The 2020-2021 school year challenged us to reimagine programming and how to serve New York City’s young authors best. With several new programs and our transition to the digital space, the Teen Writers’ Collective created space for the next generation of literary leaders. Our first TWC cohort will also serve as our 2021 summer interns! We’re excited to have this collective of teens join us for summer Write Away Workshops planning, editing student writing pieces, professional development opportunities, and more.

Meet our talented TWC intern cohort below!

Kiera Foster, an intern with 7th-9th grade students, joined 826NYC originally for their afterschool program beginning in 2021 and eventually decided to take her skills to the next level after realizing how amazing and beneficial this program was in helping her become a better writer from a young age.

Maxine Babb, a 16-year-old published author from New York City, has always shown a deep interest in writing and fashion for as long as she could remember; there’s nothing that excites her more. She is a passionate and driven person who doesn’t plan to stop making the people around her proud and sharing her voice with the world.

Mayra Fernandez joins 826NYC as a summer intern. She loves to read and her go-to genres to read would be mystery books and action books. She uses writing as a way to free her mind.

Mekhi Vazquez is a rising senior at Beacon High School. He has been part of 826NYC’s writing program since the 7th grade. He enjoys video games, running, and theater. His favorite subjects are math and science.

Mia Cruz is a 14-year-old who’s been going to 826NYC for 4 years. She loves to read, play soccer, and is obsessed with music.