Arvetra Jones: Director of Student Engagement and Family Life Coach
Arvetra attended Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines NC, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Saint Augustine University in Raleigh NC as well as a Masters of Social Work from North Carolina Central University with a concentration in children and families.
He lives in Durham with his wife, Rotcelis M. Jones and son Arvetra Santana Jones. Since the age of ten, Arvetra has served in Christian ministry through rap and singing. He also serves at his church as a drummer, praise and worship vocalist, minister, and vice president of the churches youth commission. Arvetra and his wife operate as photographers, public speakers, and health/wellness coaches.
After the loss of he and his wife’s daughter Rose in 2014, Arvetra set out to find any reason that was worth living and not giving up on life. Through intense character development and mentorship, Arvetra recognized a call to help families build strong relationships within their household as well as their communities. He believes that systems in society can change and evolve if people are open minded and willing to help one another. Using experiential learning education as his method to help individuals uncover who they are, Arvetra believes that we all have life experiences that can help us find our purpose in our lives. It’s up to the individual to be open in discovering what their experiences mean as far as their true “work” is concerned.
“My vision is for everyone to truly identify their purpose in life. The world has so many avenues in media that are attractive to our nature. My job is to help people look past what seems to be gold and identify reality. I believe that if our youths and families get engaged early enough in nurturing personal growth, the chances of community threat will decrease.”
Rasheda Royster, Program Specialist
reboundadvocate@reboundnc.org (919) 403-2517
Rasheda brings a sense of care for young people and deep ties to Durham to the Rebound team. As a Durham Public Schools graduate herself, and parent to a preschooler and a recent high school grad, she can easily connect to students and parents alike. She has youth development experience at Project BUILD, as well as corporate experience at Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC.
Gerri Odum, Site Director
Gerri Odum is a New Jersey native who grew up in Hertford County North Carolina. She has resided in Durham NC for over 20 years and is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. Gerri has served as an academic advisor, classroom instructor, program administrator, student organization sponsor, and mentor through out the last 10 years. As a mentor, she has helped to empower students, encourage them to become proactive independent problem solvers who also recognize the need to ask for help. Gerri has a passion for fostering positive community that inspires diverse cultural awareness.
Jenique Taylor, MSW, LCSWA: ReCenter Program Director (Riverside High School)
Jen has a passion for helping people realize their own strengthens in transforming their own lives. She works within Riverside High School to assist in students in reaching their academic and behavioral goals. One of her missions is to provide assistance to others using a therapeutic approach and assisting others accomplish their goals. She utilizes a strength based approach when working with youth and families.
Jen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree from the State University of New York and Masters of Social Work from North Carolina Central University. Jen is a self identified lover of baked goods, dream chaser and difference maker.
Mike Friedman, Executive Director
mfriedman@reboundnc.org (919)-514-3033
Mike holds a strong belief that, given the needed support, young people have the capacity to create positive outcomes for themselves. For 23 years, Mike was Executive Director of Vacamas Programs for Youth in New York City, where he grew the program from a summer camp serving 500 families to a year round, multi-site institution that helped 5000 families of low and moderate income youth. Of specific interest to Rebound is his leadership of the Vacamas TOPS program, an attendance improvement and drop-out prevention initiative in New York City public schools providing student and family support for youth identified as in danger of early school drop-out. Since his retirement from Vacamas and move to North Carolina, Mike has continued to use his skills to impact youth and youth serving programs. He is a Blue Ribbon Mentor, as well as a Lead Counselor at Emily K Center, where he mentors high school students preparing for college. He has also done board and consulting work for several area non-profits, including Lifeskills Foundation, Communities in Schools of Chatham County, and and Durham Literacy Center.
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