Humans of Montclair

Anna speaks to Senator Nia Gill of New Jersey's 34th legislative district.

On todays episode of Humans of Montclair, Anna interviews Jennifer Snyder of the Little Daisy Bake Shop.

Anna interviews Anya Singh and Shriya Dani of New Jersey non-profit: Konnekt Global

On today's episode of Humans of Montclair, Anna sits down and speaks to Congressowman Mikie Sherrill, one of Montclair's congressional representatives. Mikie Sherrill represents New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Montclair, as well as parts of Morris, Sussex, and Passaic county. Mikie is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and spent almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot, where she flew missions throughout the Middle East and Europe. She worked on the Battle Watch Floor in the European Theater during the Iraq invasion, and served as a Flag Aide to the Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Congresswoman Sherrill also served as a Russian policy officer and worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russia's Navy. Mikie won her election to the house of representatives in 2018, and is running for reelection in this year's 2022 midterm elections.

To say that Michael Callejas is involved with Montclair's community is an understatement. He knows everyone. He's a kind, compassionate, approachable member of our community. He is also a rising sophomore at Montclair State University and an incredible photographer. Michael has been taking photos for a very long time. At first, it started just by taking photos with friends or alone, just for the joy of doing it. But it was when Montclair High School's student body hosted its June 2020 Unity Walk, a peaceful protest in response to police brutality and the death of George Floyd, that Michael realized how much photography meant to him. It became more than something he enjoyed, but rather a passion, something he was willing to pursue. Since then, he's taken incredible photos for Montclair and beyond. Listen to his story here. Follow Michael on Instagram: @callejasphotos His Website: www.michaelcallejas.com Follow Humans of Montclair on Instagram: @Humansofmtc Listen here: www.humansofmtc.com

On today's episode of humans of Montclair, I interviewed Ira Wagner, the Executive Director of the Montclair Art Museum. Together, we discussed the Museum's history, the significance behind each work of art and MAM exhibits, the merge with the yard school of art, as well as the impact The MAM has had on Montclair and other local towns. To learn more about the Montclair Art Museum, visit their website at  montclairartmuseum.org or follow them on Instagram @mammontclair.

On today's episode of Humans of Montclair, I interviewed Robert Genovese of Local Coffee Montclair. Together we had a conversation about the story behind local, working in the hospitality business, local's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Local's art residency as well as their contributions to the Montclair community.

On todays episode, I interviewed Jada, Ellie, and Taylor of JAÉ Candles + Co. The three girls are middle school students from the Essex County area who created JAÉ Candles in the middle of the pandemic as a way to spread love and light into their community. The three girls are also student entrepreneurs, which is something that is very inspiring! I spoke to the three of them about student life, the pandemic, how it shaped their business, and their advice for starting up a business from scratch.

On this week's episode of Humans of Montclair, I sat down with The Montclair Foundation and Van Vleck House and Gardens. I spoke to Director of Development Anita Peterson, Eileen Lundberg, Communications Manager at the Montclair Foundation. Laura Roberts, The Director of Horticulture for van Vleck Gardens, and Educator at The Montclair Foundation Van Vleck House and Gardens Denise Barth. I talked to the four of them about the history of the Montclair Foundation, the local nonprofit support that they provide, and the profound impact that Van Vleck and the Montclair Foundation had on the Montclair community during the height of the pandemic.

On today's episode of Humans of Montclair, Anna speaks with Co-Producers Andie Earl, Amelia Brubaker, and Ella Freund of Caring Cabarets. The three girls are current students at Montclair High School. Caring Cabarets' mission is to provide inclusive spaces for young performers to share their talents for the benefit of charities.

On this week's episode, I talked to Juniper who is now sixteen years-old years and a junior in high school. The two of us reflected on her debut album and the silver linings that were brought to the entire processold and of "Juniper" from the first wave of the pandemic, the creative endeavors that both Juniper and her father dealt with while making the album, Juniper's influences, as well as some new work on the way.

On this weeks episode, I sat down with Advisor Ed Carine and Staff Member and Montclair High School Senior Tyler Grisafi of Terry's Serendipity Café. Serendipity Café was established in Montclair two decades prior after a shooting in the Montclair Post Office where four people were killed in a robbery. The incident left citizens distraught, parents were scared to let their kids out after dark. Serendipity Café emerged as a safe space for young people under the age of 21 to play music, showcase their talents, along with various other artistic endeavors. Today, Serendipity Café is known around town as a place that nurtures Montclair students' art. People around our town stop by once a month, and see Serendipity members play great music.

In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Lana Mustafa and Maia Mitchell of the Montclair Community Farms. Together, we discussed the history of Montclair Community Farms, what being an urban farm is all about (especially in the Garden State!), the incredible programs that MCF has to offer, MCF's response to COVID-19, and their end of year fundraiser! Listen to episode three on our website, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Anna interviews Aaron and Matt of First Serve Tennis, the Montclair residents created their Montclair, NJ based tennis academy more than a year ago. During this time they've become one of the most loved and successful tennis clinics in the area. Anna, Matt, and Aaron discuss everything First Serve, The high school and college tennis experience, and their latest charity event, a racket drive called “Rackets for Africa” running from now until November 5th.

On our first episode, Humans of Montclair interviewed rising senior Anaya Fleming-Thomas and rising sophomore Sam Safirstein. They are Chief Partners of the Montclair Students Firm. Safirstein describes MSF as, “A club that takes issues prioritized and creates projects to solve them, then presents their solutions back to the student body and administration”. The two discuss MSF's contributions, accomplishments and their goals for what will be Fleming-Thomas's last year at Montclair High School. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Google Classroom: 2jihvt6 Instagram: @mtcstudentsfirm