Cairn Guidance is pleased to introduce the 2018 Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP) National Cadre of Trainers. These 21 professionals are located in every region of the United States and represent 18 states. They work in the fields of education (health and physical education), school nursing, school counseling and prevention. Schools, school district offices, state agencies and local and state organizations are where they are located. A few even own their own businesses or consult in the field of prevention. Lastly, they range in a few to several years of professional experience.
Each one is dedicated to the growth and well being of our youth. They enjoy working with and meeting each one of you via presentations, webinars, and at DSEP exhibit booths located at many state and regional conferences, as well as national conferences, such as National SHAPE, American School Counselor Association, and the National School Nurses Association. They are a great source and excited to introduce the DSEP Confident Me! lessons to you or assist you with implementation. Learn more about each by reading the brief introductions below and email antionette@cairnguidance.com if you would like to connect with a cadre trainer in your region.
JAN GAY, Alabama
Jan is a school counselor serving students at a Pre-K – 8 school. She is also an experienced clinical social worker. Jan sees the Dove Self Esteem Project (DSEP) as important because she sees the effects of low self-esteem and poor body image daily among her middle school students. Further, it affects their ability to perform academically and interact socially with their peers. Jan believes everyone has the potential to be the best version of themselves inside and out. She says, “Confidence comes in all forms and beauty has many shapes.”
TARA COOPER, New Jersey
Tara is a middle school health and physical education teacher. She finds that adolescents are constantly bombarded by different conflicting messages on body image and ideals everyday from their family, peers, society, social media, religion and, not to mention, hormones. Tara sees educators as having a role in helping to guide their journey of navigating through this difficult age, supplying students with as many tools as possible so they can best handle the situations that are presented to them. She adds that DSEP allows these unique opportunities to do just that! Tara says, “We are whole when we encompass body, mind, and spirit…there is not one without the other.”
PAM POWERS, Texas
Pam is an educational consultant, award-winning educator, author, child advocate and owner of her own business that supports efforts to increase physical activity in schools, organizations, and at home. She has developed curriculum for local schools and nationally. Pam recognizes the importance of helping others become more aware of body image and acceptance. She often remarks, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde
ANNETTE FECERA, Pennsylvania
Annette is a fifteen-year health education veteran and loves every minute of it! She feels very passionate about providing support and awareness for building students’ body confidence through the DSEP program. Annette says, “As a female, I can definitely relate to having issues with self-esteem especially with the messages that the media sends. I want to help students who may have the same struggles!”
MONICA COLEMAN, Mississippi
Monica is an entrepreneur, independent consultant on projects in health and wellness, education, hospitality, entertainment, and nonprofit industries. She currently provides provide training and technical assistance on teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention projects.
Monica says DSEP is certainly important for many reasons. Chief of them is how this work can help young people improve their mental health. Body confidence and self-esteem are great topics to start the conversation about how young people view themselves and others and how that impacts their mental health. Additionally, she believes self-esteem is needed in all of our lives because it reminds us to practice self-care.
DANIELLE PETRUCCI, Massachusetts
Danielle is a middle school Life Skills teacher and an adjunct instructor. She helps students think about who they are today and the kind of adult they want to become socially, emotionally, and physically through skill development. Danielle says, “I was interested in becoming a DSEP Cadre member to help young girls and boys understand their self worth goes far beyond body image. When students break through the barriers of negative body talk and comparisons, they can begin to realize their full potential where nothing holds them back.”
MICHELLE RAWCLIFFE, Connecticut
Michelle teaches health education to 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. She is also a swim coach with a community-based organization. She says, “DSEP is an important component of our Comprehensive School Health program because it provides a foundation for all the health literacy skills students will practice. When students feel good about themselves, they are more likely to make good decisions, set goals, eat healthy and exercise, take healthy risks, confidently resist pressures, etc. The activities that build skills related to self-confidence improve the dynamic in the classroom and lead to rich discussions and experiences. My hope is that when students have the skills to maintain high self-esteem, they will develop an enduring empowerment to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible.”
RACHEL CALLAWAY, Arizona
Rachel is an early childhood physical education teacher and a Coordinated School Health school coordinator for her local health department. She sees the Dove Self-Esteem Project as a vital tool to help guide educators and students through tough transitions. A quote she thinks is appropriate for confidence in young people, “Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch”- Ivern Ball.
JOHN LAKSHMANAN, Maryland
John is his school’s health and physical education department head who teaches health education to 6th, 7th and 8th graders, coaches basketball, serves as the athletic director and chair of a mentoring program for young men at his school. John enjoys what he does. No matter the context in which he interacts with students, he sees the need for higher self-esteem and more confidence amongst a variety of students. John says, “This is why the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP) is so important. Students often judge themselves against media representations of what a perfect body and person should look and act like. These personas and images are unattainable because they are not real. The DSEP provides students with a dose of reality and a fundamental understanding of what is real when it comes to being a teen in 2018.”
KORI BLACK, Wyoming
Kori, having over 30 years of experience, teaches middle school students health and physical education. Dove’s Self-Esteem Project is important to her because it provides the tools to reach today’s young people and teaches them how to see themselves in a true healthy light and how to take a stand for positive body image and diminish appearance pressure. “Having a strong confidence in one’s capabilities rather than relying on one’s looks is something I believe very strongly.” Kori shares Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
LAURA ROSS, Georgia
Laura is a middle school counselor whose focus is to connect with students so she can connect them with their education. She does this by supporting students in academics, post-secondary awareness, and personal/social issues. The Dove Self-Esteem Project has been a great way for her to connect with her students in the personal/social domain by helping them explore and breakdown the appearance ideals they are bombarded with in media daily and to build self-confidence. Laura says, “Building confidence and feeling good about who they are as a person helps students to also build confidence and feel good about who they are as pupils.”
BRETT DELANEY, Iowa
Brett teaches middle school health and physical education, and is a softball coach. “Self-esteem, body image, and body confidence is something that is an on-going daily issue for both males and females. Finding a way to make a personal connection to the individual or situation is the most important step to the ability to teaching/ helping others. The opportunity to share the power of this program is very intriguing. Most times when people think of body image, self-esteem, and body confidence they think of females. Being a male I think I could bring a unique experience to influence others to address all parties present in a given classroom.”
MARGARET HORNBECK, New Mexico
Margaret has her National Board Certification and is a middle school physical education teacher. She also coaches soccer. Margaret is excited for this adventure with the Dove Self-Esteem Project.
SHELLY KLUTZ, North Carolina
Shelly is a Nationally Certified School Nurse who for the last eleven years has served pre-kindergarten to high school aged students. She is also her school district’s lead nurse. Shelly struggled with self-esteem issues as a teenager. One of the main reasons she became a nurse was to work with youth in hopes to be a positive influence in their lives. Being a school nurse has provided her with such amazing opportunities to do this. She has used the DSEP Confident Me! curriculum and enjoys sharing it with other professionals. Shelly shares the quote, “Believe in yourself, and you will be unstoppable” ~ Author Unknown
DAWN GRAFF-HAIGHT, Oregon
Dawn serves as a college professor of health education. She also is a member of a state-wide cadre of educators focused on reducing physical, social and emotional barriers to learning by leveraging partnerships at the local and state levels. Dawn is also one of the educators involved in updating DSEP materials. She is excited to bring the program to teachers and students throughout the United States. Dawn says, “The Dove Self-Esteem Project enables middle school students to develop body confidence and understand the external influences that impact them during this important developmental stage. Building self esteem among middle school students sets the stage for making healthy choices for a lifetime.”
KYLIE PYBUS, Oregon
Kylie is a health educator and program coordinator with school-based health centers. She loves watching students succeed at school as they learn to take care of their physical, social, and emotional health. Kylie sees the Dove Self-Esteem Project as helping students achieve health by promoting body confidence and building positive peer connections. A positive self-image helps students reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
BRITNEE NWOKEJI, Pennsylvania
Britnee serves as a program manager at a children’s hospital where she works with several schools and out-of-school time sites. She is passionate about working with disadvantaged populations to create healthier, sustainable school and community environments. Britnee finds that DSEP is important because it fills a gap that is often ignored. As a cadre trainer, she will help raise awareness around body confidence and help promote positive messaging that will transpire to helping young adolescents develop confidence and self-esteem that play an instrumental role in their overall well-being. Britnee says, “YOU are your own unique individual and you were created to be the way you are. Be confident in who you are…Love Yourself…Embrace your imperfections. Imperfection is Beauty.”
MARY JO WENTLAND, Wisconsin
Mary Jo is a health, physical and adaptive physical educator at a school for at-risk girls and is in her twentieth year of teaching. Her passion for health education has given her the opportunity to speak in several states and help develop curriculum for her state. She is excited to be a DSEP cadre member. Mary Jo says, “Helping young people overcome body image issues and fulfill their potential by building positive body confidence and self-esteem is so important in today’s youth. Body image starts in your mind and not in the mirror. I look forward to bringing the DSEP curriculum to teachers in the Midwest.” Mary Jo adds, “Your body hears everything your mind says, Stay Positive.”
JULIE MACK, Oregon
Julie is a school district wellness coordinator and health and physical education teacher at an alternative high school. She supports wellness programming for students and staff at the district level and supports youth in the classroom as well as in athletics, as a volleyball and soccer coach. During her years of working with youth, she has seen how having body confidence allows students to participate, be braver, and follow their ideas and goals, finding more success in their lives. Julie says, “As a DSEP cadre member, I can support all staff and students as they learn more about how to be body positive and confident. It is amazing to watch young men and women not be held back by a lack of self-esteem but reach beyond towards their dreams. When we have confidence and believe in ourselves, we can achieve our goals.”
EBONY SECTION, Georgia
Ebony is a project coordinator and has managed multiple federally funded programs targeting youth. She has had the pleasure of working with youth for more than ten years, so she is not a stranger to working with young people. Her drive for doing this work for a decade stems from her love of seeing youth live healthier lives and helping them live up to their fullest potential. Ebony believes self-esteem is the most important protective factor in eliminating risks and producing the healthiest outcomes in people, especially youth. The Dove Self-Esteem Project helps students be their best selves by building self-confidence and raising self-esteem. One of her favorite quotes is, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”-Coco Chanel
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