Meet Our New Young Adult Program Manager, Marisol Vasquez !

We are so excited to announce a new addition to the Words Alive team: our new Young Adult Program Manager, Marisol Vasquez! Read on to learn more about Marisol and their drive to join the Words Alive team!

Marisol (they/them & she/her) is an activist and educator with a career centered around the critical relationship between K-12 education and reproductive justice. She graduated from San Diego State University in 2018 with a degree in Political Science and minor in Chicana/o Studies. Marisol comes to Words Alive with ten years of social justice and community organizing experience. Marisol has been recognized for her contributions by the Human Rights Campaign in 2014 for the Outstanding Youth Award and again in 2018 by SDSU for the Ned Joy Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership & Community. A self-described lifelong-learner, Marisol is excited to share her enthusiasm for literary empowerment with students and volunteers alike.

Now a few words from Marisol!

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

I was determined to join the team before I had even finished reading the job description for the position. My personal values are incredibly linked to the mission and values of Words Alive. I became a student advocate quickly and haven’t stopped working to support others and foster a love of learning. My career is dedicated to supporting and empowering marginalized youth through education, and Words Alive has amazing partners who support families experiencing extraordinary circumstances—this is very much a dream job to me, and I am ecstatic to be a part of such a talented team.

What are you most excited about in your new position?

I am probably most excited for the incredible people I am partnered with through the Adolescent Book Group. Not only do I get to work with the communities I am most passionate about, I get to work with educators and volunteers who are just as passionate about these communities.

What is your relationship with literacy and learning?

My relationship to literacy and learning is incredibly political and personal. By the time I left kindergarten, I had watched my mom earn her master’s degree while I was learning how to read. Conversely, when my grandma was in kindergarten, she wasn’t allowed to read the books in her classroom because she is Mexican. My family raised me to understand clearly that the passion to learn and read is an economic advantage and the key to personal empowerment. I am grateful to my family that my love of reading and writing has always been encouraged and I look forward to sharing that encouragement with others.

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall. It’s a fantastic graphic novel telling the story of the historian writing the book and the women she learns about along the way. It combines my two favorite genres of historical nonfiction and biographies

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We are so excited to have Marisol 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!

2020-2021 Words Alive Westreich Scholars!

This post was written with help from Nia Lewis, a Words Alive volunteer! 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.

Here at Words Alive, we're incredibly excited to celebrate our Westreich Scholars for the 2020-2021 school year! The Weistreich Scholarship aims to support graduates of our Adolescent Book Group program through the struggles they may face as they pursue their higher education goals. Our scholars for this academic year are Destiny, Andrea, Ulises, Marcia, Esther, and Antonise! We all deserve to pursue our passions through education, and our scholars exemplify how a little support can go a long way.

Andrea, one of our second year Scholars, recently transferred to George Fox University in Oregon to study sociology. She persevered through a difficult home situation during her freshman year and is now thriving at her new school! Andrea first became involved with Words Alive through the Adolescent Book Group at her high school in freshman year, and she became very close with her Words Alive mentor, Sonya, through the Westreich Scholarship program. She continues to stay in touch with the Words Alive team, and she is one of the true embodiments of the goal of this scholarship — to support students so they can flourish in all of their educational plans. You can learn more about her story here.

Even after they graduate from our programs, we know that our scholars continue to make a difference. One of our alumni, Lexi, studied Social Work at San Diego State University and is now a case manager at SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) San Diego! Recently, we were thrilled to work with her to get hundreds of books into the hands of the kids that her organization serves.

All of our scholars continue to prove that within each of us lies a fighter and a conqueror. Each one has had their own unique struggles to overcome, but has learned and grown so much through their determination to successfully transition to higher learning. They are incredible individuals, full of perseverance, passion, and determination. With help from the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship through financial, professional, and mentor support, we are so excited to see what they do in their next chapter.

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Andrea is a returning scholar and a student at George Fox University. She is studying Sociology.

“With the way I grew up, I feel like I could give back in a way with this degree.”

Antonise is a returning scholar and a student at San Diego City College. She is studying Information Security.

“It may be scary, I may stumble along the way but I can’t always waste my life worrying about the what ifs. Helping that student, I acknowledged that fear was my weakness and once knowing that I can grow from this flaw to become a stronger, better me.”

Destiny is a returning scholar and a student at Cal State Bakersfield. She is studying Criminal Justice.

Marcia is a returning scholar and a student at San Diego City College. She is studying Ultrasound Technology.

Esther is a returning scholar and a student at Palomar College. She is studying Sociology.

Ulises is a returning scholar and a student at Point Loma Nazarene University. He is studying Graphic Design with an Illustration Concentration.

“I learned how to handle myself better and how to reach out to friends and mentors. I learned to speak up and ask for help when I need it and not to be ashamed of it.”

Plot Twist: Logan Holland

Welcome to our new 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.

A picture of Logan.

Meet Logan Holland, one of our awesome Words Alive volunteers! Logan is currently a graduate student at UC San Diego studying mitochondria and the heart, and she is a passionate and dedicated supporter of our mission. We sat down with Logan to talk about the surprising connection between science and literature, the role of books in her own life, and why she volunteers with Words Alive.

Logan joined us in 2018, during her second year of college. She was feeling unfulfilled in her undergraduate science classes—“like I needed more words and literature in my life,” she puts it—so she did a Google search and discovered Words Alive. She started out as an ABG and Art & Lit volunteer and has gone on to support us in many different roles since!

Logan's current favorite book, Bone Light by Orlando White.

“Literacy definitely impacts every single facet of everyday life,” she says, describing how literacy factors into civic engagement, navigating the healthcare system, and developing critical thinking skills (“becoming a better human!” as Logan puts it). And at Words Alive, she says, “Everyone is super passionate about reading and really spreading reading as not just a hobby, but as something that can really further education, further people’s opportunities, further people’s futures. That’s why I’ve stayed and tried to get involved as much as I can.”

In addition to the importance of basic literacy skills, she's passionate about the power of story to change lives. “Everything I did in college is because of books that I read as a kid,” she explains, “which is why I want to work with this organization.”

Words have held an important role in Logan’s own life ever since she was little, a book-loving kid reading for hours to pass the time while her parents worked. But until she began volunteering with Words Alive, she didn't fully appreciate how far books have gotten her. “Only one of my parents went to college, so I did not have this strong academic upbringing,” she says. But today, as a graduate student, she concludes: “I think the only reason I’m here is because I was reading a lot of books.”

““Doctors are interacting with humanity in a pretty raw form, right? Literature is doing the same thing, but just in a different way. It’s just really getting into what makes us human.””

The books that she read inspired her to explore the connection between science and stories with a major in biochemistry and a minor in literature and writing. “I like to think of myself as a double major at heart,” she says. “I wanted to understand humans biochemically, and then figuratively with literature.”

Her passion for exploring the human condition eventually led her to the field of medicine. “Doctors are interacting with humanity in a pretty raw form, right?” Logan points out. “Literature is doing the same thing, but just in a different way. It’s just really getting into what makes us human.”

She points to the framework of narrative medicine as an example. In narrative medicine, clinicians are trained to see illness, diagnosis and treatment as a story. “They’re having doctors read books and take creative writing classes to foster that empathy because that is super important in clinical practice, but also everyday life,” she explains. Logan sees this as evidence that stories are vital for helping us connect with and understand each other more deeply. “The more books we can get everyone reading, the better,” she declares. And through her work with Words Alive, she’s helped us do just that.

A screenshot from our Zoom conversation with Logan.

Since the pandemic hit, Logan has really taken leadership in training other volunteers to make an impact in this new virtual environment. She’s always enthusiastic and eager to help others understand the impact of the work they’ll be doing—she even recruited her roommate to start writing curriculum for us!

Throughout this experience, she has been surprised and encouraged by the amount of people who have stepped up to help. “It has been really amazing to work with Sara [our Communications Manager] and just recruit a lot more people because I think the more people helping, the bigger the better, the bigger the impact,” she says. She misses seeing the results of her work in person, but until then, she says, “I really hope that Words Alive can keep using the power of the internet to spread their message and recruit more volunteers.”

Of all the many hats she’s worn at Words Alive, from helping with Art & Lit to translating literacy sessions in Barrio Logan to virtually training other volunteers, writing curriculum is her favorite. Through her time volunteering in classrooms before COVID-19, she saw firsthand how good curriculum impacted the students she worked with; well-written questions got them engaged with a story, excited about a character or passionate about a cause.

A student speaks about the 2019 Art & Lit project, “The Radius of All of Us.”

She remembers one Art & Lit experience in particular, when she was able to see the impact of the book The Radius of Us on one of the students. “He gave a speech of gratitude of how much this book changed his perception of the world,” Logan says, smiling. “That is my favorite memory. To see that impact in one person was very, very cool.” 

Knowing that the questions she writes can lead to such powerful reactions is why she loves curriculum writing so much. “I’m just writing words on my computer at home,” she says, “but people are interacting with these words and they’re becoming ideas, or passions, or career choices—which is my life story.”

Logan, we’re so grateful for the time and energy you dedicate to bringing the power of words to our community. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Introducing Plot Twist: Stories From the Words Alive Community

Welcome to our new 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.

Meet Andrea Vazquez! She is one of our second-year Westreich Scholars and recently transferred to George Fox University in Oregon, where she studies sociology. We wanted to talk to Andrea about her educational journey so far and learn what it’s been like to start at a new school during the pandemic!

Andrea in her new dorm at George Fox University!

Andrea is 19 and first got involved with Words Alive through the Adolescent Book Group at Monarch School in her freshman year. Before she graduated, she applied for and received the Westreich Scholarship!

For her, the most rewarding part of being a Westreich Scholar was her mentor, Sonya. “We got along very well, and even though our lives were a little different, there was one common thing that we had, and it was that our parents just expected a lot more of us than we can give. It was really nice to be able to vent to someone who could completely understand me.” Sonya’s experience working in a school was valuable as Andrea explored options for her future: “We would go out to eat, and try to figure out what my major could be, what I could do with school, if I needed help with any of my essays.”

Andrea and her mentor Sonya in 2019.

Andrea began her college journey at a local school as a biology major, but over time, found that it wasn’t the path she wanted to pursue. “I realized that it’s not that I hate biology, but I was just doing it because my family wanted me to do it.” When she took a sociology class about the problems of society, she discovered a new passion. “It was just amazing. With the way I grew up, I feel like I could give back in a way with this degree.” 

“I was working and taking care of my family and going to school full time so that really took a toll on me.”

Back in her senior year of high school, Andrea was accepted to George Fox University but ended up turning the offer down. “I said no, because I needed to help my mom out. I felt bad leaving,” she says. But focusing on her schoolwork was difficult that first year. “I was working and taking care of my family and going to school full time so that really took a toll on me and I didn’t do so well in a lot of my classes.” When she received a letter from George Fox saying that she was still welcome on campus, she decided to take the opportunity to transfer. As she planned her move to Oregon, she told herself, “I guess we’ll see if it’s just me not being good in school, or if it’s my environment.” 

“It was my environment,” she concludes firmly, five weeks into the new school year. With more time and space to dedicate to her education, she is happy to report that her grades have improved. She pointed to a recent test as an example: “I just took a math test, and I’m not the best at math, and it really showed last year. But I actually got a B+ and I was really proud of myself! It made me realize that this year will be a lot easier than before.”

Still, it’s no small feat to change schools and move to a different state in the midst of a global pandemic. Many aspects of the quintessential college experience are missing, replaced by COVID restrictions. “I can’t leave my room to go shower without a mask on!” Andrea says, laughing. “I just expected to get sent home. I was really scared at first, because I thought it was just going to be taken away again, and my freshman year got taken away already.”

But she has no regrets about moving. “Obviously it gets stressful, but I can take all day and just focus on myself instead of focusing on other people and only having half an hour to myself to do homework, which is really, really awesome.” She loves the kind professors and the small class sizes at George Fox and is excited about the opportunity to reconnect with her faith at a Christian school.

A screenshot of Andrea from our Zoom call.

Andrea appreciates being able to keep in touch with Words Alive throughout this transition. “When I first moved in, [Jess, our Teen Services Program Director] was like, ‘How is it?’ and I was like, ‘You remembered!’ It’s been really nice to hear from people, and actually know that they’re listening to what I’m doing.”

Reflecting on what she’s learned about herself through this journey, Andrea spoke about the importance of self-care and prioritizing her education. “Putting myself first matters sometimes. In situations like this, this is my education that’s going to determine the rest of my life, so it’s important. It’s okay to be selfish.”

“Putting myself first matters sometimes. In situations like this, this is my education that’s going to determine the rest of my life, so it’s important. It’s okay to be selfish.”

In the future, she says, “I really want to help people and be able to give back to my community. Our world is really crappy right now, so I want to be able to help be the change for that.” One of her biggest goals is to be able to give back to Monarch School because of the difference caring, understanding teachers and adults made in her life as a student there.

Andrea, we’re so proud of you for taking this step towards reaching your goals. Congratulations on your transfer, and we can’t wait to see how you change the world in the future!

Reading To Evolve, To Connect, and To Share

By Dawn Miller, Head Teacher at Lindsay Community School

An image of Dawn with her students as they hold up copies of the book, Pride.

Twenty years ago, I was approached by my then principal Tracy Thompson and Leslye Lyons about launching a book club for my students at Lindsay Community School. Books and reading had played an integral role in my own survival as a child and young adult, and this fundamental understanding of the undeniable power of words naturally translated into my classroom at Lindsay, where we try to provide any and every opportunity for our students to latch onto a book and fly. 

So of course, when I met Leslye, we jumped at the chance to work with her and her new Words Alive project. And for any of you who have ever met Leslye, you know that she has that twinkle of the eye when she’s talking about books -- the one that tells you she doesn’t just read for leisure or entertainment, Leslye reads to evolve,  to connect, to unlock and share the secrets of our own humanity.  This rare and discerning awareness provided the foundation for Words Alive, and has guided the powerful work that has continued to come out of this project for the last 20 years. I recognized that twinkle the moment I met her, like when pain sees pain, or struggle sees struggle, with no words spoken -- and we couldn’t wait to begin the work.  

For the past 20 years, Words Alive volunteers have come into our school space, each month, to engage in the sparring of book talk. If I could give a quick shout out to our current volunteers - Mona, Geri, Sally and Jean - these extraordinary women also go around flashing that eye-twinkle-thingy and they share so much of their hearts with our students — we are deeply indebted. 

I’m assuming that most of the folks in attendance here today, also have a passion for reading, and you all might think that conveying that passion to and with a group of young folks might be challenging, but ultimately doable because you just know they’re gonna love that right book so much because your own love of books - it’s just a matter of getting that right book in the right hands . . .   But with our students, both at Lindsay and JCCS-wide, sharing this love requires you to put in work - real work - sometimes uncomfortable, often gut-wrenching and always formidable, work. Because as you may or may not know, the students of Lindsay are young mothers, and this already exiled status is compounded by homelessness, physical and sexual abuse, abandonment, family separation, system brutalities and endless other traumas and tragedies that the very best of us here, could not withstand.  BUT they make their way, each day - and I share their struggles with you now, not for sympathy (for sympathy does not empower), but to highlight their extraordinary resilience and undeniable courage in a world that works daily to smother them.

So when our Words Alive volunteers come monthly to spar - they come armed with books, of course, but more importantly, they come armed with compassion and understanding, without judgement or verdict, ready to learn and listen to one another in endless acts of patience and love. The girls also come packing - with sharp and quick-witted tongues, astute analyses, profound reflections, and grand criticisms. And somewhere in the middle of this motley crew, a million magical moments of hope are born. Books and reading are already mighty in their own right, but in the right context and wielded in a righteous way, they are also transformative.

What is borne of those monthly book circles is hard to describe, but what I witness can most aptly be called a political act. Sometimes the students are emboldened by stories of rebellion and insurrection, led by stronger-than-life women characters, real and unreal. Other times they are enthralled by collections of poetry that rip their already broken hearts out, but also remind them that through their pain comes strength. Often, they are so moved by a story or character battling similar Sisyphean struggles to their own, they become immediately resolved to pen their own stories of inequity, but this time, and in real life, with endings of justice and liberation.

Regardless of the book, it is in these moments that reading becomes an emancipatory act - a momentary vision of what is possible and how to get there. These students, who have been systematically stripped of their dignity, are suddenly circled in a space where they find themselves, their dreams and their words, ALIVE.  

A New Perspective on ABG

By Tait Longhi, Blog Intern

An image of an ABG student working on a writing prompt.

As I walked into Monarch School in downtown San Diego, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew that I would be sitting in on an Adolescent Book Group to get a sense of what Words Alive volunteers do and see how it affects the teens. When Jeffery Goldman, Words Alive volunteer and former Board Chair,walked into the lobby and took me to the classroom, he gave me more details about the school, specifically how every child who walks through the doors has been affected by homelessness.  

What struck me immediately was the excitement from the students to partake in the warm up activities. Jeffery tasked the kids with writing as many words ending with “r”, then “t”, then “e” in a minute. While all the kids focused on their own task at hand, however, there was still a level of collaboration with one another. The desire for each student to help their classmate was evident, giving the exercise a new depth. While it was a friendly competition, they wanted each other to succeed.

Next, Jeffery gave them their writing assignment for the session that would be turned in via Google Docs before the next time he meets with them. Since they were reading Night by Elie Wiesel, the writing topic was “when was there a time when you felt as if you lost hope, but overcame it.” This question obviously can get quite personal, but many of the students took it head on, while others pondered on what they might write about. Watching the natural writing process in these young students was inspiring and really brought me back to when I was young, first experiencing writer's block or nerves of starting to put words on paper. All that being said, the support from Jeffery, their teacher and fellow classmates got the ball rolling for most and those who didn’t finish their work knew that they could thaw out their ideas in time and share it with Jeffery when they were ready.

One student shared her piece with the class, about when her father fell and hit his head and had to go to the hospital. I was taken aback by how eloquent her story was and how much bravery it took to share her story, especially at her age. Upon leaving, Jeffery and I talked about the program. He explained that that the stories they kids tell are truly incredible and can even move him (or many) to tears.

As I got in my car and looked over my notes before leaving, I was particularly moved by how these kids threw themselves onto the page, or at least made the effort to. It reminded me of my own time in middle school a decade ago, and how vulnerable that can be but how important that process is. Self expression through writing can be one of the best ways to release or understand your own emotions or thoughts, in my personal opinion. The fact that Words Alive not only sees that, but promotes it to young children makes me particularly happy to be working (and writing) for this organization.  

Annual Report: Adolescent Book Group

What happened in our Adolescent Book Group Program in the 2017-2018 school year? To start, ABG more than tripled the number of program sessions delivered within Juvenile Court and Community Schools. As students and volunteers met more frequently (bi-weekly or weekly), they not only developed a greater rapport, they dove deeper into the books. New extensive curriculum guides gave students the opportunity to explore more real-life contexts in order to connect the texts to themselves and bring books alive!

More than 80% of students:

• agree that ABG has helped them develop a positive attitude toward books.

• agree that ABG has helped their ability to express themselves in group discussions.

• agree that ABG has improved their literary analysis abilities.

• agree that ABG has improved their vocabulary.

Meet Brittany

Brittany being interviewed by Channel 8 News reporter, Jeff Zevely, during our annual Share Your Love of Reading campaign.

Brittany Jackson truly represents our next generation of readers and leaders. Just seven years ago, Brittany was sitting on the other side of the Adolescent Book Group (ABG) discussion circle. Her first experience with Words Alive as an ABG participant was at Monarch School for homeless youth. After graduating from high school, Brittany became a Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) recipient and her ABG volunteer mentored her through her college years. Now, the duo is back in ABG where it all began — this time as co-facilitators. Brittany is our first Teen Services participant to become a volunteer. She is both an ABG facilitator and WAWS mentor. Talk about full circle!

“Words Alive has supported me throughout the years, and I wanted to give back to them, and those involved, to show that same support. There’s not a day that I volunteer with Words Alive where I wish I wasn’t there. I love seeing all of the different youth involved in the program and how Words Alive positively impacts each of them.” -Brittany Jackson

Art & Literacy Event

An image of one of the communal wood sculptures designed by students during last year’s Art & Literacy Event.

For the fourth year in a row, we hosted an Art & Literacy project with our Adolescent Book Group students. The Love You Give Event was a response to The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas’ best-selling novel. The project creatively weaved the book’s message and themes into communal wood sculptures (pictured above) designed by local artist Isaias Crow, facilitated by Words Alive volunteers, and produced by students who attend alternative schools between North County and the border. Using the book as inspiration, students explored the duality of themes that they read about while expressing what it all meant to them and their world. San Diego Art Institute hosted a public exhibition of their work in June of 2018.

Read more about the event here!

Student Perspectives

“Whenever I read a book that really interested me, I liked how we would all have a discussion about it by sharing thoughts and opinions. I have always liked creative writing, especially when it is about a subject that has always fascinated me. The projects have helped me delve deeper into the story and learn more about the setting and the characters...Words Alive was helpful in expanding my interests in other reading genres.” —Student, Adolescent Book Group

2016 Adolescent Book Group Impact Report

It's that time of year when Words Alive begins sharing the outcomes of its programs from the recently completed school year. Through our work with the San Diego County Office of Education, we've been able to share quantitative outcomes of our Adolescent Book Group - the numerical value the program has had on teen participants. This has generally included test scores and other measurable indicators highlighting increased critical thinking skills and better language and vocabulary usage.

However, another element we really want to know is whether or not HABITS around reading have formed. Are the students BECOMING readers? Has the PRACTICE of reading taken hold? These are very important qualitative indicators that show that the lives of the young people in the ABG program are improving. Gathering this data, and creating a narrative around these outcomes have proven more difficult to get.

Since January 2016, with the support of the William R. Gumpert Foundation and under the direction and guidance of Dr. Steve Patty's organization, Dialogues In Action, we joined a cohort of other local non-profits to explore just that - the deeper, more meaningful findings that qualitative data tells us about the impact of our programs. We designed evaluation instruments that gave us insight to the role that reading plays on the students' lives, and the kind of people they were evolving into because of their relationship to reading. 

On August 11th, we had the opportunity to present, briefly, some high points of this discovery publicly. This month, we also shared with the Board of Directors, the findings as anthologized in the 2016 Project Impact Report as published by Dialogues in Action. Here, we're proud to provide to you the full report, complete with findings as well as our methodology. We encourage you to read it. It's fascinating to see how these young people evolve and change in some extremely positive ways. 

Many of us take the act and practice of reading for granted. We've always done it. We know that the ability to read and write effectively is responsible for much of our success. We see how reading plays a vital role in nearly every aspect of our lives. But for a lot of young people in our community, the regular act of reading - and the benefits there of, have yet to be fully present. This is the purpose of Words Alive - to make reading MATTER. You'll see in the pages of this report, that this purpose is taking hold, and consequently changing a lot of lives for the better.

Please, click HERE to read the report.