LOADING
SPARK is a group of students/youth/young adults who have participated in and graduated from The SPARK Program (Students Providing And Receiving Knowledge). SPARK supports a career pathway to becoming a Certified Peer Counselor in Washington State. The program includes a course to learn who you are and what you want to do with your life. They are based out of Kennewick, Washington and hope that this program will inspire youth across the State of Washington and beyond to share their lived experiences and help other youth who need support navigating their own life experiences. SPARK will be sharing their journey and where they are now 5 years later. They will also be talking about how to bring SPARK to your community!
Calling all presenters!
Tommie Kessler is a nature gal through and through. She loves backpacking and being by the water. Her obsession is collecting nature pieces and making art out of it. Tommie also enjoys meditation and yoga. She has been working as a Peer Supporter for almost 3 years and she is healthier because of it.
Jason Clark is a Father, mentor and the Director of Northwest Credible Messenger (NWCM), a Capacity Building organization developed to empower the next generation of Black and Brown leadership. From being a resident of WA DOC to being a project manager for the largest trial court system in the state, Jason utilizes his personal and professional experience to develop relationships that produce results and empower others through NWCM's statewide consortium to maximizing collective personal and community impact, building visibility of NWCM's statewide efforts.
Kim Pham is the Program Manager for the WA State Department of Veterans Affairs’ (WDVA) Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC). She studied nuclear engineering at U.C. Berkeley and served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear surface warfare officer. After her service, she found her new mission while participating in an internship with the VCC in 2016 and accepted a position with the WDVA to develop and grow the VCC program after her internship. Her mission is to serve those who served by providing veterans with self-directed connections to the lands, waters, and communities in WA State through meaningful work in conserving and restoring natural ecosystems with the VCC’s environmental conservation and agricultural community partners. When she’s not working and being distracted by her curiosity of too many things to learn in a lifetime, she is most likely to be found outside trail running, hiking, biking, or camping.
John is the Co-Director of the nonprofit, Dads Move and holds several certifications as a trainer in Mental Health. He is always seeking to break new ground and share his knowledge of education advocacy.
