From the minute town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Jasmine Furnace is a transfer student from East Carolina University and is now attending Salem College. She is currently a senior and will be graduating spring 2012 with a B.S. in Biology. She aspires to become a physician assistant in hopes to have a specialty in surgery. Jasmine has been involved in various activities ranging from leadership training and mentoring to intramural basketball. Furthermore, she is currently employed as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing facility where she gives compassionate care to the elderly. Jasmine is enthusiastic about the opportunity to be a student intern under the guidance of Dr. Mount. The internship will help further her knowledge of research methodology while investigating and even promoting change to the various health disparities that effect disadvantaged populations within the community.
Author: MindBodyInstituteBeyond
Larry Oppegaard
For 16 years, Larry Oppegaard of Greensboro has been educating people about the health risks of radon, the colorless and odorless radioactive gas known to cause cancer. Radon is present in many homes, unbeknownst to the occupants. EPA calls it “The Silent Killer”. Larry has revealed the health dangers of radon gas in homes to his Clients while in business as a NC Licensed Home Inspector for 16 years. He has performed radon measurements in thousands of homes. In 2005, Larry earned Dual Certifications from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). One certification qualifies him to accurately measure radon levels. The other certification qualifies him to design and install effective radon elimination systems. During the past six years, he has constructed hundreds of pipe-and-fan systems in all types of homes throughout central North Carolina. His business, known as Radon Rid, is run on principles of environmental awareness. Larry minimizes its impact on the planet through diligent practice of the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle philosophy.
Tameshia Blackwell
First of her family to attend and graduate from college, Miss Tameshia Blackwell, was born and raised here in Winston Salem, North Carolina. In May 2011, she graduated Cum Laude from Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. While attending Shaw University, she was granted many opportunities that lead to her success in the Math and Science field. She participated in three Emerging Researchers Conferences held in various destinations and was selected to study overseas in a prostate cancer research internship in Jamaica for two summers. She is a lifetime member of the Alpha Chi National College Honors Society, Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society and a member of Shaw University branch of the Minority Association for Pre Health Students (MAPS). Currently, she is continuing her efforts to serve the community as a Health Equity Ambassador under the mentorship of Dr. David Mount in the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity until she starts graduate school in the spring of 2013.
Carmen Caruthers: Student Intern Summer 2011
“Overall, my experience as a summer intern with Dr. Mount at the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity was enlightening, educational, and beneficial to my development as a student and future professional. Not only did I have the opportunity to work under a very knowledgeable neuropsychologist, I was exposed to the different facets of the field of psychology. I witnessed group therapy sessions, listened to panels, and last but not least, had the opportunity to actively participate in the beginning phases of a research project. In addition to these experiences I developed a CV that will continue to grow as well as picked up a few skills that are necessary for a psychologist to have, such as working with SPSS and scoring a variety of personality tests. In the end, working in the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity thoroughly enhanced my knowledge of and interest in the field of psychology.”
Anna Queen
A native of the South, Anna Queen is a 2011 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Esther G. Maynor Honor’s College. While obtaining a dual bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, Anna worked as a RISE Fellow for three years in the Microbiology Department. Anna has also had internships at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In the fall of 2010, Anna spent three months in Tanzania, East Africa working on a public health initiative involving HIV. Since 2008, Anna has presented her various projects at ten different regional and national conferences. In her most recent conference, she won the second place John Dereiux Excellence in Research Award. Anna aspires to obtain an MD/PhD degree in the interest of health disparities among minorities. Her work in Dr. David Mount’s lab involves promoting healthcare educational outreach, long-term statistical studies, and relating chronic health issues to the patient’s citywide environment. Her intent and motivation for the work in Dr. Mount’s lab is to improve minority health and promote training and health disparities research. Anna is particularly interested in Neurology, specifically the pathology of movement disorders such as Parkinson Disease.
Andy Hagler
Andy Hagler is the Executive Director of The Mental Health Association in Forsyth County—a local non-profit, non-governmental advocacy agency—and has held this position since May 1997. Since taking the Association’s helm, his agency provides an array of non-clinical mental health programs and services such as:
- Client & Family Support Groups
- Representative Payee Services
- Mental Health Information & Referral/Access Services
- Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) mental health trainings to law enforcement officers
- Client, Family and Legislative Advocacy Services
- “Mental Health 101” Community Education Services
- Community Screening Events for Depression and Anxiety
- Community Partnerships and Collaboratives to address and fill in gaps in existing mental health and related community-based services
Nike Roach
Nike Roach, MS, CPT, LMBT grew to understand the benefits of MASSAGE THERAPY while stationed in Europe in 1991. As a medic in the army he was often faced with situations where stress was a key obstacle in accomplishing the objective. Many times he was asked to conduct massage therapy on soldiers to relieve tension, pain, and trauma associated with stress. Since his military experience, Nike has been an avid supporter and promoter of integrative health in and around the North Carolina community and opened 6th Sense Wellness Center in 1997. Nike specializes in sports massage, prenatal, acupressure, Thai massage and is a personal trainer. Nike has trained for wholistic health in Europe, Asia, and the United States in a variety therapeutic modalities. He also holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Winston-Salem State University and a M.S. in Sports Studies focusing on sport performance from High Point University. Nike has been a personal trainer in Winston-Salem since 1999 and has experience working for the YWCA, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Department of Family and Community Medicine (Weight Management Program) and has also trained individuals privately. Nike is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, past member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Director of the 6th Sense Foundation, Board member for the Winston-Salem Chamber Of Commerce, Business Advisory Council for Health Fields at Good Will Industries of North West North Carolina and Eagle Resourcing Network Charity Links.
Maria M. Aristizabal
Maria grew up in Cali, Colombia, S.A., a city of millions of people. She moved to the USA in 1980 and knew very little about the culture in the USA and didn’t speak English. She always has been thankful that she had her sister as a mentor and role model. She often wonders how different her life would have been without her sister. Maria’s passion to help youth grew from her own experience and the help her sister gave her in her early days in the USA. Maria moved to NC in 1998. Her first job in Forsyth County was with the WS/FC schools where she was able to witness the great influx of Hispanic people to this area. At the same time she also noticed how little Winston Salem citizens knew of the Hispanic Culture in general and, for that reason became very involved with the Hispanic League. In 1999 Maria was fortunate enough to meet a great lady, Dr. Joy McLaughlin, who brought to the attention of the Hispanic League the great need of college scholarships for Hispanic Students. The Hispanic League Scholarship program was officially launched in 1999. Maria chaired this Committee from 2001 to 2005 and is still an active member of the committee. This program has awarded over 150 scholarships and over $260,000 to students for the continuation of their education.
Justin Maurice Redd
Justin Maurice Redd, born November 14, 1988, is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Melvin Redd, licensed notary and retired banker of over 20 years, and Margaret Redd, Regional Vice President of MetLife insurance. Both of his parents were first in their families to graduate college. They recognized the importance of education and they wanted to teach him from a young age. His parents also have demanded excellence strived to nurture a relationship between him and community advocacy.
Tenesha Monice Moore
Tenesha Monice Moore, a native of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was born to two U.S. Army parents, Staff Sergeant Thomas Moore and Sp4 Theresa Moore, at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. She and her family relocated to Plymouth, North Carolina, a small town on North Carolina’s coast, when she was just three years old. Tenesha attended Pines Elementary School where she was privileged to be in the Academically Gifted (AG) Program. She won first place in many spelling bees, made the POP’s List for good behavior, and made the Honor Roll every term. From a young age, she was destined for success. She loved to read books, which her parents always made sure she had plenty of, and her love of music was enhanced by her father who taught her how to play the keyboard at age four. A devastating tragedy struck the family when her father was killed in a tragic automobile accident in September 1994, just a few days before her ninth birthday.