Welcome to our blog series, Plot Twist! Here, we'll be sharing the stories of people in the Words Alive community — stories of change, growth, and maybe a few surprising twists! We hope that through these stories, you'll get to know our community a little better and see the power of literacy come to life. This article is part of a special edition of this series as it spotlights our incredible volunteers who have been nominated for Words Alive’s 13th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration!
Image of Kristina Cox.
Kristina Cox’s service with Words Alive radiates with her incredible generosity and humble dedication to support her community through reading. As our Volunteer of the Year, Kristina has served in multiple roles since joining our team. From being a Champions for Youth fundraiser, Curriculum Editor, project crafter, and now the active Lead Volunteer of Social Media Squad and a WAWS Taskforce member, Kristina has made her extensive volunteering impact primarily through virtual means.
Learning about Words Alive’s remote volunteer opportunities in 2020 through her work’s community outreach team, Kristina was drawn to Words Alive’s mission and values and felt as if it “was an organization that [she had] always wanted to be a part of but never knew existed.”
“I am passionate about equal access to education, and believe that literacy and the enjoyment of reading opens so many doors to not only opportunities but also ways to help make life more enjoyable. I feel so fortunate to be part of an organization that’s working towards making that possible.”
Following her interest in virtual service roles, Kristina joined the Social Media Squad and the WAWS Taskforce and has been operating in those groups since. For the former, she collaborates with fellow staff and social media volunteers to fill Words Alive’s Social Media content calendar daily with helpful information, resources, and graphics to further grow and connect Words Alive’s online community. For the latter, Kristina supports other Taskforce members and WAWS Scholars by supplying ideas, articles, website content, and co-engineering activities and resources to better mentorship engagement with scholars.
When asked about how participating in these programs has made her feel, Kristina explained that she felt lucky and grateful—“Words Alive fosters such a beautiful, welcoming environment where it feels like anything is possible. I wish I could dedicate more time to it!”
In addition to the warm relationships she has cultivated through teamwork and volunteering, Kristina’s belief in Words Alive’s values and mission motivates her to keep going and make a difference in her community. She shared, “My entire experience as a whole with Words Alive has impacted me greatly. I had a rough upbringing form a very young age until my late teens and books are the number one thing that got me through it. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I didn’t love reading/have the ability to read growing up. I have always wanted to help make that possible for kids/teens in whatever way I could, and I will always be a cheerleader for this organization!”
Words Alive’s community will forever be touched by Kristina’s magnanimous contributions and heart. Kristina, thank you for helping us to empower San Diego children, teens and families with the power of reading and allowing us to be a part of the positive impact you’re making in the world!
Book recommendation: The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
This post was created by Gabby Villadolid, Words Alive’s Storytelling Intern! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love to have you on the team! Email to learn more.