Marisol Carr

Marisol is a Senior at UNC Chapel Hill studying Human

Development and Family Studies. She identifies herself as

Hispanic and is proud of serving families who are Spanish-

speakers. Marisol is an intern with UNC Birth Partners and is

proud of the program and its mission to serve all laboring

mothers. Marisol is participating in NURS 609 in which she will

provide her doula services with the refugee community and is

also a labor and OR doula. She spends her free time listening to

music, cooking, and playing with her dog.

Junessa Sladen-Dew

Junessa is a junior undergraduate student at UNC studying

medical anthropology and global health. She loves being a

doula because of the honor she gets in being part of the

individual journey of every birth giver. She is originally from

West Coast and spends her spare time teaching yoga and

cooking!

Lizzy Manguso

Lizzy is a UNC student studying biology and political

science and will be graduating in May of 2019. Her favorite

parts of being a doula are helping women achieve positive

birth experiences and the magical feeling when, all of the

sudden, there is another person in the room. In her free

time, Lizzy enjoys weightlifting, watching football, and

spending time outside.

Rishika Reddy

Rishika is at UNC studying Psychology and Neuroscience, with a

minor in Medical Anthropology. In her free time, she enjoys

relaxing with friends and family, hiking, and traveling! Through her

experience with Birth Partners, she has developed a passion for

the intersection of maternal health and mental health and has

loved being a part of a program that works towards improving

access to quality healthcare for mothers throughout the area.

Alex Hagwood

Alex, who grew up in Garner, NC, is a nursing student that will be a

labor and delivery nurse once she graduates from UNC-CH in May of

2019. Alex is a doula to help moms through one of the best days and

one of the most difficult days of their life. She especially loves to be a

doula for moms receiving a cesarean section and for mothers that

speak Spanish. She also currently works as a postpartum nurse aide at

UNC Hospital.

Rasheka Newbill

Rasheka is from Virgina and is a mom of four children. She is a full time

employee with UNC HealthCare as a RMA. She is soon on her journey to

becoming an RN!

Katie Vaughn

Katie graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2017 with a

degree in Anthropology. In the past, she worked as the Program

Assistant for Birth Partners, and now she works at the Women's

Birth & Wellness Center. Katie is excited to begin nursing school

this summer in Atlanta at Emory University. Katie's work as a

doula is important to her because of her passion for patient-

centered and evidence-based healthcare.

Sarah Wu

Sarah is a Biology and Art History double major at UNC,

expecting to graduate in 2020. She is interested in

reproductive health disparities, especially in populations

that may not have historically benefitted from biomedicine.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys painting, eating lots of good

food, and watching Netflix.

Valerie Adams

Valerie works as a Women's Health and Pelvic physical

therapist at Duke University, commonly treating women

during pregnancy and/or following delivery who have

low back pain, sacroiliac pain, pelvic pain, urinary or

fecal incontinence, or weakness/separation of the

abdominal muscles. She feels strongly that women

should be well-informed following delivery that, although

many of the concerns listed above are common, they are not normal and there is help! As a

doula, she loves having the ability to advocate for mothers during one of the most unique

and impactful experiences of her life!

Olivia Neely

Olivia is a student at Duke University studying a self-designed

major in Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health. Olivia

became a doula because of her experiences growing up with

a single mother, which inspired her to serve women while

illuminating gaps in care that exist for many. Olivia firmly

believes that all women deserve to be supported throughout

their pregnancy and birth and is passionate about providing

accessible doula care to all. She is so appreciative and

humbled to work at Birth Partners and encourages everyone

to think deeply about how we can work as a community to increase the accessibility of

maternal support and care throughout the country.

Celeste Ellison

Celeste is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in Global Health

and minoring in Medical Anthropology and Spanish. She will be

pursuing her MPH with a focus on Maternal and Child Health. She

became a part of Birth Partners to provide mothers with a positive

birth experience and to improve birth outcomes. In her free time she

enjoys spending time with loved ones, watching Netflix, and trying

new foods!

Waverlea Brown

Waverlea is a senior biology major from Goldsboro, N.C. She joined

Birth Partners through a class during her senior year with the hopes of

gaining more experience with labor and delivery as she aspires to be an

OBGYN. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working as a

pharmacy tech at CVS in Carborro.

Nisha Uppuluri

Nisha volunteers as a doula primarily because of her mother, whose birth

experience was characterized by disrespect and trauma. She hopes that

her presence and support will make a difference in other women's lives,

ensuring that their births are positive experiences. These priorities inform

Nisha's academic interests as well: she is a senior at Duke University with

majors in Global Health and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies, and

her research interests center primarily around women's rights within

healthcare settings. In her free time, she practices yoga and takes as many naps as she can!

Sierra Atwater

Sierra is from Pittsboro, NC. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2017

and has been volunteering with Birth Partners for a little over a year now.

She loves being a doula because it gives her the opportunity to empower

moms from a diverse set of backgrounds as they experience childbirth.

She plans to attend medical school in August. In her free time, Sierra

loves to travel. Last summer, she spent two months in Johannesburg,

South Africa interning with a science education company for middle school

girls.

Erin Magee

Erin received her MSW and MPH from UNC, with a concentration in

Maternal and Child Health. She currently works in population-level health

assessment and research, but loves the direct-service element of being a

doula. In her free time, Erin enjoys taking ballet classes, snuggling her

cats, and going to beer festivals with her husband.

Nikki Trupiano

Nikki grew up in Rhode Island, but moved to North Carolina when

she started classes at UNC-Chapel Hill. She graduated in May

2018 with a bachelor's degree in business and minors in chemistry

and medical anthropology. She currently works at a UNC Internal

Medicine outpatient clinic and will be going to medical school

starting summer 2019. She volunteers as a doula because she is

passionate about maternal and child health and wants to make sure

that every woman has access to a positive birthing experience. She enjoys running, going to

the beach, spending time with her family and friends, and going to the dog park with her dog.

Kathy Chan

Kathy is studying Nutrition at UNC's Gillings School of Global

Public Health and minoring in Chemistry and Asian Studies. She

will be graduating in May 2019, with plans to pursue medicine and

public health. She became a doula because she wanted to

provide compassion and companionship to women during perhaps

the most intimate, vulnerable, yet fulfilling moments of their lives,

while also learning their strength, power, and tenacity. Kathy

enjoys hiking, reading, and listening to music.

Allison DeSarro

Allison is from Denver, CO but has adopted Chapel Hill as home since

graduating from UNC in 2018. She now works as a RN in the Medical ICU

at UNC Medical Center. Allison primarily functions as the Lead OR Doula

and helps train new doulas to support clients in the operating room. Allison

enjoys being a volunteer doula because she believes that all women

should feel supported and empowered during birth. When she's not

working or volunteering with Birth Partners, she enjoys running, doing

yoga, and spending time with her friends and family.

Tanisha Hinton

Tanisha is a full-time Teacher Assistant at a local elementary school and

a Mom of two little girls. She is new to North Carolina and moved here in

2017 with her husband and two daughters. She always loved birth since

she was a young child. Volunteering as a Doula with Birth Partners gives

her the chance to fulfill her dream of supporting birthing moms emotionally

and physically. This is her way of giving back to the community.

Alice Donoghue

Alice is a mother of three and grandmother of six. She has been a

long-time advocate of womenʼs rights and is passionate about

helping mothers through the birthing process. Each labor and birth is

unique, and Alice is humbled and profoundly moved to be a small

part of each wondrous experience.

Amaya Martinez Mesa

Originally from Havana, Cuba – Amaya wound up in North

Carolina when she transferred to UNC to complete her B.A. in

Biology and Hispanic Studies. Her favorite aspect of

volunteering as a doula is being able to support birthing mothers

and partners in both, joyful and heart-breaking births. Currently,

she works as a clinical research assistant for UNC Perinatal

Research where she recruits patients from the same place where she volunteers! When she

is not on L&D, you can find her cooking new recipes, repotting plants or hanging out with her

puppy, Morty.

Alexa Lantiere

Alexa is from Long Island, NY. She is currently a nursing

student in an accelerated BSN program at Duke and will be

graduating in December, 2019. She is interested in

becoming a Midwife and to conduct research in the field of

maternal health. Alexa is passionate about providing doula

support to patients free of charge because she believes all

women deserve the opportunity to be heard and cared for during birth. Alexa enjoys

spending time outdoors, listening to podcasts, cooking & eating.

Ana Gomez

Ana has been a doula with UNC Birth Partners since her junior year

at UNC. She graduated last spring and is currently an AmeriCorps

VISTA at Duke. Ana loves being a doula because she believes all

women deserve to have physical and emotional support during their

labor regardless of socioeconomic status and language. During her

free time, Ana is a major foodie and loves to visit new restaurants

and snap pics of them in her hometown of Durham, NC.

Beth Mann

Beth is the photographer for Shannon Media, Inc

(publishers of Durham Magazine, Chapel Hill Magazine,

and Chatham Magazine) and the owner of Early Bird Photo

in Durham. She came to love birth after being asked to

photograph a birth by a close friend. Beth now aspires to

become a midwife. She loves UNC Birth Partners because

providing free support to all women (regardless of their

economic circumstances) and helping them feel comfortable and empowered in navigating

their own birth stories exhilarates and nourishes her. In her free time, Beth enjoys knitting,

reading, and hiking with her husband and two dogs.

Jennifer Na

Jennifer Na is a senior in the BSN program at UNC-CH's School of

Nursing graduating in May 2019. She participated in the NURS 611

and 609 doula courses where she has been paired with teenage and

refugee prenatal and postpartum clients. In her free time Jennifer is

usually thinking about food (she's one credit hour short of completing

the Food Studies Minor!), running her food instagram account, crying

at Anthony Bourdain re-runs, and ignoring her many food intolerances

(Low FODMAP).

Manisha Dubey

Manisha is a junior undergrad here at UNC, and her major is Health

Policy and Management in the Gillings School of Global Public

Health, and she has minors in Spanish for the Health Professions and

Chemistry. Manisha is a volunteer doula because she believes that all

birth givers deserve unconditional labor support, regardless of ability

to pay. Manisha is from Charlotte, NC, and loves to read, cook, and

talk with friends and family in her free time.

Marietta Harrell

Marietta Harrell is a UNC Alumna and mother of three who works full

time as a Litigation, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation

Paralegal in Raleigh. Having had three very unique birth experiences

that were empowered by the Bradley Method and the amazing support

of her Midwives, Marietta was inspired to share in empowering and

supporting other women in their own birth experiences as a volunteer

Doula. She feels the emotional, mental and physical support that a

doula can provide to a laboring woman is an opportunity every woman

should have.

Krysta Gougler-Reeves

Krysta grew up in North Canton, Ohio, and made Durham, North

Carolina, home in 2010. She received her master's degrees in Social

Work and in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill in December 2016. Krysta works for Family Connects

International at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. She

enjoys camping with her husband and dog, visiting restaurants in the

Triangle area, and volunteering as a doula to provide women support

and dignity throughout the birth experience.

Persia Homesley

As a doula on the labor and delivery unit and in the OR, Persia is

grateful for the opportunity to assist women who are giving birth and

breastfeeding. Her goal is to reduce the suffering of others and foster

a positive and loving connection between parent and baby. In her free

time, you'll find her cooking something in her cast iron skillet or

walking by the lake during a sunset while listening to podcasts.

Shakeya Brevard

Shakeya is a graduate of North Carolina Central

University's Department of Health Education. While in

undergrad, she discovered her passion for maternal and

child health and became a doula. In 2018, Shakeya

founded SUCKLE, an online resource for millennial

mothers and mothers-to-be, delivering holistic wellness,

pregnancy and lactation advice and providing affordable

access to doula services in the Triangle. Shakeya enjoys volunteering with Birth Partners

because she believes it allows her to connect and empower mothers-to-be during birth in a

way they didn't know believe was possible.

Emily Long

Emily is from the Appalachian Mountains. She is

currently a senior at UNC who will graduate in May

2019, and she is double majoring in Biology and English.

Emily feels honored to have the opportunity to help new

mothers through labor, and she hopes to serve as an

advocate to empower women to have the most positive

birth experience possible. In her free time, Emily likes to

play bluegrass guitar and banjo, read American literature, and play with her cats.

Leah LeClair

Leah is a senior biology major from Durham, North Carolina.

She will be graduating this spring and aspires to attend medical

school to specialize in OB-GYN. She loves being able to support

mothers and their families to empower them to have the birth

experience that they desire. In her free time, she enjoys running,

watching movies, and exploring the Triangle's many coffee

shops.

Megan Carlucci

Megan trained to be a doula while pursuing her Master's in

Public Health at UNC. She is passionate about ensuring all

people giving birth have a positive and empowering experience.

In her spare time, she enjoys doing crosswords and cooking new

recipes.

Mora Hedayati

Mora is the mom of a two-year-old and was inspired to become a doula

after her own pregnancy and cesarean birth. She loves that UNC Birth

Partners are able to be with women in the OR as well as the delivery

rooms. She is an artist and is always working on some kind of creative

project. She is currently taking pre-nursing classes and is passionate

about women's health.

Ceara Smith

Ceara is originally from Jacksonville, NC and is a graduate student at

UNC Chapel Hill studying social work and public administration. She will

graduate in May 2019! Ceara became a doula as a way to answer her

calling to serve women, especially women of color. When she has a

break from grad school, Ceara enjoys reading (especially historical

fiction), journaling, spending time with loved ones, and binge watching

Netflix and Hulu.

Elspeth McWillian-Grench

Elspeth is a Chapel Hill native, and is now a senior at UNC majoring

in Women's and Gender Studies. She loves providing labor support

to birthing people and their families, and hopes to pursue a second

degree in nursing and eventually become a homebirth midwife! In

her free time, Elspeth loves reading, hiking, road tripping, and

eating lots of grilled cheese sandwiches. You can also find her

working at Flyleaf Books!

Shelby Watson

Shelby volunteers as a doula because it gives her the

opportunity to build unique relationships with women during a

powerful moment in their life. She is from Collettsville, North

Carolina where she spends most of her time outdoors with her

family. She is a first year at UNC-Chapel Hill on the pre-

nursing track with hopes of becoming a missionary after

graduating in 2022.

Shannon Brewer

Shannon is currently pursuing a second degree in nursing and

has plans to graduate in May 2020. Following nursing school,

she has hopes of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, and to

eventually go on to become a nurse midwife. Shannon loves

volunteering as a doula because she enjoys helping moms in

finding personal empowerment through their labor and birth

experience. She finds great joy in being able to be so involved

in one of the most life-changing experiences of life. In her free

time, she enjoys playing with her dog, trying out local

restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Joelle Shantz

Originally from New York, Joelle moved to North Carolina to

pursue her MPH at UNC Chapel Hill and will graduate in

Spring of 2020. In her career, Joelle hopes to promote

access to quality reproductive, prenatal, and maternity care

for all women. Being a part of Birth Partners has been an

invaluable part of Joelle's graduate experience; supporting a

women during such an important time is incredibly special!

Celia Mizelle

Celia was raised in Chapel Hill by her mom and grandparents.

Deeply appreciative of her own unique family, Celia loves to connect

with people of diverse backgrounds from across her home state as a

doula at UNC. She's wrapping up her last year as an undergraduate

at Duke studying Biology and Global Health but kind of hopes to be a

student forever. Besides school work and birth work, she loves being

a DJ at Durham Public Radio and daydreaming about New Zealand's

South Island, where she lived last year. Celia believes that doula

practice is life practice and has learned so much about listening,

resilience, and acceptance through serving as a doula.

Dana Caston

Dana lives in Carrboro and studies Women’s and Gender

Studies at UNC. In her free time, she is getting her feet

dirty in a garden, on a trail, or in a river somewhere. She

is also an artist and feels inspired by the power of women

and femmes as well as the natural world. Dana is very

passionate about women’s health, disparities, and holistic

healthcare. Through birth partners, she hopes to provide

care and affirmation in order to empower people during

the transformative time that is labor and birth. She is

excited to be part of such a unique and important program that invites anyone to come into

their power and be supported during birth

Kerra Jones

Kerra graduated from Duke with a degree in Psychology. She

was a cheerleader throughout her childhood in Metro-Atlanta

and went on to cheer for the Blue Devils during her

undergraduate career. She is currently a medical assistant and

plans to apply to Physician Assistant school in August 2018.

Kerra loves being a doula because she is able to help create a

comfortable and relaxing birthing environment for mothers. She

is amazed by the strength of women's bodies and loves seeing

mothers showcase their strength during the birthing process. In

her free time, Kerra enjoys creating canvas paintings, trying new

restaurants, and traveling around the world.

Marjorie O’Reilly

Marjorie became a Doula in 1998 after being a Hospice Volunteer for

many years in California. Her mission is to create the best support

and care for Mother and Baby before, during and after Birth. She is

inspired by her membership in The Association for Pre and Perinatal

Psychology and Health. And she is thrilled to be a part of Birth

Partners as their Senior Mentor Coordinator.

Suzanne McMillan

Suzanne grew up in Kenya, Africa, which is where she became

passionate about providing healthcare to women in rural and

low access areas. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, and is

currently working as a campus minister at UNC with

undergraduate students. Suzanne loves volunteering as a

doula as she gets to encourage mothers as they bring new life

into the world. She believes that childbirth is a place where

women can be empowered by being an active part of their birth

experience, and is honored to be a part of the doula program.

In her free time, Suzanne enjoys cooking, traveling, and

exploring local coffee shops.