Photo by Brett Sayles

Spring is the perfect time to explore all the wonders that Austin has to offer. From outdoor adventures to cultural events, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. I’m always on the lookout for fun and educational activities to do with my family. Here are five of my favorite activities to do during springtime in Austin:

1. Attend a spring festival – Our city is known for its vibrant festival scene, and there are several family-friendly events happening in the spring. The Pecan Street Festival and Texas VegFest are just a couple of festivals offering fun activities, food, and entertainment for all ages. These festivals offer a great opportunity to sample local food and drinks, enjoy live music and entertainment, and meet new people. It’s a fun way to celebrate the arrival of spring, and immerse yourself in the local culture.
2. 

   Photo by Nagaraju Gajula

   Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a stunning botanical garden that showcases the beauty of Texas’ native flora. With over 900 species of plants, it’s a great place to explore and learn about the state’s natural diversity. The center also offers educational programs and events for all ages, including guided tours, workshops, and nature walks. Check out the full list of events happening all spring like the Field of Lights and Nature Nights.
3. Attend a Round Rock Express baseball game – The Round Rock Express is a minor league baseball team that plays at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, just outside of Austin. Families can enjoy a fun night out at the ballpark and watch some great baseball.
4. Take a hike at McKinney Falls State Park – McKinney Falls State Park is a beautiful natural area that offers hiking trails, swimming holes, and scenic views. Families can hike through the park’s trails and take a dip in the cool waters of Onion Creek.
5. Enjoy a food truck picnic – Austin is known for its food truck scene, and there are plenty of family-friendly options to choose from. You can have a picnic at any of the city’s parks or green spaces and try a variety of foods from different trucks. It’s a great way to experience the city’s unique culinary culture while enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Here is a list of food truck parks in Austin.

Austin is a wonderful place to explore in the spring, with plenty of activities for families to enjoy. Whether you’re a nature lover, a foodie, or a culture enthusiast, there’s something for everyone in this vibrant city. So, go out there and enjoy all the wonders that Austin has to offer!

About the Writer: Wendy Kiddy is a fifth-year member of The Junior League of Austin. She has called Austin home for more than 2 decades. Her days are filled working within a Portfolio Management Office (PMO), managing data, and reporting to develop business strategies for project management. In her free time, she can be found in the gym, enjoying live music, or spending time with her husband and rescue dog.

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A Junior League of Austin sustainer spotlight.

Recognition of an A Christmas Affair (ACA) tote bag that carried my lunch for the day was how I got to meet Mary Henderson. At the time, we both worked at the same large government agency and were both headed into the office one morning. Mary noticed my tote bag, sparking a conversation in the garage elevator about ACA. We bonded over being members of The Junior League of Austin (JLA), and Mary was gracious enough to spend some time with me later and chat about her experience in the League.

Mary is a Sustainer who has participated in a variety of placements. From writing for Capitalines to serving as the Sustaining Advisor for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Mary has committed much of her time to JLA and the community. When asked about what encouraged her to join a Junior League chapter, Mary emphasized a commitment to the community and specifically, the ability to provide resources to the community. Seeing the difference JLA has made, along with getting to know other women in the community, has been a continuing reward in her membership with the League.

We chatted about several placements that Mary held, with her favorite placement being Capitalines. During her time as a writer, she wrote about challenges that members had overcome, such as  eating disorders. She also wrote about ways that JLA members volunteered in the community. Like many of us, Mary has taken advantage of the training aspect of the League and participated in placements that encouraged her to grow. For example, one of her placements was located at the Zilker Botanical Garden. JLA members were tasked with coming up with a creative backdrop for the mobile learning center. As the Chair, she was in charge of coordinating everyone’s schedules, which proved to be a challenging task. This opportunity allowed Mary to learn new skills and tackle a placement that she ultimately ended up enjoying, even if initially she felt out of her element. Her time at JLA also brought exciting and memorable opportunities, such as meeting Lady Bird Johnson.

The Junior League of Austin has been rewarding for Mary in so many ways — from participating in her placements to allowing her to share traditions with her family, such as enjoying ACA with her daughter. JLA connected her with people throughout the community and helped form friendships. From her experience with JLA and the impact the League has made, Mary provided me with a piece of wisdom that she would like to share with all other members: “Don’t be afraid of any new opportunity presented in the League. It’s important to get outside your comfort zone, as you never know just who you will meet and how it will expand your horizons.” And maybe if you’re as lucky as I was, you’ll run into another Junior League member in an elevator on the way to work.

Special thank you to Mary Henderson for chatting with me about her experience in The Junior League of Austin.

About the Writer: Mandy Romenesko is in her third year with The Junior League of Austin. Her favorite volunteer activity is Food In Tummies (FIT). In her spare time, she can be found listening to true crime podcasts, spending time with her two rescue dogs, and watching reality TV. 

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JLA was honored to be invited by Deidra Floyd, an active JLA member and the assistant principal at Canyon Creek Elementary, to speak at the Round Rock ISD (RRISD) World Class Student Leadership Conference. After our leadership participated in the virtual event in 2021, we were excited to be invited back to present on girls in leadership for RRISD’s in-person conference in 2022. 

As part of the conference, JLA was asked to present on how we contribute to the Austin community through leadership and volunteerism. After a fun day with these bright future leaders, I’m excited to share my firsthand experience from the conference.

Before we got started, I asked all the students to sit next to someone they didn’t know. I told them how I don’t know anyone in the room but reminded them that we all want the same thing—to learn and share about why leading and volunteering means something to us—so we are all among friends. I was inspired by how they all instantly got up and stepped out of their comfort zones in an effort to be vulnerable with me. 

To kick us off, I introduced myself and talked about my family, interests, and volunteer history with the League and in the Austin area. I told the young leaders that I was on the student council when I was in elementary school and would have loved a cool conference like the one they had that day. I broke down the JLA mission statement for them, and I explained why I appreciate being part of a large group of women who want to make a meaningful impact and help each other learn and grow in the process. I also asked the students to share where they have volunteered and what organizations they know about in the community. I got an array of responses, including animal shelters (using my own rescue dog to jump-start this connection), food pantries, assistance of individuals with disabilities, and community impact organizations. The students were all excited to hear about the different organizations around the Central Texas area and share what they already know about volunteering. 

We talked about how we can prioritize our time for community service. The children gushed about their personal interests and their involvement with the student council. I congratulated the entire group on choosing to be part of the student council, showing up for the conference, and learning more about volunteering. 

The students also wanted to know about the impact of JLA. I used numbers to help with the narrative, sharing how we have more than 2,400 members who commit to 160,000 combined hours of service. I shared how we provide volunteer opportunities and funds to other organizations to help their important work. One student asked about our fundraising efforts, which gave me the opportunity to describe A Christmas Affair and how they could connect with family members or trusted adults to learn more. 

I ended with talking about how I use what I’ve learned in my JLA placements to help in my work life and how, in return, I use professional experiences to contribute to JLA. I used my current role as Parliamentarian as an example. The young leaders connected with the concept that a Parliamentarian is like having a referee at a meeting to help everything run smoothly, follow the rules that everyone agrees to, and help teach people what the rules are. My hope is the students left feeling inspired to use their individual strengths to create value through volunteerism.  

Before I knew it, the time was up. I was in awe of how the students wanted to keep up the conversation about how to volunteer, their experience volunteering, and what they want to do next. One of the students drew a picture of my dog Rosie from my bio slide and thanked me for sharing about my time volunteering and helping my community. I melted when she gave it to me! I proudly have the drawing on my refrigerator, and it makes me smile every time I see it.

I sincerely appreciate JLA and RRISD for this opportunity to connect with student leaders and hopefully show them that their career in service is only beginning.

About the Writer: Amanda Lopez joined The Junior League of Austin (JLA) in 2017. Austin is her hometown, and she has been impressed by JLA ever since participating in the Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program (now Con Mi MADRE). Amanda stays busy using her attorney mindset and skills to support the development of an opioid abatement grant program at the Texas Comptroller’s office. When she is not in the office, you can catch Amanda running around Town Lake, hiking with her rescue dog, enjoying a local restaurant, or spending time with her family.

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Whether you are looking for a new job or need to update your job experience, resumes are important. For many of us, a resume is an ever-changing document detailing big wins. While we are all so much more than what is on a single document, a resume does play an important role in the job-hunting process.

As a lawyer, I have gone through brutal edits on my own resume. I have met with mentors and career departments. I have had to change my resume again and again. I have learned the hard way that a poorly formatted resume can cost you an opportunity. But with all the editing, I have gained tidbits of information. In the spirit of The Junior League of Austin’s Training and Education month, now is the perfect time to try working on resume building skills. Below are some of the best resume tips my own mentors and career counselors have shared with me.

1. The Resume Gets You the Interview

My career counselor once told me: “You need the resume to get you the interview. After that, you can take the lead.” The resume is what hiring managers use to figure out their first impression of you. It’s what is used to make sure all the necessary boxes are checked—the thing that gets your foot in the door. It cannot tell the whole story of any job or experience, but it can be a tool to determine if you meet the basic requirements of a job posting. For example, if a job posting has any licensure requirements, those requirements should be listed in your resume. Once you get into the interview, you can expand on your experiences and show the employer your personality. Until then, let your resume show that you meet any requirements and have the relevant experience for the job you are applying for.

2. Realistically Limit Your Pages

We have all heard the crazy statistic that a hiring manager spends mere seconds reviewing an applicant’s resume. Because of this, try to limit your resume to one page. Mentors have told me that a second page should only ever be used if you are years into your career. Otherwise, only the most relevant experience should be listed. One way I help myself determine what experience to include is to ask myself this: If someone were to call my old job, would my old job be able to speak about me? If it’s a job from 10 years ago or a job I only spent a few months working at, the answer is likely no. Save these jobs for additional examples and information to provide during your interview, if needed.

3. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

A page filled with words is easy to scan over, so let yourself stand out by using numbers. Numbers are a great way to show your impact and success at a job, while showcasing your experience. Examples include: “15 years of Human Resources support for 3 different companies” or “10 state grants funded through applications compiled and submitted in my role as grant writer.”

4. Keep a List of Important Projects and Milestones

At every job, keep a list of the important projects and milestones you have accomplished. This is particularly important as we move from job to job since we can easily forget specifics about what we worked on in each position. This list will not only be handy when you prepare for an interview, but it will allow you to have a set of experiences to pick from when reviewing a job posting. It will also be helpful when writing about particular experiences in a cover letter.

Even when you are applying for a job that differs from your others, a list will help you see patterns. For example, a job may not care about the motions I have argued, but from looking at my list it is clear I have an abundance of experience with public speaking. Then in an interview, I can expand on how a particular experience may help me in the job I am applying for, even if it is not exactly in line with the job.

5. Lay the Groundwork with Your Resume

Your resume shouldn’t be so descriptive that it leaves you with nothing to write about in your cover letter. Your cover letter is an expansion of a few experiences. Let your resume be the preview to your cover letter. For example, my resume may mention arguing motions. My cover letter can discuss specific examples of motions argued, and how that strength will apply to the job I am applying for. Letting your resume preview your cover letter allows you to have a coherent job application package.

Writing a resume is trial and error. I hope these tips will help one of you like they have helped me!

About the Writer: Mandy Romenesko is in her third year with The Junior League of Austin. Her favorite volunteer activity is Food In Tummies (FIT). In her spare time, she can be found listening to true crime podcasts, spending time with her two rescue dogs, and watching reality TV. 

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The Need for KICS:

Without well-fitting, seasonally-appropriate shoes, children can’t participate in physical activity, walk to school, or even stay warm during the winter months. According to the nonprofit Shoes That Fit, being given a pair of new shoes improves school attendance by 44%, participation
in physical activity by 72%, and classroom behavior by 63%.

KICS Mission:

To provide children with a new pair of well-fitting sneakers, allowing them to be healthy, comfortable, and participate in physical activity.

About KICS:

The idea for KICS was developed in 2017, when The Junior League of Austin discovered that a popular program that provided shoes for area children was going to be discontinued. The Junior League of Austin leadership realized there was a critical need for children to have well-fitting shoes in good condition, and decided to take action.

Through the creation of the new Kids in Cool Shoes (KICS) program, The Junior League of Austin is partnering with local Central Texas-area schools, providing new athletic sneakers for every child at the selected schools. The KICS program integrates with the other signature programs of The Junior League of Austin, Coats for Kids and Food in Tummies (FIT), because of its focus on improving health and wellness for children in our community.

In the spring of 2018, a small group of volunteers from The Junior League of Austin visited Guerrero-Thompson Elementary school in the Rundberg area (97.6% economically disadvantaged), measured 655 children for shoes, and returned 4 weeks later to distribute brand-new shoes to every single student in the school.

How You Can Get Involved:

Local Austin organizations and companies can sponsor a school, providing sneakers for every student. Partial sponsorships are also available. When you sponsor a school, your employees can join the students at a celebratory KIC-Off Day where your volunteers will deliver the new shoes to the children, and participate in sports and activities together with the children to promote healthy lifestyles.

We know how difficult it can be to find volunteer activities for your team. When you sponsor a school for KICS, your employees will be participating directly with children in need. The Junior League of Austin facilitates all of the logistics of the event, and all you and your staff will need to do is show up ready to accept the smiles and excitement of these children getting their new sneakers!

What Students, Teachers, and Volunteers are saying about KICS:

“This is my first pair of new shoes, EVER!” – 2^nd grade student, Guerrero-Thompson Elementary

“I only had these shoes, and they used to be my big sister’s, but now they’re too small. Thank you.” – 4^th grade student, Guerrero-Thompson Elementary

“Prior to this pilot program, many of our students were in shoes that didn’t fit or were falling apart. The week before you came here, one little boy came in because his shoes were so old that the tongue of the shoe had broken off!” – Administrator, Guerrero-Thompson Elementary

“At Coats for Kids this year, it had snowed that week, but there were kids standing in line in flip flops because they didn’t have any warmer shoes. Now I know how important the KICS program is.” – The Junior League of Austin member

KICS FAQs:

Can I donate a pair of gently used shoes?

Pediatricians tell us that wearing pre-owned shoes isn’t advised, because even very gentle use leaves a wear pattern on the insoles of the shoes that doesn’t match the new recipient’s feet. This can be particularly detrimental to growing feet and growing skeletal systems. For this reason, the shoes we distribute through KICS are purchased new through a bulk discount.

Then can I donate $20 to buy a new pair of shoes for a child?

Absolutely! Only $20 buys a new pair of shoes for a child who needs shoes that fit.

What else can I do to help?

We’re looking for organizations to sponsor the purchase of shoes AND come out and volunteer by distributing the shoes to the kids. If you know a company or group who can sponsor at any level, email kics@jlaustin.org.

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The Community Impact Center is a place where our members come together in partnership with the community, united by a resolve to “do something” in response to today’s pressing needs.

Learn More…

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Through FIT, more than 250 JLA member volunteers commit approximately 200 hours to packing and delivering over 8,000 food items in backpacks to 1,000 Del Valle ISD students every week during the school year. Find out how to support FIT.

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Become a Merchant

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The Junior League of Austin, its partners, and the community at large have an impressive and beautiful history of bringing warmth to the children and families in our community.

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