Stella

Stella Vance

Stella Vance is an undergraduate student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Justice and Peace Studies with a minor in Religion, Ethics and World Affairs, and is inspired by The Shine Hope Company’s mission and effort towards peace and justice globally. Stella is originally from Montana, where she grew up spending time outdoors with family, friends, and lots of animals!

  • Favorite Stress Skill: Going on a nature walk
  • Non-negotiable Happiness Habit: Gratitude
  • Current Stretch Goal: Learn about other cultures and how I can best serve the world through immersing myself in another country for a semester.

Rick Yang HS

Rick Yang

Intern

Rick Yang

Read My Shine Hope Story
Rick Yang HS

Rick Yang (he/him) is a first-year student at Harvard College, civic entrepreneur, public health researcher, and mental health advocate. Through his two organizations, SchoolSight and Frontiers of Fulfillment, he has collaborated with over a dozen senators and US representatives, secured over $125,000 in grant funding for the development of wellness spaces, and reached over ten thousand students across 30 US states through advocacy and lobbying workshops.
Rick has published research in peer-reviewed journals and spoken at national health conventions and research meetings. He has advised organizations centered around youth wellbeing, including Youth Move National, New York State PTA, and New York Public Health Association’s Board of Directors, Mental Health America’s Youth Leaders Council, Work2BeWell’s Student Advisory Council, and Strong365’s Teen Advisory Board. He received The Jed Foundation’s 2024 Student Voice of Mental Health Award, was named NTTAC’s 2023 Youth Mental Health Champion, and has been featured on the Washington Post, NBC News, and ABC News.


Avery

Avery Peel

Community Hope Specialist

Avery Peel

Read My Shine Hope Story

Avery Peel joined The Shine Hope Company in June 2024, bringing her passion for community engagement and mental health. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. Avery is dedicated to activating hope and well-being within her community and looks forward to helping individuals and families thrive.

In her role as Community Hope Specialist, Avery assists in launching Hopeful Cities and College activations in Arkansas. Avery’s enthusiasm for social interaction and her commitment to mental health make her an invaluable asset to The Shine Hope Company.

Avery’s future aspirations include attending graduate school to earn a master’s degree in counseling, with the goal of becoming a mental health counselor for adolescents. Her dedication to supporting and uplifting others aligns perfectly with The Shine Hope Company’s mission to improve lives through hope. 

  • Favorite Stress Skill: napping, nature walks, and listening to calming music.
  • Non-negotiable Happiness Habit: pursuing passions, exercising, maintaining good nutrition, drawing, painting, and ensuring she always gets quality sleep.


Anna Montances

Anna Termulo Montances

Marketing Assistant

TSHC Team

Read My Shine Hope Story

Anna is the Marketing Assistant of The Shine Hope Company. 

With “hope” as one of her top 3 core values from the Strengths Finder, Anna is passionate and committed to the goals of The Shine Hope Company and its programs. 

Her abilities in leadership, event planning, integrated marketing, design, and project management have been actively used to support various organizations and school activities ever since she was a student. She currently gives the same abilities to The Shine Hope Company. 

Anna received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a Major in Advertising. She qualified for the Top 15 Outstanding Paulinian Students of the Philippines and received a gold medal for leadership.

She worked as an Account Executive for 2 years, handling different marketing projects and corporate events for different brands including Lenovo and Carrier. She then transitioned to working in the nonprofit industry. She has been working for Hope for more than 7 years now. 

She was able to support Kathryn Goetzke, the Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company and the founder of iFred, in various Hope projects. 

Anna works gratefully and joyfully with the team, knowing that what they do positively impacts a lot of people around the world, including herself, her family, and her kids.

  • Favorite Stress Skill: affirming beliefs, decluttering, praying, and listening to calming music.
  • Non-negotiable Happiness Habit: quality sleep, experiencing wonder and awe with nature, and practicing gratitude.
  • Current Stretch Goal: Help in spreading Hope by creating meaningful and engaging content across newsletters, social media, press releases, our store, and our courses. Prioritize a healthy work-life balance to boost personal well-being and maximize professional productivity.


our-team-Shannon-Ehmsen

Shannon Ehmsen

Technology Lead

Shannon Ehmsen

User Experience, Harvard Medical School

Shannon Ehmsen is a Graphics Designer / Assistant with the 4D Nucleome Data Coordination and Integration Center and Park Lab’s Clinical Genome Analysis Platform (CGAP). Ehmsen recently graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Studio Art from Northeastern University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in 2019 and started at the Park Lab soon after.


our-team-Mic-Fariscal

Mic Fariscal

Creative and Production

Mic Fariscal

Read My Shine Hope Story

Michael, also known as “Mic”, is the Creative and Production Team Lead at The Shine Hope Company. He played a significant role in creating materials for The Shine Hope Company’s program, Hopeful Minds, Hopeful Mindsets, Hopeful Cities, and editing episodes for The Hope Matrix. 

Mic holds a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He is a young professional with more than 5 years of expertise in web and graphic design, social media, email marketing, and general virtual assistance. With his abilities, he was able to manage and lead a lot of corporate projects. 

Mic enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also loves bowling, whether with family or just by himself. He is also passionate in serving as a servant leader, sharing love and hope for youth and young adults in a catholic charismatic community in the Philippines. 

  • Favorite Stress Skill: deep breathing, listening to music, and laughter.
  • Non-negotiable Happiness Habit: exercising, bowling, watching favorite series, gratitude
  • Current Stretch Goal: Establish a consistent sleep pattern while achieving work-life balance to enhance overall well-being.


our-team-Veronica

Veronica O'Brien, MA, MS

Research Analyst

Veronica O'Brien, MA, MS

Read My Shine Hope Story

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Candidate, Georgia Southern University

Veronica O’Brien is a clinical psychology doctoral candidate whose research is focused on mindfulness meditation and substance misuse. In addition, her clinical interests lie in neuropsychological assessment and she plans to pursue advanced training in neuropsychology following graduation. Before pursuing her doctoral degree, Veronica worked as a licensed mental health therapist for children and youth, providing crucial mental health services within an underserved area.


DR Crystal Bryce

Crystal Bryce, PhD

Director of Research

Crystal Bryce, PhD

Associate Dean, Student Affairs, University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine

Dr. Bryce received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, and PhD in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. Prior to joining UT Tyler School of Medicine, she served as faculty member at Arizona State University, where she worked with undergraduate students within the classroom and as the Director of Undergraduate Student Affairs within her department.

She also has extensive experience conducting and publishing research that focuses on individual and contextual factors that influence well-being, hope, and academic outcomes, and advanced statistical approaches to examining salivary biomarkers.

Dr. Bryce is excited to work with and support medical students as they navigate medical school.


Dr. Dan Tomasulo

Dan Tomasulo, PhD

Advisor

Dan Tomasulo, PhD

Psychologist, Professor, Speaker, Author of NYT Best Seller Learned Hopefulness. Academic Director at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI), Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Tomasulo is the Academic Director and core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI), Teachers College, Columbia University, and is on the teaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania where he works with Martin Seligman. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology, MFA in writing, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology special section Positive Psychology, Dr. Tomasulo was also recently honored by Teachers College, Columbia University with their 2021 Teaching Award.

Sharecare honors Dr. Tomasulo as one of the top ten online influencers on the issue of depression. His award-winning memoir, American Snake Pit (2018) tells of the first experimental group home releasing inmates from America’s most notorious asylum, Willowbrook. His book, Learned Hopefulness, The Power of Positivity To Overcome Depression, is hailed as: “…the perfect recipe for fulfillment, joy, peace, and expansion of awareness.” by Deepak Chopra, MD: Author of Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential. Martin Seligman, Ph.D., author of Flourish, adds: “This is the best go-to book on how to use hope to relieve your depression.”

Dr. Tomasulo recently published his new book entitled “The Positivity Effect: Simple CBT Skills to Transform Anxiety and Negativity into Optimism and Hope”. Learn more about the new book here.


Kristy Stark

Kristy L. Stark, MA, EdM, BCBA

Advisor

Kristy L. Stark, MA, EdM, BCBA

Kristy is a Behavioral Scientist, licensed K-12 Administrator, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Consultant, and Entrepreneur. Kristy has served as the Clinical Director of a non-profit organization for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and as a consultant to state mental health agencies and university teaching centers.

Kristy was an instructor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan and is now adjunct faculty in PA. Kristy holds an Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University, where she co-founded an education technology start-up at the Harvard Innovation Lab. She has served as a board member on the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Innovation and Ventures in Education Organization, and on the leadership team for the Behavioral Insights Student Group at the Harvard Kennedy School. She additionally holds an M.A. from U of M and a B.A. from OSU.

Kristy has presented her work at Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the United Nations headquarters in NY. She has spoken internationally on child development, mental health, and behavioral insights and design. Kristy is passionate about disseminating evidence-based, prevention-focused programs for children and families.