Meet Linda, a dedicated Pop Culture Classroom volunteer. Linda and her daughter Nina keep Pop Culture Classroom’s panel rooms at FAN EXPO Denver running smoothly, and they support our work throughout the year.
Read why Linda volunteers — and how you can get involved — in this interview by Pop Culture Classroom’s Director of Events and Partnerships, Emilee Klein.
Emilee: What part of the PCC mission are you inspired by?
Linda: PCC inspires a love of learning, increases literacy, celebrates diversity, and builds community through the tools of popular culture and the power of self-expression.
Learning and literacy help to grow your imagination. I think the power of self-expression is stronger when you have access to learning and literacy because they help your imagination prosper.
To have self-expression, you need to have an imagination. Being able to read is, to me, the main tool for a growing imagination. Books help your imagination grow and comics help to open up that imagination in ways you never knew you could. Diversity, equality, empathy, and compassion, I feel, stem from knowledge.
I feel that is why PCC reaches out to teachers – to give teachers tools to teach and make our communities stronger. Panels that are specific to educators are beneficial to building community because it provides a chance for educators to get together and give them new strategies for education.
Do you have a favorite volunteering story you’d like to share?
The first year I volunteered, I was helping run the Photo Stage when it was still PCC putting on Denver Comic Con. I was working at an elementary school in Northern Colorado and helped run their after-school homework club. There was one little girl, about 8 years old, who I knew from school, that I saw in full Star Trek cosplay with her father. She got up onstage with a bunch of other cosplayers and posed for photos. Then, her Dad took pictures of her on stage by herself. At one point, a villain from Star Trek walked by and she immediately grabbed her dad’s phone, aimed at them, and went “pew-pew-pew-pew-pew.” Being able to connect with her in that moment opened up an entirely different relationship with her at school come fall.
I love the excitement and creativity that comes with seeing the cosplays. People of all ages get to play their favorite characters for a bit of time and that type of expression is important for people. And maybe, just maybe, being their heroes will aid in their trials, tribulations, and celebrations of life.
Tell us a bit about yourself outside of PCC. What hobbies do you have? What is your favorite geekdom?
I have one daughter who enjoys Marvel with me, specifically Agents of SHIELD and Bucky Barnes. I even have a dog named (Agent) Coulson. Out of all the comics, Marvel is my favorite because of the characters and imagination of Stan Lee.
I love going to music concerts from Big Band to Heavy Metal to Country. I also love to travel. I think it is wonderful to see the world and to meet people from different cities, states, and countries; especially when they wear a Marvel t-shirt!
And I would pick Superman over Batman any day.
Get Involved
Have fun,and make a difference! Join Linda as a Pop Culture Classroom volunteer, and you’ll help Pop Culture Classroom create awesome learning experiences at our events and spread the word about the power of pop culture-based learning.
