By Yilin Xie
Medill Reports

As Americans vote for their choice for president, for some voters it will be their first time to cast a ballot. And, for immigrants that first vote can take years before it becomes a reality. That was the situation for award winning story teller, Nestor Gomez, when he presented his struggle at Story Jam’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day celebration in January.

“We try to create as much diversity on stage, and much diverse storytelling as possible,” said Stephanie Rogers, the producer of Story Jam.

Story Jam includes storytelling and live music performance. Usually, one show features five storytellers and five original music pieces.

Rogers said, they write an original song based on the reflection of each personal story, and each show has different content.

Nestor Gomez, an award-winning storyteller, told his story of becoming a U.S citizen from an undocumented immigrant at the show. He shared his excitement of being able to vote for the first time in the United States.

“I got inspired to tell my story because I heard others tell their story,” Gomez said, “I used to stutter when I was a kid, and I want to get over my fear of public speaking.”

“Storytelling in Chicago is extremely popular,” Roger said, “I think people feel the need to tell their personal stories and hear personal stories to connect with others.”

For more information about the Story Jam show, visit their website for their latest event schedule.