The Voice of Witness education team is excited to announce the newest member of our education advisory board, Praveena Fernes. She will be joining current members Gerald Richards, Nishat Kurwa, Rick Ayers, Katie Kuszmar, and Bill Ayers in assisting the education program with strategic goals, assessment, new initiatives, and outreach.
Praveena’s long involvement with Voice of Witness began when she was a student at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA. At the time, Praveena said, “Voice of Witness was a life changing experience. I can only hope that in time more students will have the wonderful opportunity I was given.” She has since assisted with our annual Amplifying Unheard Voices oral history training and been a valuable youth voice for our program.
Praveena is a student at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she serves as a Community Service Scholar and Community Engagement Advocate. Her annual service trips to rural south India, where female infanticide and feticide is prevalent, have fueled her desire to advocate for women’s rights and health. As the youngest certified domestic violence counselor in the Bay Area, she educates high schoolers about dating violence.
Her academic work centers on traumatic brain injuries in victims who have experienced domestic violence, and her research interests include studying the neuroanatomical morphometry of abusers. By combining her passion for improving public health with her fascination with the brain and her specialization as a domestic violence advocate, she plans on earning a PhD-MPH to initiate prevention programs and transform the way society perceives domestic violence.
Welcome Praveena! Visit the VOW community page to learn more about the VOW education program advisory board.
