Congratulations, Spy! How does it feel?
It feels great! I would have never expected it!
How did you first get involved at 826CHI?
One year ago a friend of mine fwd an open call for volunteer translator for the Paws Prints in the Mud chapbook. After attending a translation party I thought, "It would be cool to volunteer with 826CHI!" And after a warm welcome, I signed up!
What has been your favorite 826 experience so far?
Translating. I'm an artist— a dancer and writer, and working on a translation project is like making art: you start with something, make something out of it, rework it/edit it, and then share it with the world!
What do you do when you aren't working undercover?
I dance and write, work on urban farms in Chicago, and teach!
What types of things do you write about?
I write most often about relationships—of all kinds, and nature. Sometimes I also write about dance, and I write in both spanish and english.
What do you grow in the urban garden?
There are many things that can grow in Chicago, and I have had a chance to grow many things, like: onions, potatoes, strawberries, eggplant, collard and mustard greens, basil, cilantro, peppers...and I raise hens, roosters, and have helped raise bees!
Our top agents always have the best codenames. What’s yours?
My code name is: Memory.
Any words of wisdom for aspiring spies of the month?
Look to everything around you as inspiration!
Our 826 Day event on the roof of Ace Hotel Chicago was a beautiful celebration of our community from our donors to our students and everyone in between (pictured above is 826CHI supporter TASHA’s performance). Our book P.S. You Sound Like Someone I Can Trust was available in the hotel’s suites, Ace Hotel Chicago has hosted our annual love-themed print show featuring work by local artists inspired by our students writing on love, and their Senior Sales Manager, Tenasha Wilcoxon, spoke to our students in After-School Tutoring & Writing’s Speakers & Snacks series about what it’s like to work at a hotel.
The partnership between East Village Youth Program and 826CHI is a yearly collaboration to help students achieve their goal of being accepted into their college of choice and for many to be the first in their family to attend college. This fall, 826CHI staff and 12 volunteers worked with 13 high school seniors on their personal statements for college applications. The partnership continues in the Spring when 826CHI and volunteers will return to EVYP to support students as they apply for scholarships.
