Danielle W. has been a Program Supervisor since spring 2021 and was promoted to Program Director in August 2022.

She holds two Master’s degrees, one in General Psychology and one in School Psychology, both from Adelphi and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology.

She was recently selected for the Psychology Advanced Standing Doctoral program at Hofstra.

Danielle has a strong passion for working with and helping children and adolescents.

In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her friends and family (including those with 4 legs), traveling, and time outdoors. 

Kayla earned her Master’s of Social Work from Stony Brook University in May of 2020. She has interned at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School in Shirley, NY, and at Children’s Home + Aid in Bloomington, IL. Kayla also has experience working as a Youth Development Professional at the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington.

Maeling has been a Program Supervisor for Lodestar since December 2019 and was promoted to Program Coordinator in August 2022. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, as well as a Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor. She has seven years of experience providing children’s mental health services, including clinical services for foster children and mental health services for autistic young adults.

Yvette F. graduated from Adelphi University with her Master of Social Work in 2010. She has been working professionally with children and families for over ten years, including as a Health Care Integrator and a Waiver Service Provider. Along with her responsibilities at Lodestar, Yvette works as an OLP and as a Program Coordinator elsewhere.

Allison K. is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor through the State of NY and working towards Certification through the Association of Play Therapy. As a Play Therapist, her ability to meet each child where they are is where growth and change can take place. Her favorite aspect in working with children is to provide a safe and supportive environment where the kiddos can express themselves, explore their feelings, and develop strategies to cope with behavioral and emotional struggles. 

Allison has been serving individuals and families on Long Island for five years, and enjoys continuing to grow in the field. She is an active member of the American Counseling Association and has training relating to anxiety in children and teens, Trauma, CBT, Child Centered Play Therapy, and working towards completion of the Adoption Competence program through the Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE), providing adoption competent therapeutic care to families impacted by foster care and adoption. 

Erik graduated from Adelphi University in 2017 with a Master’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education. He is currently a full time Second Grade Teacher and Musical Choreographer for High School. Erik has always had a passion for helping and teaching others of all ages. He enjoys traveling, singing, dancing and being around friends and family.

Tricia earned her BA in Psychology from Stony Brook University in 2019. She is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in social work and public health at Stony Brook University. Tricia has many years of experience working with children including in daycare settings, babysitting, working with children with special needs, and being a foster parent to vulnerable children. Outside of work, Tricia’s passions and hobbies include wellness, mental health, fitness, cooking/baking, being active outdoors, and going to the beach.

Katerina K. graduated from Queens College in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology concentrating on Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a certified Youth Peer Advocate who is passionate about breaking the stigma of mental health. She has years of experience working with infants, toddlers, adolescents, and young adults. She prides herself on working well under pressure and multitasking efficiently. She enjoys being active, going to music festivals, and appreciating the little things in life.

Cyla C. graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with her Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. She graduated from Kutztown University with her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in business where she played lacrosse all 4 years. She is passionate about advocating for others’ mental health and enjoys working out and being active!

Joseph obtained his Master’s in Literacy Education at Long Island University. His experience as an educator across multiple elementary schools from Riverhead to Northport. With a specialization in ELA, he enjoys teaching children reading and writing.

Brianna J. earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stony Brook University in May of 2021. Currently, she works with children ages 3 to 5 as an Educational Replacement Staff at Stony Brook Childcare Services. She also completed an internship at the Developmental Disabilities Institute in early 2021. In college, she was an active member of the Women’s Lacrosse Club and the Psi Chi Honor Society.

Stephanie L. achieved a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Queens College as well as a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Pathology.  She is passionate about working with children and she is most proud of her three beautiful children.

Kadin N. graduated from Sarah Lawrence College to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. He is working towards a career in animation, but also enjoys graphic design and critical psychology. Kadin loves using his skills in visual arts to spread awareness for causes that he is passionate about. He also works as a Website and Graphic Designer at Blue Umbrella Experience. In his free time, he likes playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pokémon.

Nicole B. just recently graduated from Stony Brook University in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Majoring in Psychology and Sociology, Nicole’s studies focused primarily on children and women’s studies. For two years she was a Home Health Aide for her mother, helping her with everyday tasks that were difficult due to her mother’s disability.

Noelle A. is our Development Coordinator and graduated with a double performance major from SUNY Potsdam in 1999. She hopes to use the skills that she has gained from her background in restaurant management, dance performance and production to help Lodestar Children’s Services succeed through her fundraising efforts.