Each week on “Around Town,” our host talks to members of the First Coast community who are making an impact in their part of town. Today our host, Sarah Olson, spoke with Anna Vino.
Anna Vino
Senior Litigation Analyst
Website Address: https://www.tiktok.com/@annavinoveritas?_r=1&_t=ZT-940RbnIvgcv
Short company description:
I’m in-house at an insurance company and also a consultant for College Shortcuts.
Transcript:
Sarah:
Welcome back to another episode of Around Town. I’m your host, Sarah Olson, and today joining me is Anna. And I love her last name of Vino. And I love that you’re wearing the vino blazer. Can’t get away from it.
Anna:
Thank you so much. Welcome.
Sarah:
Thank you. So happy to be here. Great. So you are a jack of all trades. You are an attorney, correct?
Anna:
Yeah.
Sarah:
You’re a mom of two small kids living in Mandarin. We talked about that. Yeah, we’ll talk about that too. And you’re also a career or a college coach for Edmunds. Tell us more about what you do there.
Anna:
Sure. So I am the lead, mentor for the legal field, for College Shortcuts, which is a great company that handles students from all over the country. High school students, college students try to get them on the right path.
Sarah:
Okay.
Anna:
Right now, I currently work with students in high school who are looking to become lawyers.So those who are already, like, made this plan. Okay, I want to be an attorney and it’s got to be competitive, extremely competitive. And these kids are just amazing. Yeah. The mindset that they have, the drive that they have, it’s very inspiring to work with them.
Sarah:
So is this like an administrative process or getting all their things together or is it like, specific to a course within law?
Anna:
It is more broad. Yeah. It can be a little bit of anything. It’s kind of like choosing your own adventure. But something that I’m working on, particularly right now, is helping a student make her own internship. So going out into her community, finding a need, and then fulfilling that need, and being able to actually make a change in her own community.
Sarah:
So control your own destiny. It’s incredible. That’s fantastic. Right. Exactly.
What are some of the challenges that kids are facing these days? Like is there one specific thing that just keeps coming around and around?
Anna:
I mean, I think right now it’s just it’s so competitive to get into college, let alone law school. The cycles are coming out. A lot of kids are getting, you know, their acceptances and denials and waitlists. It’s really difficult on them mentally and emotionally, especially mentally and emotionally.
Sarah:
Oh my goodness. Right. So I think it’s just a part of it is just empowering them to go to your school, apply where you want to go, but where you end up is where you’re supposed to be. That’s fantastic.
So you’re taking that little bit of that stress and that emotion off of it.
Anna:
Exactly.
Sarah:
And you’re also an attorney. So this is.
Anna:
That’s right.
Sarah:
So this must be more like a passion. Kind of got into a passion project or did something like some moment occur that you said, no, you know what, I need to do this.
Anna:
I’ve always been a mentor, a trainer. I love working with students. Even in law school, I was, you know, working with the professors, with other students. So I saw this opportunity pop up and I couldn’t pass it. So yeah, it’s been really, really rewarding.
Sarah:
So you’re taking your professional and your mom and yes, mixing it together for, for helping.
Anna:
Right.
Sarah:
And mentorship is just so important. It’s important to be a mentor, but it’s also important to be a mentee, to kind of keep the profession going.
Anna:
Yeah.
Sarah:
On a fun note, you live by the mantra you have. And we talked a little bit about this on the side. Yes. Fun things to do in Mandarin. Yeah. Because when people think of Mandarin, I don’t think they fully feel like it’s fun. Wait, which is a shame.
Well, what if you’ve got a tip in Mandarin?
Anna:
Yeah. I mean, Mandarin is just so darn cute. And it’s so historic. There’s a museum. You can go for a walk in the park.
Sarah:
Now. I’ve never been to the museum. So to which museum are you speaking?
Anna:
So Walter Jones.
Sarah:
Oh, okay.
Anna:
It has a beautiful walking area. It’s by the water. And there’s also the historical museum right there where you can purchase a mandarin frog.
Sarah:
A mandarin frog? That is correct.
Okay. So what is it?
Anna:
So it is a large, cement frog that you can pay yourself. Okay? Or you can buy a painted.
Sarah:
Okay.
Anna:
And if you travel through Mandarin, you’ll see them on mailboxes in front of homes. If you ever wonder why I.
Sarah:
I Okay, now that makes sense. There’s like this little trinket of a frog and it’s not a trio. It’s. It’s a stone frog.
Anna:
Correct.
Sarah:
And so it becomes a landmark for those that live there.
Anna:
Yeah, exactly. So it’s a cute little quirky thing about living in Mandarin.
Sarah:
Okay. Yeah. What’s your favorite restaurant?
Anna:
Oh my goodness. Hannah Moon Japanese.
Sarah:
I’ve not been there.
Anna:
Delicious, consistent and delicious. And my kids will eat it, so that’s important.
Sarah:
I think I’ve got I well I go to Mandarin all the time, but is Trader Joe’s part of Mandarin or.
Anna:
I don’t know, it is on the north side of me.
Sarah:
It is.
My husband actually works for Trader Joe’s.
Anna:
You’re kidding.
Sarah:
Oh my gosh, he’s a manager. Trader Joe’s. He was at that location for a few years. He’s actually at the beach, a location right now. But yeah, I still shop at the one in Mandarin.
Anna:
Okay, well, I’ll look out for him, too.
Sarah:
Definitely.
And what else do I love about Mandarin? Oh, the karaoke bar I went to. I must know about this.
Anna:
Well, I only know about this one. Is it Cheers? Or is it called The Muse now?
Sarah:
Oh, okay. Have you been there?
Anna:
I have not.
Sarah:
Okay, I must know more about bingo followed by karaoke cafes. Can’t miss. I’m there.
Anna:
Yeah. So fun.
Sarah:
So you have two kiddos?
Anna:
Yeah, yeah.
Sarah:
Very busy. Okay. Keep it up with them. They both do dance at the Academy of Dance. I’m gonna give them a shout out. Miss Jackie and the whole team, they’re phenomenal. Dance studio, nice small family environment. And it’s just been so nice being a part of their family for the past few years.
And one other thing that we just talked about, we have in common. We have a common love of acting.
Anna:
Yeah.
Sarah:
And so you, you know, you’ve just started taking classes at Creative Veins of the acting studio here. So a plug out to you, Rebecca.
Anna:
Yes. Yeah. Just kind of struck me one day, you know, that, you know, my kids are a little older. I have a little extra time with this new role I have with my company. I want to do something creative.
Sarah:
Yeah.
Anna:
And so I. I reached out, and I started taking classes there. It’s been awesome.
Sarah:
Did you ever take acting before plays or anything in school?
Anna:
I think I did a play in seventh grade, but.
Sarah:
So I’m the same, I don’t think I had a midlife crisis about four years ago. That’s what I’m saying. But, you know, having been a trial attorney and a litigator for ten years, you’re, you’re essentially acting to the court judge.
So I’ve had that creative outlet. And now that I’m not really doing that anymore, you do it for yourself.
Anna:
Yes, exactly.
Sarah:
Oh how fun.
Anna:
Yeah, it’s been so fun.
Sarah:
And is there anything you want to, address the audience or, your. How did people find you for your college advice?
Anna:
So you can go to college shortcuts.com. You can get in contact with them there. And you can see my profile there.
I’m also on TikTok.
Sarah:
She is on TikTok and she’s got lots of viewers and lots of funny videos on TikTok making some funny, silly videos, but also being serious about women’s issues. Women’s health, college, law school.
Anna:
And you can find me at Anna vino veritas.
Sarah:
I love it. Anna. Thank you for being on the show. I love yours just so well-rounded on all the things Jacksonville and everything. So thanks for that.
Anna:
Thank you for being here.
Sarah:
And for more on Anna go to HGTVJax.com. Thanks for reading.
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