The Team
Stronger Staff, Stronger Matches
Our Affinity team is highly qualified, with degrees in social work and public administration, which enables us to navigate the larger system and effectively advocate for our students. A major goal of Affinity is building strong relationships with the school administration and teachers, which makes us a critical partner that is routinely invited to work closely and proactively in students support teams. This expertise leads to greater retention rates among mentor matches and greater outcomes for youth. Only 3% of Affinity matches close prematurely, compared to an approximately 50% premature closure rate among mentoring programs nationally.
| ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM | |
|---|---|
 Year Joined: April 2017Se habla español | ROCIO MORENO (she/her/hers) | Executive Director Rocio has a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Hope College and her Master’s in Social Work from Grand Valley State University. Rocio is bilingual in Spanish/English and has experience working with children using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Rocio Moreno currently lives in Holland MI. During her free time, she enjoys exercising, cooking, and playing with her two sons. |
 | MAYRA RODRIGUEZ (she/her/hers) | Office Coordinator Mayra has a passion for working with people and has dedicated over 15 years to serving her community in various capacities–from creating community awareness events in the greater Grand Rapids area, volunteering as a Sunday school teacher at her church, to missionary work in Mexico. Mayra is the owner and creative mind behind Mayra's Glamour Photography and loves bringing smiles to the faces of those she photographs. Mayra is always looking for opportunities to learn and grow her skills. She is currently working towards gaining more knowledge in the communication and human behavior realm. Mayra is an aspiring writer and is working on her very first book as well as becoming a motivational speaker. Besides the passion she has for her community, Mayra enjoys spending time with her family, singing, photography, arts and crafts, meditation, and traveling. |
 | NICOLETTE CHAMBERY (she/her/hers) | Development and Communications Director Oregon native and Calvin grad, Nicolette Chambery has long held a passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work. Her career began advocating for criminal justice reform before moving to New York to focus on drug policy and the advancement of women’s education abroad in countries ravaged by war. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management at Indiana University and enjoys reading anything by David Whyte and spending time with her cat Mia most of all. |
 | " Lauren Enos (she/her/hers) | Program and DEI Director A recent transplant to Michigan, Lauren was first introduced to Affinity Mentoring through an opportunity to intern while she studied for her Masters in Social Work. Lauren has had a fulfilling career in social work, working with populations including adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, and most recently in hospice care. Lauren has a strong passion for DEIA; during her internship with Affinity Mentoring, she developed a resource website: Antiracism, Identity Development, and Mentoring Resources. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and encouraging all to take dance breaks. |
| PROGRAM TEAM | |
|---|---|
 Year Joined: July 2019Se habla español | KEYLA ARAUJO (she/her/hers) | Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center (ECC) and Elementary School Site Coordinator Keyla joined our team in July 2019 to help launch our expansion to Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center [ECC]. She brings a broad experience of community engagement and volunteer coordination. Keyla is bilingual in Spanish/English, has experience coordinating programs and volunteers through her church’s Family Leadership Initiative and other programs. She’s an active community member who has been connected at Godfrey-Lee ECC for some time. In her spare time, she likes to work on her garden, get involved in her church, and spend time with her husband and four children. |
 | YANITZA VALDEZ (she/her/hers) | Burton Site Coordinator Yanitza has worked for several years serving youth in various capacities. She has worked with Affinity Mentoring in a mentor and speaking capacity at Better Together. She enjoys serving youth, communities, families through her job as site coordinator for Burton Elementary and Middle. Yanitza enjoys embracing outdoors, coordinating family events, and spending time with family and friends. |
 | Beth Thomson (she/her/hers) | Godfrey-Lee Elementary, Lee Middle School Site Coordinator bthomson@affinitymentoring.org 616.241.4722 ext.1336 Hi all I’m Beth Thomson. Currently I live in Standale and I am in school working towards my bachelors in Social Work. I have always had a passion for working with kids and helping in our community. I love learning new things and challenging myself whenever I can. On my free time I like to try out new food places, diamond art, and snuggling with my 3 dogs. I can’t wait to keep growing both professionally and personally with Affinity! |
 | Mariela Aguilar (she/her/hers) | Southwest Academia Bilingüa Site Coordinator I graduated from Aquinas College with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and Communication. At Aquinas College, I worked for the Women's and Gender Studies Center, the Office of International Programs, and TRIO Student Support Services. I studied abroad for a semester in Rome, Italy, and I love to travel. I also love music, talking about movies and television shows, and have a big passion for photography. Being a part of the community, I participated in the Building Bridges Through Education Fellowship through the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, worked as an intern for New City Kids, and an intern for the SECOM Resource Center. My hope is to advocate for underrepresented communities and to always be open to learning and growing. |
