Tina Raheem, Administrator
Volunteer Fairfax (VA)
For nearly 20 years Tina Raheem worked at Foster Care to Success (former Orphan Foundation of America), managing the nation’s largest college scholarship program for foster youth. Under her leadership, 65% of scholarship recipients completed their college education. While at FC2S she also wrote four handbooks for foster youth and their advocates, on topics including academic success, life skills, health maintenance, and mentoring. She is now Grant Writer and Administrator with Volunteer Fairfax, Northern Virginia’s premier source for connecting volunteers with opportunities and amplifying their effect through nonprofit training and support. She is the mother of three grown children and a multi-species family of cats, dogs and whatever else walks, hops, swims or flies into her home.
Tish Silva
Clinical Social Worker
Tish Silva is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Bay Area, California and a foster care alumna. She has spent a significant portion of her career working with and advocating for youth aging out of care. Growing up in the foster care system before the existence of independent living programming, Tish understands first hand the importance of preparing youth in a trauma informed way for the joys and trials of establishing a stable and independent adulthood. In her professional career, she has seen the difference the right kind of support can make and all of amazing growth that is possible in the lives of our resilient youth.
Category: Relationships
Lisa Guillette, Executive Director
Foster Forward (RI)
2018 AOI RELATIONSHIPS AWARD WINNER
Lisa Guillette is a recognized leader in child welfare practice and non-profit administration. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Foster Forward, a statewide community based organization that empowers lives impacted by foster care. During her tenure, Foster Forward has earned multi-million dollar competitive contracts and grant awards from the State of Rhode Island, the federal government and private funders. In 2018 Foster Forward’s Works Wonders program received national recognition as the Child Welfare League of America’s National Blueprint Award and the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance Innovations in American Government Award recipient. Ms. Guillette has twenty-five years of professional experience in education and child welfare and has served in her current role for over fifteen years. She has been appointed to serve on several legislative commissions and community boards and in 2005 was honored with a United States Congressional Angels in Adoption Award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Providence College.
Kenyon Whitman, Program Director
University of California, Riverside - Guardian Scholars Program (CA)
2018 AOI RELATIONSHIPS AWARD WINNER
Kenyon Lee Whitman is the Program Director of the Office of Foster Youth Support Services/Guardian Scholars Program at UC Riverside. He has a B.S. in Kinesiology from Fresno State, and a M.A. from Fresno State in Education Leadership and Administration. Kenyon is currently working toward a PhD in Higher Education Policy and Administration at the UC Riverside, where his research focuses on underrepresented students in higher education. Specifically, his research centers on the college-going experiences of foster youth. Kenyon has worked in a range of student affairs units, including Residential Life, Service-learning, and Outreach and Recruitment. As a former foster youth, Kenyon understands first-hand the challenges foster youth face as they work toward earning a college degree. Kenyon is also a proud alumnus of the Renaissance Scholars Program at Fresno State.