Speakers at the 2025 Volunteer Academy

Jeffra Becknell

Jeffra Becknell is a soon-to-be retired teacher with the San Diego County Office of Education. She currently teaches high school History, Government, and Economics at Monarch School, where she first became a partner teacher with   the Adolescent Book Group over 10 years ago. 

Jeffra learned how to read from the magazines her parents stuck in front of her when she was having nightmares. Later, she was the student who often had a book hidden under her desk in those classes she found “boring.” As a teacher, she hopes her classes allow students to learn how to learn and to use their voices to improve their communities.  She believes that literacy is a transformative skill that can and must be achieved by every student. 

Jeffra graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she played defense on the women’s ice hockey team and served as a student representative to the Board of Trustees. She won a Watson Fellowship that allowed her to travel throughout western Europe interacting with and learning from women soccer and ice hockey players. After graduating from Columbia Law School, she practiced law in Washington, D.C. for three years before discovering her true calling in education. 

Jeffra lives in Encinitas with her wife, also an educator. They have 2 dogs and 2 daughters who come home from college to see the dogs. 

Tammy Carpowich

Tammy Carpowich is Sr. Director of Media & Creative Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. In her current role she oversees all media for SDCOE, including two cable channels, SDCOE’s digital presence, brand management, graphic design, virtual and in-person meeting support, and a print shop that serves San Diego’s 42 school districts.  

Before joining SDCOE, Tammy spent 25 years at KPBS, San Diego’s NPR and PBS stations. There she served a variety of leadership roles in the areas of Innovation, Digital, IT, Fundraising, News, Video Production and Communications.    

Tammy is a graduate of LEAD San Diego’s Impact and Advance programs. She has earned awards for her work from the San Diego Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, PBS, Public Relations Society of America, and others. She was one of San Diego Metropolitan's "40 Under 40" honorees and served as a board member for the Integrated Media Association (iMA) and the San Diego chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.   

Tammy is an active volunteer with LEAD San Diego, Words Alive, and the Mt. Carmel Marching Sundevils.  

In her spare time Tammy is an avid reader (don’t ask her favorite genre or book – it's too hard to pick!) and an enthusiastic supporter of competitive marching music. She lives in Sabre Springs with her husband, two teenage children, and their miniature dachshund, Penny.    

Melinda Casey

Melinda Casey is the Director of Learning and Engagement at Words Alive, serving over 6,500 children, teens, and families each year.

With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Melinda brings a background in arts, education, and justice organizing to her work.

She is passionate about building lifelong learning and creating equitable access across communities.

In addition to their work in the social impact sector, Melinda is also a community doula who is passionate about reproductive rights and poverty alleviation.

Vichittra Chaleune

Vichittra Chaleune is the Words Alive Associate Program Director.

She is responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating the Words Alive Read Aloud Program. Prior to Words Alive, Vichittra was an AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at Voices for Children where she supported the volunteer management office. She is a San Diego State University alumna and continued her education in Vermont at the School for International Training where she earned her master’s degree in Service, Leadership and Management with an emphasis in Conflict Resolution. Her interest in cultural diversity inspired her to work with refugees in City Heights and complete her practicum with the International Rescue Committee. As a result, she wrote her capstone paper titled, Conflict Resolution Through the Study of Food where she identified food as a commonality shared among individuals and a potential bridge towards peacebuilding. Vichittra is a San Diego native and continues to be passionate about making positive impacts in her community.

Marcie Colleen

Marcie Colleen is the author of picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels for kids, including The Super Happy Party Bears chapter book series, picture books such as Penguinaut!, The Bear’s Garden, Survivor Tree, and the upcoming Happy Friendsgiving (coming September 23rd), as well as the Kitten Ninja graphic novels. Her stories mix humor, heart, and a sense of wonder, inspiring young readers to dream big and laugh often. Marcie lives in sunny San Diego. You can visit her at www.thisismarciecolleen.com. 

Jose Cruz

Jose Cruz is the chief executive officer for the San Diego Council on Literacy, a model urban literacy coalition. He has 40 years of experience in the literacy field and is known for his accomplishments in supporting collaborative literacy efforts on national, statewide, regional, and local levels.  He was the recipient of the 2003 San Diego Union-Tribune, “Educator of the Year” award and in 2014 was recognized by The Union-Tribune as the Civic Leader of the Year through the Latino Champions Awards. In the following year, he was named to the San Diego High School, “Wall of Honor.” Cruz is current president of the San Diego Lions Club and is the co-host of The Gap Minders, a podcast that focuses on resource issues that affect quality of life in the San Diego region. He is a native San Diegan, a graduate of the University of Southern California, and a proud product of the San Diego Community College District.

Cheryl Converse-Rath

Hilary Ego

Hilary Ego is the Environmental Sustainability Manager with the City of La Mesa and oversees administering Climate Action Plan (CAP) programs for clean and renewable energy, building energy efficiency, clean and efficient transportation, water efficiency, waste reduction, and urban natural environment.  Hilary also serves as an Advisory Board Member of the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative.  Her passion for spreading environmental education is portrayed in a children’s book she authored, titled “How I Save the Earth.”  Hilary holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Master’s in Water Resources Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was also a member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving team.

Brian Fider

Brian Fidler is a lifelong learner, educator, and Episcopal priest.  For 38 years, he served as chaplain, teacher and coach in five independent, Episcopal schools – boarding and day – in Connecticut, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and California.  At each of the schools he served, Brian made it a priority to invite his own students to serve in the wider community – as tutors in an underserved middle school, through clothing collection and distribution drives, house refurbishing, and visiting fellow teens incarcerated in a maximum-security facility.

Brian retired from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla in 2018, and he and his wife, Blake, couldn’t think of a compelling reason to return to the cold and snow of the northeast. For several years, he volunteered in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, chairing the diocesan Commission on Ministry and serving as the Interim Dean of Studies for its School for Ministry.  He continues to mentor school chaplains nationwide and he is a trained Listening Hearts convener of discernment groups for those exploring ordained ministry.

Brian began volunteering with the Adolescent Book Group program of Words Alive in 2021, working with students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades at Monarch School, shifting to Global Academy in 2025. Now in his fifth year, he loves working with a team of other adults to find creative ways to engage students in contemporary Young Adult literature in the classroom.  Developing project-oriented, participation-driven activities is at the heart of working with the students to develop reading and interpretive skills, encouraging them to become lifelong readers and learners.

Recognized as Words Alive 2023 Volunteer of the Year by the North County Philanthropy Council, Brian joined Words Alive Board of Directors in 2023. When he’s not volunteering, he plays pickleball, walks, writes fiction and visits his and his wife’s grandson on the East coast.

Faryl Kander

Faryl Kander is the Words Alive Family Program Manager.

Faryl’s professional interest in education began when she learned about the inequities that exist in our education system and wanted to work to find a solution. She became a Teach for America teacher working in multicultural urban environments with linguistically and culturally diverse children and families. Faryl’s love for teaching developed into roles as a literacy coach, teacher educator, and most recently a Title 1 Reading Specialist. Faryl believes that all children deserve a quality education and is committed to authentic and meaningful practices that develop readers and writers. She firmly believes an education that enthuses a love of reading supports students in becoming deep and critical thinkers who will change our world. Faryl received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, a M.Ed. with a concentration in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego and holds a B.A. degree in English from San Diego State University. 

Julia Loman

Julia Loman, MS, has been committed to social change, anti-bias, and multi-cultural practices for over 25 years. She has been in the early care and education field for 27 years, working with families and children ages 0-12 in various settings and positions, from classroom teacher to program director. She currently works with Neighborhood House Association’s Head Start Program in San Diego, CA and an Early Care and Education Consultant.

Her passion for social justice and anti-racism was nurtured at a young age by her father, who taught Black Studies. She has woven this passion into everything she does personally and professionally. Her love of books was also nurtured by her family. She read Ayn Rand’s 750-page novel “The Fountainhead” her senior year of high school in 2 days, just for fun!  Her favorite audiobook is “The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a Child Development Focus and master’s in Organizational Management and Leadership, Julia is the proud parent of a twenty-three-year-old and step-bonus mom to a six-year-old, her ultimate child development experiments!

Karen Malin

After having spent 40 years in education in the San Francisco Bay Area, Karen and her husband Jim moved to San Diego. Karen retired from a very busy career which included teaching students from Preschool through college levels, private practice in learning remediation, and serving as Head of Lower School at an independent elementary school for 14 years. In addition to a teaching credential, Karen has a Masters in Special Education. She loves being a part of learning communities and immersing in the possibilities that always flourish in that environment. Now in San Diego, she loves spending time with her grandchildren, Emi, Landon, and Walker.

Karen is also very involved in silk painting, and enjoys studio sessions with fellows artists, painting images on silk, as well as creating fabric to sew into clothes and scarves for family and friends. She has been lucky enough to exhibit six times. Karen is currently the President of the San Diego Silk Guild and serves on the education committee at Visions Art Museum.

Through Words Alive Karen has been able to fulfill her passion for helping students develop their curiosity, creativity, risk taking and thinking skills.

Bijan Nowroozian

Bijan is the Senior Librarian of Parkland Spanaway Library.  In this role, he supervises a Leadership Team of 8 Librarians and a staff of 30+ employees. Bijan has worked in libraries for 18 years, mostly at San Diego Public Library. Bijan was the Chair of Programming for the 2021 CLA Conference and hosted 3 panels at San Diego Comic Con. Bijan has received numerous awards over the years, including the SDPL Employee of the Year, the SJSU Director’s Award of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion, the President’s Volunteer Service Award (2022 & 2023), and the Words Alive Teen Services Volunteer of the Year. 

Bijan grew up in San Diego County and graduated from Grossmont College (A.A.), San Diego State University (B.A.), and San Jose State University (Master of Library and Information Science). While growing up, the local library was his place of refuge; a safe space he would visit every day after school to relax, study, and immerse himself in books. In college, he discovered a love for non-fiction and poetry. He has recently enjoyed the world of graphic novels and appreciates a good audiobook while working out. In addition to reading, Bijan also enjoys hiking, playing video games, and running obstacle course races. He even competed on American Ninja Warrior! 

Bijan started volunteering at Words Alive in 2017 as the team lead for the Adolescent Book Group (ABG) program. He would visit 2-3 classrooms weekly and lead the class in book discussions, writing prompts, activities, games, and art projects that all revolved around the book the students were reading. In addition to his ABG work, Bijan joined the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program as a volunteer. Once the program transitioned to a more volunteer-focused structure, he was offered the role of Chair of the WAWS Taskforce which he continued until the 2023 sunsetting of the program. Bijan continues to take on additional volunteer roles and projects at Words Alive whenever needed. 

Kristi Stoza

Kristi Stoza is Words Alive’s Institutional Giving Manager.

Kristi brings with her years of experience in volunteer management, fundraising, and program work serving families facing homelessness, domestic violence, and substance abuse. 

She holds an undergraduate degree in social work from San Diego State University and her past work experience includes positions at Vista Hill, Center for Community Services, and the LGBTQ Youth Space in San Jose. 

In her free time, Kristi enjoys running, cycling, checking out new restaurants, and planning weekend adventures with her family.

Katie Turner

Katie Turner, co-owner of Joyride Bookshop in San Diego, holds a BA in English and Political Science from the University of Vermont, a master's degree in Frierian approaches to arts-in-education from the Gallatin School at New York University, and a secondary English credential from the University of San Diego's School of Leadership and Education Sciences.

Between New York and San Diego, Katie worked as a teaching artist for Creative Action in Austin Texas, where she built week-long immersive ELA-aligned theatre programs for preschool and elementary school students, and collaborated with Child Protective Service therapists in safe houses, using puppetry as a pediatric therapeutic. Katie has also used Augusto Boal’s theatre-in-education strategies in juvenile facilities, both in New York City and in Austin Texas. After moving to San Diego in 2006, Katie taught high school English, including creative writing and AP Literature, at Academy of Our Lady of Peace in Normal Heights.

In 2019 Katie left OLP to start the California chapter of Poetic Justice, a national nonprofit organization that uses creative and restorative writing as a tool for healing from trauma and harm in women’s prisons, jails, and youth facilities throughout the state. Poetic Justice California now serves close to 400 incarcerated women, girls, and gender-expansive people each year, and has led to advocacy efforts both in the California state capital and the United Nations.

In addition to Poetic Justice, in 2021 Katie started Joyride Bookshop with her dear friend Susie Horn, and what began as a dream to bring important children’s books to kids all over town has led to a life-long motivation to ensure that families continue to get access to real books about really important (and sometimes silly) ideas about what it means to be here on this planet, in this community, as a part of this family, in this unique body each one of us gets to have.   

Marlene Xochical

Marlene Xochical is a proud first-generation Latina and Child Development Specialist with over 13 years of experience supporting children and families. She works at TrueCare, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), where she brings a culturally responsive and trauma-informed approach to early childhood development. Marlene is passionate about empowering communities and creating spaces where every child can thrive.