November 2022 Newsletter
Dear YS Community,
Biggest Show is over, and our Fall 2022 programs are coming to an end. We are so excited and proud of everything the YS community has achieved so far. This year is also our 25th anniversary! Celebrate with us by sharing your favorite stories and pictures from the last two and a half decades here.
At Biggest Show, five amazing student stories were performed by Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Jason Mantzoukas, Ashley Nicole Black, Atsuko Okatsuka, Jermaine Fowler, and Peter Kim. Thanks to everyone’s support, we were able to raise $275,000 for our future programming! If you missed Biggest Show, you can watch it all online here.
Read stories from our valuable community members we’re highlighting this month:
Ruby Sunshine Vandenbrook, an alum
Daniel Weingarten, a donor
Jen Culbertson, a school liaison
PJ Lutz, a partner
Jason Mittleman, a volunteer
Learn more about them and their experiences with Young Storytellers, along with how to volunteer in our Big Shows below!
Up and Coming
Big Show Volunteer Recruitment
We have lots of Big Shows coming up in schools and we are in urgent need of volunteer actors. If you or someone else you know would like to bring our students’ stories to life, click here to learn more. You can also sign up for our upcoming volunteer orientation on Tuesday 12/6, 5:30-6:30 pm here. Make a difference by acting in a Big Show!
Quote:
“My favorite memory was inviting three dear friends/fellow actresses to join in the Big Show, and they were so funny and so committed to bringing the kids' stories to life. I genuinely loved sharing the experience with my network and allowing them to use their talents to help encourage our young writers. When I looked over at my writer while her story was being acted out, her eyes were so big - so full of pride. She wrote me a note after to tell me that she wants to be a writer now and that she will always remember me. Brought tears to my eyes.”
-Chelese Belmont, a volunteer
STORYTELLER SPOTLIGHTS
Meet an Alum: Ruby Sunshine Vandenbrook, she/her/hers
What personal identities are important to you?
Some personal identities that are important to me include the fact that I am bilingual and the first in my immediate family to attend college. To me, speaking two languages (English and Spanish) is something that is very important and prevalent in my life. Secondly, out of my parents and siblings, I am the first to attend college. This is also something that is very important to me because college was never something that was forced onto me, but something I personally decided to do. Despite this decision, my parents are very proud of me and happy that I decided to attend a four year after high school because it’s something neither of them were able to do.
What are you up to now?
I am currently in my second year of undergrad at UC Santa Cruz, and part time working at a pizza shop! I am double majoring in Psychology and Spanish Studies, receiving two bachelor degrees in these majors.
What was your story about?
My Young Storyteller's story was about a book, that when read aloud, all the information would occur in real life. It was such a great way to express my creativity as a young child and was so fun to write. The inspiration behind my story came from the original Jumanji movie starring Robin Williams.
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, is there a story from your time at YS that you’d like to share?
One Young Storyteller's story I’d love to share includes the awesome experience I had in general with the program. Specifically, I remember how fun Young Storytellers was when I was in elementary school. I got the opportunity to write a script and have it acted out by real people, it was insane. My favorite part of the program occurred the day of the show because I was able to have my own family view my work. I remember my mother, younger brother and grandmother in the crowd of my school's auditorium, smiling and clapping during my play. This was by far the best feeling ever and was so rewarding after all of my hard work. Despite being so young, I felt so accomplished and proud of myself, it was truly a memorable event in my life. Once the performances were over, my peers and I were called to the stage and named one by one. We all had the chance to bow after hearing our names as each person in the room cheered and clapped. I am certain I am speaking for everyone when I say we felt like movie stars. I hope many more young students are able to experience this joy and wonderful opportunity, as my peers and I did.
How did you get reconnected to YS after your program ended?
After my program ended, I got reconnected with Young Storytellers because a worker reached out to my mother asking for me. She gave the worker my email and I have continued to receive awesome emails regarding many interesting events that are available to me as an alumni. These include financial literacy workshops that provide information about opening bank accounts and applying for credit cards, online programs with Pixar, screenwriting opportunities and much more.
What makes you continue engaging with Young Storytellers?
I continue to engage with Young Storytellers because the program makes me feel so appreciated and involved as an alumni. Additionally, the emails about events and opportunities are always so fun and exciting to receive. Despite being away from the Los Angeles area due to college, I am still able to attend zoom events which is so helpful because I am still able to feel connected to the program.
What do you want current and future YS students to know?
I want current and future Young Storyteller students to know just how amazing the opportunity is and how much the program can help you in the future. Specifically, even though my experience with Young Storytellers was so long ago, I have reflected upon it so many times due to its strong impact. This program helped me express my creativity in a way I would have never found possible as a fifth grader. Since Young Storytellers, I have not had another opportunity that compares or even comes close to the experience I was able to have. Additionally, Young Storytellers connects with their alumni on such an intimate level, providing event opportunities, workshops and so muchmore. As a college student, these events have already helped me so much, in which I was able to learn more about applying for credit cards before doing so. This is something I am very grateful for because prior to the event offered by Young Storytellers, I had no knowledge about applying for credit cards and now I feel more comfortable and ready to do so.
Meet a Donor: Daniel Weingarten, he/him
What personal identities are important to you?
Son, brother, friend, soon-to-be husband. And as a child of Mexican, Argentinian and Jewish immigrants, my cultural identity is something that I carry with me wherever I go.
What first brought you to YS?
I actually found out about YS through a fundraising event and jumped into volunteering from there!
Why is volunteering and giving back so important to you?
I think giving back is a big part of living a fulfilling life. And through volunteering, you get the chance to not only give back but find connection and community along the way!
Why do you support YS?
Like all of us, our childhood is the bedrock of everything. And as a kid, I always found that it was through the stories I was told and the stories I would tell that I was able to really explore who I was. To find my footing in this world. And to get the chance to be a part of helping kids do the very same thing, to be a part of reinforcing the value of self-expression, and to see the joy that it brings them -- there's nothing like it.
Meet an Educator: Jen Culbertson, she/her/hers
What personal identities are important to you?
Educator, lifelong learner, wife, daughter, sister, auntie, dog mom to Weaver (the best Boxer dog ever), and travel lover.
Why did you become an educator?
My mom was a teacher, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps and make a real difference in children’s lives. There is nothing more rewarding than helping develop young people into kind, thoughtful, and contributing members of our society. After being a teacher and curriculum specialist for 15 years, I became a principal. I love working alongside teachers and support staff to foster a school environment where all students feel valued and can thrive to reach their best potential.
How long have you been working with Young Storytellers?
Since 2018.
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, is there a story from your time at YS that you’d like to share?
There have been so many memorable stories, but one from this past YS session really stands out. One of our students was able to include aspects of his culture in his group’s story. I loved watching his face in the audience as the actors made his script come to life on stage. As he thanked his mentor at the end of the Big Show he said, “Thank you for allowing me to share my culture.”
What kind of impact do you think Young Storytellers has on young people?
I wish ALL of our 5th grade students could experience working with the YS mentors to create a story that then comes alive on stage. The impacts of this program are immense, especially for our students who are shy and/or introverted. The chance to work with a caring, supportive mentor to find their voice and share their story is life changing.
Meet a Partner: PJ Lutz, she/her
What personal identities are important to you?
I identify strongly as a woman, as a parent of 2 queer kids and as a Californian.
Tell us more about your work and role at the Hameetman Career Center at Oxy - what's your mission or impact you hope to have?
The mission of the Hameetman Career Center is to prepare our students for their life after Oxy. We do that through career preparation workshops, one-on-advising and connecting students to employers. My role is focused on employer outreach, so I find employers that want to recruit our students and bring them to campus, in addition to coordinating our Career Fair and internship programs. My personal hope is that we can find every student a job or internship opportunity that they are passionate about and one that utilizes their unique skills and talents.
What brought you to this work?
I worked at an educational non profit for over a decade, but always felt a disconnect because I never got to interact with the students. Here in my role at Oxy I get to connect directly with students and see the impact of my work, which is so rewarding.
How do you see your partnership with YS?
Oxy is so fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with YS! YS is one of the host sites for our annual InternLA program. InternLA is a donor-funded program that pays Oxy students to go work at local non profits and it is a win-win, because they get to give back and make an impact with local non profits that might not otherwise be able to afford an intern. Additionally, like YS, at the Career Center we want to prepare our students to find their path and ultimately personal success, whatever that looks like to them.
Meet a Volunteer: Jason Mittleman, he/him/his
What personal identities are important to you?
Writer, musician, creative and volunteer
What first brought you to YS?
A friend brought me to the Biggest Show and I was floored by how creative, original and funny the stories were. I was instantly hooked and knew I wanted to be involved with helping encourage these young voices.
As a volunteer, what keeps you coming back each semester?
The opportunity to help my students take their original idea and turn it into a finished script in a matter of weeks never gets old. I love getting to be a small part of their transformation from shy and reserved to creative and confident. Also just getting to play games and be silly with the students is a weekly dose of serotonin and helps me remember that life doesn't always have to be so serious for us adults.
What have you most enjoyed about this semester/school year so far?
This is my first semester mentoring for the Collaborative Stories program and I've enjoyed teaching my students to work together, share and build on each other's ideas to create an original story together. Helping them combine their unique perspectives and seeing how they listen and support one another has been so joyful and rewarding.
Why is volunteering so important to you?
Pursuing a career in a creative field isn't always looked at as a viable option, but I believe that one experience in a program like Young Storytellers can open up an entire new path and future to a potential creative soul.
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, is there a story from your time at YS that you’d like to share?
Meeting my student's speechless parents after the Big Show at their school. They were in shock and on the verge of tears after seeing their child's script come to life. I don't think they fully understood what their son was capable of creatively until that day, and moments like this will keep me coming back to Young Storytellers forever.
