The Contributors

Anissa Brown Anissa is a freelance writer based in Southern California. She recently completed grad school and has written journalistic pieces for various publications and companies such as Starbucks and Disney. She is also experienced in social media, marketing and consumer insights.

Luke Gialanella Luke Gialanella is a high school junior in Los Angeles, California, and founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization GOVLEARN Education. He also has a passion for journalism, debate, creative writing, and international relations, with a focus on youth activism in public policy.

Sara Hall Sara has nearly 14 years of experience at several daily and weekly newspapers, including The Record Searchlight in Redding, The Daily Advocate in Greenville, Ohio, the Newport Beach Independent, and most recently at Stu News Newport and Stu News Laguna. Her work has included photography, writing, design and layout. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and pets.

Alyssa Hamilton Alyssa is a lifelong Southern California resident. She has been writing professionally for over 20 years, primarily for health websites and magazines. She is an MFA candidate at Sierra Nevada University and is currently working on a novel. She enjoys biohacking and preventative health practices, full soil immersion in her native garden, and spending time with her two teenage sons and their black Lab named Bear.

Allison Hata Allison Hata is a freelance writer and editor based in Southern California. She lives and breathes OC, covering food, style, design and culture around town for over a decade. A former editor for Newport Beach Magazine, Allison is passionate about telling stories that capture the fascinating people and places that shape her community. Her work has appeared locally in Modern Luxury, Pelican Hill Magazine, Design OC and more.

Amy Senk Amy is a CDM resident and a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked at the Kansas City Times, Kansas City Star, Contra Costa Times, Coast Kids and Coast Magazines, and is a regular contributor to StuNews Newport. A recent empty nester, she spends her free time with her husband and planning elaborate imaginary vacations.

Cheri Swanson Cheri Swanson is a certified nutritionist based in Newport Beach, CA. Practicing for over 40 years, Cheri has a loyal following both locally and nationwide. Her areas of expertise include prenatal care as well as children's, adolescent and adult health, digestive issues, diabetes care, thyroid function, cardiac heath, cancer care and cancer prevention. In addition to offering nutritional education, Cheri often works on referral from those in a variety of medical fields. She works closely with GI doctors, cardiologists, endocrinologists, oncologists and internal medicine physicians to educate patients on wise dietary and supplement choices to support their medical health recovery.

AKA The Kitchen Table Marketing Team

Carrie Freitas, Editor-in-Chief + Publisher

Miki Akil Lauren Burgos

Kristen Cagatao