Tara Nakashima Donahue, Director

tara 2Communicating with people is, arguably, the most important element of my job. Well, it's my favorite part. Sometimes it is the sparkle of someone's interest and sometimes an expression of discontent; I approach the act of listening and sharing as one of trust, risk, and responsibility. During my first years at Community Access, I was a volunteer in supported housing, then became a Service Coordinator. A passion for fostering residents’ education interests emerged, and in 2015 I joined Blueprint — then, a new initiative — as a Supported Education Specialist. For four years, I bopped around the five boroughs to support participants to weave details, passions, and dreams into everyday reality. In fall of 2019, I became Director of Blueprint. I am a graduate of the NYC public school system, and of Hampshire College where I received a BA in Liberal Arts.