826 National is excited to welcome four (three new and one returning) AmeriCorps VISTA members to support our team in the 2020-21 school year. AmeriCorps members are passionate individuals who dedicate an entire year of service to a nonprofit organization while developing professional skills and learning about the needs of specific communities.
These generous folks help advance the 826 National’s work in numerous ways, enabling chapters to expand their reach and deepen connections with their communities, making the power of writing accessible to students in every classroom. We’re beyond grateful for their support over the years. This year’s cohort is a diverse group, including a soccer fan, a podcasting enthusiast, a Dungeons & Dragons expert, and someone who once dreamed of being a Broadway star! They’ll be supporting 826 National’s ambitious goals for the year, assisting with chapter growth initiatives, fundraising campaigns, 826 Digital projects, and much more. Keep reading to get to know them.
Gabi Oliveira is returning as our Research & Systems Coordinator VISTA and will continue to assist in our network growth projects and research and assessment initiatives. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, she studied sociology and literature (not far off from her childhood dream of being a Broadway star). Gabi can give a spectacular TED Talk on Jane Austen novels upon request and, if she could go back in time, would love to sit down for a meal with the author to get the inside scoop on her writing process. She believes in the transformative power of writing to help us understand ourselves, connect with others, and create the world we want to live in.
As our Development Coordinator VISTA, Emily will be working on fundraising campaigns, creating research briefs, and assisting with donor relations. She is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University, where she got a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minored in education. Her love of reading and writing came from devouring Harry Potter books as a kid. Emily is inspired by The 826 National Network’s model in offering safe, creative spaces for young authors and believes that writing is a great outlet for people of all ages to express themselves.
As 826 National’s Field Operations Coordinator VISTA, Erin will be handling staff onboarding, newsletters, and graphic design. As a child, Erin was sure that she’d grow up to be a veterinarian but somehow ended up majoring in English & textual studies, fine arts, and public relations at Syracuse University. She’s excited about working on 826 Digital projects and hopes to one day sit down with William Shakespeare to ask, “Is Romeo and Juliet satire or serious? What were you going for, my dude?”
Lorina will be working as 826 National’s Communications Coordinator VISTA to expand our social media presence and explore ways to connect digitally with our communities. Among the many projects she will be working on this year, she’s excited about 826 National’s Book of the Week campaign. Lorina’s favorite book of all time is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She loves this book so much that it inspired her to study creative writing and media production at Salem College instead of following her childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist. Lorina’s love of storytelling, experience as a magazine editor, and creative spirit led her to 826 National.
To learn more about the rest of our 826 National team and explore opportunities to join our network, visit our staff page.
