Meredith Stankiewicz, Ed.M
UCLA Certified PEERS® Provider
Director, NOVA PEERS
Teen Group Leader
Meredith Stankiewicz, Ed.M is trained by the UCLA Semel Institute and is a certified PEERS® provider. Meredith has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Education from Boston University. Her background includes teaching and working in Higher Education, supporting urban teens in their transition from high school to higher education, and working with teens in a multi-site extra-curricular course.
Joyce Berhold,
UCLA Certified PEERS® Provider
Parent Group Leader
Joyce Berhold holds a B.S in Psychology from Penn State and is pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She is a certified PEERS provider trained by the UCLA Semel Institute. Joyce is a military spouse, a mother of 4, and a relationship life coach. She is passionate about helping others thrive in long-lasting relationships and works with parents, teens, and children with neurodiverse backgrounds to establish healthy boundaries and relationships.
Mary Elizabeth Wells, M.S.
Classroom Support Specialist
Mary Elizabeth Wells has a Master’s of Science in Human Development from Brigham Young University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Family Science from the same institution.
When the pandemic presented an increased need for Special Education Substitutes, Mary Elizabeth stepped into the classroom. She has worked as a FCPS substitute for the last three years and finds the work of building skills with each individual student to be incredibly rewarding.
She is the owner of Magnolia Bend Dyslexia Tutoring, where she administers the internationally-acclaimed Barton Reading and Spelling System for Dyslexia remediation.
Finally, Mary Elizabeth teaches teens daily in a community-based, extra-curricular course for WSHS Sophomores.
Theresa Walker,
Classroom Support Specialist
Graduate student at GMU studying Special Education with a specialized certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Theresa is a mother of 5 children, 4 of whom have an autism diagnosis. She is passionate about equal access to academic and social opportunities for all children and teens.
Cynthia Steele
Classroom Support Specialist
Cynthia Steele has a long history of teaching and working with children, many of whom are neurodivergent, in a variety of schools and afterschool programs. She is the mother of four adult children and is a State Department spouse who has had the challenge and privilege of raising her family in five different countries and two different states.
NOVA PEERS 