¡Hola mis amigos y mi familia! Es martes de tacos...aka, TACO TUESDAY! 🌮

This chick has the right mask. And guess what? It was homemade by her bro, Zack!

Once again, this shoot occurred spontaneously as I was walking down Ventura Boulevard, in between gigs. Gotta love LA and the SFV (San Fernando Valley).

I actually noticed April’s shirt (courtesy of an awesome thrift store, NCJW The Resale Shop and stopped her to tell her how cool it is. Yes, it says, “JUST DO IT” and yes, that’s Shia LaBeouf spelling it out. 🤣

It wasn’t long before April recognized ME! Say what?

April recognized my voice through my mask. #madskillz

That’s right, I was the Sports Reporter for our shared alma mater and broadcasted the morning announcements over the Public Address System every morning. "This is Robin Randolph, with your SOCES Sports Report"... 🎙

Anyway, back to April’s story:

RR: How has Covid-19 impacted you personally? 
AS: “When COVID began, I was living in Brooklyn, NY. The pace of the city was intoxicating...and then it came to a halt in March 2020. Soon after, I lost my job and had to move back in with my parents in LA. It felt like the life that I'd begun to build fell apart in an instant.”

RR: What has Covid-19 made you grateful for?
AS: “My health above all, but also the immense privilege I have that allowed me to come home and stay with my loving family. So many have been displaced with nowhere to go.”

RR: What has been the biggest challenge for you during this time? 
AS: “I’ve learned to put my "struggles" into perspective. Even on the hardest days, it is so important to be grateful for what I do have. It has also challenged me to reassess this "linear" life I had been planning. Perhaps all of the goals of mine could wait while I learned to sew, zoomed with old friends and smelled the roses. Perhaps this was better. "Maybe my self worth shouldn't be based solely on my productivity," I thought.”

What struck me most about April and Zack was the genuine, sweet sibling bond that they share. I initially thought they were dating because of how affectionate and kind they acted towards one another. #sibgoalz 👫

Not only did they express their gratitude toward each other to me in person, but it's evident that Covid has brought them even closer...

AS: “They say friends are the family you get to choose, luckily, I have a built in best friend. My brother is my role model and our bond is stronger than ever because of quarantine. For months, we would play gin rummy and sip IPAs until way past our bedtimes and divulge all kinds of hopes, dreams and secrets." 🤫

RR: Is there a story behind your mask? 

AS: “My mom taught my brother and I how to sew in April 2020 and we began making masks! Soon it bloomed into a beautiful initiative called ZaxMasx. We've made over 1000 custom masks since then with fun fabric featuring Dr. Fauci, Bulldogs, Tacos and more!” 😷

RR: What are you most excited for when things return to “normal”? 
AS: “Going to get TACOS of course!!”

Thank you, April & Zack, for being true gems and for inspiring us to live, love, and laugh! ♥️