OUR TEAM

Keziah was born and raised in South Florida. She’s been developing her life-changing resilience from the age of two, due to a rare skin condition that required her to undergo more than ten surgeries by the time she was thirteen.

Walking to the school bus during her freshman year in high school, Keziah was struck by a car. She sustained a traumatic brain injury and severe bodily damage, resulting in the inability to walk. While in recovery, Keziah experienced bullying and isolation, which led to depression. Determined to be the resilient young woman she was born to be, Keziah transitioned from volunteering with Be Strong to joining the programming team, in order to elevate others’ powerful stories of turning pain into purpose.

Keziah is a lover of dance, music and fashion, and what motivates her most is teaching others that their physical limitations can never stop them from reaching their fullest potential!

Amanda was born and raised in China, where she spent the first part of her career working in the art and museum industry. She later moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree before the pandemic struck. Adjusting to the new environment, lifestyle, and culture proved challenging and prompted reflection and introspection. During this time, Amanda developed a keen interest in mental and relational health, an area that is not often discussed openly in China.

Observing the universal stress brought on by the pandemic and the alarming rise in hate crimes and discrimination toward Asian Americans in New York City, Amanda felt a deep desire to help others in need. As a result, she has decided to pivot her career away from the museum and curatorial field and towards mental health and community-oriented work, while volunteering extensively as a Crisis Counselor with the Crisis Text Line.

Currently, Amanda is working as a Program Support Specialist at Be Strong, while also exploring avenues to pursue further advanced training as a psychotherapist or mental health counselor. Her passion for mental health and helping others has propelled her to undertake a new direction in her career, and she is excited to see where this path will take her.

ieesha has been passionate about helping others since she gained her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2004 and began her career as a Dependency Case Manager working with children & families over 17 years ago. In 2007, she realized that it would not only take bachelor’s level education and experience, but additional education to provide quality services and supports to individuals in need. She returned to graduate school and earned a Master of Arts Degree in Social Work in 2009. Throughout the years, she became a licensed clinical social worker and remained in the field of social services working with multiple populations ranging from children up to the elderly, and settings from including community non-profit agencies, hospitals, and a school district. She has worked in the role of a life coach, program director of an employment program, medical social worker/discharge planner, therapist, and school social worker.

Her goal is to always provide services from a non-judgmental, supportive, insightful, and strength-based perspective. She received a limited amount of these types of supports as she navigated through the struggles and challenges of her life from childhood to adulthood. For that reason, she vowed that she would obtain the education and experiences needed to help others throughout their life journey. At Be Strong, she will use her education, skills, and tools that she has gained over the years to contribute to the on-going growth and success of the agency.

Matt joined Be Strong in August 2016 and assumed the position of Program Director in 2018, allowing him to maximize efficiency and productivity for proof of concept and cost within projects and programs in ever-evolving social issues. Leveraging his data management and optimization expertise, coupled with outcome-driven mentality, Matt led the development of Be Strong’s custom, automated software system and management tools that prioritize relationships, while advancing at scale, and meeting long-term operational strategic plans. The implementation of these solutions enabled a lean team to successfully expand and sustain Be Strong’s Student State Representative program and global event participation at a rapid pace and has equipped the organization to meet an ever increasing demand.

Matt is passionate about connecting young people and community members to the sustainable resources available through Be Strong that he, himself, needed as a young person and applies daily. 

Now, as Director of Operations, Matt is responsible for Be Strong’s day to day operations, analyzing operational processes and performance, and seeking solutions to improve efficiency and consistency, at the intersection of relationships, technology and innovation.

Jesula Jeannot currently serves as Be Strong’s Program Manager, where she leads the organization’s programs, initiatives, and projects. With her certification as an Executive Project Manager, JJ has honed her skills in project planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation, making her an invaluable member of the Be Strong team.

From her traumatic experience surviving a massive earthquake in Haiti to immigrating to the US and facing exclusion and bullying as a middle school student, JJ’s personal journey inspired her to become a passionate advocate for empowering young people. Her tenacity and resilience helped her overcome a multitude of challenges, lending her experiences and voice to help others as a motivational speaker and service leader.

Since becoming one of Be Strong’s first Student State Representatives in 2017, JJ has continued to serve the organization in various roles, including as a speaker on Be Strong’s Speakers Bureau, where she inspires others with her story and insights. JJ’s dedication to empowering others has also extended to her internship at the Congressional Office in Tallahassee, where she served fellow Floridians.

JJ graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Affairs and Communication. As Program Manager at Be Strong, she brings her enthusiasm for diversity and inclusivity to the organization’s mission of equipping the next generation of leaders. She is responsible for overseeing the execution and evaluation of Be Strong’s programs, ensuring that they meet the organization’s objectives and deliverables. JJ works closely with the programming team to build and maintain relationships that support the effective implementation of programs.

JJ’s experience and leadership skills make her a valuable member of the Be Strong team, helping to create a positive impact on the lives of young people by empowering them with the skills, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.

Izzy Kalman, a school psychologist and psychotherapist with over four decades of work experience, is a pioneer of the resilience approach to bullying. He has also been the world’s most prolific critic of the conventional, legalistic approach to bullying, correctly predicting that it will only intensify the bullying problem, while raising a generation of emotionally fragile children.

With a pragmatic, more psychologically sound approach, Kalman specializes in equipping people with the wisdom to deal with aggression on their own, using compassion and humor. His techniques exploit the genius of children to help them transcend victimization and recoup their self-confidence, happiness and excitement for life.

Izzy has taught his simple, yet powerful, approach to tens of thousands of mental health professionals, educators and bullying speakers, has produced numerous books and videos for dealing with bullying, and is the lead author of the Be Strong Bullying Prevention and Resilience Program.

Carrie began working with Be Strong in June of 2021. She profiles Be Strong Student State Representatives and alumni, highlighting their journeys and accomplishments to share with Be Strong’s many stakeholders.

Carrie works full time as a copywriter at an international advertising agency, writing social content for clients in food, beverage, and beauty. She enjoys Be Strong as a passion project, working to share the organization’s mission and promote its members through compelling content.

Throughout high school and college, Carrie was highly involved in her school and local communities. From peer tutoring to student council and pre-professional societies, she found a passion for leadership and advocacy.

Carrie also trains and competes as an amateur powerlifter, using her love of the sport to empower women in strength training. As a former cheerleader and dancer, Carrie is passionate about helping women build positive relationships with their bodies and find strength and healing through motion.

Raxon brings diverse talents and superb skills to Be Strong. She was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and is a mother of four and advocate for mental health. Raxon earned her AA in Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in Human Services & Social Work.

With over a decade of proven success in planning, advancement, partnerships, and various forms of project management, Raxon is consistently exceeding expectations through outside-the-box thinking. For Raxon, the box doesn’t exist.

Her heart for the work of Be Strong originates from her own personal experience coming to the United States and experiencing social challenges and discrimination. Raxon is applying her talents to improve the country she has grown to love, as a trusted voice at the intersection of corporations and philanthropy.

Sharon has been working for Broward County Public Schools for over 22 years.  She was recognized as Employee of The Year at Deerfield Beach High School in 2006, 2012 and 2017. She majored in Early Childhood education in college where she earned an Associates Degree in Child Development.  After directing a pre-school for over 6 years, Sharon decided that working with high school aged children was her passion.  Sharon is currently the office manager of the Beach House at Deerfield Beach High School.

The Beach House offers mental health support and includes a food pantry, hygiene closet, and clothing closet for the students and community of Deerfield Beach. Be Strong is a founding partner and champion of the Beach House, which has allowed Sharon to become close to the work of Be Strong. Driven by her passion to help families across the US, Sharon is now a member of the Be Strong programming team.

Sharon met her first and only love at the age of 18; they are married and have two beautiful daughters. Her love and passion for children, and her will to fight for children and young adults in need, shows each and every day.

Carolynn is passionate about connecting with people and spreading love and kindness throughout her community. Additionally, she and her husband Jeremy are long-time supporters of Be Strong.

Rohan is an alumnus of Be Strong’s Student State Representative Program and is thrilled to remain a part of the Be Strong community and help new Representatives! In addition to serving as a State Representative for California, Rohan served as Co-President of his high school’s We Dine Together club and is most proud of the Club’s emphasis on fostering empathy and inclusion across campus. He is entering his first year at UCLA and will major in political science. After graduating he plans to attend law school and become a human rights attorney.

Rohan first learned about Be Strong and We Dine Together after watching the CBS News story and is amazed by how far that simple action led him. He encourages all State Representatives to practice taking seemingly small acts of kindness daily and is excited to see how far that will lead them!

Yes, Rohan’s parents saw Lord of the Rings. No, they did not name him after the Kingdom of Rohan!

Cori began working with Be Strong in 2019, connecting school partners with Be Strong’s LIVE Tour educational events and ongoing resources. Be Strong’s work to strengthen young people’s mental, emotional, and relational health resonates strongly with Cori, as she’s known the impact of mental health challenges, losing her mother to suicide. The devastating loss of her mother at a young age made raising awareness and offering help to those struggling of the utmost importance to Cori.

Cori is a mother of three amazing kids and has been married for 17 years. With children in both middle and high school, she recognizes many of the difficulties students face today. Cori is passionate about connecting children and families with opportunities to become better equipped for the inevitable challenges of life, and to understand they are not alone in those challenges.