We’re excited to introduce you to our AmeriCorps Summer Associates serving in Mar Vista! These extraordinary people will be spending the summer with 826LA, planning and executing the curriculum for our English-language learner (ELL) summer camp. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know them and work with them throughout the summer!
His name is Caren Nader, but you can call him Batman. Or Damian. He doesn’t really have a preference. Caren interned at 826LA for eight months, and he says it’s been awesome. Before interning at 826LA, he graduated from Santa Monica High School, class of 2014. He was also No. 1 in the world in Batman trivia (explains the name), and once lived in the wild for 30 days. Caren loves being here at 826LA, and looks forward to being a Summer Associate and continuing to help at 826LA for a long time!
Hayley Bisceglia-Martin was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, and is excited to be working with kids so close to home! She graduated from UC San Diego in 2012 and promptly up and joined the Peace Corps. After teaching in a town called “Snowy” in Eastern Ukraine, then transferring to a primary school in a seaside Samoan village, she has finally returned to her L.A. roots. Hayley therefore brings to the table a strong love of borscht and the ability to open coconuts with a machete. She’s new to the 826LA team, but excited to be a part of it!
Jo Ellen Aragon was born and raised in Culver City, where she witnessed firsthand the difficulty of trying to learn in overcrowded classrooms, and the lack of one-on-one attention that she believes many students can benefit from. Having been a volunteer at 826LA since 2012, and then an intern since August 2014, she is now a Summer Associate, and she hopes to provide an environment for students who seek the kind of attention they need in order to achieve their academic goals. Last May she earned the title Master of Creative Writing, which is pretty awesome, after earning her MFA from San Diego State University. She has hopes of becoming the next Rod Serling.
Liana Kwan is a recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies in May. She hopes to continue her education by getting my master’s degree in the field of social science. When she’s not in school or at helping out at 826LA, you can probably find her hanging out with friends, playing with puppies, or watching a good movie!
Sasha Kremenetsky is a student pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching along with a single-subject teaching credential at the University of Southern California. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, where she received her B.A. in English Literature. Sasha’s love for literature was born in the recesses of her elementary school library where she spent her lunches reading folklore and ghost stories. She hopes to translate her passion for language arts into a career as a high school English teacher. Her interests include Star Trek, critical theory, and finding excuses to go out to eat.
Would you like to get to know these remarkable people? Please join us for ELL Camp in Mar Vista this summer! Interested in volunteering? Attend a Volunteering 101!