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The Dynamic Staff of Community Bridges
Though small in number, our staff works closely with the board, interns, mentors, and other volunteers to bring the benefits of our programs to more than 300 underserved girls in 17 schools throughout the county.

Marialuz Johnson, Interim Executive Director--Born in Ecuador and raised in the United States, Marialuz has dedicated her career to empowering girls, women and families throughout the different stages of life. She has worked both privately and in the non-profit sector supporting women in the childbearing year, educating adolescent and adult parents, linking families to social and medical services as well as advocating for the wellness of girls, women and families. Most recently, she was a case manager for a runaway and homeless girls' program and developed a youth development focused prenatal curriculum for adolescent parents at the Latin American Youth Center. She was also the coordinator Mary's Center's Mama and Baby Bus and worked with a social marketing firm to reach Latinas nationally, inspiring them to take proactive steps towards sustained health. Marialuz is proud to be part of a vibrant young family and is actively involved in the empowerment of people of color, particularly through her participation in public radio, immigrant advocacy and the folkloric arts.

Crystal Adegbola, Elementary School Program Leader--Crystal's passion for community advocacy was born out of her parent's dedication to community adovcacy in their adopted hometown of Columbus, Ohio. As a child of Nigerian immigrants she has come to appreciate the emphasis the Nigerian community places on giving back to others, especially youth. After finishing her undergraduate education at Smith College in December 2004, Crystal came to Washington, D.C. to follow her passion to work with youth from immigrant backgrounds. Crystal has worked with youth and immigrant communities for the past 7 years and appreciates all that she has learned through those experiences. She sees her current position as a wonderful opportunity to encourage young women to embrace their uniqueness and see themselves as valuable parts of their community. Crystal finds it important to dedicate her time to causes she finds important such as the effort to fight human trafficking and Advocates for Youth. As a lover of the arts she is especially interested in movements that intersect the arts with advocacy and education. Crystal is a dancer who has studied various types of dance and is currently a member of Raices de Borinquen, a Puerto-Rican Folkloric Dance troupe in Washington, DC.

Gboyinde Onijala, Development and Communications Associate - Gboyinde received her B.S. in Mass Communication and Communication Studies from Towson University in 2009. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but has lived in Montgomery County for over 14 years. Her passion for working with the youth and young adults of her community developed in high school where she felt led to start an organization, S.I.S.T.E.R.S (Sisters in Striving Towards Education Responsibility and Success), to empower young women. Her dedication to the empowerment and success of her peers continued throughout college where she served as a Students Achieve Goals through Education (S.A.G.E) mentor, president of the African Diaspora Club, Editor-in-Chief of The African Diaspora Newsletter, and a volunteer at the Women's Center. She believes that Community Bridges is a great channel through which she can continue to empower, encourage and excite the young women of her community and ensure that they succeed academically and socially. Gboyinde loves to read and write, is active in her church community.

Hana Kim, Office Manager & Intern Coordinator-- Hana was born and raised in South Korea. After graduating from high school in Korea, she spent the next five years studying abroad in China. She received her bachelor's degree in Chinese Language and Literature at the People's University in Beijing. Since arriving in the U.S in 2005, Hana has studied at Georgetown University and interned at the Korean Embassy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking Korean food for her family and friends, practicing yoga and reading design magazines. She loves diversity because it provides more opportunities to learn, understand, and respect others from different cultures. She considers herself fortunate to join such a diverse staff and become a part of a diverse community. Hana is excited to get to know the people from all over the world and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and cultural experiences.

Evelyn Lopez, Glow! Program Manager-- Born in Columbia Heights, Washington D.C. and raised in Hyattsville Maryland, Evelyn is the oldest and only daughter out of four kids. She is from Guatemalan and Salvadorian descent and is proud of her ethnic background. Alumni from the University of Maryland, College Park, she received a Bachelors Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. In addition she earned a minor in Spanish Language in Cultures and the newly established U.S. Latino/a Studies Minor Program at the University of Maryland, for which she and many students on campus advocated for. Evelyn has worked with youth from different walks of life in and outside her community. Her passion revolves around youth advocacy, Latino/a empowerment, and immigrant rights. She is a mentor and assistant soccer coach for the Northwestern High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team and is a huge advocate for Autism in support of her brother Edgar who was diagnosed at age 3. Evelyn enjoys playing soccer, great food, hanging out with friends and family, and traveling.

Jacilyn Smith Skupien, Manager of Girl Programs-- Jacilyn holds a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from the University of Maryland-College Park. She was raised in a military family and has lived in many places, which has helped her to develop an appreciation for diversity. Jacilyn worked for several years providing direct services to children and families of complex trauma, including domestic violence, child maltreatment, homelessness and HIV/AIDS. She believes that every person has inherent worth and is passionate about coming alongside others, especially children and youth, to help them find their vision for their lives. Jacilyn is active in her faith community and enjoys exploring new cultures, being outdoors and hanging out with her husband and dog.

Lauren Wetherell, Middle School Program Manager-- Lauren's passion for female empowerment started at an all girl high school in Dallas, Texas. She later translated this interest into a concentration in womens issues while obtaining her bachelor of arts in Sociology from Dickinson College. As a co-director of the YWCA's YWTeens program for middle school girls, Lauren knew she wanted to work with young women and share her passion for women's rights, issues, and empowerment. Her greatest hope is to turn tolerance into understanding and promote women's rights as not only an issue for women, but also for men. She is excited to enter the world of non-profits in an effort to create change, hoping to not only share her experiences living across the country and abroad, but to learn from those around her. She enjoys the arts, cooking shows, spending time with family and friends, and being the perpetual idealist.