"Turning Play into Professions" —Lego Model Builders

November 01, 2009

"Turning Play into Professions" —Lego Model Builders

I had a blast interviewing two of the newest Model Builders at Legoland California, Brian Heins and Mandy Jouan, for San Diego Family Magazine. Heins and Jouan were among five finalists who secured a coveted Model Builder job out of a field of 18 who competed for a position with the park this past June. Find out how these two San Diegans turned play into their profession.

Click here to view "Turning Play Into Professions" in the online version of the November 2009 San Diego Family Magazine

Correction: I learned after this piece was published that the correct way to refer to these toys is "LEGO toys" or "LEGO bricks," and not "Legos," as LEGO is the company brand name, similar to the way one should not say "Kleenex" for "tissues." I apologize for the error.

Posted at 01:10 PM in Clips, Local Interest, People, San Diego Family | Permalink

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About Louise

Crafting a clean, concise, well-written piece that’s a perfect fit for its readers gets me jazzed; I aim to always give the target audience a memorable story while leaving the writing transparent. I love talking with people to find out what makes them tick, discovering what’s interesting about every place I go and spreading the word about good things in my community and beyond.

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AAA Westways
"What's New Lifestyle" and "Out&About" columns for Westways, the AAA magazine for Southern California
Carlsbad Magazine
Arts and culture columns for the premiere periodical of Carlsbad, CA
Casino Pauma
Marketing letters, copyediting and articles for this North County San Diego casino.
Encinitas Magazine
Profiles and features for this glossy, high-quality local magazine.
San Diego Family Magazine
Over 30 articles for this county-wide family interest and parenting magazine as a regular contributor since 2005
San Diego Family Out & About
Compiled and wrote all entries for the North County Coastal section of the 2007 Out & About Family Adventure Guide and the Coastal San Diego section of the upcoming 2010 guide.
Smooth Jazz News
Copyediting for SJN, a nationally distributed jazz magazine, since 2005, editing everything from raw articles to full layouts
Surf City Times
Copyediting and writing for the now-defunct biweekly Encinitas newspaper Surf City Times, September '04 - June '05
Western New York Family Magazine
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A. A. Milne
Every adult should read the classic Winnie the Pooh stories (preferably out loud to a small child), for there you will see parts of yourself and those you know perceptively captured in Milne's lovingly rendered characters.
Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird is a classic on writing, and her nonfiction books are at once both deeply personal and universal. Her style ranges from dark humor to tenderness without ever losing her authentic voice.
Frank Deford
Listening to Frank Deford’s sports commentaries on NPR made me realize the genius of his writing. Generally not a big sports fan, I was drawn in by the wit and passion he brought to each commentary. Not just a great sportswriter, a great writer.
Frank McCourt
With run-on sentences and nary a quote mark to be found among the pages of dialog in his memoirs, McCourt is the epitome of the adage that rules were meant to be broken. Unassuming, heartbreakingly funny work from a born writer.
Ilyce Glink
The queen of all media, she rules her realm of real estate and personal finance advice with a refreshing combination of genuineness and accessibility, backing up her mantra of “practical, informative and easy-to-understand” with comprehensive knowledge seasoned by humility and understanding.
Pema Chodron
Chodron is like a favorite wise old Buddhist aunt who doesn’t take life too seriously but never takes it for granted. Her writing is unassuming yet profound, weaving esoteric teachings in with stories from her own life in a way that illuminates the commonality of all experience.