Meet Kim, Our June Page Turner of the Month

This month, Page Turners would like to spotlight our volunteer of the month, Kim Evans. Kim is new to the Page Turners, starting her volunteer journey this past April, she has already read and reviewed 6 titles with us, totaling 44 hours of service! Here is what Kim had to say about her journey with Page Turners.

Can you give a brief introduction of who you are? (As much as you’re willing to share)

My name is Kim Evans and I currently live in the Oklahoma City area.  I just celebrated my 27thwedding anniversary…it goes by so fast.  We have two children,  two grandchildren and two dogs. Our youngest is home from his first year in college and we are enjoying having him home.  I’ve just celebrated by 24 years with Farmers Insurance.  

1. How did you come across Page Turners/Words Alive?

Farmers Insurance has a Spring into Service initiative each Spring. A teammate was telling me about this awesome opportunity with Page Turners. She enjoyed listening to Ground Zero and felt she was able to provide a good review that would help teachers make good selections for their students. I hadn’t ventured into listening to audio books, but thought I’d give it a try as she explained the purpose and I thought this could be a way I could encourage young readers. I was encouraged to read as young child and it developed into a favorite pastime as an adult.

3. What are your hobbies/interests outside of volunteering? 

 I love spending time with my family and friends.  It goes without saying that I love to read!  I also enjoy being outside working in the yard and enjoying the wildlife…we have a family of turkeys that roam through our yard daily. 

4. Has reading with Page Turners impacted your perspective on society or your community?  

I read Sitting Pretty and it gave more depth to my thinking when it came to challenges for people using wheel chairs. I knew the obvious, of course, but there are so many day-to-day things that I take for granted.  It also enlightened me to some of the socio-economic factors that I wasn’t aware of because the author was courageous enough to share her reality in great detail. I also learned a lot about history by reading They Call Us Enemy…there is a surprise at the end that I did not see coming. Sharing this history with young readers is important because it is so much easier to see things clearly when you are not impacted by the emotion of the event. Hopefully with the understanding of history, we can avoid these types of atrocities from occurring again. It was also inspiring as the main character was able to achieve great success by persevering, working hard and having courage to pursue his dreams.

5. What is your favorite book(s) so far? 

 Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11, by Alan Gratz. I enjoyed that it was written from a young person’s perspective and that it was told from the perspective of an American boy and an Afghan girl. 9/11 was the main storyline, but there was also a lot about relationships and humanity.  

MEDIA RELEASE: WORDS ALIVE OPENS PERMANENT HOME IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO TO CREATE HUB FOR YOUTH LITERACY INITIATIVES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Contact:  Katie Nieri, 661-817-3638

WORDS ALIVE OPENS PERMANENT HOME IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO TO CREATE HUB FOR YOUTH LITERACY INITIATIVES

SAN DIEGO – June 7, 2023 – Words Alive announces the gift of a 5,000 square-foot building in the East Village in downtown San Diego, courtesy of Karen and Jeff Silberman, to permanently house its efforts to improve regional literacy.

The organization’s new permanent home places the nonprofit organization closer to some of the region’s highest areas of need. Roughly 70% of its partner schools are now within six miles of the Words Alive headquarters, which drastically reduces the driving time for volunteers who delivered quality reading programming and 30,000 books and learning kits last year.

“The impact of the Silberman’s donation to World’s Alive can’t be understated—it’s allowing us to enter a new chapter of literacy advocacy and impact in San Diego,” said Rachael Orose, executive director of Words Alive. “This permanent home establishes a youth literacy hub in downtown and allows us to more effectively harness the power of our people – volunteers, staff and families– to inspire a new generation of learners.”

Nearly half of third graders in the San Diego Unified School District are not reading at grade level, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Education and San Diego Council on Literacy. Significant literacy disparities, largely driven by socioeconomic factors, are leaving too many kids behind.

“Reading is the first step toward empowerment and opportunity, and we believe Words Alive is uniquely situated to positively impact the lives of children in San Diego County,” said Karen and Jeff Silberman, who donated the property on Park Boulevard to Words Alive. “We look forward to seeing how this permanent home can help the organization advance its programs designed to ignite a love of reading among local families.”

Words Alive creates community by empowering over 800 volunteers to actively promote literacy in their communities through the Family Literacy Program, Read Aloud Program, Adolescent Book Group and other initiatives that reach over 5,000 children, teens and families each year. Register to volunteer or donate at wordsalive.org.

ABOUT WORDS ALIVE                 

Founded in 1999, Words Alive is a 501(c)3 organization that connects children, teens and families with the power of reading. Words Alive provides access to relevant and quality books, shared reading experiences, and a connection to reading that lays the foundation for continued success. To learn more about Words Alive visit: www.WordsAlive.org.

Photos for media use available: Ribbon Cutting Media Photo Library — Words Alive.

Photo credit: Photos courtesy of RZ-Photography.com | @rzphotosofficial

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Meet Jay, our May Page Turner of the Month

This month, we are honored to lift up Jay Gangadin as our Page Turner of the Month. Jay has been a Page Turner since 2021, in which he read and reviewed 27 titles, committing 78 hours of volunteer time to being a Page Turner with us! In an interview with Jay, he shared his inspiring thoughts on why he connects with Page Turners and the work we do. 

Here’s what Jay had to say about how he got started with Page Turners, and why he stayed involved. 

“I am an emerging freshman at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, aspiring to become a motorsports engineer. As a Puerto Rican-Indian, I embrace my culture and my traditions. I want to engage in diversity-focused groups and promote inclusivity within STEM. 

While searching for home-based volunteering programs during the pandemic, I came across Page Turners, which combines my favorite pastime of reading with a purposeful mission. Their mission fits my passion and sparks my interest. Through this program, I am aiding underserved children to elevate their literacy skills and claim space in classrooms.

The Page Turners program allowed me to uncover many relevant books I wished I had access to when I was younger. This reading journey has helped me find a connection I was missing, inspiring an embrace of the diversity within me. This rooted connection is the feeling I want to instill in other kids. Your individuality is your undeniable truth and the key to authenticity. I wish I had realized earlier the value of my cultural differences. This program enables a more inclusive book portfolio, which means kids can feel seen, represented, and heard. Starting this collective diversity initiative needed for inclusivity will offer an open and safe space where children grow and thrive.

Upon reading Dear Martin, I became aware of how deep social injustice and racial disparity run within our society. Through Martin Luther King's teachings detailed in the book and introspective reflections, I found resolve in elevating knowledge by dutifully engaging in purposeful initiatives for my mission. I realized I had to take a proactive role and make a difference for other children like me to feel protected and accepted. My resolve is to bring representation to the forefront, inspiring a positive impact and self-worth”.

2023 Curriculum Writer of the Year: Kaley O'Hare

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

Words Alive 2023 Curriculum Writer of the Year, Kaley O’Hare, is an incredible volunteer with an eye for detail and a boundless enthusiasm to take on multiple projects.

Kaley is from Southern California and graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara last summer. She now lives in Northern California and works as an Urgent Care Medical Scribe as she prepares to apply to medical school for the upcoming admissions cycle.

While Kaley loves a good story, she believes books do much more than just tell a tale. “Books can develop our creativity and imagination, critical thinking, change our viewpoints, connect people worldwide, and much more.” Words Alive caught her eye when she was searching for ways to volunteer, and she was hooked when she got the chance to read and create a curriculum. She spent 130 volunteer hours this past year as a Curriculum Writer, Editor, and Designer dedicated to producing high-quality curriculum guides for teens in the Adolescent Book Group. As a writer, she focuses on identifying the essential messages in each book and developing questions that build the student’s critical thinking skills as they explore the book’s key messages. A true pinch-hitter, Kaley is an incredible writer and assists with curriculum editing and design. In her free time, she writes short stories and even dabbles in animating. Kaley enjoys how her work on the curriculum team has expanded the diversity of books she reads and finds significant meaning in the thought that her work on these curriculum guides may contribute to shaping the story of the student’s lives, both in and out of the classroom.

Volunteering with Words Alive has also helped Kaley grow as a reader – her critical thinking and analytical skills while writing curriculum guides have become second nature when reading anything, helping her more deeply connect with the text. “I’m immensely proud to be a volunteer with Words Alive, where I have developed just as much of a love for learning from creating guides as the students who will use them. It’s incredible being part of a team that works toward ensuring that students and families can thrive through the power of literacy!” She hopes to stay on board with Words Alive in her current role and possibly additional roles. Kaley, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Curriculum Writer of the Year!

Book recommendation: She is currently (re)reading Firekeeper’s Daughter. She also highly recommends Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and When You Trap a Tiger for middle-school readers and Firekeeper’s Daughter and The Henna Wars for high-schoolers!

2023 Rookie of the Year: Mary Tibiatowski

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

The Words Alive 2023 Rookie of the Year honoree Mary Tibiatowski joined Words Alive this fall and has already significantly impacted the organization!

Mary was born and raised in Kansas City and attended Kansas State College. In talking about what sparked her love of reading, Mary feels lucky to have a family and excellent elementary school teachers who actively encouraged her love of books. When she was 20, she traveled to San Diego with a friend and never returned to Kansas. Kansas’ loss was our gain! Mary initially worked part-time in an accounting firm while raising her two kids, Cynda and Cleis. Her daughter was diagnosed with a rare hereditary condition when she was ten, and as a result, Mary needed flexibility in her working hours, so she became an outside independent controller for mid-sized construction companies. Mary is an avid camper and has done volunteer research work on the Belize coral reef. She also describes her travels to Africa as being the most impactful experience of her life. 

Mary is now semi-retired and hopes to be completely retired by the end of this year. She had known for years that she wanted to help promote literacy in our local community, so she contacted California Volunteers, and they pointed her toward Words Alive. Her first role at Words Alive was reading to first graders at Hamilton Elementary. She loves reading to the first graders in her classes and is delighted to hear when the students have shared their Words Alive books with their families. Mary picked up three classrooms as a volunteer reader in the Read Aloud Program! “‘There is no Frigate like a Book to take us Lands away.’ This quote from Emily Dickinson has always been a favorite of mine and speaks to the essence of reading adventures.” In addition to the Read Aloud, Mary has helped create craft kits, worked on administrative data input, and is a Page Turner. Mary is excited to start two new volunteer opportunities at Words Alive: a new program called Words Matter, a training program for reading volunteers, and she will also start volunteering with the Family Literacy program. Mary, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning Rookie of the Year!

Book recommendations: Mary usually has 3 books going simultaneously: one for her book club, an audiobook in the car, and a Words Alive Page Turners book. She is now reading Ducks - Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton for Book Club, Muzzled by David Rosenfelt as an audiobook, and Love Like Sky by Leslie Youngblood for Page Turners.

2023 Westreich Scholarship Service & Mentorship Award: Bijan Nowroozian

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

The Words Alive 2023 Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award awardee Bijan Nowroozian is an amazingly accomplished volunteer. Bijan is a librarian who grew up in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego, and graduated from Grossmont College, San Diego State University, and San Jose State University. Interestingly, Bijan’s mother was a librarian, so he grew up surrounded by books. Growing up the local library was his place of refuge, a safe space he would visit every day after school to relax, study, and immerse himself in books. In college, he discovered a love for non-fiction and poetry. He has recently enjoyed the world of graphic novels and appreciates a good audiobook while working out. In addition to reading, Bijan also enjoys hiking, playing video games, and running obstacle course races.

Bijan was working for the San Diego Public Library while getting his graduate degree when he started to feel that he wasn’t actively using all the skills he had picked up in his undergraduate and graduate work. Specifically, he wanted hands-on experience in the classroom. He searched online and found Words Alive. He was intrigued by the organization because it shared many of his same values and philosophies regarding learning and literacy. He started volunteering at Words Alive as the team lead for the Adolescent Book Group (ABG) program. He would visit 2-3 classrooms weekly and lead the class in book discussions, writing prompts, activities, games, and art projects that all revolved around the book the students were reading. In addition to his ABG work, Bijan joined the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program as a volunteer. He initially assisted in screening applications, facilitating interviews, and scoring applicants. Once the program transitioned to a more volunteer-focused structure, he was offered the role of Chair of the WAWS Taskforce.

Although Bijan no longer lives in San Diego, he would love to continue to be involved with Words Alive. “Helping others is a true passion of mine, and it's important always to give back whenever possible.” Bijan, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award

Book recommendations: Bijan recommends: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings, and Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard (for young children). The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (for teens) and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou (for adults)

2023 Westreich Scholarship Service & Mentorship Award: Tyler Pratt

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

The Words Alive 2023 Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award winner Tyler Pratt is an academically accomplished volunteer. Tyler grew up in Augusta, Georgia, read voraciously as a child, and especially loved the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. He went on to get his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, his master’s degree from Stanford University, and his doctoral degree from Princeton University. He currently teaches and researches political science at Yale University. His research at Yale focuses on how states cooperate with each other and the “fragmentation of global governance,” and the consequences of this on cooperation.

Tyler was looking for volunteer opportunities during the pandemic and happened to find Words Alive through an online search. He is a mentor in the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program and Deputy Chair of the WAWS task force. He mentors Andrea, one of the scholarship recipients earning her degree in Sociology at George Fox University. He constantly communicates with his mentee and helps her find her voice. He is passionate about helping the Westreich scholars and always has a positive attitude and open mind. Tyler described his motivation to volunteer at Words Alive: “I benefited from a couple of great mentors when I was young, and I love having the opportunity to pass it forward in some way. The Words Alive scholarship students I interact with are bright, ambitious, and really inspiring.” Tyler also designs and implements bi-monthly workshops to help scholars with life skills (e.g., public speaking and communication, tax prep, and financial literacy). While the scholarship program is winding down this year, he would love to stay involved with Words Alive.

Tyler spends most of his free time with his wife and two young kids. He is also taking pilot lessons, which has been a fun hobby. Tyler, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award!

Book recommendation: The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik, “a great book about child development and the relationship between parents and children.” 

2023 Youth Volunteer of the Year: Amanda Luong

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

Words Alive 2023 Youth Volunteer of the Year, Amanda Luong, is from San Diego, California, and a senior at Mt. Carmel High School, planning to attend a 4-year university majoring in Biology or Linguistics.

Interestingly, Amanda wasn’t particularly fond of reading in the past because it was hard for her to find books that she knew she would enjoy and the options seemed overwhelming. But at the beginning of 2022, she came across BookTok on TikTok. BookTok gave her a sampling of the books people read and recommended. She became hooked after reading They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera and went on to read 30 books in 2022! So, BookTok sparked Amanda’s love of reading.

In 2021, when the world was quarantined, Amanda sought opportunities to connect virtually and came across Words Alive. She got in touch with the organizations and quickly became involved. At Words Alive, Amanda is part of the Engagement Analysts team. She keeps track of volunteer hours, logging the hours each volunteer has contributed and ensuring they are correctly recorded. This job requires meticulous attention to detail, and Amanda has learned to be highly organized and efficient with inputting the hours. She hopes to stay involved with Words Alive even when she is in college. Amanda, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Youth Volunteer of the Year!

Book recommendation: Amanda is enjoying Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. She would also recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. 

2023 Curriculum Editor of the Year: Win Ning Chen

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

The Words Alive 2023 Curriculum Editor of the Year, Win Ning Chen, is a remarkable volunteer with a unique hobby; in her spare time, she builds terrariums that are “aesthetically pleasing and super cute!” Win Ning grew up in Malaysia, and as a child, she always loved reading because it allowed her to travel to different worlds by pretending to be different characters in the books she read.

In 2021, Win Ning embarked on an adventure of her own when she moved approximately 9,000 miles away from her childhood home to San Diego, taking on a position as a research assistant working on aging and neuroscience in the biomedical sector. Win Ning finds that reading has improved her ability to communicate and write, as English is not her first language.

Win heard about Words Alive from a colleague while looking for volunteer opportunities. At Words Alive, Win Ning works carefully to edit the curricula developed by the writing team. Win Ning’s attention to detail has been instrumental in producing a final polished product that is usable and comprehensible to all readers. Win edited seven curriculum guides in 2022, the same year she joined Words Alive, and has quickly become an invaluable team member. Win Ning is passionate about ensuring everyone can access quality reading materials and education.

Win Ning’s love for learning is evident as she describes the knowledge from reading the Words Alive books and curricula as powerful! She hopes to continue working as Curriculum Editor and would also like to expand her role to work as a mentor for teens at Words Alive. “Volunteering with Words Alive allows me to effectively contribute to society by providing the community with quality reading and teaching materials that are creative, innovative, and aim to create the love for reading, writing, and education as a whole.” Win Ning, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning Curriculum Editor of the Year!

Book recommendation: Win is currently reading, When Breath Becomes Air, a non-fiction autobiographical book written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi who recently died of lung cancer at age 37. Another classic book she would recommend is Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton! (She loves dinosaurs!)

2023 Family Literacy Program Volunteer of the Year: Ryan Chang

Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer

Our Family Literacy Program Volunteer of the Year, Ryan Chang, is an incredibly energetic and talented volunteer who loves seeing the transformation in the students he works with, from participants with varying degrees of enthusiasm for books at the program’s start to consistently confident and engaged participants by the end of the program.

Ryan grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and joined the United States Naval Academy immediately after high school. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 2016 with a BS in Control Systems Engineering and is an active-duty Navy officer, a senior logistics officer for VRM-50 in the Osprey V-22 aviation squadron. As part of his duties, he is responsible for his squadron’s logistical and financial needs, including procuring all gear and life support materials for over 40 pilots and aircrew and acquiring all the replacement parts and tools necessary to maintain the aircraft.

Ryan has always loved reading and read voraciously at an early age. As a Naval officer in Coronado, he searched for an organization that would allow him to volunteer in an area he was passionate about. He stumbled across the Words Alive website, signed up as a volunteer, and worked for one “semester” as an Adolescent Book Group facilitator and two “semesters” as a Family Literacy Program teacher. While reading has helped him garner academic and professional success, Ryan points to a less obvious benefit: it has made him “a more adventurous, cultured, and empathetic person.” Ryan’s adventurous spirit is evident in his work and hobbies: he is an avid traveler and eater. His empathy is demonstrated in his interactions with his students. He invites all the children’s voices into the Family Literacy Workshop, visibly sharing his love of reading with the group. Ryan also points out that his relationship with reading has evolved as he has worked with Words Alive. “I always enjoyed reading for the stories they’ve told, but as I’ve gotten older, I have been paying more attention to the life lessons these stories can tell us, not just the entertainment.”

Ryan recently applied to business school and is deciding between MIT Sloan and Columbia Business School. He believes his work with Words Alive played a role in his business school acceptance, as it demonstrated his commitment to mentorship and community. Ryan hopes to continue to work with Words Alive. “Although it’s a little far away, I’m hopeful I can still teach online if my schedule permits!” Ryan, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning Family Literacy Program Volunteer of the Year!

Book recommendation: Ryan is a big fantasy reader and is currently reading The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. His favorite fantasy novels are the Game of Thrones series - he read the series long before the TV show came out and highly recommends it! He also recommends The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.