During Alaina’s time in San Francisco, she had the privilege of working at local nonprofit organization, 826 Valencia, where she guided students ages 7-18 in their creative writing skills. 826 Valencia hosts various teams across the city; Alaina was fortunate to be a part of the Tenderloin Centers, which brought students from different schools and after-school programs together to expand on their existing ideas. In the peak of COVID-19, Alaina, along with her colleagues navigated the challenges of online-learning and connecting with youth during such global difficulties. Days consisted of in-school writing programs, podcast development, after-school one-on-one tutoring and creating a 3-week lesson course in Indigenous focused poetry. Alaina has gained a deep appreciation for her students of the Tenderloin District and has carried all that she has learned with her.