In late July, CIS of the Nation’s Capital welcomed on board Kyle Machicado, a new Communications and Administrative Associate. As CIS continues to expand in DC schools, Kyle’s role is to document and communicate the work being done in schools, to highlight the students, staff, and communities that make it all possible, and to draw attention to the work that still needs to be done. He also takes on administrative responsibilities at the central office in Georgetown to make sure programming continues to run smoothly.

A native of Northern Virginia, Kyle grew up in a family of Bolivian immigrants and started his career with nightshifts cleaning restaurants and office buildings during high school. After studying Public Health and Sustainable Development at Stanford University and a stint working at a men’s shelter in Cape Town, South Africa, Kyle returned to the DC-area as an Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center. He has worked on local and national policy advocacy with the Center for Community Change, United We Dream, and DC-based Dreaming Out Loud. Prior to joining CIS he was a case manager and watercolor/photography instructor with the Latin American Youth Center.

In his free time, Kyle enjoys painting, photography, baking, running while listening to audiobooks, and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A certified backpacking trip leader, he also likes to get out of the city and into the wilderness when possible. In working with CIS he is most excited for the creative freedom it affords in telling community stories. He recalls a quote from National Geographic Photographer Paul Nicklen, “In order to make people care… I needed to create an emotional connection through powerful visual storytelling.” He takes this sentiment to heart, having seen firsthand the impact of stories while working on immigration reform advocacy and he is excited to start telling stories with CIS.