Cristal Jimenez was just eight years old and had just started second grade when her teacher told her mom, Albania that Cristal was behind in reading. Cristal’s teacher encouraged Albania to get more involved in her daughter’s school life. So she did everything from joining the PTA to volunteering inside the school. “It’s my daughter, I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said. Albania became present, day in and out, yet her daughter continued to struggle with basic literacy. 

That all changed in January 2001 when Albania met Patricia Cooper Small, LINC Parent Coordinator for Inwood and Washington Heights. Patricia explained how LINC was teaching families how to make reading part of their daily life and integrating into their communities, in the laundromats, in barbershops, in waiting rooms, and at home, making reading visible and valued. “No one was talking about what to do before kindergarten,” Albania said. While she had missed one opportunity, Patricia showed Albania how to turn her living room into a classroom and create activities, like movie night and restaurant games where her daughter would be excited to engage in reading. 

 “Since that day, I was practicing everything that Patricia taught me, that the school had never taught me.”

Albania began reading to her daughter and three other children in their building lobby. Within three short months, 70 families were showing up. “I joined LINC first as a parent volunteer. I started a lobby reading program in my own building every Sunday so that my daughter would see me reading. All the neighbors, when they saw us reading every Sunday, they started joining us. In three months, my daughter changed completely.” 

As their environment changed, it had attracted community partners, elected officials, and others invested in improving their neighborhoods and building lobbies. A local councilmember joined them and read to the kids, he brought police officers and toys, and the lobby transformed from a smoking room to storytime.

Seeing Albania’s natural drive and her talent at attracting others, Roberto Lizardo, a local official in District 6 recommended Albania for a job at LINC. Albania hesitated as she was still learning English and Juan Piña, school D6 Parent Coordinator, encouraged her to apply. She managed to take the interview in Spanish, and in October 2001, Albania joined LINC’s staff. 

With her passion for protecting and uplifting her community, she was a natural fit at LINC. In 2007, Albania created Parents as an Agent of Change, a program that gave parents a voice and made them feel welcome in their children’s schools. This evolved into LINC’s signature VIP Program or Very Involved Parent Academy which is active today in all five boroughs.

“We can make a difference by being present and invested in the community. And that’s why we created the VIP program.” Parents are their children’s first teachers, they are advocates, and they are agents of change, and LINC shows them how to do that at home, at the school board, in the school district.

From Parent Volunteer to Senior Leadership Member

Twenty-five years later on October 2, Albania celebrated 25 years of working at LINC. As the organization has grown and matured, so has Albania. She is now a key player on LINC’s senior leadership team and continues to oversee the VIP program that she initiated in 2007. As LINC’s Chief of Advocacy and Community Mobilization, she blends her passion for her community with her talent for building relationships with city and state officials, and corporate partners.

We are thrilled to honor Albania, a true agent of change, as we commemorate LINC’s 30th anniversary this year. Happy Anniversary, Albania, and thank you for 25 years of creating change for LINC families.