Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2018

17 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com O ne fall afternoon in 2013, I was parked in a Starbucks parking lot, killing time between classes during my last semester at Georgia College and State University. I was set to graduate in a couple of months and feeling more restless than ever. I don’t recall the specifics of what led me to Denise K. James of Mount Pleasant Magazine, but I know I was looking for permanent, editorial job opportunities in the Charleston area on my iPhone. I had interned during the summer of 2013 in Summerville and Mount Pleasant and knew I had to come back permanently. So I put my nose to the grindstone and made it happen, sending unreturned email after email. But Denise returned my email. She even offered to meet. Who was this lady? Well, while Denise couldn’t offer me an in-house, full-time job, she did offer freelance writing opportunities and a sort of friendship/ mentorship. And that carried through over the years until today; I’m filling her previous position as managing editor of Mount Pleasant Magazine. And I could not be more thrilled! To be able to work with Mount Pleasant Magazine’s seasoned publishing team in continuing to create top-notch content reflecting the voice of an entire community is an honor and responsibility I’m ready to undertake. With that being said, this issue has been a joy to piece together, beginning to end, with the help of everyone involved. It is a celebration of all that is East Cooper cuisine and education and even pays special tribute to our pets – all the photos and stories filled with a genuine “can’t-live-without-you love” for our dogs, cats and other various companions. It’s a type of love I relate to; these are my people. For printed proof, read into our pet section to meet some of our community’s pets and their owners. (You might even learn a bit about my golden retriever, Beezus!) Working with our local schools for a collaborative cover and including topics of college acceptance and school safety in our Independent School Directory were among other highlights of this issue. Having “been there; done that” on the college-acceptance front, I know rising graduates face a unison of emotions: stress, uncertainty and great excitement. I can’t say any of these feelings will ever change, regardless of circumstance, but some local schools lent us their expertise to create the “Getting into College” guide, and having this behind-the-scenes knowledge will hopefully lend some peace of mind to rising juniors and seniors. I look forward to getting to know more about you, your pets, your interests and “favorites” of Mount Pleasant and all of East Cooper. This first edition is only the tip of the iceberg – and I can’t wait to dive deeper into our community with each issue. Until next time, - Helen (and Beezus) Editor Editor@MountPleasantMagazine.com from the editor Photo by Jeanne Taylor. Remember, it doesn’t have to be new to be awesome! 2700 North Hwy 17 Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 at Brickyard Plantation (843) 606-2715 www.NextToNewSC.com Monday-Thursday 10-6 Friday-Saturday 10-5 open Sunday 12-4