Celebrating 20 Years of the POWER of STORY.

Jacqui was one of our very first volunteers, and went on to teach workshops, work in the robot shop, and serve on our board of directors. She currently lives in Toronto, where she runs the Huddle for Families.

Jacqui wore a robot costume to run the University of Michigan’s Big House 5K for 826michigan fifteen years ago. (She recommends both volunteering and running 5Ks for 826michigan.)

Jacqui Robbins!

Can you share your journey with 826? What initially drew you to the organization, and how has your involvement evolved?

2005. I was brand new to Ann Arbor, staying home with a toddler and a desperate wish to be back in the classroom. My husband handed me an article about 826 and said, “This looks like something you’d do.” I wandered over to the teeny office in the original location unannounced (which sounds ridiculous today) and asked the person at the front desk if they ever needed a teacher with daytime availability. I started volunteering, and never really left 826, even when I left the country nine years later.

Reflecting on your time at 826, what standout moments or experiences have stuck with you?

I think something people might not realize is how unique the pure respect 826michigan has for children is. Children aren’t just told they can be authors; they are treated like authors. Their ideas are respected, and their diverse ways of participating and communicating are welcomed. They aren’t spoken down to; the voice of all 826michigan’s materials manages to be fun and kid-friendly, but not condescending.

Years ago, at Storymakers Dinners, the marketing promised a chance to hear two people read: a famous author and a student. That student got just as lovely an introduction, every year, as a literary giant. This respect is different, sadly, from what so many kids get from adults, and I think there is tremendous power in seeing yourself, as a child, through the eyes of someone who values what you have to say.

How do you think your experience with 826 has shaped your approach to community engagement and promoting education and creativity?

826michigan 100 percent spoiled me as a volunteer and as a board chair. I have worked and volunteered in the nonprofit sector for 30 years, and I have never worked with or for a better, or a more efficiently, intelligently, inclusively run organization.

What would you tell someone considering getting involved with 826?

I would say, “Do it.” But I would suggest not offering to run the Big House 5K dressed like a robot because the costume will do terrible things to your back.

Have you maintained connections with others you met through 826? If so, how have these connections impacted your life beyond your involvement with the organization?

I’m in Toronto now, running my own non-profit and hoping to do it half as well as 826. I am so glad to still be in touch with the people I worked with there and also to report that the people I’ve met here who know 826michigan are equally as impressed as I have been all these years.

Jenny Howard!

Can you share your journey with 826? What initially drew you to the organization, and how has your involvement evolved?

I did a tutoring training in my *dorm hall* at Alice Lloyd my freshman year (2005!) and got on the 826 email list which was written with personality and panache by one Amy Sumerton. I read that newsletter for all of my college years, wishing in the back of my mind to be involved, until one day I read another delightful newsletter and just sent Amy a gushing email out of the blue about how I’d love to be an intern. And then I was the tutoring intern at the Robot Store in A2 for nearly a year, which evolved into leading workshops on political letter-writing, store shifts, assisting with the Best American Nonrequired Reading high school reading group, many committee memberships and a very long and wonderful stint on the board until 2020-ish!!!

Reflecting on your time as a [student/volunteer/etc.] at 826, what standout moments or experiences have stuck with you? Why was it meaningful?

That everyday experience of walking into the store and peeking through the curtain to see who is in the writing center: is tutoring happening, or a field trip? What staff members are sitting on the couches with their laptops? Can I pop down to the basement to say hi to Amanda or Catherine or Amy?

How has your perspective on writing, education, or creativity shifted due to your involvement with 826?

My confidence around being creative in professional spaces was definitely boosted by 826, and my inclination to have fun and be silly. And to dream when it comes to ideas.  

Have you encountered any surprises or unexpected benefits from your involvement with 826?

Even though I’ve been “away” from volunteering/the board, etc. for a few years since moving away from Ann Arbor, 826 *often* comes up in conversation and I find myself introducing it to someone or bonding over our shared love for 826. (I *love* that moment when you connect with someone who “gets” 826 because there was one in their town and they volunteered or went to an event at some point or is a Dave fan…our eyes widen and we point at each other: “You! You’re one of us!”) 

What would you tell someone considering getting involved with 826?

826 is one of those rare nonprofit models where volunteering – even on a one-off or occasional basis – *is* actually meaningful and useful to the organization and to you because of the genius of its programming model. So do it, even if you only have a little time, and just be open to where that takes you. You may end up like me with a wonderful laundry list of involvement over a decade+! 🙂

You transitioned from one role to another within 826. How has/did your perspective change, and what motivated you to take on a new role?

It is hard to express how important it was to my young adulthood to be invited to join the board. I was already interested in nonprofit management and to be able to learn from and with my fellow board and staff members and see more of the inner workings of 826 was so valuable and rewarding. 

Have you maintained connections with others you met through 826? If so, how have these connections impacted your life beyond your involvement with the organization?

In so many huge and important ways! We have so many lifelong friends and warm connections to really cool and good-hearted people.

Jenny Howard was a volunteer, intern, and board member over her years with 826. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband Mike and her son Gordon, where she is attending divinity school.

Look at this family, which is quite obviously too too cute:

Enter Ben Leubsdorf, who started volunteering in 2008, and has been a donor since then. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., where he is a librarian.

Ben has kids now!

Ben Leubsdorf!

What initially drew you to 826michigan, and how has your involvement evolved?

I had been out of college for less than a month when I signed up to start volunteering at 826michigan. I had just moved to Michigan, and I was looking for a chance to help. I was also looking for a community, and I found it. When I helped lead the 826michigan Gazette workshop for students interested in journalism, I met great kids and felt energized by their joy and enthusiasm for writing. When I participated in the volunteers’ kickball team, I found friends and fun. Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair became an important “third place” for me, the space I wanted to be when I wasn’t at work or home. And when I had to move away, I wanted to stay connected with the organization and its people. I’ve donated money to support 826’s work in 16 of the past 17 years—I’m going to blame the pandemic for breaking my streak in 2020—and I continue to follow news of its programs and people from afar. At this moment, I am sitting at my desk and there is a poster of Robot Napoleon hanging on the wall to my right. I hope that I’ve contributed to the organization’s important work, but I know that my involvement has contributed to me being a happier and better person.

Reflecting on your time as a volunteer and donor at 826, what standout moments or experiences have stuck with you? Why was it meaningful?

When I first came to 826, I was working as a news reporter. Writing was part of my daily routine, and it was such a privilege to volunteer with kids who clearly loved it even more than I did. I remember the moment during one of our 826michigan Gazette workshops when I saw students first get their heads around the concept of the inverted pyramid, the journalism convention that articles should communicate the most important information first rather than taking a chronological or narrative approach. Eyes really did light up. I felt such pride that I had been there to witness their growth and learning, and contribute to it in some small way. A decade later, long after I left Michigan, I switched careers and became a librarian. This was a change in many ways, and one that wasn’t easy at times, but there was continuity as well. The throughline in my professional life, as a journalist and librarian, has been the value of information, words, reading, writing, listening, and learning. That’s what 826 does, too, and I’m so grateful for the chance to support its work.

How has your perspective on writing, education, or creativity shifted due to your involvement with 826?

It’s way too easy to be cynical or smug about kids and teenagers from afar. The antidote is having the chance to spend time with them doing something that they love, to share their passion and excitement, and to see them open the door to a lifetime of learning and creativity.

What would you tell someone considering getting involved with 826?

You won’t regret sharing your time and energy and resources with these kids and grown-ups who love them.

Thank you, Ben!

(above) Ben was on our kickball team many moons ago. You can read a little bit about the team, and a very busy day, here.

Adam Colás!

I originally joined the summer before high school because my brother had started going to programs and my mom thought I should do at least one extracurricular activity besides playing video games. I didn’t see myself as much of a writer at the time but 826 helped me change that view.

Later in high school, I volunteered at the robot store, which gave me my first job experience. The more closely I got involved in the organization, the more it drew me out of my shell and helped me find the value and joy in community engagement. For multiple years I was a member of the selection committee for The Best American Nonrequired Reading. Every week we read and discussed short stories to include in the compilation. It was instrumental in honing my critical eye and teaching me to be a more thoughtful reader and writer.

It also gave me my first published credit. Seeing my name in print (the first of multiple times at 826) helped me feel like I was a “real” writer who could actually make a living out of my passion. I’m now going on 10 years as a television writer and recently published a book. It’s no exaggeration to say I owe much of my success to the formative time I spent at 826michigan.

826michigan hosted a film festival at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. It was the first time one of my short films screened for a real audience as well as the first time I won an award. It was an extremely validating experience for a young aspiring filmmaker. The staff and volunteers at 826 always looked for ways to support my passion and integrate my films into the programs.

826 gave me a space where I HAD to write, but the stakes were low (unlike school with grade anxiety) and the people were supportive. It was an essential creative outlet. When I didn’t have to fear “failure” I found the joy in writing and created works I was proud of.

826michigan transformed me from a somewhat cynical teen and complete homebody to someone who enjoyed engaging with the community, working with kids, working at all, and sharing in creative collaborations. It gave me a work ethic, creative fulfillment, and social support—all of which I lacked at that time in my life.

Thank you, Adam!

We will never, ever tire of looking at this picture of Adam and a crowd of adoring fans at the release party for his first book, Marcy’s Journal, in L.A. in 2022.

Adam started attending Drop-in Writing our very first summer, way back in July of 2005, when he was thirteen. During his tenure, he went from a student to a volunteer. He currently lives in LA, where he works as a writer. Adam has written for Amphibia, Rick & Morty, Future Worm, and more. He’s the author of Marcy’s Journal: A Guide to Amphibia and is currently at work on an upcoming unannounced Nickelodeon show.

(above) Adam works with a student in our writing lab in 2009.

(below) Adam volunteers in the robot shop in 2010.

Mohammad was born in Fairfax, VA and spent his formative years in Ann Arbor before attending U-M for undergraduate and graduate engineering studies. Mohammad earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Industrial and Operations Engineering. After graduation, Mohammad moved to Seattle to work at Microsoft and also served on the Board of Directors of Northwest Education Access, an education nonprofit serving low-income young people in Washington state. Mohammad went on to earn an MBA and an MA in Education from Stanford. Today, Mohammad works on the Cloud Product Marketing team at Datadog in New York City. Mohammad stays connected to the organization as a donor and a cultivator of new donors.

(above) Mohammad shares his story at 826michigan After Dark in September 2024.

(right) The cover of Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country, the book Mohammad was first published in; the op-ed in the New York Times featuring the student work; Obama stepping into a car with his paper opened to that very op-ed!

Mohammad Jama!

I was a student at 826michigan for all of middle school. It was at 826michigan that I was first exposed to the Socratic method of learning. Rather than lecturing me, the volunteer tutors worked alongside me. I learned that by asking the right questions, initially puzzling problems could be cracked—that by pulling apart a math problem and disambiguating its components, I could devise a solution. I worked with several volunteer tutors who differed in age, educational background, and profession. Through conversation, I heard about their singular life experiences and became curious about the vast amount of knowledge out in the world I could discover.

I regularly visited 826michigan’s Ann Arbor chapter for help with my math homework. After a while, I backed into 826michigan’s writing programming, and found that I really enjoyed it. Eventually, I was invited to be part of a special youth publishing project. Initially, I was hesitant but the folks at 826 nudged me along. They told me how important it would be to have my voice included. It had never occurred to me that I would be published in a book – much less one that the sitting president would read. That’s how, in 2009, a letter I wrote to then President Obama was published in a book by McSweeney’s along with the letters of other 826 students nationwide. I’ll never forget later seeing the picture of Obama reading our work while stepping into a car.

826 changed my life. It’s where I transformed as a thinker and became a writer.

But what’s most stuck with me from that time is how the adults at 826 took our voices seriously. With their support, we became confident young writers.