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Join us for the 2025 WITS Annual Benefit, The WITS Legacy Tree: Where Roots Connect, Stories Flourish, in the iconic OUTPOST at the POST Houston on April 17th.

This year's theme emphasizes WITS' deep roots in fostering creativity, professional growth, and the continuity of its mission across generations. It celebrates the interconnectedness of the WITS family tree, which includes students, writers, board members, and the broader community. These branches extend far beyond Houston, influencing lives worldwide and inspiring community involvement.

Proceeds from the event will support WITS' mission to unlock the joy and power of storytelling and creative expression.

 

We are thrilled to honor Tina Angelo, Managing Director of Programs at WITS, who has dedicated 12 remarkable years to our organization. As Tina nears her retirement in 2025, we celebrate her incredible legacy and the profound impact she has made on WITS and the thousands of students and families we serve. 


Marcia and Michael Nichols & Shreya and Sunil Sheth will serve as our co-chairs!

Meet the Honoree: Tina Angelo!

Tina Angelo

After graduating from the University of Texas with her Bachelor's in History and English and University of Houston with her Master's in Education, Tina Angelo embarked on a journey as a lifelong educator serving as a public school teacher and administrator for 37 years. Upon retirement from Houston Independent School District, she joined Writers in the Schools to share her experience and passion for supporting teachers and children in the classroom through creative expression. As a Greek-American, she shares her heritage of storytelling with her husband, children, and grandchildren.


Why They Support WITS:
"My passion for WITS comes from my experience in seeing the impact of amplifying children's voices through storytelling. I witnessed this on a personal level when my own child told me that she credits writing during Creative Writing Camp as one of the positive influences that helped her cope with the trauma of a flood. WITS changes lives." - Tina Angelo

 

Meet the Co-Chairs: Marci and Mike Nichols! 

michael nichols Marcia Nichols

Marcia and Mike Nichols have been Houstonians since arriving from Atlanta in 1981.They have four wonderful children, along with their four fabulous spouses and five brilliant grandchildren ( ages 1-14). Marcia started the first fundraiser for WITS when she brought ballet superstar Li Cunxin to WITS to discuss his book, Mao's Last Dancer. Marcia leaves her mark on Houston with her work on the American Jewish Committee, Congregation Beth Israel, Kinkaid School, Baylor College of Medicine's Bluebird Clinic and Houston School for Hearing and Deafness and others. She is currently a 2nd-year student in the Rabbinical Program at Academy of Jewish Religion.


After political, business and non-profit successes, Mike is currently the City of Houston Director of Housing and Community Development. He was recently honored with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Service Award 

 

Why They Support WITS:

"Our world needs more storytellers. Storytelling is the key is being human. And WITS makes a difference by showing and teaching young people the fun, value, and importance of great storytelling." - Mike Nichols

"WITS recognizes the power of words; today more than ever, the importance of thinking, speaking, and writing with clarity is required to be effective in any human endeavor. I support WITS because it leads the way in bringing good thinkers and writers to our nation." - Marcia Nichols

 Meet the Co-Chairs: Shreya and Sunil Sheth! 

Shreya 



Shreya and Sunil Sheth moved back to Houston with their young family in 2016. They are active members in their local communities, and are passionate about supporting education, literacy, and health in underserved populations. Both are practicing academic physicians, and love to teach, travel, and spend time with their two growing children.


Why They Support WITS:
"The ability to express oneself is essential to educational growth. It lays the foundation for creative problem-solving and emotional development. WITS supports creative literacy education to both teachers and students, unlocking the potential for self-expression in students that may not otherwise have access to it. Sunil and I are proud to support an organization with a deep commitment to empowering the voices of Houston's youth." - Shreya and Sunil Sheth

 

Meet the 2025 Houston Youth Poet Laureate: Lucas Fang!

Lucas Fang

Lucas Fang, a senior at The Kinkaid School, describes himself as "part Vietnamese, part Taiwanese, and 100% Texan." His writing explores the complexities of his Asian American identity, the immigrant experience, and mental health. These themes are deeply personal, shaped by his journey and the encouragement of his mother, who instilled in him the importance of storytelling.

Lucas's writing is driven by his family's support and his desire to uplift others in his community. He's passionate about addressing social issues, particularly youth migration and mental health. As a founding member of his school's Student Wellness Advisory Board, he plans to work with local refugee organizations to support youth migrants. He believes community resources like libraries are key to helping young people feel at home in a new place.

As the Houston Youth Poet Laureate, Lucas aims to collaborate with the Houston Public Library and Writers in the Schools to offer poetry workshops, providing students a platform to share their stories. He also hopes to compile a publication featuring the poetry of Houston's immigrant and first-generation communities.

A powerful poet committed to his community, Lucas uses his platform to unite people through shared humanity. We are proud to honor him as the 2025 Houston Youth Poet Laureate.

Meet Bella Kalra, 2024 Meta4 Houston Team Member!

Bella Kalra

Bella Kalra is a 16-year-old tenth grader at HSPVA, where she studies theater and writes with passion and purpose. She was a member of the nationally acclaimed 2024 Meta4 Houston Youth Slam Poetry Team-and helped secure their second consecutive national title!

Bella shares that her journey started when she was just six or seven, writing songs in a notebook gifted by her grandmother. From those early lyrics-yes, even the cringy ones-she found her way to poetry. Over time, her voice evolved to tackle deeper issues and advocate for change. She credits speech and debate in middle school for helping her find her voice and the courage to share it.

Bella says:
"Meta4 is such an exciting opportunity. I get to connect with other teen writers across the city, explore new perspectives, and grow as an artist. I can't wait to perform, to learn, and to lift up youth voices-because we are the next generation."

Hosted By

Writers in the Schools Houston
For Inquiries please contact Development Director, Aubrey Burghardt, to make a pledge, set up a payment plan, or for additional support.
[email protected]

The OUTPOST, at the POST

POST Houston, 401 Franklin Street, Houston, TX, USA
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See the 2024 Luncheon recap video!

If you missed the excitement of our Choose Your Own Adventure Luncheon in 2024,  see what all the buzz was about here in our recap video!

The fair market value for each ticket is $120, per seat, and $960 for each table of 8. For federal income tax purposes, you may be able to deduct the portion of your purchase price that exceeds the item's fair market value (FMV) if you paid the excess with the intent to make a charitable contribution. For more information, please consult with your tax advisor. Writers in the Schools is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, EIN# 76-0338549. Our tax ID: 76-0338549.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!