Meet Our New Storytelling Intern, Gabby Villadolid!

Introducing another new addition to the Words Alive team: our spring Storytelling Intern, Gabby Villadolid! Read on to learn more about Gabby!

Gabby’s storytelling work at Words Alive combines her love of reading and writing and passion for social justice. She attended Loyola Marymount University in LA for a year before transferring to Georgetown University, where she studied various social issues intersecting gender, immigration, globalization, post-conflict justice and more as a Justice and Peace Studies major. Her involvement in literacy and nonprofits progressed from volunteering as at-home English tutor for a DC student with an immigrant background to interning at Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines, which provided English and Filipino literacy programs to public elementary school partners throughout the archipelago. After graduating last year, Gabby is currently finishing up her fellowship research project on education and racial justice as she joins Words Alive virtually from the Bay Area!

Gabby’s dog, Max!

In her free time, Gabby loves playing with her senior dog Max; watching cooking videos; and expressing herself through makeup, fashion, and music! She sings everyday and hopes to improve her instrument playing and songwriting. A true introvert and story nerd, she is happiest while at home listening to her favorite musical artists or true crime podcasts, or just curling up in bed with a new novel or webcomic.

Now, here’s a few words from Gabby!

What drew you to intern at Words Alive?

Words Alive’s Storytelling internship just happened to marry all of my personal and post-grad, next-step professional interests into one! I wanted the opportunity to develop my writing skills in a communications role while engaging in social impact/justice work. I also attribute much of my educational and individual formation to geeking out on books and comics since I was young, so Words Alive’s mission to address systemic inequities by providing community reading programs really resonated with me. Lastly, conducting qualitative social science research in my undergrad taught me to fall in love with the impact and process of storytelling, so as soon as I saw the words “Storytelling Intern” on LinkedIn’s internship post I knew I had to sign up!

What is your favorite aspect of the work you do?

I am currently just starting out, but I really love how intentional Words Alive is with supporting one another as a team and implementing positive change by embodying it themselves in mindsets and actions. We just had a Board and Staff Retreat on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility discussing the importance of using inclusive and asset-based language, and throughout the retreat I felt so lucky that I joined!

What book or story has had a big impact on you? Do you have a favorite quote?

“According to you, healing is a relationship between doctor and patient. ‘Di ba? Pero you’re wrong. Alam mo, healing? Ay mundo yan. It’s a world. So what you think about it matters. You’re involved.”

— Elaine Castillo, "America is Not the Heart"

Reading America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo was so jarring because it was my first time reading a novel completely about modern Filipino-American characters—I could picture their stories so well because they either mirrored similar contexts and experiences in my own life or in the lives of other Filipinos, down to the very last detail. It taps into the nuances of Filipino and Filipino-American narratives of history, politics, and identity and how these manifest in the lives of protagonist Hero De Vera and her immigrant family coming to grips with their pasts and starting anew in Milpitas, California. As a second-generation Filipino-American immigrant born and raised in the Bay Area, I felt so affirmed reading about the De Veras’ struggles and resilience in valuing fluctuating meanings of home, family, and other cultural values. I also appreciate that this story provides representation for persons who identify as LGBTQ+!

What is your favorite recent read?

I actually picked up this book because it was on BookTok—The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s about a woman named Nora who fatefully encounters the Midnight Library, a place between life and death where one has the chance to revisit and experience different life choices through reading the library’s infinite books, each containing an alternate life story for every possibility. I’m fascinated by the idea of parallel universes and found this story sobering, uplifting, all the good adjectives BookTok described it to be!

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We are so excited to have Gabby on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

Meet Our New Page Turners Intern, Julie Chen!

We are ecstatic to welcome another awesome human to the Words Alive team: our new Page Turners Intern, Julie Chen! Read on to learn more about Julie!

Julie’s belief and motivation to make a positive impact through literacy and learning stem from her love of reading and her college journey. Before transferring to University of California San Diego (UCSD), Julie attended De Anza College in her Bay Area hometown where she witnessed secondhand the struggle of learning English as a second language as an English tutor. Wanting to pursue a major that would allow her to directly help others, Julie switched between English Literature, Business Psychology, and Education Studies majors throughout her college career before settling on a Psychology major with a Global Health minor. As a former English Major and now Page Turners Intern, Julie believes that reading is crucial not only for encouraging us to explore different worlds and empathize with the different experiences of others, but also for allowing us to feel less alone as we relate to characters whose worlds are similar to ours.

Additionally, as a second-year transfer student and current senior, Julie is set to graduate this Spring 2022! In her personal time, Julie is a self-proclaimed grandma at heart who loves knitting, embroidering, and hand weaving macrame pieces. She also enjoys researching and studying the craft of coffee-making due to working as a barista for the past six years! You might also catch her playing video games with friends or going on hikes as well.

Now, here’s a few words from Julie!

How did you discover Words Alive? What drew you to interning here?

I discovered Words Alive through a student organization at UCSD. I heard about the internship position during an orientation and decided to take the opportunity to learn about nonprofit work since that’s something I’m thinking of pursuing in my future. I was also drawn to the mission of spreading diversity and working to reduce the literacy gap in school children today.

What is your favorite aspect of the work you do? Do you have a fun memory that exemplifies this?

I love all the researching I do for my internship—mainly researching books. I didn’t realize how many books existed in the world until I started researching them (my list of books to read has reached new highs)! One of my best memories of working here was the first time I came to the office and got to browse the large inventory of books we have. I felt a sense of absolute amazement for the stellar work of our staff and volunteers after seeing those and the boxes of kits for the Read Aloud Program. Being able to see all their hard work in front of my eyes made me realize I truly found myself a spectacular program to be a part of.

What book or story has had a big impact on you?

For some reason I’m blanking on stories that I read and really left a big impact on me recently, but I guess the series that had the biggest impact overall was the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. This series was what really captivated my love for reading when I was a child. It also ignited my love for Greek Mythology, and my imagination in the belief that demigods really do exist in our world.

What is your favorite recent read and quote?

“The internet is the flattening of time. It is the place where the past and present exist on one single plane. But proportionally, because the present calcifies into the past, even now, even as we speak, perhaps it is more accurate to say that the internet almost wholly consists of the past. It is the place we go to commune with the past.”

— Ling Ma, "Severence"

Currently I’m finishing Severence by Ling Ma. It’s a fun version of an apocalyptic world but not super dramatized like how it normally is in books or shows like “The Walking Dead.” It also jumps between pre- and post-apocalypse, so we get a glimpse at the main character’s life before the everything occurred. But the main reason why I’m really enjoying it is because the main character is a Chinese American girl living in New York in her early twenties and I resonate with a lot of the emotions she has being in that confusing age. It also has moments with profound philosophical thoughts of what it means to exist during a worldwide apocalypse, which is something we all can definitely resonate with at this time.

Can you share a photo of something you love?

Here’s my dog, Ellie and cat, Boba!

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We are so excited to have Julie on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

Meet Our New Engagement Coordinator, Kristi Stoza!

We are so excited to announce a new addition to the Words Alive team: our new Engagement Coordinator, Kristi Stoza! Read on to learn more about Kristi and her drive to join the Words Alive team!

Kristi brings with her years of experience in volunteer management, fundraising, and program work serving families facing homelessness, domestic violence, and substance abuse.  She holds an undergraduate degree in social work from SDSU and is an active volunteer with Shoreline Community Services serving unhoused individuals in the central beach areas. Her past work experience includes positions at Vista Hill, Center for Community Services, and the LGBTQ Youth Space in San Jose.  In her free time, Kristi enjoys running, paddle boarding, checking out new restaurants, and planning weekend adventures with her family.

Now, a few words from Kristi!

What intrigued you about Words Alive? Why did you want to join the team?

I’ve always loved to read and my background is in social work, so I was immediately interested when I heard about Words Alive’s mission! In prior work, I noticed how access to books and engaging literacy education varied drastically even among schools in the same city, not to mention what was available to youth facing extraordinary circumstances like homelessness and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Even more disheartening was witnessing how so many kids didn’t get to see themselves reflected in the books available to them or engage in classroom discussions based around literature that was relevant to their lives and experiences. I find Words Alive so exciting since the mission connects my passions for reading, social justice, and building equitable communities!

What are you most excited about in your new position?

I’m thrilled to get to work with such a kind and brilliant group of staff and volunteers! Additionally, I firmly believe in the power of unpaid labor, so honoring the volunteers that make Words Alive able to operate so many amazing programs is very exciting to me! I enjoy helping people see the impact of what they’re doing, which makes me really look forward to demonstrating to volunteers and donors the power of their contributions. I also really love how positive and asset-based Words Alive is, as well as the organization’s commitment to community collaboration and empowerment.

What is your relationship with literacy and learning?

Books have always been a big part of my life. As a child, I enjoyed escaping into other worlds by reading books that let me experience things I could never have imagined. I moved a fair bit in my childhood, so books were a constant – something that I could always count on and connect with! As I got older, books helped me develop my own identity as I grew to understand the world around me by reading new perspectives and exploring topics previously unknown to me. Reading helps me learn new things, challenge my previous assumptions, and continue to grow as a person.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America by Angie Schmitt. I also read a lot of fiction, especially horror and thrillers!

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We are so excited to have Kristi on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

Change the Story of Your Life: Vichittra Chaleune

This post is part of our series in celebration of Words Alive’s 20th anniversary and our new brand promise: Change the Story of Your Life. Whether you are a donor, volunteer, participant, or all the above, Words Alive has a meaningful impact on your life story. Follow this link to get involved in the next 20 years of Words Alive.

An image of Vichittra faciliting suring a Family Literacy Program session. She is wearing a dinosaur costume and holding up a book.

How has Words Alive changed the story of your life?

Words Alive changed the story of my life at a young age. When I was in 1st grade I had a volunteer reader in my class and she helped me find the joy in reading. I was not confident in my reading skills and did not think I would ever like reading but my reader made stories so fun and engaging. As an adult, I now consider myself a reader and enjoy reading during my free time!

When did you first get involved with Words Alive? Why have you continued to support Words Alive?

 I’ve been at Words Alive for about 4 years now. I started off as a part-time Associate Program Manager where I assisted with the Read Aloud and Family Literacy Programs. During this time I was also a reader in a 2nd grade class at Golden Hill K-8. It was so much fun and just amazing to see our impact in the classroom first-hand. The experience was different from being in the office and hoping that what we do makes a difference. To be able to witness the impact we were having first-hand was such a joy. A few impactful experiences:

• I read a story titled Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora and a little boy said, “That Rapunzel looks like my mom! She has long dreadlocks like my mom and I have dreadlocks too!” It was a wonderful feeling to see him so excited to read a book because he could connect with it in such a personal way.

• I remember reading a story by an author named Brian and a little boy said his name is Brian so he said to the group, “I wrote this book!” We all kept the conversation going by asking Brian questions as if he were the author and we all had great fun with he story. It was a great way to get all the students engaged in the book in a different way and they were all so excited to discuss the story.

• We read a story titled, Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? And one little girl said, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up. I don’t care what people say I’ll still follow my dreams!”

It’s stories like these that encourage me to continue my work at Words Alive. Sometimes it’s hard to see past the nitty gritty of the work we do day in and day out but it’s reassuring and inspiring to know that we provide quality programs that will impact our next generation of readers and learners.

How are you currently involved with Words Alive?

I’m currently responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating the Words Alive Read Aloud Program!

What is your favorite Words Alive moment?

One of my favorite moments is when I was working with parents as a FLP facilitator and one mama said her son always wants to sing the parts of the book song and will always ask to read at home as a result of our program. She said before our program he never wanted to read and would get easily distracted but now he loves books and will hug the book after they read together just like we do during the FLP reading sessions.

What are you currently reading? 

We’re currently in high gear prepping for the next school year so I’m reading new curriculum books for the 4th grade reading list: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. It’s The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter meets The Giver!