Written by hAYDEE YANEZ
Words Alive recently welcomed Shannon Neville (she/her) as our Volunteer Engagement Manager.
Shannon Neville
We’re excited to welcome Shannon to the Words Alive team as our new Volunteer Engagement Manager! With nearly two decades of experience building relationships and creating meaningful experiences, along with a deep commitment to community involvement, Shannon brings a passion for connection that makes her a wonderful addition to our team. After first discovering Words Alive as a volunteer, she’s now helping others find that same sense of purpose, belonging, and impact through volunteering.
Now, a few words from Shannon:
What drew you about Words Alive?
“After moving to San Diego, I was looking for ways to connect with my new community, and I found that connection through volunteering with Words Alive. When a position opened on the staff, it felt like joining a family. I’m so inspired by everyone on the team and their dedication to bringing the joy of reading to the San Diego community.”
What are you most excited about in this role?
“I’m most excited about building relationships with the incredibly dedicated team of volunteers here and working closely with our community partners.”
What is your relationship with literacy and learning?
“I was the kid in school who volunteered to work at the Scholastic Book Fair every year. At my fifth-grade culmination, the school librarian gave me a copy of The Boxcar Children that I had repeatedly checked out week after week throughout elementary school.
“I read for comfort. Later in my career, I spent a few years as the site leader for an extended-care program at an elementary school. There is absolutely nothing like seeing that ‘click’ in a child’s eyes as they learn to read and knowing that an entire world is opening up for them.
“As a parent, I put books in my kids’ cribs each night. Selfishly, it bought my husband and me a few more minutes of sleep, but it also instilled in our kids a love of reading and that thirst to learn.
“I’m so proud to be a part of this team that is working to provide books and literacy resources that help build family libraries and inspire that ‘click’ in kids throughout our community.”
What are you currently reading?
“I’m currently reading The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel.”
Thank you, Shannon, for sharing more about your journey, your love of reading, and what drew you to Words Alive. We’re so excited to have you on the team and know that your passion for connection and community will make a wonderful impact on our volunteers and partners. Please join us in giving Shannon a warm Words Alive welcome—we’re so happy you’re here!