After a decade of serving the wonderful galaxy of 826, our team is giving Network Support Manager, Kona Lai, a special sendoff.
Kona began her 826 journey as a volunteer at the 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center and later led its Podcasting Field Trip program. In 2019, she transitioned into a new role at 826 National as a Network Support Manager, supporting all nine of our chapters across the country. Over the past seven years, her leadership and contributions have been invaluable in shaping our Network into what it is today. Learn what it’s like to work at 826 National through Kona’s perspective, and read more about her biggest accomplishments across the Network below!
826 National is currently seeking applicants for a Network Community & Learning Manager. If you’re interested, please look over our updated job description here.
Q: What brought you to 826 National, and the work behind 826?
K: Before joining 826 National, I was part of the first Programs team at 826 Valencia’s Tenderloin Center. In that role, I had the honor of working closely with so many teams—Volunteer Engagement, Stores, Design, Development and Communications, Operations, and others—who helped make the magic happen every day.
That experience gave me a deep appreciation for all the behind-the-scenes work that makes student-facing programming possible. I saw how much expertise, ownership, creativity, and care each person brought to their role, and how important it was for teams to stay connected to one another in order to serve students well.
As a chapter staff member, I also attended Staff Development Conferences, where I had the chance to meet incredible people from across the 826 Network. I was struck by how talented, generous, and welcoming 826 staff members are, and how much there was to learn from one another. When this position opened at 826 National, I was excited by the opportunity to get to know more of those people across the country, to support their work, and to help create more opportunities for connection and shared learning across the Network.
Q: What’s one achievement you’ve made here that you’re particularly proud of?
K: The Chapter Exchange Program has been a highlight for me every year. Through the program, staff members across the 826 Network have the opportunity to visit another chapter for up to three days, learn from their peers, and bring new ideas and practices back home.
There is so much valuable learning that is difficult to capture virtually, or through a spreadsheet, toolkit, or program recap. Just as we know students learn deeply side by side with caring adults, adults also learn powerfully by being side by side with one another—when immersed in a program, event, writing center, or community space. The Chapter Exchange Program offers an annual opportunity for that kind of learning.
Over the years, we’ve seen former visitors become hosts, former hosts become visitors, and staff members who once supported a visit from behind the scenes go on to visit another chapter themselves. We’ve also seen visitors learn not only from their hosts, but from fellow visitors who happened to be there at the same time. One visitor shared that by the end of their exchange, they, their fellow visitor, and their host had all become genuine friends they could reach out to about anything. That captures what I love most about the program.
I’m especially grateful for every host and hosting chapter that has put such thought and care into creating meaningful visit experiences over the years—this program would not be possible without them!
Q: What is your favorite memory here at 826 National?
K: Staff Development Conference holds a lot of favorite memories for me. For several years, it was our major internal professional development gathering, bringing staff from across the 826 Network together to learn, connect, and share what was happening at their chapters and in their communities.
One part I especially loved was developing the Chapter Highlights portion of the conference. Each chapter had the opportunity to recap their year and shine a spotlight on a local project or practice they were excited to share with the rest of the Network. We created both informal, science fair-style displays that attendees could browse throughout the event, and more formal presentations where chapters could discuss a project in depth with the full group.
Those sessions sparked so many rich conversations during the conference and long after it ended. Staff members were able to see what their peers were trying, ask questions, adapt ideas, and find inspiration in work happening across the country. Hearing the buzz of conversation in the halls was electric!
While Network learning is taking new shapes going forward, I’m hopeful that the seeds of relationships, curiosity, and cross-chapter inspiration that were planted at past Staff Development Conferences will continue to grow in virtual spaces ahead.
Q: What is something you’re going to miss about 826 National?
K: I’m going to miss the people most of all. 826 attracts people who are deeply creative, thoughtful, funny, and committed—not only to students, but to one another and to the communities they serve. Whether it’s former theater kids, indoor kids, astrology kids, or none of the above, I’ll miss everyone: our team culture, our inside jokes, our supportive and celebratory Slack culture, and (most especially?) our color-coded spreadsheets.
I’ll also miss the everyday generosity of this Network—the way a question asked from one corner of the country is met with resources, stories, and encouragement from every other corner. And of course, I’ll miss being surrounded by young people’s words every day: poignant, hilarious, surprising, and a constant reminder of why this work matters.
Q: What advice do you have for interested candidates? What disposition should they bring to their work and what expectations should they have of this position (and working with 826 National in general).
K: Come in curious and ready to listen. The people drawn to work at 826 are brilliant, passionate, creative, and deeply committed to young writers. This role offers a unique opportunity to get to know staff members across the country, understand what they’re building in their local communities, and think carefully about how 826 National can help them do their best work.
A big part of the role is creating and holding spaces for chapter staff to discuss what’s working, what’s challenging, what’s emerging, and what might be useful to share more broadly. Inspiration and innovation can show up in any conversation, whether it’s a cohort call, a chapter visit, a resource request, or a quick check-in with a colleague.
This position also asks you to be a bridge between the work happening on the ground at chapters and the work happening at National. That means translating ideas across contexts, building systems that support connection, and staying grounded in the real experiences of staff and students across the Network. Expect to learn something new from your colleagues every single day.
If you’re interested in becoming 826 National’s next Network Community & Learning Manager, please look over our updated job description here.