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Mallory Hellman
Mallory Hellman

Mallory Hellman

Title/Position
Director
Mallory Hellman (she/her) has served as the Director of the Iowa Youth Writing Project since 2015. Prior to that, she received an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard. Mallory's nonfiction has appeared in Tuesday Magazine, Forbes, and elsewhere. She has taught creative writing at the University of Iowa, the Duke University Talent Identification Program, and at K-12 schools, community centers, residential rehabilitation facilities, and shelters throughout the Midwest. Mal's favorite part about life with the IYWP is hearing students read their work aloud. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, solo (or group!) dance parties, and cooing to the nightshades in her garden. Her favorite word is "robust."
Camille Socarras
Camille Socarras

Camille Socarras

Title/Position
Associate Director
Favorite childhood book:
April Bannister
April Bannister

April Bannister

Title/Position
Education and Volunteer Coordinator
Advice to younger self: Accept help when it's offered.
Tiana Warner
Tiana Warner

Tiana Warner

Title/Position
Community Outreach and Development Coordinator
Tiana Warner (she/they) received her BA in African American Studies from the University of Iowa. They have been writing and performing spoken word poetry for 8 years and have held workshops across the state on the basics of performance poetry for youth. She has competed in two international poetry slams as part of a team representing Des Moines, IA. Their favorite things are listening to rap music, eating and making soup, spending time with loved ones, and late-night adventures with friends.
Leiz Chan
Leiz Chan

Leiz Chan

Title/Position
Advocacy and Engagement Intern
Advice to younger self: Trust your heart, become a home for others, and drink as much juice as you'd like.
Megan Fear
Megan Fear

Megan Fear

Title/Position
Programming Intern
Favorite childhood book: The Velveteen Rabbit
Madison Godsey
Madison Godsey

Madison Godsey

Title/Position
Programming Intern
Favorite childhood book: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Advice to younger self: look for joy + let things go
Emerson Peters
Emerson Peters

Emerson Peters

Title/Position
Design Intern
Favorite childhood book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Advice to younger self: Spend your life doing things that will make you happy! 
Sophia Wagner
sophie

Sophia Wagner

Title/Position
Programming Intern
Favorite childhood book: Ronia the Robber's Daughter
Alice Webster
Alice Webster

Alice Webster

Title/Position
Programming Intern
Favorite childhood book: Madeline
Gabriel Wichman
Gabriel Wichman

Gabriel Wichman

Title/Position
Events and Communication Intern
Favorite childhood book: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief