CONTENT CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS

The I AM WORTHY contributing experts are racially, geographically, and professionally diverse . . .

JULIA GARRISON—LPC, LMHC, NCC

Julia is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Washington and a Licensed Professional Counselor of the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. She is also a National Board Certified Counselor. She specializes in counseling teenagers.

DR. MANUEL ESPINOzA—md

Dr. Manuel received his medical degree from the University of Colorado in 2002. He is a urologist, surgeon, and functional medicine doctor in Harlingen, Texas, who emphasizes the importance of disease prevention and proper nutrition.

CHINA JENKINS—PhD, apdt, cfd

China earned her doctorate in Educational Human Resource Development in 2018 from Texas A&M University. She serves as the Founding Executive Director of the Teaching, Enrichment, Advising, and Mentoring Center at the Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Services.

SALLY PROVENZANO—EDUCATOR

Sally has over 25 years experience as a high school teacher and coach, primarily in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas, working with a diverse population of students. She holds a Master's in Educational Leadership.

BETH LINDSEY-MA, LPC

Beth is a Licensed Professional Counselor and graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary. Her counseling practice includes students and families. She is especially knowledgeable about issues surrounding body image.

vanessa threet—trauma survivor

Vanessa's difficult home life throughout her childhood gives her heightened compassion and unique insight regarding the ongoing challenges students face when living in dysfunctional homes.

colton grindal—medical student

Colton has a strong passion for patient-centered healthcare. He's a University of Texas at Austin graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology. He uses his knowledge of science to inspire students to realize their uniqueness and worth.

Lluvia diaz-lanier—youth aCTIVIST

Lluvia has more than 15 years experience working professionally with young people in California, Michigan, and Washington in various roles including Student Advisor, Youth Director, Assistant School Leader, and Administrator. She helps students reach their full potential.

SURVEY & ANALYTICS EXPERTS

Thanks to the generosity of Pro Bono Analytics, the following experts designed the I AM WORTHY program surveys and data analysis . . .

selin topel—msC

Selin is a final-year PhD candidate in Psychology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. She holds a BA in Psychology from Koc University, Turkey; and MSc degree in Developmental Psychology from Leiden University along with a certificate in Machine Learning. She has been volunteering for organizations that work with youth and data for more than five years.

vinayaka gude—phd

Vinayaka is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He received his PhD in Systems Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and he has developed and taught courses in Business Analytics, Data Visualization, and Machine Learning. His research focuses on computational intelligence applications in information systems, real estate dynamics, health informatics, and disaster modeling.

ethan caldas

Ethan is a graduate from the University of Virginia with a Mechanical Engineering degree and an enthusiasm for data analytics. He has previously contributed his insights and visualizations in the industrial space and now performs analysis in the nuclear power industry. He is fervently passionate about mental-emotional wellness and its effect on academic performance.

MENTAL-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS & CHARACTER-BUILDING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS