Lauren Watson from Watson College Consulting provides some great tips for parents and students as they make plans to visit college campuses in the coming weeks.

Lauren has spent more than 20 years in the world of college admissions, on both sides of the equation - both with colleges and universities and also in high school guidance offices. She has owned and operated her own college consulting business for four years and recently became an Expert Contributor to Westwood Living, where she will regularly share her expertise and tips.

Learn more about Lauren by visiting her website at http://www.watsoncollegeconsulting.net

Tom Leyden introduces you to Leah Kofos, one of Westwood Living's newest Expert Contributors, in the field of Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Leah Kofos joined the firm of Samuel, Sayward & Baler, LLC almost a year ago. In that time, she has worked closely with families preparing them for issues related to estate planning, trusts, guardianship and probate.

Thursday, February 13, Leah is hosting a special event at the Dedham Public Library for young parents to give them a better understanding of issues they may not have thought about yet.

To learn more, email Leah at [email protected]

As the four Westwood elementary schools continue their 100th Day of School Food Drive, Tom Leyden and Maya Plotkin connect to chat about the Westwood Food Pantry and how the team serves our community.

Maya Plotkin has been a member of the Westwood Food Pantry board since 2010. In those 15 years, she has seen great growth in town, both with those in need and how beneficial the Westwood Food Pantry can be during challenging times.

This year, the Westwood Food Pantry worked together with Martha Jones, Sheehan, Downey and Pine Hill to orchestrate a fantastic 100th Day of School Food Drive, which runs through February 7, 2025. Learn more by visiting http://www.westwoodfoodpantry.org

Tom Leyden chats with Lauren Leonard and Erin Colleran about the work they've done with the Girls On The Run program and how it's expanding in 2025 to the middle school level.

Lauren Leonard and Erin Colleran are both "Sheehan Moms," who have taken their love of fitness and running and helped build a very successful "Girls On The Run" program in Westwood, which started at Sheehan Elementary and expanded to each of the elementary schools in town. This year, working together with fellow coach Christy McKenney, as well as Christine Cadigan from Orangetheory Fitness, Lauren and Erin have expanded the program to include girls from Thurston Middle School, as part of "Heart And Soul" project.

Learn more and register at http://www.girlsontherunboston.org

Tom Leyden connects with Joseph Vinci as the Westwood native gets set to play in the National Championship Game for Notre Dame against Ohio State.

Joseph Vinci is the long snapper for Notre Dame's punting unit, and has played in seven games this season, including all three of the Irish postseason wins. Notre Dame will face OSU Monday night in Atlanta for the national title, and Joseph, less than a year since he graduated from Westwood High School will be on the field wearing #96.

Tom Leyden connects with Morgan Donahue, to get to know the man behind the mic for so many of Westwood High School's athletic broadcasts on Westwood Media Center.

Morgan shares some details about his full-time job at Oracle, how he was inspired to pursue the opportunity to do play-by-play for WMC, and why he's so dedicated to preserving memories for Westwood families.

Be sure to follow Morgan on Instagram at @ww_calls and the full collection of Westwood High School athletic broadcasts at http://www.westwood-living.com/wmcsports

Tom Leyden connects with Dr. Patti Giuliano at the offices of Westwood Family Chiropractic to discuss her new book, "Holy Sh*T! I'm Gonna Be a Mom! What Was I Thinking?"

Dr. Patti Giuliano opened Westwood Family Chiropractic with her husband, Dr. Peter Kevorkian, 43 years ago, and together they have built a community of support and vitality, nurtuing generations of families through their chiropractic and therapeutic needs.

Dr. Patti and Tom discuss the motivation behind her new book, her experiences as a new mom many years ago, and how they influenced everything she has done since.

You can learn more about the book and buy a copy by visiting http://www.drpattigiuliano.com

Tom Leyden and Mike O'Brien connect at Comella's and touch on all kinds of things, from real estate, to sports, to music.

Mike O'Brien has successfully transitioned to real estate after a long career in sports broadcasting, where he served as a play-by-play announcer in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lowell and Trenton. You may also know Mike from his stint as an update host at 98.5 The Sports Hub and college sports play-by-play announcer in the Boston area.

Tom and Mike go back 30 years and share some stories from three decades of friendship, their respective times in The Bostonians of Boston College and his pointers and advice to people who are looking to buy or sell a home in 2024.

Reach out to Mike by email at [email protected]

Tom Leyden connects with a quartet of Westwood moms who work together as part of the WHS PTO Board.

Michelle Micone Doherty, Sandra Castaldini, Brooke Brown and Stephanie Finegold joined Tom at Neroli Mercato and provided a great overview of what the Parent-Teacher Organization does, how it's structured, who benefits from the work and how parents can get involved.

Tom Leyden connects with Manolis Christo under the protection of his most-prized pergola and comfort of his outdoor kitchen.

Manolis Christo is a Westwood resident and owner of Boston Pergolas. His work graces the back cover of Westwood Living each month, with stunning photos from both residential and commercial projects his company has completed throughout Boston and the suburbs.

Tom and Manolis talk about how he entered the business, how a pergola can redefine a family's outdoor space and what he enjoys about working on commercial projects and residential projects. It comes down to relationships and continuing to build a network.

Learn more about Manolis and his team by visiting http://www.bostonpergolas.com