Episode 1: Lisa Donovan, Author

Welcome parents and caregivers to our World of Work Caregiver Companion Episode. In this short episode, we will explore ways that we as adults can help to encourage career curiosity in children and support their blossoming interests through a panel discussion. Financial literacy can be a difficult topic to discuss, but Joe, our financial advisor from episode 3, has given us a lot to think about. How can we help to promote the importance of financial literacy and teach children money management skills?

This episode, we talk with Joe Piszczor, a financial advisor. Joe began his career in 2006, and has since earned his Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Investment Fiduciary designations. Joe has helped families across the region and now the country to understand their financial picture and develop strategies to achieve their goals. Joe used his years of practice and knowledge to build his own practice, Washington Family Wealth. The firm’s motto, “Growth Through Knowledge,” helps Joe to lead his clients into making well-informed decisions for family finances. Our Growth Mindset theme for this episode is “the expert in anything was once a beginner!” Joe is an expert at handling money and making smart decisions. What are some ways that you can practice success with saving money? Set a goal for yourself, and share your goal with a grown up so that they can help you to meet your goal!

In this short episode, we will explore ways that we as adults can help to encourage career curiosity in children and support their blossoming interests through a panel discussion. In episode 2, listeners got to learn about the exciting job of a specialty baker from, Amanda. Explore how we can support children showing interest in a career in the culinary arts.

On this episode, we interview Amanda Zamiska, owner of A to Z Sweets and Treats, an independent bakery located in Canonsburg, PA. Amanda uses her unique artistic talents, as well as a background in marketing, to serve up custom, memorable treats for her customers. Her specialities include elaborately decorated sugar cookies, cakes and cupcakes, and a variety of chocolate-dipped goodies. When she isn’t baking, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and children, and also enjoys gardening, canning, and cooking. This episode’s Growth Mindset theme is “follow your passions.” Amanda wasn’t always a baker! Instead, she followed her passions to make her dream of owning her own business come true. But, following her passions wasn’t always easy. She had to practice her art over and over to gain new skills as a specialty baker. Think of a passion of yours. What is a goal you can set for yourself to keep working hard on this activity? Share your passion and your goal with others to keep yourself motivated!

In this short episode, we will explore ways that we as adults can help to encourage career curiosity in children and support their blossoming interests through a panel discussion. In episode 1, our listeners learned about the exciting job of a geologist from our guest Dale. Let's explore how we can support children showing interest in geology and other science related careers.

In this episode, we explore the unique career of a geologist. Our geologist, Mr. Dale Hamilton, is a geologist for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, where he works to help keep miners safe across the country. Before working for the government, he spent 17 years working in underground coal mines as a geologist and project manager. Dale has a bachelor's degree in Geology from West Virginia University and in his free time he enjoys swimming, 3D printing, and spending time with his family. This episode’s growth mindset theme is “Learning is my superpower!” As a geologist, Dale has to draw upon knowledge from many different topics, like history, science, engineering, and more. Because of this, Dale is constantly learning new things to help him solve problems as they arise. Ask yourself, what is one topic that you are interested in learning more about? Visit your school or local library and check out a book on that topic, and get to learning!

This episode’s special guest is Antoine Malloy, a professional carpenter and owner of Malloy Contracting, LLC. Antoine’s specialty is home rennovations, and he loves helping others through completing home projects, big or small!

This episode features a paralegal, Carrie Cessna. Carrie E. Cessna is a National Association of Legal Assistants Certified Paralegal with nearly ten years of experience in the profession. She has worked across a diverse legal landscape from litigation to transactional and including the energy, environmental, healthcare, insurance, and technology fields, among others. Carrie currently works in tech for a company that is developing cars that drive themselves! Carrie enjoys reading, coffee, the great outdoors, hiking, skiing, cheese, and spending time with her dog, Cashew. 

This episode’s interview is with a realtor, Melinda Lynch. Melinda Lynch is a Realtor and Team Leader with over a decade of experience in serving the real estate needs throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. Her and her team of real estate professionals are currently in the top .5% of Realtors nationwide. She resides in Moon Township with her husband Devon and 2 sons Nicholas and Bradley.

This episode feature’s author, Lisa Donovan.  Lisa Donovan is the author of Birds in My Backyard (2019) and Birds at the Beach and Beyond (2023), both written for children up to age seven. She has an undergraduate degree in Communications from Grove City College and a Masters in Professional Writing degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She worked in corporate communications and training before raising a family and volunteering for numerous organizations. Currently, she serves on two boards, volunteers, and markets her books through programs in schools, stores, libraries, and events. Follow her on Amazon or LDonovanBooks.com.