. These grants will support school and district initiatives including wellness programs, water bottle filling stations, school gardens, healthy food campaigns, physical activity clubs, yoga programs and more.

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 My name is Agyaaku Kyei; I am 24 years old, turning 25 in November. I have lived in Newark, NJ for about 19 years now. My family and I moved here from Ghana in 1996. Many people know me by Emmanuel or Manny, why is that? It was the name my mother unofficially gave me when I was born and it has stuck with me. I attended Science Park High, Rutgers University for undergrad in which I majored in Criminal Justice and Psychology. I recently completed my masters in Social Work there as well. I recently joined the EmPoWER Somerset team this August; my role with the agency will be working with Drug Free Community (DFC) Grant, in which my tasks will consist of assisting in development and implementation of programs in the community, coordination of the youth coalition which meets bi-monthly and maintaining communication with key community partners. Fun facts about me; I'm ambidextrous, my favorite sports teams are, Yankees, Lakers, Patriots, and Chelsea FC of England, a huge Marvel and DC fanatic, and I enjoy traveling!

My name is Joseph Diacheysn, but I prefer to be called Joe. I am 27 years old and in my senior year of my BSW at Rutgers University. I intend to finish my MSW with Rutgers University, immediately following graduation. I was born on an Army base in Frankfurt, Germany and raised in Long Branch, New Jersey. After High School, I followed in my father's footsteps and served 5 ½ years in the United States Army. I served a one year tour to Afghanistan in 2009; this experience led me to want to help my fellow veterans heal and live a fulfilling life. With EmPoWER Somerset, I will be facilitating the Achieving Personal Balance (Stress Management) and Financial Peace programs with Veterans at Community Hope, on the Lyons Campus of Veteran Affairs Medical Center. I am married to my beautiful wife of five years and we have two dogs and our first child on its way. I enjoy working out and watching sports, my favorite teams/sports are the New York Yankees (baseball) and the Philadelphia Eagles (football).

 

Hello, I'm Emily Christ! I am a first year Rutgers MSW student from Pennsylvania.  I graduated in May from Allegheny College with my BS in Psychology.  I love books, music, and all animals!  For my internship I will be working with Cheryl in the Bridge to Success program for caregivers at the Adult Day Care Center and with Ruth and Kristen on some Coordinated School Health projects. A fun fact about me is that I love cooking and watching the Food Network!

 
 

Hi, everyone! My name is Colleen Chen and I am a first year MSW student at Rutgers University. I will be co-facilitating Financial Peace groups at Community Hope with Cheryl. I have experience working with adolescents, older adults, and detox/rehab patients in a psychiatric hospital setting. However, I have never worked with veterans so I believe interning here will be a valuable experience. In my free time (if I ever get any!), I enjoy rereading some of my favorite novels. I am also a huge fan of ancient Greek and Roman art. I hope to get to know everyone through EmPoWER Somerset and I look forward to working with each one of you!

Hello, everyone! My name is Lauren Zak, and I will be working in the FSC as one of the Social Work Interns for Fall 2015/Spring & Summer 2016. I am an MSW student at Rutgers University, and work full-time as a Mental Health Technician on the Adolescent Unit of Carrier Clinic. In my spare time, I am an avid hiker and reader, board game enthusiast, and crazy cat lady with a decent jump shot. I look forward to working with all of you, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out!