Eshaan Mani

Community News Coverage for the Houston Family Magazine

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.
Houston Family Magazine •

Reya Pal: Class of 2020

Born when the world was grieving the 9/11 terror attacks in New York, and graduating as the world struggles through a pandemic as never experienced before, this year’s graduating class across the nation is a resilient one ready to take on the world.

Their graduation ceremonies have been canceled or postponed, as are several events leading up to the big day, including prom. Houston Family Magazine had the chance to speak with Reya Pal, Elkins High School senior in Sugar Land, who even designed h
Houston Family Magazine •

Lone Star Flight Museum Photo Shoot: Behind the Scenes

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In the hangars of the majestic Lone Star Flight Museum, five Houston Family Magazine Kid Ambassadors posed, laughed, and bonded at the first photoshoot of 2020. The unique location of our February cover shoot had so much to offer- a massive display of planes from the 20th century, a Flight Simulator, and stories and artifacts from over a century back – It was just perfect for a cover shoot. Donning their avi
Houston Family Magazine •

Child Influencer: Monologue Mondays

“Happy monologue Monday!” Aubrey Scott enthusiastically recites a monologue in a video shared with her thousands of Instagram followers. She pours the ingredients to slime into an orange bowl only to be interrupted by a figure off-camera.

“But mom! Please!” She begs, only to begin negotiating the next second.

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. If I finish this, I’ll go straight to bed.” With a growing smile, she begins to mix the ingredients together, and the camera fades to a shot of her glow-in-th
Houston Family Magazine •

Hometown Navy Hero: Officer Candidate Alexander Nispel

Officer Candidate (OC) Alexander Nispel, a Montgomery, Texas native and 2015 graduate of Montgomery High School, is hoping to launch his career in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. He’s currently at Newport, RI’s Officer Candidate School in a morally-, physically-, and mentally-taxing 13-week-long program. If he passes, he’ll graduate in March and be commissioned as an Ensign. HFM spoke with OC Nispel about his experiences at OCS.

Serving in the armed forces is an incredibly noble career c
Houston Family Magazine •

Megastar Youtubers - The Amega Family

Megastar Youtubers – The Amega Family. One of the most wonderful things about YouTube and other digital platforms is that anyone can build their own digital community. No matter where you’re from or what content you make, everyone has the possibility to make it big; it’s like a microcosm in itself. And to put in hard work – blood, sweat, and tears – into making entertaining productions for this microcosm is to become an influencer. And that’s exactly what the Amega family have done! They make ed
Houston Family Magazine •

Hey Story Go: Get Active with this Fun Podcast by Pinna!

The children’s media company Pinna is on a mission to activate young listeners in new and different ways. The audio-first firm offers the first and only ad-free, audio on-demand streaming service that delivers breakthrough, original audio programming curated and created for kids 3-12 that includes podcasts, music, and audiobooks. And ever since their inception, Pinna prides itself on innovating in the audio entertainment space, with some of the company’s most prominent podcasts being TIME for Ki
Houston Family Magazine •

Top 10 Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit

TOP 10 Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit

A Memoir to the Skies and Guide to Living

The 1986 blockbuster film Top Gun has inspired so many to aspire to a career as a fighter pilot, but there are very, very few who find success in their pursuit of the Hollywood-esque profession. Houston Family Magazine had the chance to speak with one of those incredibly qualified, experienced individuals – Commander Guy Snodgrass. He has extensive experience as a naval FA-18 Hornet fighter pilot, an instruct
Houston Family Magazine •

Crayola’s Colors of the World

Disney Star Travis Bryant – The New Face for Crayola’s Colors of the World.

2020 has been a year of social change and embracing the new normal. The events of this year have shed light on several points where the world needs to embrace inclusivity and diversity; one of those is in the vibrant school supplies that students always use. If you’ve taken the time to notice, the ‘skin color’ crayons provided by Crayola only come in three shades: tan, dark brown, and peach. Texas native Travis Bryant,
Houston Family Magazine •

Lemon Berry Dreams

Ten-year-old Makai Walker has lemon berry dreams. Ever since the age of two, she has been baking cookies or cakes with the help of her mom and dad. At the age of five, Makai started bringing her baked goods to charities and events for people to enjoy. Soon, she realized that she could start her own business! Four years ago, Kai started her business, which evolved into Kai’s Baking Studio (https://kais-kookies.com/), a keto, vegan, and gluten-free friendly bakery. Kai’s keto cookies and cinnamon
Houston Family Magazine •

Representing H-Town on the Food Network

A year and a half ago, working mom of two kids and proud Mexican-American and Houstonian Dolores Aguilar-Fernandez feared the kitchen. Just entering the room would raise her heartbeat levels. She feared raw meat and had formerly food-poisoned her family with raw chicken. Her kids dreaded eating her food just as much as she dreaded cooking. But one day, everything changed. While watching their favorite Food Network prog
Houston Family Magazine •

Stephanie Quayle Lending Her Voice to Houston’s Small Businesses

Stephanie Quayle is a country singer-songwriter who is not only blazing trails for women in the industry but is also using her talents to help during COVID-19 times.

Growing up in a small town in Montana, a state which she refers to as ‘the little brother of Texas’, Quayle comes from a humble background. She accredits her love of country music to her mother, who used to sing to her often, and to the little silver radio in her horse barn which used to blast country music 24/7. After hearing seve
Houston Family Magazine •

Zane Carson Carruth: Many Hats, One Large Heart

Mrs. Zane Carson Carruth has always loved writing, especially the magical world of children’s literature. This Houstonian wears many hats in her professional career, as a marketing expert, certified business etiquette and protocol professional, philanthropist, and a children’s book author. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs. Zane has started her own YouTube channel championing children’s literacy. On her channel, called ‘Zane Carruth,’ she reads several books for children ages three to eight from
Houston Family Magazine •

Maddy Rose: Upbeats for Charity

In a world with myriad professions, a twelve-year-old Houstonian prodigy, Maddy Rose Johnston, has found her passion in DJing.

She began her DJing career when the world-famous DJ Senega Iles of Premier Sound and Lighting, a family friend of hers who is now her manager and agent, set her up with the necessary equipment. Maddy uses programs on her laptop and Serato, a DJ and music production service to keep the mood euphoric at parties. Her first DJing gig was at her own birthday celebration, and
Houston Family Magazine •

Real Life Mom: Heather Kaiser-Hahn on Homeschooling

During the times of the coronavirus pandemic, many families have been forced to make changes to their lifestyle. One of the many shifts made was educational institutions going completely digital. Houston Family Magazine had the chance to speak with Mrs. Heather Kaiser-Hahn, a homeschooling mother, about education in a home environment, how to be successful while learning remotely, and establishing a routine, discipline, and motivation in a child learning from home.

Tell us a little bit about yo
Houston Family Magazine •

Actor Sloane Siegel on Teen Depression

“Everything’s just darker, and sadder – you have to be your own light”


During a time of quarantining, cabin fever, and fear for our health, it can be tough to cope with teen depression and anxiety. Sloane Siegel, a 19-year-old actor and star of Gortimer Gibbons’ Life on Normal Street and Dwight in Shining Armor (Season 3), knows exactly how that feels. Houston Family Magazine had a chance to speak with Sloane about his experience with depression and anxiety as well as how he is coping with so
Houston Family Magazine •

I Am Houston Kids: Jordyn Wright, Kidpreneurs Take Center-Stage

Jordyn Wright, a preteen from the Greater Houston area, had her first big idea when she was ten years old. Her skin is sensitive, and so her mother only bought her bland and unscented soaps. Jordyn wanted to be able to use colorful, fun and aromatic soaps and bath bombs, so she decided to create her own. Jordyn created a few products and distributed them to her friends, family, and church. Wright received positive feedback and so took her passion forward and built her business, J. Brielle Handma
Houston Family Magazine •

Sahana Gade: Baking Her Way to the Top

Sahana Gade stands at the kitchen counter, mixing the batter for various sets of sweet treats, sliding trays in the oven, and taking pictures of the entire, flurried process on her mom’s phone. She’s in the middle of the selection process for Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship, a show that airs every Monday at 8 pm. And she is paving the way for the journey of a lifetime.

Sahana’s love of baking began at age five while she helped her mother out in the kitchen. The first thing she ever made

Houston Family October 2017 Page 20

Hurricane Harvey: A Terrifying Tempest By Eshaan Mani Daily gales gossip of terror, And tornadoes clone as if in infinite mirrors, God watches over us though, And as the winds blow, He oversees, Cities turning into seas. I feel helpless, As I pray for victims’ wellness. Distraught and crying, Kin of victims sighing, Why is Mother Nature so cruel? One minute there is sunrise, The next moment you hear cries, Young babies, Old ladies, All trapped in this haplessness. A second Noah’s Ark, God tells