La La Land Joins BHHS Fair as NormanAid Marks 20 Years

Beverly Hills High School's annual NormanAid Support Fair brought mental health resources, alumni and community partners onto campus, with La La Land Cafe joining the event as the school's student support program marks its 20th year.

The cafe provided complimentary matcha and lemonade to BHHS students. Founder and CEO Francois Reihani, who attended the high school, returned to speak with students about entrepreneurship and the role kindness, purpose and personal connection have played in building his business, according to a Beverly Hills Unified School District announcement.

The collaboration placed a familiar consumer brand alongside a school program whose work extends well beyond a single campus event. NormanAid provides counseling, crisis support, mental health education and school-wide wellness programming, giving students several ways to seek help and connect with support.

Wellness Coordinator Ali Norman-Franks organized this year's fair, bringing those resources into a campus-wide setting. The event connected students with educators, counselors, alumni and community partners while making the school's wellness services more visible.

BHUSD Board of Education President Judith Manouchehri said that support is part of the district's responsibility to students.

"At Beverly Hills Unified, supporting the whole child means creating schools where students know they are seen, valued, and surrounded by people who care about their success and well-being," Manouchehri said.

She pointed to the collaboration as an example of the relationship between the schools and the surrounding community.

"Our schools, alumni, businesses, and community partners continue to come together around our students in meaningful ways. Having La La Land Cafe bring its message of kindness directly to our campus is another example of what can happen when a community truly invests in its young people."

Among the alumni supporting students at the fair was Michael J. Libow, a member of the BHHS Class of 1981. The district described Libow as a longtime supporter of NormanAid and Beverly Hills schools who has championed access to student mental health and wellness resources.

The fair also highlighted the place of wellness services within BHUSD's wider counseling program. According to the district, the Board of Education has focused in recent years on an approach that includes academic advising, dedicated college counseling, and mental health and wellness support.

For NormanAid, the 20-year milestone connects this year's gathering to two decades of work with BHHS students. Reihani's return and Libow's continued involvement added an alumni connection to an event centered on the students attending the school today.