About

Christine Her // Copywriter + Editor

Christine Her is the daughter of Hmong refugee parents from Laos. She graduated from East High School and pursued her B.A. at Drake University studying Creative Writing, Philosophy and Political Science. She was named one of 15 People to Watch in the State of Iowa for 2021. Christine is a fellow with the Mid Iowa Health Foundation HealthConnect Fellowship focusing her project on developing diverse and healing-centered texts reflecting authentic stories of individuals who are minoritized and marginalized. She is part of the DSM USA 4 Equity Collective and the Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) Equity Diversity Inclusivity (EDI) Community Task Force. She is highly motivated to interrupt social and systemic injustices with hope and art while helping others rise in their own power and lean into their purpose.

Yvette Hermann // Copywriter + Editor

Yvette is a theatre artist and a passionate advocate for the rights of young people. As a New York City Teaching Fellow, Yvette earned her Master's of Science in Education from CUNY Lehman College while working in a public high school in the Bronx. She has 20 years of teaching experience in New York City, Atlanta and Des Moines. Her favorite projects involve social justice, poetry, dance and theatre. Yvette values safety because it is needed for authentic learning and healing.

Emma Parker // Designer

Emma is a visual artist with a talent for envisioning collaborative projects. She graduated from Iowa State University with a BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in printmaking. She is a believer in the power of the arts and self expression, and that all young people should have the opportunity to create. Through the act of creating, people are able to reflect and better understand who they are. Emma values growth, because it is through growth that we continue to learn who we are and our role in this world.

Shel Paw // Designer, Illustrator, Interpreter, Writer

Shel is serving as a RefugeeRise AmeriCorps member. She is serving with ArtForce Iowa in Des Moines, Iowa. Shel came to the United States as a refugee from Thailand when she was 12. She graduated from North High School in 2019. She is a visual artist and fabric artist and is currently studying animation.

Mar Blu Moo // Photographer

Mar Blu Moo is from Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand and came to the United States with his family in 2015. MB graduated from Hoover High School in 2019. MB enjoys taking pictures during his free time and spending time with his friends. At ArtForce Iowa he likes to work together as a team to reach a goal. His number one value is honesty, because he feels that honesty is important to being respectful towards others, and being his authentic self.

Lana Vida Baccam-Paredes // Writer

Lana is a daughter of Taidam refugees from Laos and Vietnam. She is a community activist that has served on multiple campaigns and the board of the Asian & Latino Coalition. As an advocate for civic empowerment, she hopes to continue uplifting the youth through unity and love.

Kamaura Kim // Photographer

Kamaura is currently a senior at Ankeny High School, and plans to major in Journalism and Photography. Growing up, Kamaura lived with her refugee grandparents from Cambodia and Laos, which has had a big impact on who she is today. From her experiences, she learned a lot about the importance of family, importance of culture, and to be true to who you are.

Adria Husband // Academic Scholar

Adria Husband has nearly 20 years experience in educational leadership, operations management, and organizational development. Adria has served as an advocate for racial and social justice throughout her professional career, from orchestrating systemic social-emotional development in students grades K-12 across twenty large urban school districts to creating and implementing policy and practices around the equitable distribution of educational resources to historically underserved communities in Chicago. Adria is passionate about bringing healing and restoration into equity and justice work. Adria is a coach, facilitator, mediator, gift cultivator, and lifelong learner of the human experience. Adria is the founder of D.I.V.A.s Middle School Mentoring Program which focuses on creating space to explore and develop the identity, voice, self-confidence, and unique gifts of young women of color in Chicago. Adria is mother to a teenage daughter and a boisterous Lhasa Apso puppy. She is a writer and poet in her downtime.

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez // Academic Scholar

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Learning, Research and Practice in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is the daughter of Asian immigrants and was a bilingual elementary educator in Austin, Texas before becoming a teacher educator at the University of Texas at Austin and Iowa State University. Her research interests include the culturally sustaining pedagogies of Asian American and Latinx teachers and the teaching of so-called "difficult histories" to young learners through children's literature. 

Kathryn Sutton // Designer

Kathryn Sutton is a designer whose work focuses on websites, illustration, logo design and branding. She is committed to creating work that is emotive, useful and inclusive. She believes in leading life and work with honesty, respect, diligence, kindness, and creativity.