I became aware of The ICONS Foundation via a Healthy Food drawing contest at Kozminski Elementary School in 4th grade.I participated in this program to get the opportunity to enhance my creativity and writing skills in new venues.Overall, I enjoyed the experience of writing the book and having someone create visuals to make my writing come to life. I also enjoyed the cooking class (especially learning to make healthy jambalaya) and getting the opportunity to introduce Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow PUSH.Currently, I am enrolled in a doctoral program at Indiana University. I am hoping to get a tenure-track job in academia teaching Gender Studies. My early experiences with creative writing helped spark my interest in essay writing which led me to graduate school.In the end, I encourage students to try something new even if it does not seem like it is in their wheelhouse. I was not the best drawer then and I am not the best drawer now but attempting to draw led to opportunities that opened doors for me and helped me find my early passions and talents. Once one finishes the drawing contest, students should start thinking of story ideas and should be open to the reality of constructive criticism on their writing. It is not that people are trying to tell you that your writing sucks—they are just there to help you realize the potential in what is already written.

Teresa Hoard-Jackson Doctoral Student, Indiana University

As a teen I was asked to participate in the Nurture Bear™ book series. I had a love for creative writing and thought that this would be an excellent way to blend writing with health and wellness. While in college, I was able to participate again but this time with short blogs re: different tenets of wellness. I wanted to participate because this was a way to put into practice ideas and principles that I was learning in my college programs while I pursued my degree in Health & Human Physiology.I greatly valued that many of the programs I participated in were geared towards peer involvement. Books for kids written by kids created a sort of peer mentorship effect. It also inspired other kids to know that they too could create something for print. I also valued how the program was a collaborative effort that sought to preserve the creativity of the author while also upholding the standards of the mission and vision of the Foundation. Lastly, the program emphasized facts and evidence-based information.Program coordinator kept in close communication, set deadlines when necessary, gave constructive feedback, and asked questions to ensure we were both on the same page. Resources were also made available if needed.My work with the program was an enlightening experience. Having the opportunity to work with it during different stages of my life allowed my involvement to evolve as my own education, life experiences, and professional goals developed. It is fun to see how as a teen I was able to write a book on nutrition and then as an adult have progressed to writing research articles for medical journals. The Foundation and its programs in part set the foundation for certain aspects of my career that no one could have predicted at the time.It prepared me to expand on health constructs in writing and how to take health information and make it accessible to a community audience. This is a vital part of what I do today in my job as an Occupational Therapist. My work with the Foundation also lent itself to supporting my experiential learning when applying to undergraduate and graduate universities.Advice: Think outside the box, be creative with your work but also prioritize the facts surrounding your topic, be considerate of your audience. Expectations: Expect an experience that will stick with you and potentially positively impact your future endeavors in college and career.

I met Claudie Phillips, while working for Paul Fregia @ Grandma Maud’s as a contract Chef and Sales Representative.Mrs. Phillips asked me if I was interested in teaching cooking classes for middle school children at the Komed Center on 43rd and Berkley. With no previous formal teaching experience, I was excited to have the opportunity to share my gift with the youth.The program, Share Our Strength, was sponsored by Tyson foods. I loved that the program targeted at risk youth focusing on nutrition and changing their eating and snacking habits in a hands-on format. The 6-week course had modules including: The Food Pyramid, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Protein & Calcium, as well as Healthy Snacks & Breakfast.Ms. Phillips was a powerful mentor, who encouraged me to make a true connection to the young people, which was paramount in my ability to get them excited about trying new foods and learning about changing their diets.The program was ahead of its time. The content is even more relevant and necessary today than it was 20 years ago. In retrospect, the program’s success proved how home economics and nutrition, can be instrumental in breaking generational cycles of poor health in communities that have been social engineered.The SOS experience with CP Foodservices set the stage for my unexpected pivot into culinary education during the past 18 years for the Chicago Public Schools. In addition, through the mentorship and networking from working with Mrs. Phillips gave me exposure to a diverse mix of food entrepreneurs who inspired me to cultivate the Eating To Live brand.The ability to foresee, visualize, and create an idea in their minds, is the most powerful resource they have. They can write their history in advance with a dream, and walk into a living testimony by works, actions and deeds. Struggle, disappointment, pain and failure are all steppingstones to doing what they were created to do.

Chef David Fuller President—Eating To Live, LLC

Claudie Phillips has been a business associate of mine for over 30 years. She is the quintessential school nutrition processional. From idea conception through process development to program execution, her efforts have been exemplary.Her ability to build and motivate teams has been impressive. She brings both cordiality and competence to whatever she undertakes. Her breadth of personal interface is both effective and admirable. I have watched her interface successfully with a whole spectrum of people from school district executives and leaders of organizations to the smallest of kindergartners. In all cases they were all better for the exchange.Please be assured that any confidence extended to Ms. Claudie Phillips will be well placed.

Rufus Butch Stephens Co-owner - The Collective Training Group, Motivational Speaker, Publisher Author