How many times did you ask yourself as a child, “what do I want to be when I grow up?” How many times did your answer change? Our goal at 826LA is to give students the space to grow, not only in their writing abilities, but in their imaginations as well. So, in the spirit of the new year, we sat down with some of our After-School Tutoring students and asked them this question:

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“When I grow up I want to be a dentist because I want to help people, because if you have yellow teeth then you are going to have cavities!” – Guadalupe

“I want to be a teacher. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was eight years old, because I love passing out papers and decorating the classroom. In order to become a teacher I will study at [Loyola Marymount University] and be an education major. Hopefully I can graduate and become a successful third grade teacher!” – Vanessa

“When I grow up I would like to be a chef, because I like to cook. The food I want to cook is mashed potatoes, rice, beans, and tacos.” – Sherilyn

“I want to be a singer, dancer, or pianist because I do all of those things, enjoy them, and am great at them.” – Niora

“I want to be a teacher when I grow up. Why? Because we get to teach the students. Next, because we get to write on the board with markers. Third, because we get to read. That is why I would like to be a teacher.” – Alejandra

“I want to be an architect because I can make buildings and design buildings. You can be really creative. I could design the tallest skyscraper. That’s why I want to be an architect.” – Angel

“When I grow up I want to be a teacher or a doctor because they can help people and kids.” – Maria

“I want to be a comic book artist because I am already an artist, and I want to be like [826LA volunteer] Patrick because he works at Disney, and I want to show the world my skills!” – Sahan

What did you dream of becoming when you were a child? Your donation will help keep our students’ imaginations alive through the joy of writing. Click here to make your tax-deductible donation today.