An Introduction to The Team That Created Embraced!
Behind the scenes over the last few months, this has been the team working to develop the programs and organization as a whole! From the creation of the mission statement and the name of the organization to the details and development of our programs, this has been our core team! Get to know them a little bit more and what their roles are below!
Stephen
Stephen has an incredible ability to create just about anything REALLY, REALLY fast. He can develop and create documents, organizational structure, and just about anything you need at literal lightning-fast paces. He is patient and kind and has the ability to tell you that your idea is terrible without making you feel dumb. It is honestly nearly impossible not to like him. He loves a strong cup of coffee and does not discriminate against any kind of food. Chances are he is probably taller than you and often forgets how much bigger he is until he hits his head on a Honduran 6'4 door frame. He has a ridiculous ability to tell you what movie or show just about any quote is from. He is a fan of the NY Jets, the NY Knicks, and the NY Yankees, but their losing records don't change the fact that he is a WINNER. He is passionate about seeing people get ahead and everything he does; he does it with excellence, and his work shows it. Bring any idea to him, and he will (or your money back) make it better (and almost instantly). Embraced International is where it is (and it's gotten here so quickly) because of the work of Stephen!
Erica
Erica works, leads, and loves with a genuine sense of passion that is absolutely infectious to those around her. When something matters to Erica, it will always motivate her to take action and do something about it. She likely currently has 20 tabs open on her search browser right now of ideas and projects that she is working on, but they somehow rarely ever go unfinished. When she starts something, she is determined (to a stubborn level) to see it through and to see it done well. She is allergic to mangos, but that hasn't slowed her down in eating them yet, just a few instances of swollen lips on very inopportune days. Erica is a fast (like ridiculously fast) learner in any subject when she needs it to create something that will help the people she loves. In a quick conversation, she has the ability to make you laugh a TON and make you feel incredibly loved. She sees the potential in people and fights to make sure they can see it too. She loves to travel and is yet to find an adventure or challenge that is too intimidating not to try. She's the most fun person and the most efficient and passionate leader this organization could ever ask for!
Lesbi
She is an amazing leader and psychologist who will take the lead on all things psychology, program development! You should also know that Lesbi is hilarious in English and in Spanish (which is hard to do), she's admittedly not a very good dancer, but as soon as salsa, merengue, or bachata beat drops, she literally cannot stay still. She graduated second in her class from the most rigorous university in Honduras (Can you spell salutatorian or magna cum laude? …because we had to google it…). She has over five years of experience working in child welfare in Honduras and doing it with her whole heart. She is impossible not to love; just ask anyone who has ever met her! She loves her country and is passionate about seeing the situation in Honduras continue to improve for others! We are so excited that she has decided to begin this movement. Embraced would NOT be where it is without her!
And stay tuned to meet more of our team as we are in the process of hiring a social worker that is going to be joining our team in the coming weeks!
Also, go grab your "families belong together" shirt on our online shop!