Katherine Finley, second from left, pictured with Words Alive staff at the 2017 Words Alive Westreich Scholarship Awards Ceremony.
Please join us in congratulating Katherine Finley – Words Alive Volunteer of the Month for August 2017!
Katherine Finley came to Words Alive in the summer of 2014 – an avid reader and lover of books, looking for a fun way to spend her summer and get some experience. Since then, we have had the sincere pleasure of working with Katherine as an intern each summer! She devotes countless hours in between school months to work on a variety of things for our programs and operations.
Teen Services programs are set up for a strong start thanks to Katherine’s dedication this summer. From invitations to decorations, she was instrumental in the planning of the award ceremony to honor and celebrate our Words Alive Westreich Scholarship recipients. She also compiled resources and back-to-school gifts for the students. For the Adolescent Book Group, she has served on the curriculum committee, working on our project to expand curriculum guides for volunteer facilitators.
Throughout the school year, Katherine has also coordinated and worked at numerous outreach events – always staying engaged with our mission and community. Katherine even built a relationship with the La Jolla Farmer’s Market and positioned Words Alive at the market front, offering reading material to families and information about our programs to interested patrons.
Starting in September, Katherine heads up north to attend Stanford University for her freshman year of college. We are excited to follow her growth and the wonderful things she will take on in this next chapter.
We thank you, Katherine, for your commitment to the community and the generosity you've shown over the past few years. Words Alive has been lucky to work with you, and we wish you the best at Stanford!
Check out the Volunteer of the Month Interview with Katherine below:
Tell us a little about the yourself.
Although my favorite activity is curling up with a book, my cat, and cup of hot chocolate, I have always enjoyed being part of sports teams and have played on my school’s field hockey team for the past three years. I also love to travel and I’m always planning my next adventure.
How did you get involved with Words Alive?
I’ve always been an avid reader and when I was a freshman, I was lucky to discover Words Alive. I instantly fell in love with their multi-pronged approach to tackling literacy by reaching students of all ages and backgrounds.
What is the most rewarding part of your volunteer role(s)?
It is extremely gratifying knowing that I’m working with a cause that helps others discover and foster a love of reading. The impact Words Alive has is especially visible when seeing the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship Award Ceremony and hearing the heartfelt stories of students improving their literacy skills and their futures
What are you reading lately?
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert