Mom Life Is
Easier Together
Shine is a community of moms like you who’ve got your back. You don’t have to do mom life alone.
What is Shine?
Go Ahead, Dream Big.
We've Got You.
Shine is a community of support for pregnant and parenting young moms. Advocates will coach you and help you get the resources you need to live your best life, while you work towards providing your child(ren) with the best life possible. We’ll support you with what you need for high school, college, and beyond–all while keeping in mind the demands of motherhood. We know it isn’t easy and we’re here to help.
Why Join?
Find Support
With
Experienced
Advocates And
Meet Moms
Like You
Here you’ll meet other moms like you, learn new parenting skills from your Advocates, and have cool new experiences. Get the support you need to finish high school and go to college. Your Advocate is with you every step of the way and you’ll have fun doing it.
Why Join?
Learn, Grow, Thrive
Join us on fun and rewarding new experiences like college tours, mommy-and-me activities, job preparation, all while connecting with other moms your age.
Coaching For School
Mommy-And-Me
Mom’s Group Learning
Job Prep
Workshops
Trips
Community Building
Personal Finance
And More
Our Advocates
Meet Your Advocates
Sandra Alvarez
Senior Advocate, Bay Area
Sandra Alvarez joined Teen Success Inc. in September of 2019. She has years of experience working with individuals who have experienced high amounts of trauma.
Sandra is a Certified Advocate for Survivors of Domestic Violence and has a passion for empowering women to achieve self sufficiency. Sandra is committed to encouraging higher education to help break the cycle of both poverty and domestic violence. She believes providing individuals a safe space to express themselves is the first step for change.
Sandra grew up in the Central Valley and later moved to San Jose to further her education. Sandra attained her Associates Degree in Sociology from Mission College and continues pursuing her education at San Jose State University.
Sandra loves to spend time with her family, partake in self-defense classes, and travel.
(408) 593-0291
Elizet Bermudez
Advocate, Bay Area
Elizet is a Bay Area native; they strongly believe in the power of community and family and is passionate about working with young pregnant and parenting mothers. They are a fierce advocate for those in their community, they lead with compassion and understanding. Through their community involvement and work, Elizet has gained experience on how to best support, provide trauma informed, and survivor-centered care and advocacy to families, youth, and individuals facing crisis.
(408) 593-0293
Jennaliz Blanco
Advocate, Bay Area
Having overcome adverse life events, Jennaliz learned that she wanted to advocate for others so that they can become resilient. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis in Community. She has extensive experience with children of all ages. In addition to direct service work within the nonprofit sector. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and being physically active. She is passionate about fitness, advocacy, creative outlets and loves fashion!
(408) 593-0296
Rosita Figueroa
Advocate, Fresno County
Rosita was born and raised in Fresno California. She earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno in 2017. Rosita has over 6 years working with youth. She is passionate about creating change because of the lived experiences she has faced.
During her free time, you can find Rosita having fun with her niece and listening to true crime podcast.
(408) 685-7581
Adia Gipson
Advocate, Sacramento Valley
Adia joined this wonderful organization in 2022 and has brought with her many years of experience working with youth of all ages. Adia loves to seek out opportunities to encourage and motivate youth to help them reach their full potential in life. Adia is also an IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) and she also devotes her downtime to educating moms and families with breastfeeding and newborn care support. Adia has obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree because education is very important to her and she wants to be a role model to the youth she supports.
(408) 836-8445
Susana Hernandez
Advocate, Bay Area
Susana Hernandez joined the team June 2020. She comes from a background of working with children all ages with disabilities.
She was born and raised in San Jose. She feels the need to be involved in her community and to advocate for others. Susana was a teen mom herself and wants to reach out to young families to motivate, offer support, and let them know they are not alone. Susana truly believes that the first step is to provide them with all available resources which will point them in the right direction.
Susana attained her Associates degree in Paralegal studies from De Anza College. She went on to California State University of East Bay and now holds her bachelor’s in criminal justice studies with a focus in community corrections.
In her free time, Susana enjoys baking, traveling with family, and party planning.
(408) 593-0294
Ana Robleto
Advocate, Fresno County
Ana Robleto was born and raised in the Bay Area and moved to Fresno her Freshman year in High school. As daughter of immigrant parents, she realized quickly the need for Advocacy and resources in low income areas. Her passion to help families inspired her to earn her Bachelor’s Degree In Social Work. Ana has over 12 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations in Fresno County by providing families support through resources and case management. Ana hopes to continue working with families and empower individuals despite the barriers they face!
(408) 685-7576
Mai Townsend
Advocate, Sacramento Valley
Mai Townsend is a proud native of the Bay Area but has relocated to Sacramento to transition into the next phase of her journey. She currently attends Sacramento State University with a focus in Sociology. She’s excited to be part of the Shine team and hopes to encourage and empower as many young families as possible.
In a previous role, she counseled school-age children and Transitional Age Youth at Legacy. Mai brings excellent facilitation skills, ease in interaction, and creates a fun learning atmosphere when discussing difficult topics and learning about others’ cultural values.
Many people have told Mai that she’s an “old soul”. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her family and prides herself on being a good sister. She enjoys listening to podcasts/YouTube commentary, online shopping, trying new outdoor activities, and streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
(408) 230-3468
Our Resources
Everything You Need For Mom Life
We offer many services and resources for young families like yours. Our goal is to make your life as a mom easier, so you can achieve your full potential. Here are the areas in which you can find a program near you.
Bay Area
Monterey County
Sacramento Valley
Fresno County
How To Join
Take The Leap
Are you a parenting or currently pregnant? We can give you positive support to deal with school, being a mom, and much more. We’ve got you. Click “Join Now” to fill out an application and an Advocate will be in touch with you soon.
¿Quieres inscribirte en nuestro programa? Tenemos Advocates que hablan español y están disponibles para ayudarte. Envía un correo electrónico a [email protected] y te conectaremos.