Sammy Jaye, the change-making host of Let’s Be Real, is all about having powerful and candid conversations with celebrities, activists, athletes, and influencers while discussing real-life issues – from mental health and political activism to pop culture. This highly acclaimed podcast has been recognized by some fantastic people & publications, from the Ryan Seacrest show and 17 Magazine to Variety, Refinery 29 and so many more. Sammy Jaye, at 19, is the youngest to host her own podcast on iHeartRadio and was recently named to PopSugar’s 20-under-20 list. Season 4 will be exciting, revealing, and empowering and hopefully make you feel good when we’re all going through so many changes in the world today. Continue reading to find out more about this exciting time in Sammy’s career, future projects, and her passion for mental health and political activism.

Jennifer Lauren Is Spreading Kindness Everywhere She Goes

Jennifer Lauren is as much of a dichotomy as her band Diamonds and Whiskey. She can be a bit rough around the edges, coming from of life of “hard knocks”, but has a beautiful heart of gold, which spreads love of kindness everywhere it goes. Diamonds and Whiskey recently released their fierce new single “Walk Hard”. In her interview with Jejune Magazine, Jennifer discusses the development of Diamonds and Whiskey, and the support she hopes to provide through music. She and the band are very passionate about playing at benefits, and most recently played at ‘Vet Fest’ and ‘Jessie’s Rally of Hope’. Read on to learn more about Jennifer Lauren and her devotion to giving back!

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 39Sophie LaSalaJanuary 19, 2022Music, Musican, Singer, artist, Kindness, giveback, Give back, lyme disease, health, health care, Country, country pop, countryComment

Xavi de Guzman Trains His Mental Fitness

Xavi de Guzman is a power house! His aptitude for sports fueled an athleticism that led him to a professional career in boxing. This beast of a man went as far as to win the 2008 lightweight championship title in Canada. Unlike most actors, Xavi received his first on-camera role without any acting experience – ABC’s “Rookie Blue” as a boxer. Since “Rookie Blue”, Xavi has appeared in numerous productions including The CW’s ‘The 100’ and ABC’s ‘Take Two’. Now you can check out his most recent project on Netflix, where he takes on the role of Ethan in the miniseries "Maid". In addition, Xavi is a huge advocate for mental health! Through his experience as a professional boxer, he learned the importance of taking care of one's mental health. He founded of the Play On foundation and created a talk titled "You Can't Be Out of Shape to Chase Your Dreams". Read on to learn more about Xavi de Guzman journey as an actor and advocate for mental health.

Courtney Starks: The Real Life Iron Man

Courtney Starks is making impactful changes with words! We mean literally. Starks is a millennial motivational speaker who shares his testimony of overcoming and inspires his audience through topics that affect millennials today. He is the real-life Iron Man, rising as a kidney failure survivor and using his own strength to help his community. His power is a cause of celebration from recently giving his 100th lunch during his "Lunch on Me" initiative for Women's History Month to hosting a holiday giveaway for kids in need. Check out our exclusive interview with Starks on his incredible journey in giving back to his community and changing lives through words.

EDITORIAL: Alexandra Park - The Girl Beneath The Tiara

You may know Alexandra Park as the posh princess on The Royals, but get ready to meet the girl beneath the tiara. In her new memoir, Sugar High, Alexandra dives deep into her life, specifically her journey with Type One Diabetes and her acting career. In a personal story of life’s highs and lows, Alexandra’s book is a sweet and honest depiction of re-learning how to take care of yourself in the face of diagnosis. In our interview with Alexandra, we touch on life post-Royals, and her debut as an author, and where she’s going next.

Editorials, Editor's Pick, zIssue 34, Most PopularForrest JohnsonJuly 16, 2021actress, health, healthy, health care, diabetes, sick kids, kids, royals, author, The RoyalsComment

COVER - Sophie Reynolds Honors A Legacy

Sophie Reynolds was forever impacted by her best friend, Cameron Boyce. Losing a best friend at a young age is devastating, but Sophie and Cameron’s family and friends choose to remember Cameron’s legacy in a beautiful way through the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Cameron was a light in people’s lives and a passionate activist, ergo, his foundation was created to continue the positive energy he put out into the world. After all, a legacy is not what you do for yourself, but what you do for others. Sophie joins alongside the Cameron Boyce Foundation to find ways to eliminate Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), raise funds for epilepsy research, fighting gun violence, and so much more. In our interview with Sophie, we catch up on her acting career, life on set, and how she is giving back with the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Please read our exclusive interview with Sophie Reynolds below!

Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccines

Over a year ago, all of our lives were changed forever. This pandemic has challenged everyone in ways that we never thought possible. But there is finally a light at the end of this seemingly unending dark tunnel —the vaccines. With more and more people getting vaccinated every day, there is hope that we can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Natasha Calis Is In A League Of Her Own

Natasha Calis knows what she’s doing. Acquainted with the camera since a young age, Calis has starred in numerous films and TV series, making her mark among well known names in the entertainment industry. Now, a sophisticated Calis is once again demonstrating her incredible acting chops, starring in Nurses, NBC’s new series. Putting her heart and soul into this role, Calis is Ashley Collins, a young nurse whose wit and kindness makes her stand out. Calis told Jejune all about her acting career, what it’s like playing a nurse why we should admire and respect healthcare workers, now more than ever. To learn more about Natasha Calis, please read below.

Lexia Hayden: Gen Z Brings Hope For The Future

Gen-Z is growing up during challenging circumstances. This year the Covid pandemic has taken so much from their lives but still, they are up for the challenge and will reshape the world. Lexia Hayden —who is a stylish model, influencer, actress, and competitive tennis player— is the evidence of gen-z’s tenacity. She started her influencer career at the age of ten when she didn’t know anything about social media. Right now, she creates content on her passions for style, health, and fitness with her strong 230k Instagram followers. Aware of the issues that affect kids her age, she became a volunteer for Candlelighters New York City which has been helping kids fighting cancer and their families. We talked to Lexia Hayden about her career, style, voluntary projects. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Lexia Hayden.

Moving From Canada to Tennessee During COVID-19

The pandemic ushered me into a season of change that was unexpected. I have been a graduate student working on my Ph.D. for the last five years as an international student in Canada. 2020 was meant to be my final year when I would see myself achieve a career goal of becoming a “doctor.” However, months into the pandemic, I found myself needing more financial security and emotional support than being a doctoral student would (and could) allow. So, in November, I packed up my belongings and moved back to my hometown for a job in higher-ed that would allow me to make a livable wage and live in a less expensive area.

AIRPORTS on Creativity and Mental Health during Isolation

Mental health, historically, exists in an undefinable facet of art. Pioneers like Edvard Munch and Georgia O' Keeffe coped through a shared legacy of art via mental illness and inspiration. Singer-songwriter AIRPORTS released his new single “U Feel It 2;” a track that induces optimism or sorrow, directly dependent on individual analysis and interpretation. The Australian artist discusses his battle with Aplastic Anaemia and Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH), and how it influenced his music as a healing and beneficial motivator. He chronicles his battle with mental health and depression, most notably his hospitalization, and now during the COVID isolation. Be sure to watch AIRPORTS “U Feel It 2” music video for some positivity during quarantine, and please read our exclusive interview to learn more about AIRPORTS.

How to Stay Fit And Healthy During COVID-19 - By Krista Stryker

With gyms continuing to be closed in many places around the world due to COVID-19, more people than ever are trying to figure out how to work out using their own bodyweight or the few pieces of workout equipment they have at home. Here are some tips!

Wellness, zIssue 24Jejune ContributorJuly 15, 2020health care, health, healthy, #health, #healthy, Wellness, #wellness, wellness, covid-19, stay home, stay strong, fitnessComment

Healing Chicago’s Frontlines With COVID RRT

COVID Rapid Response Team (RRT) is a collective of independent community members, healthcare students, and clinicians supporting healthcare professionals and underserved areas. With the insurmountable pressure and stressors inflicting our healthcare workers, it is beneficial to see communities uniting for a common good. Please read our exclusive interview here with Carrie Chui and Sara Majewski to learn more about COVID RRT.

How NY State Failed Their Elderly During COVID-19

I’m angry. I’m not going to lie. I have hit that point in my grief. But I’m also happy to hear that the murmurs of unrest are starting to rise. People are moving past clutching their rolls of toilet paper as they hang on every word NY Governor Andrew Cuomo tells them. The panic and fear are starting to melt away as the sun is slowly finally starting to shine again on New York City. Yes, we are slowly starting to open up, and we can debate on how much longer that will take, I don’t have the answer to that. There is one thing I do know, there will be a lot less elderly to worry about during any additional waves in New York, thanks to our state government and Andrew Cuomo.

A Day In The Life Of An MTA Train Operator during COVID

As more states slowly begin to reopen, a contextually old, yet polarizing debate was brought new life: What constitutes an essential worker or business? According to New York State, essential encapsulates specific specializations under health care, infrastructure, manufacturing, and a myriad of other industries. In New York City, it is clear that our train system is essential for the vast majority of New Yorkers to get around, making all of the MTA employees essential workers. But as we shelter in place to stay safe and people are terrified to go into the trains, what steps are being made to make sure the people doing the most important jobs right now are safe. Please read further to learn more from one amazing train operator, Paul.

Asking WHY May Help Us Survive As A Species

It is my humble conclusion that there are two main issues that are threatening the end of the world. These are: 1. Climate change and 2. The illusion of separation. My studies and life experiences have led me to examine this issue of impending doom and categorize it as one of high priority. It is my hope that all of us pause and consider the following editorial.

COVER - Laura Vandervoort Is The Eye Of The Storm

Laura Vandervoort is immediately recognized for her action packed roles — from her dynamic role as Supergirl in the CW series, Smallville, to being a werewolf in Bitten, and most recently, Laura can be seen as a compassionate vampire on Netflix's new vampiric series, V Wars. When Laura isn’t out kicking butt, she can be found giving back! She executively produced and acted in her own film, “Age of Dysphoria”, and she passionately works with World Vision. Through World Vision, Laura has since sponsored two children and has traveled to Kenya to support their ‘Starting Strong’ initiative, which provides medical supplies, sanitization, hospital sanctuaries for pregnant women, prenatal care and child education. Please read our exclusive interview here to learn more about Laura and her projects.

The Masks Now Coalition

In the midst of a global pandemic everyone is struggling to feel safe, and yet, ironically, more puzzling than the origin of the virus is the overwhelming lack of ability to provide preventative measures in the form of PPE. Big N95 mask suppliers have been nationalized by China, and the U.S. based innovation tech company, 3M, has faced the impossible task of keeping with nationwide demand for N95 masks.

With the general public and, more specifically, healthcare professionals facing compromised safety, many are taking action to create makeshift PPE. The Masks Now Coalition (TMNC) is one of many groups leading this fight to help provide masks to hospitals, essential workers, and, well, everyone who needs one (aka everyone). TMNC is working in a grassroots way, by bringing in individuals to help however they can, and use their large information network and dedication to educating the public. Please read our exclusive interview with Sarah Kendrick to learn more about The Masks Now Coalition.

What it's like to Work in Retail Pharmacy during COVID

If you’ve never worked in retail community pharmacy, you probably don’t know how hectic it can get when there isn’t a pandemic out there roaming the world. Now that this immense x-factor is sweeping the nation, it’s certainly complicating things. Furthermore, population-dense metropolises such as New York, where I live, are impacted the most with the sheer number of cases and repercussions, trickling from the front lines to our business, economic and personal levels.

An Inside View Of NYC’s ICU, During The Mounting COVID-19 Crisis

Six weeks ago, my life was changed forever. I got one of those texts that you never want to get: “Kira, I had a heart attack. I’m in the ICU…”. Unfortunately, this couldn’t come at a worse time as the COVID-19 pandemic quickly took over the New York City hospitals. Please read further to learn about one ICU patient’s story in the midst of a crisis.