We were on the run and lived for three weeks in the basement of a home in Austria with other immigrant families," said Diana. "We finally got some sort of documentation and took the next step, which led us to Italy. I went to first grade in Italy and I learned to speak Italian. When you're seven, you pick up languages so easily. It was a normal first-grade life."
Normal except for the fact the Shwartzmans were political refugees, living only on their talents and a bag of tchotchkes that held small value. Each week, Diana and her Mom, Evetta, would travel to a local market to sell some of what they brought from Latvia to make ends meet. There was no job, no money. Only instinct, and the ability to trade what you could do for what you needed or wanted. Failure wasn't an option.
"You don't quit. You keep at it until you get there," said Diana about the lessons she learned during this tumultuous, unpredictable time that shaped who she is and how she functions each day. "We left Italy and arrived in New York on April 1, 1990. We drove to Framingham because the Jewish Community Center in Framingham had a program for incoming Jewish immigrants. They provided housing for us, furniture, clothes, all of that."
Settling into the United States wasn't easy for the Shwartzmans. Her parents, Evetta and Boris, had to re-take their board exams and establish themselves once again as medical professionals. Dr. Evetta Shwartzman eventually opened her own dental practice in Canton, while Dr. Boris Shwartzman rebooted his career as an anesthesiologist. Once established, the trio settled in Sharon, a welcoming community for Jews.
"There was so much anti-semitism in Latvia and the Soviet Union in general," said Diana. "It was important for my parents to be able to be themselves.
Perhaps because she was the only child of successful parents, with intense life experience, Diana was entrusted to make big decisions from a young age. Her mind was sharpened well before those of her peers and the independence she was afforded from a young age allowed her to make important decisions and understand their implications. Inspired by the drive and dedication of her parents, Diana committed early to learning business and, like many of us, gleaned some motivation from television.
"I remember watching 'Who's The Boss?' with Judith Light and Tony Danza, back in the 90s," said Diana. "I wanted to be Angela Bower. I thought, that's going to be me. That was my vibe. My mom was always a big boss lady. She owned her own companies. Both parents were in the medical field. I grew up seeing that success and deep inside, always knew I would end up owning my own business - some sort of business. I thought it was going to be in marketing and advertising."
After graduating from Sharon High School, Diana headed to Bentley University, where she eventually met Chris Brouillard, who played soccer for the Falcons. During college, the pair didn't date, but frequently saw each other through mutual acquaintances. While Diana honed her business skills, Chris was impressed with what he was seeing. Shortly after graduation, they started dating and began a new life together.
"We spent some time in Cambridge and after we sold our condo we had a little bit of money," said Chris. "Diana told me she wanted to put that money toward starting a new business."
Dream Spa Medical was born in 2013, a med spa focused on offering state-of-the-art treatments addressing a wide range of beauty and aesthetic concerns.
"I'm a go-with-the-flow guy, so I said, 'Let's do it!' Her mom was involved," said Chris. "It was her passion. She was working long days, and when she'd get home, she'd work even more."
A ten-year success story isn't written in a day, a month or even a year. Through trials and tribulations, and an unlikely time of reinvention and refinement, Dream Spa Medical has blossomed, with locations in Canton and Brookline, and a third set to open in Patriot Place this August.
"You work until you get it done, right? You don't quit," said Diana. "Sometimes people asked me why I was staying with it? I was going to do it until it worked. You keep at it until you get there. If my parents can take themselves, and me, across the world into a new country, not knowing the language, re-take their medical exams, re-do school and make a life for themselves, then I believe anyone can do anything. It's really the American Dream."
It's rare to hear someone credit the COVID pandemic for a good part of their business success, but that time of isolation and chance to regroup came at just the right moment for the Dream Spa team.
"As we started the business, I was always plugging holes and putting fires out," said Diana. "We were doing ok and headed in the right direction, but during that three months of shutdown, I turned my attention online. There were a lot of companies putting a lot of free content out - financial planning, business planning specific to the aesthetic industry. So it really gave me a chance to not have to constantly fix everything on a daily basis and really take a step back and plan things out."
It also opened the door to some financial flexibility.
"The Small Business Association stepped it up, in my opinion, for small businesses," said Diana. "The EIDL loans, the PPP program, those gave us the financial backing we really needed to have a little more leeway with the finances. I think the SBA gave a lot of support and I know people who didn't take advantage of it, probably because they didn't understand how. I was lucky to have access to that online content which advised me how to take advantage of the financial assistance from the SBA. So I did it like that and that's how we re-opened. We made more in the first week than we had in most months."
It's important to note Diana is not a clinician. She runs the Dream Spa Medical business and relies on her colleagues and partners to provide the top-tier care clients have come to expect. Dr. Joseph Russo is a board-certified, Harvard-trained plastic surgeon. His medical expertise sets the standard for the practice. Leah Mofford has risen to the role of Chief Operations Officer, focusing on exceptional service and results.
Chris, who works in sales for IPG Photonics, didn't know much about the world of Med Spas when this journey began, but now has a true appreciation for what his wife's team delivers.
"Watching how this business developed and seeing the people they work with and the treatments they do, it's actually helping a lot of younger people, younger than me," said Chris. "They're actually improving their skin. You'll see someone who had really bad acne and what Dream Spa's been able to do for them. They have clear skin. You see real improvements and it's a big confidence builder for people. They are always looking to make people feel better about themselves."
So how did the Brouillards end up in Westwood?
The easy answer is found by looking at a map. Chris grew up in Andover. Diana grew up in Sharon. Westwood was a central point for their families and the appeal of our schools and the town's reputation was attractive. As parents of two young girls, Juliana (7) and Alana (4), there's a lot to benefit from when you live in Westwood.
"We moved here in 2017 and wanted to get settled in a town with great schools," said Diana. "It's been a wonderful experience so far."
As Juliana and Alana played with the Brouillard's dog, Brady, Diana continued to talk about the dream she continues to build - a vision of where she may be after the next ten years.
"Ten years from now, I think we're going to have multiple locations, six or more locations," she said. "We're going to have a solidly-built management system, which will make adding new locations seamless, similar to how you franchise, with standard operating procedures for every single thing that you do. It's going to be like that."
When you're building a dream, you keep forging ahead with big goals and confidence, committed to putting in whatever it takes until you get it done.
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Learn more about the people and businesses in Westwood as Tom Leyden hosts a series of one-on-one conversations.
By Tom Leyden
Jackie MacMullan is a Hall of Fame sports journalist who retired in 2021 after more than 40 years covering sports, representing The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and ESPN over the course of her career. Jackie graduated from Westwood High School in 1978. I chatted with her to reflect on her time in Westwood and how it molded her life and career.
Tom:
What are your memories of growing up here in Westwood?
Jackie:
My best friends in the world are from Westwood. I have eight women I'm still friends with, we're called the "YaYas." I'm 62 years old and I travel the world with them. They're my oldest and best friends. Westwood is really important to me. It was a great place to grow up. We had a great neighborhood. I grew up on Stanford Drive - played street hockey every day with all the boys in the neighborhood. I was in the marching band, so I used to march in the parade right down High Street.
Tom:
Take me back to the days when you were in high school because you were a bit of a stand-out athlete.
Jackie:
I wouldn't call myself a standout. I was afraid to try out for the basketball team. I showed up for tryouts my freshman year, I looked in the door, lost my nerve and said, "I'll do it next year." Then my sophomore year, I was on the varsity field hockey team. I was a track athlete. I looked in the door again and I just didn't have the courage to do it, but I liked to be around Kathy Delaney-Smith because I thought she was such a powerful, independent woman that was getting things done. I was very drawn to her and I remember sitting in her office and listening.
She said, "I went down to the junior high today. I saw your sister, Suzie, play. At least I'll get one MacMullan to play for me."
I'm a junior in high school at this point. I said, "Oh, well I'll play."
Then she looked at me with this horrified look on her face and I said, "Oh, it's too late. It's too late."
She had no idea that I wanted to play. She didn't know. So she said, "Well, just come to the gym. Come just before school."
She worked with me so that I could make the team. I really had never played. So I was on the JV as a junior, but once I started playing, I didn't stop playing until I had neck surgery later in life. She moved me up to the varsity for the state tournament and I actually played a lot in the state tournament that year. And then my senior year, we went to the state championship and lost by a point at the buzzer. Oh - and then the next year, my sister's team won it all.
Tom:
No kidding. Do you remember who you lost to?
Jackie:
Of course I do. Drury. 42-41. I missed the last shot - a turnaround jump shot, rolled halfway down and out. Got the rebound, thought I was gonna go to the line to win it, and they called me for an offensive foul. I remember it very well.
Tom:
Oh, I can imagine why you would. But it was clear in what I read about you, that you had the bug early to shift your focus to the journalistic side and the writing side. Where did you catch that bug?
Jackie:
My parents were voracious readers. My dad loved newspapers. He was a New York City native. He was a traveling salesman. So he'd come home from his travels and I'd read the New York Post and the New York Daily News and the Boston Herald. There were a lot of newspapers in our house. My dad loved sports. but he had a rule in our house. You couldn't read the sports section until you read the rest of the paper first. That was my dad's rule. It was a good rule. So I was curious about newspapers. I was interested in them.
When I was in high school, the girls teams were amazing. I wasn't even playing at this point. I hadn't even tried out yet, but everybody was great and every time I picked up The Daily Transcript, I don't even know if that exists anymore, they were always writing about the boys. So I was like, "What is this about?
I was really annoyed by it and my dad said, "Well, all you do is complain about it. Why don't you do something about it?"
So he stood right next to me and I called Mr. Wall, the sports editor and I said, "I just wonder why you don't cover the girls?"
He said, "Oh, I, I don't have anybody. It's just me. You want to do it?"
I said, "Well, I'm 15, you know?"
He said, "If it stinks, I won't print it."
So I had a sports column in high school. I wrote for The Daily Transcript. Sometimes I was writing about my field hockey team and if I had a goal, I wondered if I was supposed to put in there that I had a goal? It was kind of weird, you know, but I only wrote about girls. I would not write about the boys, only the girls. I only wrote about the girls. One of my friends, her name was Sandy Friedl, she was a swimmer and she broke two school records for boys and for girls.She was amazing. So I wrote about her. It was a lot of fun.
Tom:
Well, times have changed. And you've been such a major part of that change, not just locally, but nationally. I don't even know if you could encapsulate it or summarize it in a short amount of time because so much has changed, but I guess what are you most proud of that has changed in the many years since you embarked on your career?
Jackie:
Well, I think now when a woman walks in to cover an athletic event and nobody really even blinks. For many, many years I would cover colleges and then later, I got to do the pros. Nine times out of 10, I was the only woman there. I was very fortunate. There was another young woman who was my age who's now old like me, Karen Guregian from the Boston Herald. She's fantastic - a terrific reporter, terrific person, but she was a hockey writer and I was more of a basketball writer, although we would both be there for the Red Sox World Series games and we'd both be there for the Patriots' Super Bowls. I always enjoyed that because, I suppose technically Karen and I were competitors, but we were great friends and she was a great support to me. I hope I was the same to her, but we were the exception, not the rule. The last 20, or I would even say 25 years of my career, I was never the only woman, but in the beginning I was always the only woman and it's lonely and it's intimidating and it's difficult.
Tom:
You just referenced your retirement. I'm not alone in wondering what you are doing. What's keeping you busy?
Jackie:
Yeah, I have so much fun. We moved to the New Hampshire Sea Coast, so I put my kayak on these little wheels and I go across the street and I get out in the ocean and sea kayak a little bit. I took up pickleball just long enough to wreck my back. We've got a great garden out back. We live behind a marsh, so I've become a complete bird nerd. It's really fun to learn about all the birds and we do a ton of traveling because our daughter lives in Colorado and our son's in New York City, so we spend a lot of time hanging out with them, which is really fun.
I go to the library every week, and my only homework for myself is to read one book a week. To be honest, it's easy. I've been waiting years to have the time to relax and read. So I've really, really enjoyed it. I'm reading all the Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction novels from current all the way back. Then when I'm done with that, I'll do the same thing with the non-fiction. So it's fun.
Tom:
Last one... you referenced your experience growing up in Westwood, but what's your understanding of what Westwood is now, after all of the years since you made it your home?
Jackie:
I don't go there very often. I have a couple of friends that live there. One of my "YaYas" still lives there. I purposely don't go by my old house because I did that once and they had made some changes. They had cut down my dad's dogwood tree and that upset me, so why put myself through that? But I'm very proud to be from there. It's a place that very much shaped my life. There's no question about it. Some of my biggest disappointments were there. Some of my greatest successes were there. And certainly the relationships that I fostered there are lifelong ones. It's a lifelong commitment, this Westwood thing.
Jackie wrote for The Daily Transcript when she was a student at Westwood High School
By Tom Leyden
Sitting across from PJ Vande Rydt and Bill Crabtree, I immediately felt an energy and excitement for what they do each day. Both men are born coaches, dedicated to improving the skills and improving the lives of the student-athletes they work with every day. The fact two Westwood guys have built a football program that's churning out successful college players on a regular basis is remarkable. The resume speaks for itself.
Just last season, four players who went through the Mass Elite program played in the College Football Playoff. Zak Zinter and Greg Crippen were two anchors on the Michigan offensive line, while Kalel Mullings made a series of big plays in the Wolverines win over Ohio State in November. Meanwhile, Xavier Truss has continued to enjoy success at Georgia and played a significant role in the Bulldogs back to back national championships.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had that part planned," said Crabtree through a big smile and laugh. "PJ and I knew that was gonna happen, we planned that up. Remember that PJ?"
Getting serious for a moment, Vande Rydt recalled, "That clinic when we saw Zac for the first time, we looked at each other and saw his footwork and was like, 'Oh my God, I've never seen anyone with footwork at that level before,' you know? He ended up going to BB&N, received numerous offers, and there he is today at Michigan. a potential first round draft pick. Billy's been the catalyst behind that lineman clinic, and it's grown every single year."
Crabtree coached at Westwood High School from 1983-89, while Vande Rydt was head coach of the Westwood middle school program from from 2008-2015 before taking over as head coach of Xaverian's middle school program seven years ago.
With Mass Elite's success has come growth. When young players and their parents see an established track record, it's no surprise the Mass Elite clinics fill up fast. Not only do you learn, but you're seen by the most influential eyeballs in high school and college football.
"When we first started we had one camp, and this year, we'll have 11 camps," said Vande Rydt. "Our big one is in June - it's a three day camp. That's our oldest one. We do have public high school coaches with us coaching, but it's mostly private school coaches. It's definitely unique because we have more than 30 high school head coaches, so it's not only a great technique and fundamental camp, it's also a recruiting clinic for some of these kids.
"And I know some of the public school coaches probably won't like me saying that, but these kids are going to find their way regardless, right? We just give them a tool. We've had great success with that over the years."
"When we started this, we didn't plan it to be what it has turned into," said Crabtree. "We're about technique and fundamentals, but we have become a bit of a pathway to the private schools such as BB&N and St. Sebastian's, Milton Academy, Xaverian, Dexter. Although we don't push it, if players want our help and advice or to do recommendations or connect them with a coach, we do that. We do a lot more than bring kids in for a three-hour clinic. We're still in touch with all of our kids, so it's a lot more than just the football."
Before the clinics became such a success, PJ and Bill raised the bar by forming an All-Star team of middle schoolers to represent Massachusetts on the national stage. The first team, led by former Purdue quarterback Austin Burton, finished fourth in the country at the FBU National Championship in San Antonio. That success opened eyes around the US, with scouts and college coaches paying more attention to what's happening in Massachusetts.
"Our former players, like Preston Zinter, who has enrolled early at Notre Dame to play football, always like to come back and be part of the camps," said Vande Rydt. "When he comes home, he talks to the kids So they love coming back. It's great for them. They want to give back what they had when they were younger."
As the tree of success grows, the branches reach further and further, but the essence of Mass Elite's mission remains the same. Stick to the fundamentals. Network. Empower. Encourage.
You can learn more about Mass Elite Football by listening to our conversation on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube. Visit www.masselitefootball.com for all the information you need to sign up for one of their clinics, including the three-day camp at Xaverian scheduled for June 23-25.
By Tom Leyden
When you know, you know. The first time I met Mike Tinsley, I just knew he was a "people person." Mike, along with his wife, Bianca, introduced themselves to me at the Westwood Living Fall Social at Casa Loca Cantina and we immediately bonded. I could tell right away Mike and Bianca were sincere and thoughtful and truly interested in meeting people from their hometown of Westwood.
Just a few days later, Mike and I met at the library and he signed on as the presenting sponsor of the "Tinsley Team Standout Student of the Month" program, focused on recognizing students from Westwood who have achieved great things. The fact Mike hopped on that opportunity spoke to his commitment to Westwood, to families and to enriching our community by investing in something positive and empowering.
Each month, Mike honors the students on his own website, liveinwestwood.com.
"I'm excited to be a sponsor," said Mike. "It's a great way for me to get initiated into the community a little bit, get my face out there, get my name out there and we're happy to be that sponsor."
While The Tinsley Team has a great ring to it, Mike's individual group is one cog in a wheel. Along with his partner, Nick Reynolds, Mike is a managing partner of Longwood Residential.
"That's the overarching brokerage office," said Mike about Longwood. "We've been open since 2011 doing business, helping people buy and sell all around Greater Boston. I've got the Tinsley Team, he's got the Reynolds Group. Nick lives in Medford. He focuses more on the north side of the city, but The Tinsley Team, we focus more towards this side of the city."
Westwood residents for almost three years, Mike and Bianca work together and like many, moved here with the public school system in mind.
"Prior to this, we lived in Dedham, not far, so we were always familiar with the general area," said Mike. "I have a business partner who lives in Westwood. He's a huge cheerleader for the town, and he was always telling me all the great things that go on here. My son was approaching school-age, and we had that in mind as we were house-hunting. This was a perfect fit and we've enjoyed it so far, it's been good."
The real estate market has been interesting to watch over the last 18 months. Limited inventory has at times put a stranglehold on property movement and interest rates have risen, but Mike has learned a great deal about patience and perspective over the course of his career.
"When the interest rates go up, yes, it's kind of a bummer because your monthly payment on whatever you end up buying is going to be a little bit higher, but it means decreased competition," he said. "This is something that, for the past few years, everyone's been complaining about. You probably know, the last few years have been marked by really competitive situations, things going over asking price, multiple offers. Well, now that the interest rates have ticked up, it's not as bad as it was a year and a half ago.
"So for an investor, the idea is you're gonna pay a little bit more for a multi-family that you've purchased because of the increased interest rate, but you're competing against less buyers. You might actually have a chance to land a great property that otherwise you wouldn't have been able to land. Rents are very high around the city, so you're gonna be collecting good rents in whatever property you buy, and then, of course, interest rates go up and down. So you land a great property, maybe interest rates drop later this year, maybe they drop next year, you refinance. Now you've got the best of both worlds."
The way Mike talks about real estate is the way a coach talks about his or her sport. You can tell in a coach's tone and tenor how knowledgeable he or she is about the profession. It's a confidence that makes his clients feel at ease.
"He is so professional, down-to-earth and trustworthy," said Westwood resident Liah Malley. "We felt immediately comfortable with him and confident that he would guide us through the home-buying process with patience, thoughtfulness and enthusiasm. He certainly surpassed all of our expectations and found us our dream home."
As we sat around Mike's kitchen table, we finished our conversation by talking about some key lessons Mike might want to pass on to people who don't follow the real estate market as closely as he does.
"I think people can kind of overthink and try to "time" the market," said Mike. "Listen, you're never gonna time the market perfectly. No one at the end of the day really knows. So more than that, I always encourage people, whatever makes sense for your situation. Let's talk about your budget. What can you afford comfortably? What town makes sense for your situation? What size home makes sense for your situation? Do you need a fence because you have a dog? Do you need to be close to the train station because you need to get to work every day in Back Bay? Whatever it is, let's focus on what makes sense for your situation and let's make that happen. The timing, it is what it is."
Good advice from a guy who will tell you what's what with confidence and a friendly delivery.
Listen to more of my conversation with Mike on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Sticher, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube. Contact Mike by calling 508-769-2544.
Mike and Bianca Tinsley with their children, Conrad, Dorothy and Josephine
By Tom Leyden
Dining at Casa Loca Cantina can best be described as a sensory experience. When you walk through the door, you see the smiles on the staff as you're greeted by a high-energy soundtrack. As you wait for a table or maybe for your drink at the bar, you soak in the scents of Mexican cuisine, a sizzling fajita goes by on its way to a table, the smell of enchiladas with rice and beans wafts through the air.
If you're like me, you eagerly await a margarita, Raspberry in my case, and when you get it, the taste is perfect, and there's a reason for that.
"Margaritas, of course, are the staple and we do it a little uniquely," said Brittany Tucker, the Regional General Manager for Wellesley Restaurant Group who runs the day-to-day operations at Casa Loca
"Our standard margaritas that are on the menu are draft margaritas. We batch those daily, fresh, we make our sours mix from scratch. We then add the liquors to it, mix it, and it goes into our draft system so that every margarita is poured exactly the same in the exact same proportions every single time. The consistency and the quality are fantastic. People who haven't experienced it before can be a little skeptical, and then they taste them and they say, 'Oh my gosh, this is fantastic.' I was here last week and I'll be here next week and it will taste exactly the same, which is the key to it."
The key to Casa Loca's success has been a commitment to quality and freshness.
"We don't have a microwave on the line. We don't do that," said Tucker.
Instead, the focus is on fresh.
"Our guacamole is sensational," said Tucker. "People rave about it. You can taste the freshness in a guacamole when it's made that way, right from the avocados. We're a fusion restaurant, right? We are Mexican-inspired and we definitely have some traditional dishes, but some of the items we do with our own flair. Street corn, in a lot of Mexican restaurants, is served on the cob. Ours is off the cob and it's made as a saute with cotija cheese. Insane. It's rich and flavorful and filling."
A key to any restaurant's success is becoming involved with the community, and Casa Loca has done that since opening on University Avenue. Not only did Casa Loca host the first-ever Westwood Living Social in October, the team has also supported many local charities and fundraisers as a way of giving back to residents.
"We're always happy to partner with anybody in the community because we want to be a part of the community and have a reputation of being involved and not just a restaurant that happens to be in Westwood," said Tucker. "We want to be a Westwood restaurant."
Back to the sensory experience. We've covered what you see and what you hear, what you smell and what you taste, but only one thing completes the sensory cycle - that's the opportunity to feel your food, which is unique to Mexican cuisine like Tacos and Fajitas.
Taco Tuesdays are a hit because you are able to order tacos a la carte - as many as you like.
"It's a good time. The music is fun. The vibe is nice. It's a great after work spot, and especially on a Taco Tuesday," said Tucker.
Hear more of my conversation with Brittany on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube.
By Jay Resha
WESTWOOD – May arrives. Graduation approaches. These words may be a bit early for those of you who will be donning caps and gowns, but early is better; you're going to be quite busy in the weeks ahead. For some of you, it feels as though it’s all happening very quickly. For others, it is taking forever. And both are normal. But believe me, ready or not, it will come and go before you know it…like a warm day in late summer, change around the corner.
Most of us old drones (anyone over age 29, right?) spout the same rhetoric: These are the best years. Youth is fleeting. The real world awaits. You are commended when commencement commences BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH!
Now, all of that is quite true, but I bet you don’t care. Prom night, finals, MIAA tournaments, summer jobs, “will our relationship survive long-distance,” and so much else is on your plate that rightfully trumps supposed pep-talks from old drones.
But I beg you to listen for a minute, and file these words somewhere in your memory…even if it’s the spam folder…for you will find them one day and be glad they are there.
On May 12th, 1993, I watched the series finale of “The Wonder Years,” a classic TV show about growing up in the early 1970’s. Best two hours of television of my life. I used to have it on VHS (ask your parents!) but now it’s available on Netflix (of course!)
Kevin Arnold, like me, was graduating from high school. Narrating from 20 years later, as always, he wrapped up six seasons of plotlines and revealed the futures of the principal characters – including the soon-to-occur loss of his father. Against the backdrop of a suburban neighborhood growing dark in the setting sun, Kevin then delivered this bittersweet coda:
“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place…a town…a house like a lot of other houses…a yard like a lot of other yards…on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back…with wonder.”
Then a kid’s voice interrupted, asking him to go play catch. “I’ll be right there.” Fade to black.
So much I didn’t know, watching wide-eyed. Just four months later, I would lose a parent. Her namesake, my first child, would be born fourteen years (May 12th exactly!) after watching the show. Like Kevin, I hadn’t met "The One" yet either; and I suppose I’ve done some narrating about it all, over the years.
So much I didn’t know. But I knew how much I was moved. Wide-eyed to misty-eyed, and it’s only gotten worse with time. Ask me my favorite TV show – I’ll answer truthfully, but then lie and say I had also just chopped a bunch of onions.
Listen. I doubt it will be “The Wonder Years,” but my wish is that something moves you too – a song, someone’s words, a movie, memories of the beach, whatever. Every day we should laugh, cry and think (thank you, Jimmy V!) And it doesn’t have to change a thing about graduation. Keep marching forward. You will experience the people and places. You will memorize the faces. And some day – yeah, when you’re an old drone – you, too, will look back…with wonder.
On behalf of this great community, congratulations! Godspeed! Good luck in all you do, everywhere you go. You are a part of Westwood forever. And Westwood, forever, is a part of you.
Westwood Living? No…thank YOU for living in Westwood. See you next month, and I look forward to hearing from you any time at jayresha@comcast.net.
By Abby Stern
Dear Class of 2023,
I know the last four years didn’t start off as you expected. A worldwide pandemic kind of screwed up the first two years, but a valuable lesson was learned; life does not always go according to plan. If I may pass along my other pearls of wisdom to you, they would be this:
1) Take chances and try something new. Step outside of your comfort zone.
2) That being said, trust your gut. It’s okay to say NO.
3) Keep asking questions. It’s how we learn.
4) Listen. Listen to understand, not to just reply.
5) You do not need to like everyone and not everyone is going to like you. You still need to be respectful at all times.
6) Sometimes you will be at the top of your game. Sometimes you may feel others are doing way better than you. That's just called life. But remember this: life on social media is never as good as it seems. How many likes and followers you have does not make you. Or break you.
7) Introduce yourself. Sit with someone you don’t know. Meet someone unlike you. Diversity makes the world go around.
8) Clean your ears. But don't stick the q-tip too far in there. And don’t forget flossing is important.
9) Be brave. I know it's hard to speak up if you disagree with something but remember that little parental voice inside of you? One day that nagging voice will be your own. Your conscience. Speak up. Stand out.
10) Don't be in a rush to grow up. It happens soon enough.
11) Learn how to give a firm handshake and look someone in the eye.
12) Surround yourself with people who make you feel good. Disengage with those who
don't.
13) Wash your towels. And your sheets. Your roommate will thank you.
14) Raman noodles are your friend.
15) It’s okay to not know what you want to major in. Or what career you want. It’s okay to change your mind or change your course.
16) Call your Mother. She’s going to miss the heck out of you. And it’s always okay to come home.
Best of luck to all of you in your next chapter.
By Diana Bezdedeanu
“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living”. -Nelson Mandela
As we celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s graduating high school seniors, I want to take a moment to acknowledge those who choose an untraditional post-high school route.
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs did not attend or graduate from college. Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. Bill Gates. Ralph Lauren. Oprah Winfrey. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Michael Dell. Taylor Swift. The list goes on and on.
Many people spend their college years figuring out what they ultimately want to do with their life, career-wise, but for some of us, we may already know. Maybe you know that you want to enter a trade, or become a chef. Open a landscaping business. Drive a garbage truck. Whatever you fancy, college is not the only path to success.
As a young adult, whenever encountering someone new, you will inevitably be asked, "Where do you go to school?” or “What’s your Major?” And yeah, it might surprise people when you tell them that you did not go to college. But, others will respond by saying “Me either!” and then, you might be the one who is surprised...
Here’s to those who dream of being brave enough to unstick themselves from the status quo. Here’s to anyone who wishes there were end-of-year awards available to those not only pursuing academics, but life out in the real world. And here’s to those who choose to follow their passion outside of the classroom.
To the Westwood High School Class of 2023: Congratulations and best of luck on your next adventure, wherever the road may lead.
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