Board member Pat Tuller and her very gracious husband Howard were our hosts for the night, and their house was such a treat to invade. It was beautiful! They have an outside fireplace, a lap pool (too cold to use, but pretty to look at), and tons of cool gadgets from the 1950s and ‘60s. The basic plan for the evening was to introduce SharMoore’s volunteers and funders to VOICES’ volunteers and funders and to thank them for all of the work they do.

At around 5pm, Krista, Stephanie and I arrived at Pat’s to start preparing. We set out plates and helped Pat arrange the catering (chimis!!!!), but most of the work was already done. So we took a VIP tour of Pat’s sewing studio, which is incredible (she is a professional seamstress. She puts your craft room to shame, I promise you.). Friends started arriving soon after, and we watched quick videos about VOICES, courtesy of VOICES board member Ray Frieders and Cox Communications, and about Stories that Soar. We also heard from Tiana Velez, who told us that her favorite part of being a mentor is helping youth through the same writing problems that she faces everyday as an editorial assistant at the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Tucson.

Highlights of the evening included: one VERY SERIOUS ping-pong game between our former Associate Director Rachel Villarreal and current AmeriCorps Project Assistant and Video Instructor Donny Tran (Donny won, after lots of whining from Rachel, just in case you were curious); Ben Truman (AmeriCorps Project Assistant and Magazine mentor) tending bar in Pat’s backyard; and of course, seeing all of the VOICES and STS volunteers and funders hanging out and enjoying each other. I’m a sucker for holiday parties, and I loved it. I think we should have one for Valentine’s Day.

Photo Captions:

1:  Supporters of the soon-to-be-merged VOICES and SharMoore Children’s Productions attend the 2009 Holiday Party to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments. Party guests include (standing row) SharMoore Children’s Productions Artistic Director Sharon O’Brien, VOICES Board member Ray Frieders, VOICES Volunteer Tiana Velez, Marie-Claire Strang, VOICES Board Member Kirk Strang, SharMoore Children’s Productions Board member Andres Cano, VOICES Volunteers Jill Torrance and Mamta Popat, (seated row) VOICES AmeriCorps Project Assistant Ashley Raasch, Erika Korowin and VOICES Writing Mentor Josh Garcia.

2:  VOICES Executive Director Stephanie Balzer (center) welcomes guests with VOICES Board of Directors President Amanda Kraus and SharMoore Children’s Productions Artistic Director Sharon O’Brien.

3:  VOICES AmeriCoprs Project Assistant Webster Truman (right) pours VOICES Volunteer Jill Torrance a glass of wine.

4:  VOICES Volunteer writing mentor Tiana Velez speaks about how much she enjoys mentoring VOICES Youth Apprentice writers through the writing and editing processes.

5:  VOICES AmeriCorps Project Assistant Donny Tran (left) plays an impromptu game of ping-pong with former VOICES Associate Director Rachel K. Villarreal, PhD.

(VOICES Photo/Josh Garcia)

I picked up Hector Mendoza and Lilliana Lopez and we got to Oracle as fast as we could. Hector was running late for his interview, so he got a crash course on photography from Lilliana in the car. We arrived as the sun began to set, and one of the owners of Jax Kitchen met us at the door. His name was Brian Metzger, and he was ready for his interview.

Hector was more excited than nervous. We had spent weeks preparing for this. We practiced listening skills, follow-up questions, getting the answer you want instead of a “yes” or “no” response from your subject. That was how we talked – interviewer and subject. We prepared for the worst, and in the end, Hector felt ready for not just one interview, but two!

Brian led us into the kitchen and introduced us to subject number one, head chef Casey McQueen. Casey answered questions on everything from wine storage to growing up in a household that loved cooking. After interview one wrapped up, Casey prepared a scallops dish for us. Lilliana and Hector devoured it as I stood off to the side, nauseated by the tiny allergens in the scallops, watching them eat.

Brian, subject number two, was up next. Hector, as expected, performed professionally, and as he was cruising through the interview, getting some details about the many elements of fine dining, I realized something. This was not a youth turning into a professional; this was a professional. He was preparing an article for a news service. He was getting paid for his work. Everyone at VOICES did this.

Four days a week, they turned out work. They set up interviews. They wrote and told stories. All I did, all we did, as mentors, was coach them towards excellence. When they give us their final drafts, they are often powerful, heartwarming, or even heartbreaking news pieces.

After I dropped Hector and Lilliana off at VOICES, they told everyone how the interview and photo shoots went. I got back into my car and started it up. Before driving away, I thought of all the journalists out there. Not just the adults, but the ones in high school who were still learning. Didn’t they all have something in common? A drive to be great or to tell a good story? VOICES made me reconsider what a professional was. I knew Hector would write a great article, so I shifted into gear and drove home. It was dark. Tomorrow, we would talk about transcription.

As soon as Hector Mendoza has his piece on fine dining published, we’ll be sure to let you know. Stay tuned! — Joshua Garcia, VOICES’ Writing Mentor

Must. Get. Those. Done.

It is the dreaded season of college applications, and VOICES seems to be a place a lot of youth come to for help. Which is neat. If you think about it, we have whole groups of highly educated, compassionate adults who are practically begging to help kids with their college plans. Not a bad situation to be in if you’re 17 and planning on going to a 4-year university but don’t necessarily know how to get from Point A to Point B. Or you just need a kick in the bum to get you going. Either way, we’re here and ready to help.

I remember applying to colleges in the upstairs extra bedroom of my parents’ house in Illinois. I had a plastic file folder labeled with all of the schools I wanted to go to—Colby College, Macalester, Rolla, the oh-so-dreamy-but-way-too-expensive-Brown, Michigan, Illinois—and I did all the easy parts first. I filled out my name, age, and various volunteering experiences. Then I got stuck on the essay.

What is the most challenging obstacle you have had to overcome and what is its significance in your life? What is the greatest challenge your generation will face and how will you handle this challenge? How do you foresee the world of 2020? What is an issue of great personal importance to you? How do you describe yourself as a human being?

Hard, huh. If you’ve already been to college, do you remember how you figured out your personal statement? Did you write drafts? Stay up all night and turn in whatever you managed to pull together? Some kids have a favorite English teacher who’s willing to help them. Others head to test prep centers. I was lucky—my parents were English teachers (!). But a lot of youth don’t have these options.

One of my favorite things about working at VOICES is all of the mentoring that happens in between publishing stories. I love helping out with the college application process because our youth are already prepared: they already know how to write personal essays that connect their experience to larger community issues. They already know how to use their own personal experience to support an argument. And to boot, they are funny, smart, and see the world in ways that many of us can’t. Take that, personal statement.

This coming Tuesday, December 8, AmeriCorps Leader (and photography mentor) Ashley Raasch and ASU Social Work Intern Lisa Bartkowski will host a college prep night from 4:30-5:30pm at the VOICES office for current VOICES youth. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for all of our seniors who are in the middle of the application process! We’ll make sure to keep you updated on their all of their successes.

( VOICES Photo collage by:  Marena Priday, Michelle Rogers, Maria Aguirre, Samuel Crosswell, Anthony Valencia, Victoria Garcia, Fabian De La Pena)

We polled the staff, youth staff, Board and volunteers of VOICES to learn what people are thankful for in this season of gratitude. Check it out, we’re a thank-filled crew:

“I’m thankful for chickens, turkeys, beets, potatoes and all of the hard work that goes into raising and nurturing such delicious creations. Thanks, farmers! And thanks, Mother Nature! But seriously, I’m very thankful for VOICES, which helps me remember, every day, what it is like to be a youth again. It’s hard!”     —  Joshua Garcia, writing staff 

“I’m thankful for my brother coming home safe and sound from Iraq.”     —   Stephanie Fleming, VOICES youth apprentice (magazine)

“I am thankful to be part of an organization that values youth and their contributions to our society. I am thankful and hopeful when I see what amazing things we are all capable of when we decide to make a difference. I am thankful for the love and support that I receive from my family and friends.”     —   Pat Tuller, board member

“I’m thankful for getting my first experience with makeup and fashion through VOICES.”     — Jacob Lopez, VOICES youth apprentice (radio)

“I’m thankful for the people and creatures who love me. I’m thankful that I quit smoking in 2009 after 18 years. I’m thankful for high-brow discussions and low-brow TV, and I am thankful for VOICES for giving me the opportunity to feel good about myself by putting all my education to good use.”     —  Maggie Werner, volunteer mentor

“I’m thankful for all the cool and interesting friends I made at VOICES and for my new-found sense of confidence. I’m also thankful that I can buy my family presents because I have been saving up my checks. Happy Thanksgiving! ”     — Jodi Franklin, VOICES youth apprentice (magazine) 

“I am thankful for the love of my wife, family, and friends.  I am also grateful to be involved in community service, to be a board member of an organization that makes a significant difference, and  to be in a position to give back to my community.”  — Kirk Strang, treasurer and board member

 “I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with and around so many young, brilliant, and empowered staff and volunteers at VOICES . . . seriously, it’s a pretty big deal . . . I’m happy.”     —   Ashley Raasch, photography staff

“I am most thankful for getting my college applications out of the way and for the numerous outlets of advice and time I was given in making my college choices, and even more thankful that our fall program is running smoothly and all of the radio youth have been published!”     — Felix Valencia, radio staff

“I’m thankful for the parts of life that exist in perfect contentment, even if only for seconds. I’m also grateful for the people I know whose presence creates a longer and deeper happiness.”      — Natalee Dawson, VOICES youth apprentice (magazine)

“I am thankful that I am a mentor at VOICES where I feel I grow and learn as much as the students I mentor do.  I am thankful to live in the southwest where the beginnings and ends of days are so beautiful.”     — Mary Goethals, volunteer mentor

“I’m thankful for the video youth who enjoy working at VOICES so much that they want to come work even on the night before Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for HDTV. I’m thankful for Gmail and Google Docs. I’m thankful for Facebook sharing. I’m thankful for YouTube. I’m thankful for my mother’s health. I’m ESPECIALLY thankful for the staff, video volunteers, Board members, youth, Arizona Daily Star photography guest speakers, and alumni of VOICES who work so hard to give youth a voice. I wish I was thankful for the UA football team going to the Rose Bowl for THE FIRST TIME EVER but sadly are not.”     — Donny Tran, AmeriCorps member

“I’m thankful for warm Arizona winters, sweatpants, frozen pizza, the Third Street bike path, and everyone who works in non-profits or education and makes the world a little bit better place to be!”     —  Angel Miller, volunteer mentor

“I am thankful for my mentors who remind me to ‘lift my head’ when I get bogged down in the muck. I am thankful for this amazing staff, our Board and volunteers, and  the tenacity of the VOICES youth apprentices who work very hard.”     — Stephanie Balzer, executive director

“I’m grateful to be connected to so many people who inspire me to be better, more creative, more giving, and more reflective.  I’m grateful to live in a place where I can play tennis all year round and I’m grateful to be traveling home to spend the holidays with my family.”     —  Amanda Kraus, board president

“I’m thankful to be surrounded by love. I’m thankful for the lifelong friendships I’ve made at VOICES because they make it easier to care and be able to say so.”     — Donnamarie Miranda, VOICES alum and board member

“Thankful for pleasure, thankful for pain, the whole yarn, the total thing.  (God, you’re easy to love.  And so hard to see.) And I’m thankful my sprained ankle is healing and I can love and dance and create again.”     — Devin Horn, AmeriCorps member

“I am thankful for my access to healthy food! I am grateful that I have friends with lots of specialties and interests and who live in neat places where I can visit them. I am thankful that VOICES has such passionate, always-pushing-the-limits people on staff, from the youth to the adults. I am thankful for Lisa, our new social worker! I am thankful for all of the VOICES youth, many of whom spend long hours on the bus to get to our office. I am thankful for the stories they write and that someone at the office, no matter what kind of day it is, always makes me laugh.”     —  Katie Gindlesparger, writing director

“I am thankful for the many blessings present in my life that include my ever supportive and loving group of family and friends and the ability to help others to help themselves.”     — Lisa Bartkowski, ASU Master’s of Social Work intern 

“I’m thankful for all of the great friends I have. They give me another reason to wake up in the morning.”     —  Charlie Franco, VOICES youth apprentice (radio)

“Since this is my first Thanksgiving on the west coast, I’m thankful for clear skies and warm weather. And the leftovers I’m sure to collect on Friday.”     — Ben Truman, AmeriCorps member

Lewis, a “self-described all-around nerdy teen,” shares his adventures in cosplay, in which he dresses up as his favorite villain from a video game and prepares for his first major cosplay convention.

AZSpotlight_2009_11_20_Voices_L_Dawley-Hill.mp3

(VOICES Photo/Lilliana Lopez)

This is Stephanie, the executive director, blogging for the first but not last time. Today is Veteran’s Day and I am alone in the office catching up on quiet desk work. Since this is my first blog post perhaps it is appropriate for me to introduce myself. I have been at VOICES now for 16 month as the ED and I love my job. It seems to combine everything I care about most … writing, art, youth and young people, education, opportunity, downtown Tucson, philanthropy and giving back, innovation and creativity, ideas, etc. I could go on. You can check out my bio if you want to read more of the resume-type stuff. Here I get to be creative and weird but also strategic and entrepreneurial. 

One of the best things about VOICES is the dedication and talent of the staff and volunteers who make it all happen. I watch Katie and Krista, our writing and photography directors, teach youth about rhetoric and cameras and I’m blown away by their passion for sharing the art forms that have inspired them. They are not alone … Devin, Donny, Ben and Joshua, “the dudes,” are teaching about writing, radio, video and even the art of comic book narrative. Ashley, who is an MFA student in photography at The University of Arizona, is mentoring our photo youth and Lisa, who is earning a master’s in social work from Arizona State University’s extension campus is ensuring that our young people have the support they need outside of these walls to be successful within. I haven’t even begun to touch on the countless volunteers who make this happen, too. Maybe we can post interviews with volunteers on what they like about VOICES.

I have a meeting with said Katie in a few minutes. We are going to grab lunch and brainstorm more ideas for this website, which we are positioning to become our premier publishing outlet, so I’m signing off. But stay tuned. I am dedicated to sharing more with you about this fantastic organization from behind-the-scenes … even if that means a view from my quiet desk. Stephanie