PEER BIOS
REALTALKDC
Philip Brown
Hi everybody, I’m Phil Brown. I’m a RealTalk Rep peer educator with Metro TeenAIDS because the work has to be done and I am a hard worker. I’m calm, cool, and collected when the pressure is on, and I always try to keep things professional. I’m currently a Business Management major at Westwood College. You might see me on the bus or train, feel free to come up and talk, that’s why the Reps and I are out here! Take care!
Shawnna
Hello! I’m Shawnna, I’m 16 and I’m going into my third year of being a RealTalk Rep. My sister was a Rep and I used to go to the events with her and I really enjoyed it. I liked that they were all about letting teens know about HIV and STD’s and I wanted to help give out the information. So now I’m here! I am in charge of the REALtalk Reps Facebook Page so please add us and feel free to comment on pictures and check out our events! Peace!
Sherrod
Hey! What’s up you guys! My name is Sherrod, and I’m a REALtalk Rep! I’m a recent graduate of High Road Academy! I grew up in SouthEast DC and where I grew up, people just said stuff like “protect yourself”, “use a condom” and “strap up”. No one really explained what it meant to protect yourself, and I wasn’t told how to use a condom properly. Needless to say, with my lack of information, things went wrong sometimes. LoL. That’s why I became a RealTalk Rep; to get the real information out to people so they can be protected.
STIGMA
Aaron Lewis
I work at Metro TeenAIDS to be a role model for youth, not only in DC, but everywhere. Learning and reaching out to others are some of the most honorable achievements to be a part of. Working at Metro TeenAIDS is not a job, it’s a duty, in which I pursue to the fullest.
Chucky Smith
I’m a part of STIGMA. I’m 21 years old. I love cleaning and helping others organize their home. In my free time, I like going shopping, out to eat, and spending time with my little cousins and nieces.
Trevor Smith
Trevor aka “Tyrone Leighton Banks” has been a STIGMA peer for over two years. He joined Metro TeenAIDS in order to help LGBTQ youth better understand safer sex. He also believes that everyone should find themselves beautiful in all aspects of life. When not at Metro TeenAIDS, Trevor is working hard on his business of making people beautiful.
VYBE
Terry Daniels
My name is Terry Daniels and I currently attend KIPP DC: College Preparatory where I’m in the 10th grade. What motivated me to become a Peer Educator is because I wanted to give my friends factual information about having sex and using protection. I want people to be safe and also be aware of all the STIs that you can contract if you aren’t being safe. In my spare time I enjoy horseback riding and cross country.
Kaneshia House
My name is Kaneshia House and I attend Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School. This year will be my first year working as a Peer Educator. I took this job because I think that it would be good for me to educate children younger than me about sex and why they should have safe sex. I will be working with MTA and I feel my position at MTA is important because it helps teens to be better educated about sex and some of the dangers and consequences of unprotected sex. After high school, I plan to attend the University of the District of Columbia for college. I also plan to get a job and help provide more for my family.
Jasmine Jordan
I think my job is important because it reaches out to teens and the community to teach them about safe sex and STIs. I am a senior and my future plans after high school is to go college (North Carolina A&T) and major in Mass Media Communications. This is my first year as a VYBE Peer. I found out about VYBE through the sessions that MTA held at my school. Once I found out what it was all about and what they did, I was excited to join the team when I was asked to apply for the position.
Elcid Johnson Jr.
My name is Elcid Johnson Jr. I am 18 years old and a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School. I have been a VYBE Peer Educator with Metro TeenAIDS for the past three years, educating teens all over the District. I chose to become a Peer Educator because this position allows you to connect with youth and become an advocate about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, DC. After high school I would like to attend Penn State to further my education and become a public health advocate. I believe that working for Metro TeenAIDS has inspired me to want to take action in my own community because it has shown me that one person can make a difference. I believe this position is greatly needed because the message delivered becomes a lot stronger and reaches a lot farther when it’s delivered from someone just like you. Furthermore this position allows students to educate not only themselves but a host of others around them which is one of the primary goals of Metro TeenAIDS.
Aaliyah Melton
My name is Aaliyah Melton and I attend Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School and I am a part of the VYBE Peer Educator Team. I wanted to become a Peer Educator to help people within my age range. When I attended the VYBE sessions at my school I was always interested in the lessons. Every day I see people my age out making risky decisions. The world needs Peer Educators to try and do what the parents attempt or forget to do. A teenager will gladly talk to their friend or someone their age instead of going to their parents, and that’s why I am here: to be that person that will be here to talk to and give people correct information. I am proud to be a Peer Educator.
Charell Williams
My name is Charell Williams; I attend Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School as a senior. When VYBE first came to my school, I started to attend the weekly sessions on Wednesdays and at the end of the last session one of the facilitators said they are looking for some youth peers to work with Metro TeenAIDS. When they came up to the school at lunch time, I got an application and appointment time for an interview. I was one the students chosen out of all the students in tenth grade. I was passionate about informing my peers about teen pregnancy, HIV/Aids, and STI’s, and getting more information myself so I know how to protect myself and others; that is one reason why I decided to take the job. Also, I enjoy the outreach and facilitating the VYBE sessions myself because I feel as though my peers will understand well when the information is coming from their peer. I believe my position at MTA is significant and needed because not many teenagers in this generation is informed about how infections can be transmitted very easily and how they can protect themselves and others so by me being a peer educator and a teenager they will realize that I can connect with them and they should start using protection and make sure they know their status and their partners. After I graduate I want to continue to work with MTA because I feel comfortable being around the staff and I want to also continue my knowledge around HIV/Aids, STI’s and preventions.
Imani Price
My name is Imani Price and I am 17 years old and in the 11th grade. I go to KIPP DC College Prep. Some of the main things that I like to do is shop, eat, and laugh. I am a very outgoing person and always up for any challenge. If I had to describe myself in three words I would say I am determined, confident, and straight forward. I am a friendly person to be around and always open for discussions. The reason I joined the MTA VYPE program is because I feel like this is a job for me to go out and let people know the pros of safe sex. It also gives me the opportunity to practice proper body language and speech when going out to do outreach. I feel that I will walk away from this experience knowing how to be confident and ready for any challenge.
Derrica Johnson
My name is Derrica Johnson and I am 16 years old. I attend KIPP College Prep High School where I am a junior. I wanted to become a Peer Educator because I have a way with words when talking to people in my age range. I want to educate my fellow peers and help them through life obstacles that we as teens may face. I love to have fun and don’t have a specific hobby because I am a very open and outgoing person.
Keona Johnson
My Name is Keona Johnson. I am a senior attending Cesar Chavez Public Charter school. The main thing that has motivated me to become a peer educator in the VYBE group is raising awareness and health itself. I feel that it is very important to raise awareness to young teens now than later. That way they know about all of the things that come behind sex and they will know how to prevent themselves from any STIs and HIV/AIDS now and in the future. After high school I plan on going to college and studying in the medical field to either become a registered nurse or a dental assistant.
Elvin Y. Sorto
My name is Elvin Y. Sorto and I attend Cesar Chavez High School for Public Policy. My plans after high school are to go to college in D.C. (with my mom) or New York (with my dad) and get a job to help me in college. While in college I want to study art or math. I think it’s important to be a peer educator because many people don’t know about the bad things that can happen when you have unprotected sex. We need to educate the youth so that they can learn how to protect themselves from things that are avoidable.
YWOC
Donna Chambell
My name is Donna. I am 21. I enjoy travelling, reading, and spending time with my family. I live life as it happens. I have been a part of YWOC since March 2009. My favorite part of being a part of YWOC is the long lasting relationships with girls.
Kyrina Harris
My name is Kyrina Harris. I am 16-years-old and I am from Washington, DC. I am also a Peer Educator for Metro TeenAIDS. I have been working here for 2 years now and I enjoy everything about it. The best thing working on the YWOC team is having a second family and getting the chance to experience new and different things and bonding with people are difference than me in so many ways.
Aysia Mayo-Gray
Aysia Mayo-Grau is a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School. She has been a Peer Educator for Metro TeenAIDS since the fall of 2010. She love to travel and takes advantage of every opportunity she can to better the community. She is very open, easy to get along with, and loves to interact with people. YWOC has become a huge part of her life because she’s very passionate about educating others on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Satina Todd
My name is Satina. I’m in the ninth grade. One thing I like about MTA is that I didn’t know anything about HIV and didn’t take it seriously. Working with YWOC, I have learned a lot and made friends.
