Kitchen Table Conversations Archives

Skylar Johnson – Sew Fly Sky

(August 8, 2018) Catherine Read interviews 11-year-old fashion designer and entrepreneur Skylar Johnson. Skylar recently designed and stitched an outfit for Phyllis Randall, Chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, to wear at her annual State of the County address.

Skylar has been hard at work learning how to sew and design clothing starting at the age of eight, when she first attended an after-school enrichment program through her elementary school. She recalls her first creation as a mint green skirt with a lace overlay. Since then, Skylar has refined her skills, taught herself how to create unique patterns and experimented to find her style, inspired by fashion trends from the 1970’s. Both her Great Aunt and her Great Grandmother were seamstresses, and she thinks her love of sewing may have trickled down to her.

Supervisor Randall learned about Skylar’s talent, and reached out to her to see about designing a special outfit for her State of the County address. After meeting with the Chairman, Skylar explored various ideas and found inspiration in fabrics that she acquired while on a family trip to California. She did not want to stitch a traditional suit, so she looked for inspiration in various fabrics and spiced up a traditional design by creating a beautiful royal purple satin shirt, with buttons up the back, paired with wide-legged, white linen pants. The outfit Skylar crafted was gorgeous, and perfect for the occasion.

Skylar was recently featured in the 10^th anniversary edition of Posh Magazine, as a young student using practical applications of STEAM curriculum who is going places. She encourages kids to follow their dreams, and talks about her clothing brand she has created called “Sew Fly Sky”. She continues to take sewing lessons and strives to learn all she can about the fashion industry.

After that interview was published, she was invited to speak at a local elementary school to younger students about how fashion design is related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) curriculum being taught. She walks the young students through the artistic process of creating a design, the mathematics of properly measuring fabric and creating a pattern using a variety of geometric shapes, along with the tools and technology needed to complete a project. She hopes that her talk was inspiring to the students.

Skylar is excited to continue her entrepreneurial journey, but as her mother Danyel Trammell points out, school still comes first. You can find Sklyar on Facebook, Instagram (@sew_fly_sky) or you can contact her directly at [email protected]

by Rachel Simon

Joyce Connery – Surviving Breast Cancer – Kitchen Table Conversations

(July 6, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Joyce Connery on Kitchen Table Conversations for a candid discussion about surviving breast cancer. Ten years after her diagnosis, Joyce shares insights and observations about being both a cancer patient and a survivor.

Joyce received her diagnosis in 2006, when she was only 36 years old. At a routine physical, her doctor recommended that she get a mammogram done so it could be used as a baseline for the future. Joyce was surprised at the recommendation, considering she had no history of breast cancer in her family, but heeded her physician’s advice and went ahead with the scan. She was stunned when the doctor found something he was concerned about. After a biopsy indicated it was in fact cancer, Joyce and her husband had to absorb the difficult news and forge a path forward.

She immediately began to read as much as she could on the subject, so she could approach the challenge with her eyes wide open. Joyce soon realized that her diagnosis affected not only her, but also the people around her – family, friends and coworkers. It was difficult for her to accept the fact that she was not in control of her own destiny, not matter how hard to she tried to believe that she was. She read books and consulted with doctors, but what she learned was that there was no set answer of exactly how to move forward. Many of her treatment options had similar statistical outcomes, so she had to make the decisions that were right for her.

Joyce felt very fortunate that she had such a strong support network, many of whom offered to help her throughout her treatment. Friends and family brought food to her home, drove her to chemo treatments and provided moral support when she was down. Because she was very public about her diagnosis and treatment, she learned to accept help and support when she needed it most. With one in eight women in the United States being diagnosed with breast cancer, chances are that a friend, family member or coworker you know will receive a diagnosis. Each patient is may have different needs, so Joyce urges people to listen to their friends and family and provide support where and when it is needed most. She points out that there is no “cookie-cutter” scenario – everyone’s story is unique.

Joyce is happy to report that she has been cancer free (from the doctor’s perspective “no evidence of cancer”) for the past 10 years. Each milestone that is hit without a reoccurrence is another positive step forward. Thanks to better treatment options and earlier detection of the disease, many more women are surviving breast cancer and living full and happy lives. On the heels of finishing her chemotherapy treatments, Joyce decided to raise money for breast cancer treatment and research by participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer – a two-day, 39.3-mile journey through the streets of DC. When her friends heard she was signed up for this challenge, many joined her to form “Team Joyce”. Surrounded by her strong support network, she completed the journey, and although still weak from treatment found solidarity and strength in accomplishing her goal.

by Rachel Simon

The Pajama Program – Karen Duffy, Virginia Chapter President

(June 3, 2016) Catherine Read, host of Kitchen Table Conversations, sits down with Karen Duffy, who runs the Virginia Chapter of the Pajama Program. This program ensures that all children, no matter where they are living or what their income level, have a cozy set of pajamas and a book to read before they go to bed. Their goal is to ensure that children experience a good night sleep, and awaken with the spirit and energy to make every day positive, happy and hopeful. They accomplish this with the magical gift of a new set of pajamas and a book, ordinary objects that transform their bedtimes into comforting rituals of love, support and fun.

The Pajama Program was established back in 2001, and has grown to have chapters in all 50 states. Duffy is an Kindergarten school teacher, who organized drives for the Virginia chapter each year at her elementary school. When she learned that the Virginia chapter head was stepping down, she decided to step up, and now she coordinates the statewide effort to help connect volunteers with over 90 receiving organizations. Organizations who accept donations include homeless shelters (such as Shelter House), domestic abuse shelters, group homes (orphanages), and at-risk children who are identified through the hospital.

The Pajama Program has established a Good Night Bill of Rights, a doctrine that helps guide the organization, and helps remind them of what is important in their mission and in a child’s day. Its five simple principals help the Pajama Program and communities everywhere, to deliver a loving bedtime and quality night’s sleep to children everywhere. The five points are:

Every child has the right to a sense of stability and security.
Every child has the right to feel loved and cared for at bedtime.
Every child has the right to wear fresh, clean pajamas to bed, and to enjoy a bedtime story that fires their imagination.
Every child has the right to feel valued and validated as a human being.
Every child has the right to a good night, and a good day.

Duffy points out that although it is more fun to buy pajamas and books for young children, kids of all ages are in need of these items. One suggestion she had when running a donation drive, is to have kids bring in pajamas and books for kids their own age. She hopes that organizations like scouts, school groups, businesses and places of worship will learn about the Pajama Program and choose to plan a donation drive. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of children who can use a fresh set of pajamas and a new book.

To find out how you can volunteer for distribution days, organize a pajama/book drive, or suggest an organization that would benefit from the Pajama Program, email Karen at [email protected]

by Rachel Simon

Rachna Heizer – Kitchen Table Conversations

(May 1, 2018) Catherine Read speaks with Rachna Sizemore Heizer about her son, Jake Sizemore, who is a local musician with special needs. Rachna speaks with Catherine about her journey as a parent navigating the system with a child with an autism diagnosis, and how she learned to focus on Jake’s abilities, instead of his disabilities, in order to discover his gifts.

In 2004 at the age of 2, Rachna faced a doctor at Children’s Hospital who turned her world upside down. Her son Jake was diagnosed with low-functioning autism, and she was told to have “very low expectations” about what he could accomplish. Jake was non-verbal, and struggled with many things that the average child his age could master. The doctors provided her with limited resources, many of which were not at all helpful. Rachna felt lost and confused, as she attempted to navigate a system that was not designed for children like Jake. She acknowledges that things have changed quite a bit since then, as more resources have been developed to help families cope with this diagnosis and its challenges. She does know that parents are the best advocates for their children, and it is imperative that parents stay engaged in order to understand how their child can best thrive and succeed.

As Jake grew up, he started school in the Fairfax County Public School System. Starting in second grade, all of his classes except PE, art and music were not integrated with the general school population. When the PE teacher came to Rachna to explain that they wanted to move Jake out of the general PE class, she raised the red flag and asked “why?”. The answer she received was that the class aid didn’t have enough time to spend with each special education student individually. Rachna then asked a very important question – “So, if Jake’s aid is busy, what is he actually doing during this time?” The PE teacher was very forthcoming, and shared that Jake would find another student, and observe them and then mimic the activity. Rachna pointed out that this was an extraordinarily valuable life skill in and of itself – learning to navigate a strange situation and follow along to keep up with his peers, something that does not happen in his other classes that are segregated. Rachna pointed out to the PE teacher that these soft skills help develop a child’s emotional intelligence and give them experiences that they need to succeed in life.

For many years, Rachna struggled to find an activity or subject where Jake could connect and be happy. His older sister was a dancer, and after attending a recital, Jake shared that he wanted to be on stage. Rachna scoured the area to find a studio that would accept a child with special needs, and didn’t give up until she found someone who would work with him. Jake gave it his best shot, and they both learned that what he really loved was not dance, but performing on stage. Jake had always had a knack for picking up tunes and playing songs by ear on his toy keyboard as a child. As Rachna paid closer attention, she found that he has a great gift of being able to play music, and he translated his love of the stage into performing live music. He made his way to Vienna School of Rock, and has been dazzling audiences for quite some time.

With the benefit of hindsight, Rachna wants to point out to parents that she spent so much time trying to work on building Jake’s skills in areas where he struggled, that she was not always able to see where he shined. Once she was able to find that, Jake began to thrive and Rachna experienced joy in seeing Jake do what he loves. The ultimate experience happened when Jake was invited to Broadway to audition for the show School of Rock at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City. Rachna was so nervous for Jake, and when they arrived the stage managers took the musicians down to the audition stage unaccompanied. Rachna shared that Jake had autism, and might be uncomfortable all alone, and not sure what to do. The stage managers would not make an exception, and marched Jake down with the rest of the children. Thanks to Jake’s ability to observe and learn from those around him, he watched what was happening and figured out how to navigate the situation, a skill he picked up from that PE class so many years before. In fact, he performed so well that he was selected to appear on Good Morning America the next day.

Thankfully, doctors and schools have made great strides since Jake received his diagnosis in 2004, but there is still much work to do. Rachna sits on the board of the Fairfax County Special Education PTA, as well as having a seat on the Fairfax County School Board’s Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities. Her goal is to advocate for strong policies so support children with special needs in the FCPS school system. In this way, Rachna hopes to open doors and work with educators to help students with disabilities be able to realize their dreams. Additionally, Rachna is a Board Member of the Arc of Northern Virginia, where she focuses on creating more opportunities for people with disabilities to work and live independently. Jake continues to make music and bring joy to his audiences.