Our Vision
To realize a future where every young person is emotionally resilient, mentally healthy, and empowered with the support and knowledge necessary to navigate life’s challenges.
Our Mission
To measurably support the mental health, emotional well-being, and resilience of all youth by providing comprehensive mental health education, accessible youth-focused support programs, skill-building workshops, and peer support opportunities, while serving as a vital link to appropriate community and professional mental health resource.
Our Core Values
These values guide our decisions, programs, and interactions, ensuring we fulfill our mission with integrity and impact:
Compassion
We approach every young person and their unique journey with profound empathy, kindness, and non-judgmental understanding, recognizing the inherent dignity of all individuals.
Accessibility
We commit to removing barriers, including social, economic, and logistical, to ensure that all our educational programs, resources, and support services are easily and readily available to all youth.
Resilience
We believe in the innate capacity of youth to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of adversity, and we dedicate ourselves to fostering the skills that build inner strength.
Integrity
We operate with the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and ethical practice, ensuring that our resources and referrals are trustworthy, research-informed, and effective.
Empowerment
We equip youth with tangible mental health literacy, self-advocacy tools, and connection opportunities, enabling them to take proactive ownership of their emotional health.
Inclusivity
We actively cultivate a supportive environment that honors and respects the diverse experiences, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of all young people we serve.
Community
To build a tapestry of resources where young adults can find belonging, care and safety around trustworthy professionals and different members of the community within and outside college.
Team
PEOPLE
Andreina Pradas
President
Certified Coach and “Happiness Ambassador”
20+ years of Human Resources experience and a Master’s degree in HR Development to drive organizational and personal wellness.
Author of Live in Happiness.
Currently studies at MDC
Has been featured in many channels and radio programs.
María M Kowalski
Vicepresident
Is a well-being communicator and facilitator who is a former broadcasting student (MDC) and currently studies at the MDC AI Center. She served as Content Director at Ecuavisa’s wellness Network INTI and contributed to an Emmy-winning TED Talk TV series in Spanish.
Maria is also a Producer & as an energy healer has helped thousands of women through her programs.
Rocío Sarmiento
Secretary Treasurer
Is a media production expert and serves as Secretary & Treasurer of the foundation. Since 2014, she has owned and operated La Chakana, an intergenerational wellness sanctuary in Redland, Florida, where she facilitates transformative retreats centered on mindfulness, yoga, and breathwork for diverse communities, including Gen Z. Her work uniquely bridges high-level media logistics with authentic mental health advocacy, ensuring that our content is both professionally produced and deeply grounded in real-world wellness practices.
Board
Mercedes Eggleton-Garcia
Is a global advocate for financial inclusion and a 30-year veteran of Mastercard, most recently serving as VP of Global Community Relations. A native of Venezuela educated in Mexico, she has dedicated her career to economic empowerment for Latino, immigrant, and underbanked populations.
Mercedes’ leadership extends to prestigious boards including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, reflecting her lifelong commitment to youth empowerment and inclusive growth.
Dr. Jessyca Perez
Development Committee Chair
Dr. Jessyca Perez is a dedicated educator and longtime member of the Miami Dade College community, where she has served since 2006. An MDC alumna, she holds degrees from Florida International University, St. Thomas University, and earned her doctorate in Organizational Leadership in Higher Education from Barry University in 2025.
With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Perez teaches psychology and first-year experience courses at MDC’s West Campus. She serves as an advisor for NAMI on Campus and as an iCED Faculty Facilitator, promoting service-learning and civic engagement. Her work focuses on student success, mental health awareness, and access to reproductive health education.
