We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaime Balboa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaime, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
What is the end goal? People spend their whole lives asking that question. For me, I feel most relevant when I’m contributing to a greater good, to a more just, compassionate, and equitable world, My creative outlet is writing and I know first-hand how important writing is both personally and professionally. Writing is cathartic and empowering. It is a means of professional mobility and personal satisfaction. For me, the “end goal” is a life lived building that more just and compassionate world and all the better if it includes cultivating the craft of writing along the way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a writer myself and am currently getting ready to launch my collection of short stories, _Missing Possibilities_ (Atmosphere Press, June 2023). It took me years to write and a whole lot of “no’s” from publishers before I got to a “yes.” But it only takes one “yes” and then the game changes. I’m really excited to share that part of me with the world. I was trained to be an English teacher and so it’s probably no surprise that I landed at 826LA, a literacy organization that unlocks the creative power of writing in the lives of our students. I stress the importance to our staff and volunteers of modeling writing for students, of sharing your writing with them when you can. This is an act that models vulnerability, models receptiveness to feedback, models that the creative process can be iterative, ongoing, and isn’t a closed loop. These are lessons I learned along the way that I think are important to share. In my acknowledgments I thanked the many friends, teachers, and editors who gave me feedback on earlier drafts of my stories. In some ways, I like to think that my book coming out shows that I’m on a common journey with the students we support.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question! Every Angelino experiences a different Los Angeles because there’s so much to do but anyone who comes for a visit with me will end up at the Pacific sooner or later. I’m an open water swimmer and swim year-round. An ocean swim is always dynamic. If you’re lucky, a pod of dolphins will visit or a school of rays or a leopard shark will swim beneath you. If you’re lucky you’ll find a sand dollar or a beautiful shell. The sky over the ocean takes on different moods at different times of day. Sunrise, sunset, mid-day, all of them beautiful. I swim in the early morning, before work, before traffic, before crowds get to the beaches. It’s peaceful. LA is such an urban setting that it could be easy to forget we’re on the border of massive, aquatic wilderness. There’s a Groundworks Cafe on Rose Street that I often stop at on my way home from my swim. I’ve taken more than one visitor there, too, for some avocado toast or a breakfast burrito. Once we get the water and sand from our ears, we’d probably head downtown to the Last Bookstore and then wander over to Grand Central Market for lunch. If there’s time and energy, we’d walk up to the Broad and the Museum of Contemporary Art. I do staycations with my family with that itinerary all the time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Every successful executive knows that they are only as successful as their team. That’s so true for me and the work that I do directing 826LA. There’s a poignant African proverb that goes something like, “it takes a village to raise a child.” I think that speaks to how we see ourselves in the field of education. 826LA will engage nearly 6,000 students in our writing-based literacy programs this year. The only way we can do that is through the dedication of our small team of professional staff and a massive team of over 600 volunteers. Our Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers. Our tutors and mentors are volunteers. Patty Guggenheim hosted our gala this year and brought with her improv actors and actresses to make the program memorable–all of them, volunteers. Most recently, Tomorrow Studios brought their team in to volunteer for a field trip with us. They were absolutely fantastic with our students. After volunteering, they felt so inspired to be a part of the important work we’re doing, they also made a donation. The list of people and organizations that rally to advance 826LA’s mission is truly impressive.

Website: https://826la.org/

Other: https://jaimebalboa.com/

Image Credits
Photo 1: Tina June Malek Photo 2: M. Jury Photo 3: Kouroush M. Khajavi Photo 4: M. Latt

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