Most planners out there are, simply put, really spacious calendars, giving you a little extra room to jot down meetings and track friends’ birthdays. I’ve always been drawn to ones that offer a bit more, which is why I was blown away when I was first gifted the My PA Planner. There’s so much to it that calling it a personal assistant feels limiting. It’s an annual agenda that keeps track of your tasks, but before you even get to it, there are multiple workbooks and guides that act as a business or life coach.

After reviewing the 2023 edition, I got an early copy of the 2025 planners, and they’re just as impressive. They’re massive, yes, but after putting in the work—literally logging hours going through the workbooks—I’ve never felt more laser-focused and super charged on what I want out of the next year. Let me explain why.

What’s in the My PA Planner?

It’s truly a planner for entrepreneurs and empire builders; people who have big goals for the year ahead and want a method for breaking those goals down and staying on track to achieve them. My PA starts with a year in review, with eight quick questions to help you assess how 2024 went before leading into a brain dump of 50 goals you want to achieve in the next decade.

From there, a 2024 questionnaire and bucket list will help you put the next year into perspective on a macro level—looking at all areas of your life—and then delve into work, specifically, with workbook sections to help you create (or update) your business, marketing and financial plans for the year ahead.

The marketing plan workbook, for example, moves from the essentials—a five-page questionnaire to hone in on your target market, another five pages devoted to figuring out your sales channels and funnel—to then break things down into actionable tasks, with a two-page spread that allows you to prioritize and list every step you need to take to achieve those goals, which you can then assign deadlines to and map out in the traditional planner section.

That said, there’s a key to getting the most out of this planner.

It’s so thorough that I recommend buying the planner well before January 1, then blocking off a few hours at your favorite coffee shop to go through each section and give it the time you need to think things through. It will really help you get organized and have a clear vision for the year ahead.

If you’re reading this after the new year, it’s not too late—block off the time and commit to doing the work, rather than diving right into the daily agendas. You’ll get so much more out of each month with a clear vision in place.

What’s the Actual Planner Portion Like?

With those plans in place, My PA pivots to more of a traditional planner, with a two-page spread for each week, noting three goals for each day and letting you time-map your day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as track your water intake, exercise and meditation. Each week and month ends with a short review, looking at what you’ve achieved, where you’ve fallen short, what you’re grateful for and offering some whitespace to brainstorm.

The whole idea is that the workbook acts almost like a personal assistant (hence the name), and every detail is carefully considered to achieve just that. It’s a way to stay organized and accountable.

How Big Is It?

Portability is often a concern with planners, and I’ll be honest: My PA is so thorough that you may want to keep it at your desk, rather than commute with it. It’s a little over 9 inches tall and 7 inches wide, and it’s about as thick as a Bible and weighs more than 2 pounds. It’s hefty, but when you account for all it contains, it makes sense.

My PA has a softbound cover that helps keep the weight down and makes it a little more flexible, easier to stow should you decide to carry it around.

In terms of aesthetics, you have eight colors to choose from, ranging from classic black and navy to a bold mango and a very demure, very mindful (IFKYK) blush pink. I chose the rich tan color, which is almost maple.

How Much Does It Cost?

Available on Amazon and at MyPAPlanner.com, the bound planner will set you back $49, though you can order a digital download directly from the company for $29.

Intrigued?

Check it out at MyPAPlanner.com.

This post contains affiliate links, which helps fund the operation of Life Between Weekends.

Whether you’re a student, teacher or someone in need of a halfway-through-the-year fresh start, a mid-year or academic planner can be a game-changer. Starting in July and running through July of the following year, these planners let you get organized right at the start of a new school year—or ahead of the third quarter—but these styles vary greatly, in terms of organization, design and price point.

Which one is right for you? As a hardcore paper planner user, I have thoughts. But to me, it’s more useful if I add context to these planner reviews, comparing the best academic planners and mid-year agendas side by side, so you can choose the ideal organizer for your needs.

To Choose the Best Planner for You, Ask Yourself:

• What size planner are you most likely to carry around? Too bulky = you’ll never use it, too small = you can’t fit everything you need to write
• How much space do you need per day to write down the day’s tasks? Do you like to block out your meetings/appointments, so you prefer an hour-by-hour breakdown of each day? Or just a blank space to write whatever comes to mind?
• Do you prefer dated or undated? Undated lets you start anytime, yet you have to keep writing in the next day/week/month’s dates, which can be tedious (especially if you’re trying to plan ahead)
• What kind of binding/cover appeals to you the most? Do you prefer a spiral-bound book that lays flat, so there’s no fighting to keep it open? Or hardcover, for a more polished appearance? Or softcover and a stitched spine, so it’s flexible?

The Best Mid-Year/Academic Planners of 2024-2025

1. Best Overall Academic Planner: Blue Sky 5″x8″ Tabbed Planning Calendar

Simply put, Blue Sky’s academic planner is affordable, compact and has plenty of space to jot down classes, appointments and daily to-do’s each week. It’s easy to slip into a backpack or wedge in a planner as you’re on the go, without making your bag weigh a ton.

While it may lack the bells and whistles of some of the more luxe designs, there are a ton of covers to choose from, the spiral binding helps the book stay flat, so you can easily scribble in notes, and the built-in tabs make it easy to flip from month to month. Ultimately, those features—plus the durability and price point—gave it the edge, making it my top pick for students.

2. Best Customizable Academic Planner: Papier Academic Planner

If you want to give someone a great going-away or graduation gift, this is the planner to buy. Papier features several academic planner covers, with hardcover and spiral-bound options, but my favorites are the ones that allow you to customize the cover text and images. The Best Year Yet style lets you select the binding style, choose between two colors (cream or blue) and fully personalize the cover text and image.

Even with all that, the planner ships quickly, and the interior is every bit as impressive as the exterior. Each week is a two-day spread, with each day represented as a column. I like to use the top half to time-block appointments and meetings, then use the bottom half to list to-do’s each day. Unlike the Papier Undated Planner, the Academic version spans an entire year—August to July—making it a bit cheaper per year.

3. Most Innovative Mid-Year Planner: Laurel Denise Mini Vertical Weekly Planner

Laurel Denise’s range of planners prides itself on being designed for “the way you think,” and it got me thinking in a whole new way. The slim, horizontal design—more akin to a photo album—got my attention, but the interior is what kept me using it. Each month features five “short pages” that allow you to see the entire month and the week at once, which are easy to flip to, given the included removable, clear bookmarks.

The design is particularly helpful for anyone into time-blocking to organize their day, yet the design also includes yearly goal planning, bullet-style note-taking areas and a daily habit tracker. It’s more of a splurge, and if you need to break down large goals or tasks to ensure you’ll actually get them done, this is the way to go.

4. Best Mini Academic Planner: Blue Sky Academic Monthly Planner

Sometimes, you just want something small you can tuck into your pocket to jot down notes, an upcoming exam or when an essay’s due without busting out your phone (and potentially getting lost in a doomscroll or notification). This affordable pick does just that. It’s slimmer than a standard pen, and as a result, the pages are more of a month-at-a-glance calendar, so you won’t have much room for extensive notes and appointments. But! If you need something super convenient to cover the basics—and you don’t plan on going hard on bullet journaling and the like—this is a practical pick.

5. Best Undated Academic Planner: Notcoy Undated Planner

Life is heavy enough, and tracking everything that’s on your plate can be stressful. If you can relate, you might need a planner that doesn’t take things too seriously. (Or, if you typically abandon planners three weeks in, maybe you need a style that makes updating it fun.) Each spread in Notcoy’s undated planner breaks down the day simply, getting you to narrow your focus to the essentials: your top three priorities, up to five classes or meetings in a “schedule” section, a to-do list and a few lines for stray notes. (Curious to know more? See my in-depth review here.)

6. Best Full-Page Planner: At-a-Glance Academic Planner

When you’re already hauling textbooks, binders and folders all roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper, it’s kind of convenient to have a planner the size of a spiral notebook (only with a more durable cover). Each two-page spread spans the full week, as shown above, giving you decent space to write down the day’s tasks. (I tend to divide it into two columns; one for scheduled meetings and one for that day’s to-do’s, often jotted down stream-of-consciousness style.)

Tabs are included, so you can flip from month to month, and the monthly calendar spreads have a column for to-do’s, though I found I tended to prefer having a fresh list for each week, rather than one for the month.

Since middle school, I’ve had three-, five- and ten-year goals. It wasn’t something my parents impressed upon me; I just had a very clear vision of what I wanted out of life and found myself Rachel Berry-caliber devoted to following it. (Namely, going to college, working in magazines and publishing a book of some kind.)

There were so many things I wanted to do, and each project evolved into a bigger dream to pursue. And then I hit those major goals…and got seriously burned out. I had a kid, life got more complicated, and those dreams went from seeming linear—learning one skill to master another—to a bunch of fuzzy, competing ideas, with no clear direction. I wanted something more; I just had no idea what. Or rather, 237 fragments of ideas, and no real tug of which one I wanted to pursue.

I just felt off. I was okay with a slower season of life and changing priorities, but over the past year, I’ve really wanted to do…something. No course, podcast or journal prompt seemed to get me closer, either—until I started using the At-A-Glance Foundation Planner.

First Impressions of the At-a-Glance Foundation Planner

It was one of two planners the brand sent me for review consideration, and with so many generic agendas crossing my desk, I was prepared to write it off as yet another. I liked its slim design and magnetic-snap closure; the hunter green color and discreet color made it look very professional and polished in any setting. And at $22, it’s one of the more affordable yearly planners out there.

What Sets The Foundation Planner Apart

Like your mom always said, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and that’s where the agenda really delivered. Plenty of planners have areas for mind mapping or vision boarding; the Foundation has a multi-page intro that breaks down its goal creation and planning process, with images of the pages that follow filled out, so you can get a sense of how to get the most out of it.

That seems so simple, but really, it’s crucial. It’s easy to see pages of things to fill out—especially when you’re not sure what you want out of the year ahead—and feel overwhelmed. You dismiss it as something to do later, “when you have more time,” and then you start using the agenda portion, filling it out with that day’s must-do tasks and never getting around to dreaming big. A year passes, and you’ve crossed off the must-do’s to get through life, but you’ve never moved the needle to where you want to be. At least that’s the case for me.

I carved out an hour—setting an alarm, so it wouldn’t take over my evening—and committed to printing and cutting out images (from the only magazine in my house) to create the vision board, then doing a brain dump in the mind map section of the different areas of my life and what an awesome year would look like for me.

When My Breakthrough Happened

When I got stuck, I turned to the notes pages next to it and started journaling stream-of-consciousness, trying to suss out why I wanted certain things and what was a “should” vs. a “must” in my life. (Too many “shoulds” are a sign you’re living for someone else’s expectations and can embitter you, I’ve found.)

From there, I ranked my big goals on a scale of 1-10 of how passionate I was to jump up and “storm the castle,” as Sophia Bush says, or tackle them right away. It helped me narrow my focus and identify the top three goals for the year, then break them down into mini goals (or benchmarks) for the month ahead.

Suddenly, I had clarity on what I wanted—and needed—to do over the next year. And how to get there over the next few weeks and months. It was freeing and empowering.

Goal-Setting Is Great, But How Does the Foundation Planner Handle Daily Tasks?

As you progress through the planner, things get more granular.

• There’s a two-page monthly calendar, with a section to highlight that month’s main goal and the three steps you’ll take to achieve it (or get closer to it), as well as space to jot to-do’s (which seem a little odd for a monthly spread)
• The Weekly Agenda is a two-page spread, with a section at the top to list your three goals, track habits and log your main focus and win. Each day is offers a roughly 1.5-inch row to note three top tasks and time block your day.

While I like that there’s a spot to list your goals every week so they stay top of mind, realistically, I can see this practice feeling tiresome and redundant…and quickly falling by the wayside. (Particularly all the fields to fill out: Subject, start/end dates, next steps.)

The space for each day’s agenda is decent, though I would’ve preferred to ditch the Weekly Win/Focus and Habit Tracker in favor of space for to-do’s or notes. There isn’t much room for that as is.

The Verdict:

The Foundation planner does a great job helping you dream big and break it into sizable chunks, and the weekly agenda is excellent for people who are into time blocking or tend to have plenty of meetings on their calendar. (If you’re the to-do list type, I’d recommend using a Post-It note to jot those down, as there isn’t quite enough room in the weekly spreads for that.)

When I first tried Silk & Sonder‘s monthly wellness journal, I’d never seen anything like it. I’d heard of bullet journaling, and I was all too familiar with planners (being somewhat of a to-do list junkie), but this felt like so much more. Since then, I’ve tried several wellness journals and planners, but four years later, I keep coming back to Silk & Sonder.

So, how have the journals evolved over the years? Are they worth the annual subscription? What’s the hype about? Here are the fast answers, so you can decide whether it’s a good fit for you.

What’s in a Silk & Sonder Monthly Journal, Anyway?

Calling Silk & Sonder’s guidebook a journal sells it short. Each spiral-bound booklet lasts only a month, and each one has a theme. June 2020 was “choice,” and an intro letter from Meha, the founder, mentions that it was chosen to remind users that no matter what happens in the world, “only you have the power to decide how you react, amend and move on.” In January 2023, the theme was abundance, framed not just as a way to bring more of what you want into your life, but as an opportunity to appreciate the abundance that already exists in it.

What Types of Things You’ll Find in Each Silk & Sonder Journal

• Mood tracker
• Habit tracker
• Sleep tracker
• Coloring page(s)
• Daily “one thing” prompts, encouraging you to name one thing you can do that day to make your day easier
• Reflections for the previous month
• Intention-setting for the month ahead (focusing on spiritual and physical health, personal goals, professional goals, money management and key relationships)
• Custom workbook pages that reflect that month’s theme (for January 2023, there was an “Abundance Jar” activity, a year in review section, a dream life section and a few abundance-themed journal prompts
• Gratitude log
• Recipe(s)
• Notes pages

What’s New with Silk & Sonder

The price has gone up since 2020—from $20 a month to $25—but the company has launched an online community that makes the journal even more useful. The Sonder Club lets you connect with others on a similar path, offers daily affirmations and exercises, and other bonus content.

The Silk & Sonder Planner’s Pros

Pro: It’s Thoughtfully Designed

As much as I value space for a classic to-do list, the little activities taking up the first third of the booklet really got me psyched for the month ahead—and helped me to stop and think about what I actually wanted to accomplish that month, instead of getting stuck in the head-down, daily grind of existing.

Pro: It Inspires You to Be Proactive *and* Reflective

It helps you focus, track your goals and inspires you to expand your perspective—while taking care of yourself.

Pro: It Takes Up Zero Space

And the slim design and spiral-bound nature make it easy to take with you and journal on the go.

The Wellness Journal/Planner’s Cons:

Con: The Cost

A year’s worth of journals will set you back $189—that’s still a 35 percent savings from the month-to-month cost ($25 apiece), but still, that can be hard to swallow.

Granted, this is more of a magazine-meets-motivational-guide-meets-organizer than a traditional planner, with the surprise-and-delight element of a subscription box. But still. You’d have to really use it—and feel fulfilled by the results—to justify the cost. (But, to be fair, let’s refer to the bulleted list above: You’re getting a whole lot more than a calendar and a bunch of blank pages with dates.)

Con: Flimsy Construction

It’s a spiral-bound, paper planner that feels like it was printed off a home printer on light card stock. For some, this is a deal-breaker, making it not worth the cost. This wasn’t a big deal to me, because it kept the notebook lightweight, and when it was fully used, I didn’t feel as guilty tossing it (or recycling the pages) as I do with hardcover annual planners.

The Bottom Line: Is Silk and Sonder Worth It?

Silk & Sonder‘s series makes for a great birthday or holiday gift: You can try out for a month or two, see what you get out of it, and decide from there if it’s the right fit for you. They also offer some pretty cool gift sets, making the present extra special.

Silk & Sonder was originally reviewed in June 2020. This story is an update of that original article.

Editor’s Note: Hi, everyone! We’re psyched to feature Thalia-Maria Tourikis of Notes by Thalia today. She offers a refreshingly low-maintenance approach to wellness we can really get behind, and we hope you do too.

By Thalia-Maria Tourikis

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding self-care is that it has to be long.

Open Instagram or TikTok and chances are when you search “self-care” you will be bombarded with hundreds of videos showing beautiful, slender girls waking up at 5 a.m., drinking green matcha lattes, heading to the gym, doing a 12-step skincare routine and going on a hot girl walk.

Even I have to admit, that version of self-care is overwhelming AF.

Who has the time to spend 3 hours or longer on self-care during the week, let alone over the weekend?

And that is why I encourage a simple, stripped-back version of self-care. Because it doesn’t need to be an all-day event to be effective. Self-care can simply look like taking a 3-minute break in between tasks or getting outside for some fresh air.

I’m here to show you how to dedicate time to that version of self-care (rather than the unrealistic version you see on social media).

What Is Self-Care?

By definition, self-care is any activity you do to help take better care of your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

However, it’s important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. It is unique to the individual. What works for me might not necessarily work for you.

For example, my ideal form of self-care is having a slow morning and reading my book for 30 minutes before I do anything else. But yours might be waking up early and heading to the gym to get in a workout before starting work.

That is why it’s essential that you don’t just copy the self-care routines you see online as they might fail to benefit you.

The truth is, self-care should never feel like a chore, otherwise, what’s the point?

Self-care should be an uncomplicated practice that you turn to in that moment to give you what you need.

So take the time to find those simple but powerful activities that support your daily well-being.

For me, it’s anything that brings me joy or makes me feel grounded. This typically looks like reading a fiction book, going for a swim, doing a jigsaw puzzle or watching the sunset.

And because I’m clear on what rituals nourish me, I can be intentional with my self-care practice rather than indulging in a random activity that I won’t benefit from. (This is manifestation and crystal healing for me.)

The Benefits of Self-Care

When done correctly, self-care is supposed to make you feel good both on the inside and on the outside.

Yes, it may feel uncomfortable sometimes, especially if you’re doing a lot of inner healing work, but overall, self-care should positively impact your health and well-being long after the initial dopamine hit has worn off.

For example, doing yoga or meditation can be viewed as healthy self-care activities. Whereas mindlessly scrolling social media or eating lots of junk food might be seen as unhealthy forms of self-care.

It’s important that when you come to writing your feel-good activities list (I’ll explain this below), you focus on activities that do just that—make you feel good.

Engaging in a self-care practice that works for you can also:

• Increase energy levels
• Boost your mood
• Reduce stress and anxiety (Mental Health First Aid, 2022)
• Teach you to appreciate your own company
• Nurture a better relationship with yourself
• Encourage personal growth
• Promote a healthy work-life balance

How to Incorporate Self-Care into Your Week

1 | Write a feel-good activities list

If you’re new to self-care, it’s important to first establish the things you enjoy doing.

Grab a notebook and pen, and brain dump all the activities you can think of that light you up inside. Focus on writing down at least 10-15 activities.

Keep them simple and realistic whereby you know you can easily fit them into your day, week or month. For example, going on a long woodland walk, getting stuck into a new hobby or taking yourself out on a solo date.

Once you’ve written your list, keep it somewhere visible or accessible so you can refer back to it when you need to. (Bonus points if you turn it into a creative collage and laminate it.)

2 | Focus on your needs

When writing your feel-good activities list, it’s important that you pay close attention to your needs.

Use these journal prompts to help you with this:

• What do I usually need at the end of the day?
• What triggers my overwhelm?
• What are my biggest stressors?
• How do I want to feel by the end of the day?
• What helps me decompress after a long, busy day?
• What else makes me feel good?

Remember, self-care isn’t always about hot baths and pampering.

It’s about human needs.

So when you dedicate time to self-care, make sure you’re doing something that will actually benefit you, that you look forward to doing. For example, don’t force yourself to go on a run if all you want to do is rest and relax with a good book.

By focusing on your needs first, you can intentionally choose an activity that directly addresses those needs rather than indulging in a random activity you won’t benefit from.

There are 8 pillars of self-care, so make sure you include activities for each of these areas. That way you never fall short of the ideal ritual you need in that moment.

3 | Schedule 2-3 activities each week

Now that you have a list of 10-15 feel-good self-care activities, you can start to incorporate them into your week.

When you do your weekly planning (I recommend doing it on a Sunday as part of your reset routine), I want you to choose two to three of the activities you wrote down and schedule them into your week.

Pay close attention to how you are feeling in that moment: How is your week looking? What do you think you will need?

It might also be a good idea to write down two backup activities in case your needs change.

Then, schedule them in! Open your calendar and pinpoint a time in your week when you can engage in these activities. You don’t need to do all of them at the same — sprinkle them throughout your week for maximum benefit or repeat them each day just like you would a habit.

Why two to three activities? That number offers an ideal balance between building the habit of self-care and flexibility in case things don’t go to plan (because life does happen).

Feel free to adjust this number higher or lower to a point where it suits you and your lifestyle. The key is to ensure that these self-care activities are realistic and can easily fit into your daily life.

4 | Use The Balanced Self Wheel

If you’re struggling to know how to schedule in your self-care activities, then get visual.

Let me introduce you to the Balanced Self Wheel.

I came up with this concept a couple of years ago on my own self-care journey, and it has worked wonders on me.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1 = On a piece of paper, draw a circle and divide this into 3 equal parts

Step 2 = Write one of the below phrases in each segment of your wheel leaving space below:

• Be Productive
• Be Playful
• Be Restful

Step 3 = Write down your top 3-5 priorities for the week within the ‘Be Productive’ segment

Step 4 = Add 1-2 fun activities for the week within the ‘Be Playful’ segment

Step 5 = Add 1-2 calming activities for the week within the ‘Be Restful’ Segment

Step 6 = Schedule it into your calendar

The secret to incorporating self-care into your week is to treat it as a non-negotiable like you would work commitments. And by using this method, you can visually see how balanced your week looks.

N.B. Feel free to re-label each section of your wheel with other words that better suit you and your needs.

5 | Establish self-care reminders

Just because you’ve written down what self-care activities you’re going to do and when, doesn’t mean you’re actually going to do them.

Writing them down is only half of the battle. You need to commit from the inside and hold yourself accountable.

So how can you do this?

Establish self-care reminders that prompt you into taking your well-deserved me-time.

For example, set an alarm at the time you’re most available during the day and when it goes off, say to yourself, “Ok, it’s time for a self-care break!.”

You’re more likely to do something if you have a trigger to prompt you so don’t underestimate the power of reminders.

Hot tip → If your alarm goes off and you really can’t get away for a self-care break, then at least spend a few minutes checking in with yourself to see how you are feeling. Reflect on what currently feels good and what feels off. And think about the small steps you can take to make the rest of your day 1% better.

Quick and simple self-care ideas to add to your week

Need some inspiration getting started?

Here are some quick and simple ideas to try as part of your weekly self-care routine:

• Set at least 10 minutes aside to read
• Go on a 20-minute walk
• Do a 25-minute yoga flow
• Take a 7-minute break twice a day
• Journal or practice gratitude for 5 minutes in the morning
• Get at least 10 minutes of fresh air in the afternoon
• Spend 2 minutes checking in with yourself
• Wind down 30 minutes before bed
• Go screen-free for at least 1 hour in the morning
• Do 3-mins of breathwork after a work meeting
• Give yourself a 1 minute hug at the end of the day
• Listen to your favourite song 
• Have a 10-minute dance party when you need a pick-me-up
• Try the 54321 grounding method
• Blast yourself with cold water for 30 seconds at the end of your shower
• Say “I’m doing great” three times when you need an mood boost
• Write down 3 wins from the day

Final thoughts

The simplest of rituals can have the biggest impact on your overall health and well-being.

Self-care for that reason doesn’t need to look like an all-day event that is only reserved for a Sunday. It can simply look like taking a 5-minute break during the day and getting outside in nature for some fresh air.

So take the time to find those simple activities that make you feel good and that can easily fit into your weekly schedule.

Don’t just do whatever seems most popular on social media and wonder why it’s not working.

Always prioritize you and your needs first.

Bio: Get to Know Thalia

Hey, it’s Thalia!

I’m not like the other wellness girls you see online. I don’t drink coffee or matcha lattes and I’m not a huge fan of green smoothies. Give me a medium-rare steak with a glass of red wine any day and I’ll be a very happy girl.

I’m also famous for my slow mornings. You won’t see me waking up at 5 a.m. and following an unsustainable “That Girl” routine but instead ignoring my alarm and choosing to read a fiction book over going to the gym.

For the past three years, I’ve been empowering women to stop copying what everyone else is doing and do what works for them. So if you’re craving a more realistic approach to wellness, you can find me on Instagram and Pinterest all under @notesbythalia. And for deeper “how-to” posts that empower you to do things on your own terms, head over to my blog notesbythalia.com.

Lead Photo: Candace Braun Davison