Congratulations, Spy! How does it feel?
It feels awesome! I’ve always felt appreciated when I come to volunteer but being Spy of the Month makes me feel special :-)
How did you first get involved as 826CHI?
I first got involved with 826CHI through one of my professors. He recommended that I observed here and I’ve been volunteering ever since.
What has been your favorite 826 experience so far?
Getting to know all of the students and continuing to work with them has been my favorite experience. I always look forward to volunteering because they light up my day!
What do you do when you aren't working undercover?
I am either a writing tutor at UIC, attending my classes, or working at my local Dunkin’ Donuts.
Our top agents always have the best codenames. What's yours?
My code name is JJ. Funny story: Both my nephew and niece could not pronounce my name so they would call me JJ instead.
Any words of wisdom for aspiring spies of the month?
Be kind to everyone, a helping hand can go along way!
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.
