Contact: Janet Wakefield, janet@thejourneyonline.org
6744 Falcon Ridge, Indianapolis, IN 46278
Ph: 317-875-5756
Fax: 317-875-5285
Headline: Twenty-eight new youth development professionals from across Indiana are selected for The 2016 Journey Fellowship for New Professionals
Our Executive Director and Founder, Derrin Slack, along with twenty-seven new professionals from youth serving organizations from across Indiana have been selected for the 2016 Journey Fellowship for New Professionals. In response to a growing need to grow the pool of talented new professionals in the field of youth work, this Journey Fellowship was created in 2010 and funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Journey Fellows for New Professionals will embark on an expedition to develop themselves and their careers in youth development. This unique opportunity is meant to support emerging leaders in their quest to get grounded, get connected and get going; making their mark in the field and making a difference in young people’s lives throughout Indiana.
“This Fellowship is about keeping these young youth workers in the field of youth development and helping them become the new leaders in the field to improve services and programs for young people.” says Tom Plake, Journey Leader.
Each of the twenty-eight participants in the Journey Fellowship for New Professionals will attend a series of residential retreats designed to create new ways of thinking about and practicing youth work within existing systems and youth programs. Fellowship participants will be awarded career advancement scholarships, and be supported to make a difference within their local organizations or communities.
“We know that youth workers play a vital role in the lives of young people. It has been documented in dozens of ways that youth who enjoy positive relationship with adults over time do better in life,” explains Janet Wakefield, Journey Leader. “We also know that many people enter the profession because they ‘want to make a difference’ and they enjoy building positive relationships with young people. The Journey Fellowship for New Professionals provides Indiana’s youth workers greater opportunities to strengthen themselves as leaders and invest in their careers serving the young people of Indiana.”
Congratulations 2016 New Pro Fellows!
The Journey is pleased and honored to announce the 28 Indiana emerging leaders in the field of youth development who have been nominated and selected to be the fourth class of The Journey Fellowship for New Professionals.
Bloomington
Mersades Clouse
Independent Living Coach, Stepping Stones, Inc.
Jack Laskey
Crestmont Program Director, Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington
Boswell
Samantha Shoemaker
Day Youth Development Supervisor, Tippecanoe Youth Services
Evansville
Jeremy Brown
Teenpower, Communications and Special Events Coordinator, Youth Resources
Fort Wayne
Donna Masterson
Case Manager, YWCA
Gary
Domonique Wilson
Coordinator, JAG
Greenwood
Jessica Fitzgerald
Skills Development Specialist Schools Based, Adult and Child Mental Health
Indianapolis
Tashianna Avery
Membership Development Manager, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
Caitlin Bain
Development Officer, Kiwanis International
Abby Bartley
Youth Development Site Director, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
Amanda Carver
Education Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
Mathew Davis
Community Engagement and Empowerment Coordinator, Project Libertas School for Community Learning
Jane Hurdish
AmeriCorps Service Member, Graduation Counselor, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
Yodit Kibrom
Youth Program Director, Felege Hiywot Center
Laura McGaughey
Associate Director for Programming, College Mentors for Kids
Corinne Patterson
Coordinator for Leadership Programs, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Derrin Slack
Executive Director, ProAct Community Partnerships, Inc.
Monica Stockton
Site Director, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
Mary-Margaret Sweeney
Adolescent Health Educator, Social Health Association
Sarah Tegeler
Site Director and Staffing Specialist, YMCA Youth Development
Cassie Trap
Home Based Therapist, Dockside Services
Courtney Williams
Education Director, Westminster Neighborhood Services
Madeline Zielinski
Youth MOVE Indiana State Coordinator, Mental Health America of Indiana
Martinsville
Shelby Martin
Victim’s Advocate, Desert Rose Foundation, Inc.
Merrillville
Meghan Ruich
Family Development Specialist/Recruiter, Specialized Alternative for Families and Youth
Muncie
Karli Davis
Program Director, Boys & Girls Club of Muncie
Notre Dame
Rochelle Upshur
LaFourtune Services Program Manager, University of Notre Dame
Scottsburg
Rhonda Ritchison
Tobacco Prevention Coordinator and Youth Outreach, Scott County Partnership
The Journey is home to a variety of programs that seek to support the renewal and professionalization of youth workers in Indiana and around the country. To learn more, visit www.thejourneyonline.org