Team PLUS ME
Staff
Bethanee bryant | coach + Trainer
Los Angeles native and motivational speaker, Bethanee Bryant, joined PLUS ME in 2017. Bethanee’s desire to work with and motivate students stems from having overcome her own past mental and emotional struggles. She is passionate about helping youth to prevail despite their hardships and is a proud graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
Morgan Chitty | development MANAGER
Morgan Chitty believes that every person has a story that matters. Fueled by a desire to connect and uplift youth, Morgan has motivated over 80,000 students in LA area high schools with powerful presentations and lends her voice to host galas, fundraisers, and conferences. She is a graduate of Pomona College where she graduated with a BA in Politics and a minor in Black Studies.
karol curiel-kozycz | partnership COORDINATOR + Facilitator
Karol was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She is a first-generation college graduate and a proud daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. Her #1 passion is to empower the next generation by sharing her own experiences, knowledge, and story. Karol is always ready with a listening ear and helping hands. She has years of experience working in college admissions as a counselor for both high school and college students. Karol is a graduate of Biola University with a double major in Psychology and Christian Ministries and a minor in Biblical & Theological Studies.
erendina A. delgadillo | grants + Communications manager
Erendina joined PLUS ME in September 2021 from the Oakland Museum of California, where she was the Associate Curator of History. While at OMCA she curated the Black Power installation in the Gallery of California History, El Movimiento Vivo: Chicano Roots of El Dia de los Muertos, and co-curated the forthcoming Hella Feminist. She has also managed a number of independent grant-funded community history projects. Erendina is passionate about using objects, memories, and stories to inform our present and empower future generations. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Humanities from Brown University and a BA in American Studies from UCSC.
CHRISTINA DUNBAR | Facilitator + Coach
Christina Dunbar is a playwright and solo performer as well as a coach that teaches the art of speaking, storytelling, and creative expression. Christina has produced and directed over 50 short stories for the stage. She is the founder of RED: a monthly workshop for creative women in the So Cal area, creator of She Takes The Stage: an annual performance event where women share their personal stories through theater, and producer of MissBehaving: a bi-monthly storytelling show.
anna gettles | facilitator
Originally from North Carolina, Anna has lived in Los Angeles since 2016 and is proud to call it home. She has over a decade of experience working in crisis services, community building, and education. Anna is passionate about creating supportive, inclusive learning environments that encourage young people to practice vulnerability and share their authentic selves. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS in Psychology and a BA in Theatre.
BEATRIZ HERMAN | communications ASSOCIATE + FACILITATOR
Beatriz was born in Mexico and raised in Ontario, California. First in her family to graduate from high school and recently obtained her bachelor's degree in Communication from UCLA. As a DACA recipient, she has shared her personal experience as an immigrant student countless times. One of the many reasons she was passionate to join the PLUS ME team is because she believes that telling your story can be healing, and every story can create a new path, a new way, and a new hope for others.
jordee kopanski | DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE + facilitator
Jordee was raised in Orlando, Florida and has always been passionate about storytelling and art. Jordee previously served as a member of PLUS ME's Associate Board and is honored to transition to the role of a Facilitator. She is a Teaching Artist with The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company where she teaches storytelling through playwriting and performance. Jordee received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Florida State University.
JEFFREY MILLER | CULTURE + CURRICULUM STRATEGIST
Jeffrey began his career as a classroom teacher for 15 years in the public, private, and charter school system. His love of learning and teaching has been the center of his personal and professional growth. After leaving his classroom, he served as the Director of Education and Director of Curriculum and Training for two national youth development organizations. For the last 10 years his focus has been on supporting educators to build positive environments, relationships, and experiences with youth. Jeffrey was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and has his MFA in Creative Writing and BA in Mass Communication.
Richard Reyes | Founder + Executive Director
Richard Reyes was born and raised in Los Angeles and proudly became the first in his family to earn a college degree. He has shared his story with over 125,000 students from across the country over the past decade. His passion for education and social justice is what sparked his desire to launch PLUS ME in 2013. He is a proud alum of Occidental College with a bachelor’s degree in Critical Theory/Social Justice and California State University, Los Angeles where he earned his master’s degree in Educational Foundations.
valeria sanchez | Program COORDINATOR + facilitator
A proud valley girl, Valeria Sanchez became the first in her family to receive higher education. She has presented at numerous conferences and events, all rooted in her passion for social justice. Not letting her past adversities define her future, Valeria decided to use her struggles to empower herself, and to further fuel her dedication to motivate and inspire youth to do the same and reclaim their power. Valeria graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, and minors in Latinx Studies, Comparative U.S. Race and Ethnicity, and Political Science.
SENG SO | facilitator
In the 1980s Seng's parents fled the Cambodian genocide and settled in the Bay Area as refugees. It is from this history, the struggles and sacrifices of his ancestors, that paves his path today. Seng graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and has been an activist in California’s immigrant and refugee communities for over two decades. At the heart of his life and work are three principles: community, love and liberation.