Emma comes from a long line of educators, and is passionate about expanding students’ access to quality writing education and resources. Before joining 826DC, she worked for Arabella Advisors as a Program Associate, and prior to that she spent time in Macau, China on a Fulbright English Teaching Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History, focusing on colonial and imperial studies, from Yale University. In her free time, Emma can usually be found reading, listening to her favorite podcasts, or desperately trying to keep up with her Duolingo.

Robyn has over 15 years of executive leadership in nonprofit management to develop programming and collaborative partnerships that support all young people to thrive, create, dream, and lead. As the Chief of Strategy and Impact for Mikva Challenge, she guided the organization’s two chapter sites (DC and IL) in achieving their mission to embed youth voice and youth civic leadership in multiple institutions and decision-making entities throughout the city and state. Prior to this role, Robyn was the founding Executive Director for Mikva Challenge DC, growing the initial pilot program to a citywide organization serving over 1,200 young people through 5 robust civic engagement and leadership programs.

A native of the Washington, DC area, Robyn is passionate about providing authentic spaces for youth to investigate, affect, and change the world around them. Working locally, Robyn has served as the founding Executive Director of Mikva DC, the Deputy Director at For Love of Children (FLOC), as the Program Director of the DC office of The Posse Foundation and as an Academic Case Manager with Project NorthStar. Through her work with the KIPP Foundation and the Children’s Defense Fund, she has also worked on a national scale, providing curriculum, resources, training and support to local affiliates to develop and improve their educational and youth programming.

Throughout her career, Robyn has prioritized sharing learnings and lessons with the wider field, and serving as an advocate for youth through opinion pieces in media outlets, speaking engagements, and serving on civic boards and committees. She was part of the Equity Lab’s founding cohort of Seeding Disruptions, a member of Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s transition committee, and served on EW Stokes Public Charter School’s Board of Directors and Posse DC’s Leadership Council.

Robyn earned a BA from Grinnell College in American Studies and an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Social Justice Education.

Andrea has spent her career working with and on behalf of young people. Prior to joining 826DC, she taught elementary school in New York, built partnerships to support children’s play at KaBOOM!, and developed a literacy fellowship for school leaders at Bank Street College. She holds a master’s degree in Elementary Inclusive Education from Teachers College and a bachelor’s degree in political science and art history. Andrea is always in search of a good bagel, a good cookbook, and a good place to swim.

Before joining 826DC, Cristopher Lee worked as a resident teacher at a DC public charter school. Prior to this experience, Cristopher served for two years in City Year Detroit, an AmeriCorps program, as both a Corps member and a Team Leader.

He has a BA in English Writing with a minor in Biology from DePauw University, and a Master of Education from Lesley University. His love and passion for writing, literacy, education, and students brought him to 826DC.

In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, playing chess, and checking out new vegetarian and vegan restaurants. He has lived in the DC area since 2014.

Sarah Richman is a writer, author, and poet with a development and communications background across the nonprofit space and the tech industry. She believes that well-told stories can change the world.

Sarah holds cum laude degrees in Creative Writing and International Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s also written two speculative fiction books for young people, and her writing is published across the United States and Scotland.

She loves dogs and feels the most like herself when she’s in a garden.

Abbilemnis A. Araujo (who everyone calls Abby) has always believed in the power of words and it was her passion for reading and writing that brought her to 826DC. She has worked behind the scenes, supporting organizations that focus on education, specifically reading or writing and has also worked in the classroom.

Abby holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, where she focused in Creative Writing and a Masters in Nonprofit Management, where she concentrated in Project Management.

When she’s not trying new food or going back home to The Bronx, she’s working on her writing or trying to convince her friends to play Taboo.

Tyler (they/them) is an educator, artist, activist, and photographer from Washington, DC. Tyler has spent over a decade working for and with young people in partnership with other nonprofits, public schools, community arts programs, service providers, and youth organizing collectives. Their facilitation has always been grounded in using artistic expression as a tool for building youth power, community, and social change.

Tyler also works as an independent photojournalist, documenting activists, organizations, social justice movements, and our changing climate. Throughout the years, Tyler has worked on grassroots social justice organizing campaigns for causes such as trans rights, harm reduction-focused public health interventions, food justice, fighting the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as ending police brutality and mass incarceration.

They spend their free time hiking with their dog, reading, painting, cooking, studying herbalism, working on urban farms, and practicing yoga.

Sara Jackson is a writer, poet, and lifetime educator who believes that the greatest power we all have is the power to create with our words. To her, writing is more than a form of expression; it is an outlet for history and one of the only ways to see through the eyes of someone else.

Sara holds a BA degree in both English Literature and Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in Public
Community Service. She has a passion for Black Girlhood Studies and was a mentor for 6th-8th graders while volunteering for Black Girl Magic, an after-school program in Rhode Island. Sara is committed to encouraging and maintaining Black joy in all spaces she enters. She has been a writing tutor for over seven years, helping students of all ages. She recently finished serving a year in City Year DC, where she discovered a newfound love for working in the classroom.

In her free time, you can find Sara reading a book, singing a song, or writing a poem. She loves yoga, tennis, and brunch.

As a childhood-turned-lifelong reader and writer from Rochester, NY, Eisa Abu-Sbaih is passionate about building youth education in storytelling, leadership, and advocacy. She aspires to launch a career in nonprofit work and is eager to see where this next chapter leads.

Eisa has previously worked with literacy programming at local elementary schools in Baltimore, MD and as a leadership education lead at the Louis August Jonas Foundation’s Camp Rising Sun in Rhinebeck, NY. She is currently in her senior year at Loyola University Maryland, where she studies public relations and marketing with a minor in writing.

On Sunday evenings, Eisa hosts a live college radio segment with a galactic indie-rock flavor. She is always hungry for new and local music recommendations.

Fátima (she/her/ella) is a fourth year student studying Education Sciences and minoring in Chicano/Latino studies at the University of California, Irvine. A Los Angeles native and proud daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, Fátima is excited to work at 826DC as an Educational Programming intern!

Moreover, Fátima’s passion for education has been strongly instilled and cultivated by her community back home. Likewise, Fátima believes in the importance of mentorship especially for first-generation students, educational accessibility, and community advocacy. On campus, Fatima has a background in immigrant justice and advocacy;  serving as the president of the student organization SAFIRE and student coordinator for immigrant-impacted youth throughout her undergraduate career.

In her free time, Fatima enjoys visiting new coffee shops, thrifting, hanging out with her three cats, and attending concerts.

Griffin Denham (he/him) is from Los Angeles, California and is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in European Languages and Transcultural Studies and learning Mandarin Chinese. He is doing an extra quarter in Washington, D.C. as a part of the UCDC (University of California, D.C.) Program. 

Griffin chose to intern with 826DC because of his wonderful previous experience working for the 826LA chapter through the nationwide College Corps program. Griffin is an avid equestrian and his interests in the sport have taken him all the way to Germany to work for two olympic equestrians. This journey abroad also solidified his passion for foreign language and travel. 

Other fun facts about Griffin are that he loves cooking and baking, watching Studio Ghibli movies and listening to movie soundtracks.

Mario Howard (he/him), was born and raised on the west side of Chicago. He’s currently majoring in English (Creative Writing Fiction concentration), and minoring in Political Science at Howard University, one of the top HBCUs. 826DC is his introduction into the world of education and childcare. He’s the second oldest of four and often would watch over his younger siblings. He was also raised by three Black women – his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Mario’s looking forward to working with the youth, especially the marginalized and underprivileged youth. He has lots of pride in every part of his identity from his blackness to his queerness and tries his best to help bring out everyone’s very own self-love story. Mario enjoys anime – with his favorites being Attack on Titan and Dragon Ball Z. He enjoys writing and has written in a number of literary genres ranging from poetry, fiction, journalism, songwriting, among many others. He’s excited to start this journey!