Our Team

SHIP is managed by a staff of committed and passionate professionals who live and work in Frederick County. This team takes the initiative – to do what’s right, take care of these children’s immediate needs, and to do it right now. SHIP works in cooperation with Frederick County Public Schools, human relief agencies, government, and other organizations to create positive outcomes in the lives of homeless youth here in our Frederick County community.

It takes a village and ours is unmatched.

Meet Our Village:

Melissa

Executive Director

As our fearless leader, Melissa wears many hats within the organization and our local community in general. With an impressive professional history in legislative work, advocacy, and tourism, she is able to draw from knowledge and experience to help set our students up for success. When asked what she loves most about leading the organization she says, “I love leaving work every day feeling like I made a difference in the lives of young people in the Frederick community. Seeing the success of our students is incredibly rewarding and worth every ounce of effort we put into our programming.”

Melissa also shares a quote that she is reminded of through her work here with SHIP – As the great Leslie Knope said, “Sometimes you have to make the hardest climb to see the most beautiful sunrises.”

Cecylia

Development and Marketing Manager

Paige

Program Administrator – THRIVE Housing Program

Our incredible THRIVE Program Administrator, Paige, had this to say about the work she does, “The most inspiring part of my job is being able to pour into the community that I grew up in. I strive to be who I needed when I was growing up. I balance my experiences with my educational background to help build capacity and confidence in the students that we serve.”

She loves that her job is unpredictable, with no two days being the same. New challenges are always popping up and she enjoys breaking down barriers for our local youth.

When she’s not working, Paige likes going on impromptu adventures with her toddler. They like going on walks, swimming, singing and dancing, cooking together, and playing pretend.

Monica

Program Administrator – New Horizons Program

We are lucky to have Monica spearhead our New Horizons Program. Her day-to-day consists of monitoring programming and ensuring her team has the tools they need to provide consistent and high-quality services to program participants. When asked to describe her job, one of the things she shared is, “I’m like a cross between a statistician and a cheerleader! ‘Come-on team, 94% of students are on track to graduate, make it 100% let’s goooooo!’- But honestly, I value feedback because it helps me to understand where we are doing well and where we can improve. Forced outcomes are impressive but not sustainable, we need to create time and space for everyone’s voice to be heard.”

Her favorite memory from work is seeing the look on a student’s face when they read their first acceptance letter to college. They asked her if the letter was fake and could not believe their hard work and persistence had, in fact, paid off. They asked her over and over on the ride to work if the letter was actually real. As they walked into the restaurant for their shift, she honked the horn and called out “Don’t forget, it’s real!”

What she loves most about her workplace is the culture of her workplace. She shares, “Administration sets a tone of collaboration, transparency, work-life balance, healthy communication, and vision for programming. There is room for learning, growth and honesty. Our common passion for the clients we serve is that drives us to meet program goals and ultimately highlight student success by way of equitable processes and client self-determination.” 

Ellen Ruby

Case Manager – New Horizons Program

Ellen Ruby spends her days at SHIP supporting adolescents through a difficult time in their lives as they are transitioning to adulthood by providing resources and counseling to navigate their individual experience. She says the most inspiring part of her job is, “Being able to see growth and independence in my students. Many students obtain their driver’s license, high school diploma and more which are stepping stones and deserve to be celebrated.”

When she isn’t working, she loves trying new things, exploring new places, cooking, biking, socializing.

Jae’Shon

Case Manager – THRIVE Program

Amber

Administrative Assistant and Resource Coordinator – Basic Material Needs Program

Fernanda

Case Manager – New Horizons Program

Fern is one of our amazing Case Managers with our school-based case management program. A typical day at work for her kicks off by meeting with several SHIP students on site at their school and then heading back to the office to work on her caseload’s paperwork/student scheduling. Her afternoons consist of either taking a student to a doctor’s appointment, local food pantry, or delivering hygiene products or food to their current place of residence.

When asked what the most inspiring part of her job is, Fern said “I’m inspired by the way we provide to our population of students. There are not a lot of resources that specifically target our population and the fact that I get to be a part of a non-profit organization that gives vulnerable youth a chance to thrive is the most inspiring part of my job!”

We then asked Fern what the best piece of advice she’s ever received, and her response did not disappoint. She said “It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise, it cannot harm you, inside or out.”

Finally, when she’s not working, she enjoys going to concerts, making music, writing poems, and going on walks with her dog.

Hannah

Youth Engagement Coordinator

Brendan

Case Manager – New Horizons Program

Brendan’s favorite memory from work was the moment he got to experience a student realizing they received a full academic ride to a four-year university. His favorite part of what he does is having the honor of watching a student’s growth from program entry to the time they exit the program and knowing he is along for the ride the whole way.

We asked Brendan what his favorite piece of advice he’s ever received to which he responded, “Whether you tell yourself, you can or you tell yourself you can’t, you are right.”