However you’d like to, really! From volunteering to work with current students in our programs to copyediting our student publications to joining our Alumni Board, there’s an opportunity out there for everyone. Our alumni engagement survey details all of these options and more, and is the best way to let us know how you’d like to get in touch. We’re also always open to new methods of collaboration, and we encourage you to email us at alumni@826valencia.org if you have any ideas to share!

Absolutely! We encourage you to first reach out to your original chapter by emailing any staff members you recognize from your time as a student—we know firsthand how much they’d love to hear from you. If you’re unable to reach them—or relocated to the Bay and want to get involved with the Valencia chapter!—follow any of the links on this page or email alumni@826valencia.org and we can direct you to any opportunity you’re interested in.

Established in 2019, the Alumni Board is a group of former 826 Valencia students who are interested in giving back to the organization by planning alumni engagement projects to build the alumni community. We fill new alumni board positions on an annual basis, and this opportunity is open to alums who are not currently undergraduates. Fill out our engagement survey if you’re interested in joining!

The quickest way to learn about job opening and internships is by following 826 Valencia on LinkedIn and joining our Alumni LinkedIn group, where these opportunities are frequently re-posted and promoted. We also highlight 826 career opportunities in our alumni and general newsletters—subscribe here to receive the most up-to-date news from our ship captain’s deck!

• 2005?

Probably! In our Mission Center office, we have a Mary Poppins-esque bookshelf filled to the brim with books—a beautiful sedimentary rock of over two decades of student publications, if you will. So your book is likely somewhere there, nestled between newspapers and magazines and Captain Blue’s forgotten treasure maps. Drop us a line at alumni@826valencia.org if you’d like to hunt for it!

Juan grew up in the Mission District and currently works at a local nonprofit in the same neighborhood. Previously, he worked at the SF Department of the Environment…and even as an AmeriCorps service member at 826 Valencia! Outside of work, you can normally spot him grabbing a burrito in the Mission, hanging out at a nearby park, or browsing his local farmers’ market.

Kristyne is a San Francisco native, an alumna of Year Up, and a proud LGBTQ Latina. As a Senior Associate on the Untapped Talent team, she helps young professionals from underinvested communities navigate their Salesforce internship experience and supports their professional development. In 2019, Kristyne was featured in the Salesforce.org 360 blog, “From Wanting a Job to Getting a Career: One Year Up Intern’s Story, in which she shared how the Year Up program shifted her mindset from wanting a job to wanting a career.

As the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants who came to the United States with few resources, Kristyne intimately understands the value of a strong support system when launching a career. With this in mind, she continues to mentor young people from local Bay Area education and non-profit programs.

Bianca is a San Francisco native, theater artist, musician and educator. Currently, she works at her alma mater San Francisco University High School as the Director of Community Engagement. She also sits on the Board of Directors with San Francisco Youth Theater and recently joined the 826 Valencia Board of Directors! If you enjoy live music, you can catch her band, Araya, the first Tuesday of the month at Alamo Square Seafood Grill. Check out their music on SoundCloud or Instragram @araya_sounds. Whenever Bianca needs a moment to reconnect with nature, her favorite thing to do is take in the San Francisco ocean breeze.

Daniela is a SF native who recently graduated from Saint Mary’s College of CA with a B.S in Business Administration. This past August, she joined Salesforce’s Marketing team and hopes to one day create a business of her own. When she isn’t working, she enjoys playing basketball, going to the gym, and collecting blazers.

A San Francisco native, Daisy Guzman has been a member of the 826 Valencia community for over 18 years. She has been involved with the organization in various capacities, first as a student and later as a volunteer, education program intern, and scholarship committee member. She holds a BS in Business Administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and is a practicing CPA at an accounting firm. During her free time Daisy enjoys hiking and traveling.

Osvaldo is a San Francisco native. While growing up in the Bayview District, Osvaldo came in for After-School Tutoring, later joined the 826 Youth Advisory Board, and is now on the 826 Alumni Board, and the 826 Valencia Board of Directors. He is currently working at Silicon Valley Bank, advising financial technology companies on how to optimize their treasury operations.

Holly is a native San Franciscan and a first generation college student. She attended 826 Valencia’s after-school program from 2nd – 8th grade. She is currently working at a foundation headquartered in San Francisco. One of Holly’s favorite things to do is to try new restaurants.