Community Impact

What began as a fun "pandemic hobby" has since grown into something more meaningful: a platform to promote reading among youth and to highlight diverse and underrepresented voices. I have also been taking Read with Val out into my local community, and partnering with libraries and schools across the DMV area to inspire the next generation of readers!

My interactive workshop, “Books + YouTube = BookTuber!”, shares with young readers how to create engaging BookTalks. Participants (typically 3rd-8th graders) get to learn how to choose a book, identify what makes it compelling, and turn their ideas into a short book recommendation or video of their own.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to collaborate—I’d love to work together!