Directors for the Lakeland Teen Challenge International
"Be Resilient & Fight with the Tenacity of a Weed! - Never Give Up"
Being raised in ministry as a pastor's child, Gregory Del Valle knows and can relate with the ins and outs of church life as a teen. The high demand to please the congregation and to set the example for other teens took its toll. His outward appearance and behavior soon became the shallow skin deep qualities to master instead of a true relationship with Christ strengthening a life lived accountable to God. Military & Law Enforcement training along with a combined experience of 34 years in youth ministry is what drives this ministry to Girls Rugby State Championships, 6 out of the top 10 in the state of Florida in Teen Bible Quiz, and a steady stream of students qualifying for the National Fine Arts Festival where they will compete against approximately the top 17,000 students in America.
"Its the fire within me to help these girls realize that they will only be 2nd best if they try to live their lives according to what they see & hear through media & pop culture. That the only time they are at their best, is when they fully embrace God's purpose for their lives and become GREAT at being themselves in Christ."... in other words ..."you'll only be second best pretending to be someone else, run with the talents & gifts God has already blessed & equipped you with!!!"....Never be ashamed or embarrassed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and if your "friends" can't accept you for being a Christian then you don't need them as a friend at all - they're the ones with the problem , not you precious one, you are the "Apple of God's Eye!"...Dir. Gregory Del Valle
"We want these girls to know that their past does not dictate their future"...Co-Dir. Esmeralda Del Valle
God touched Greg and he knew that he and his wife, Esmeralda, had a passion for youth. While serving in a church youth group of 350 with his full pension retirement from the Sheriff's Office only 7 years away and with 3 teens still at home, God called Greg, Esmeralda, and family to leave their "security & stability" for the GREAT ADVENTURE in full time ministry.
"We sacrificed it all for the sake of the call."
Del Valle Family
Melissa Valcarcel New LifeAcademy Principal
Credentials and Experience:
B.A. Early Childhood, Primary Education, Summa Cum Laude
Certified in Individual Curriculum Studies
Licensed/Certified Teacher
Early Childhood and ESL Education
12 yrs. teaching, substituting, or tutoring Grade Levels Pre-Kinder-12th Grade
6 yrs. office administration
2 yrs. School Accreditation Committee
The New LifeAcademy is here to instruct in all aspects of an individual’s development.God allowed me to be prepared with the right education and experiences to help students in learning and enabling them to put their potentials to optimal use.He placed us together, to grow and meet our educational and spiritual goals. I value excellence and am committed to teaching, service and the ministry of Southeast Florida Teen Challenge because it is my purpose as it is this ministry’s to facilitate life transformation one person at a time.
Donna Bearoff - Teacher Certification Applied for, State of Florida
Donna has been teaching since 2 02 and began working at Teen Challenge in 2004. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a minor in Bible from Southeastern University, both of which equipped her to educate, mentor, and serve the young ladies at Teen Challenge. Donna became a Christian while reading a Gideon's Bible in a hotel room. Since then, her heart has been to help build God's Kingdom through teaching, preaching, and encouraging teens. When asked when she teaches at Teen Challenge, she says, "God uses Teen Challenge to soften hearts and transform lives. He reveals himself and His healing power so frequently that I leave the center awestruck almost daily! It's a privilege to participate in the plans He has for every girl here." Donna lives with her husband, their two dogs, and their three cats
Alpha and Omega Counseling is owned and operated by Dale Key, who is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Family Life Educator. I obtained my Bachelor's of Liberal Studies from Barry University. I later attended Nova University where I obtained a Masters of Science in Psychology. After completing my Masters, I spent several years working with adolescents and their families dealing with substance abuse and behavior problems.
Alpha and Omega's philosophy is to provide an innovative alternative to traditional counseling, in a supportive learning and counseling environment, with emphasis on a holistic approach, while fostering independence.
Using a high expectation model, Alpha and Omega Counseling Services offers clients the following:
a. A positive counseling and educational environment in a small, supportive, and sensitive family
environment.
b. A Biopsychosocial - This is an in-depth assessment of the client's family, educational, social, drug, medical, abuse, employment, and psychiatric history. The assessment is utilized to assit with treatment planning, clinical diagnosis, address immediate needs, make appropriate recommendations, and make referrals if necessary.
c. Individually designed treatment plans with goals and objectives.
CHASSITY FRANEY - Counselor / Case Manager
Chassity is a 2003 Southeastern University graduate, with a Bachelor's Degree in Pastoral Ministry, and a Minor in Christian Counseling. She has been a teacher at Teen Challenge since January of 2005. Chassity's relationship with the Lord began at the age of seven, and when she was sixteen, God called her into full-time ministry. "As Christ helped me through my own struggles, I knew I wanted to minister to other ladies and share the comfort, peace, and joy that God had given me. Chassity says she is honored to have the privilege to teach and minister to the special ladies at Lakeland Teen Challenge Girls Home.
Kim Allen - Counselor
Kim has worked at the Lakeland Teen Challenge since August 2003. She counsels and shares the love of God to the young ladies in our program. She graduated from Southeastern University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When younger, Kim went through a few turbulent teenage years after her parents divorced. She was angry, rebellious and miserable. With much hesitation, she started going to church with her mom and soon realized that she needed a savior. After surrendering her heart to God and accepting Jesus Christ as her personal savior, she quickly starting moving forward and found healing in her own personal life. She personally understands the turmoil that each girl is going through. In the past, Kim and her husband have worked as youth leaders and now Kim’s husband is one of the staff pastors at their church. Kim resides in Bartow, Florida and is married to an amazing man and has two handsome little boys.
Jennifer Baisden- Direct Care Staff Jennifer grew up in the small town of Richlands, VA. She became a Christian at a young age, and during her teenage years she completely dedicated her life to serving Christ. During high school, she became interested in the idea of becoming a missionary to other countries, and while in college God put it in her heart to someday work with Global Teen Challenge. She graduated from Southeastern University in 2006 with a Bachelors Degree in Church Ministry - Missions. According to Ms. Baisden, "I decided to start learning about Teen Challenge while in college by volunteering at the Lakeland Girls Home. I loved it so much that after graduation I stayed in Florida to work at the center as Direct Care Staff. It is definitely God's will that I am here. I couldn't resist Him, because leading people to Christ is what I live for. So until God calls me elsewhere, or around the world, I'm here and loving it!"
Tammy Cowey-Direct Care Staff Supervisor I have served in my home church in different ministries since I was 12 years old. I knew God was calling me into full-time ministry and that there was more for my life. At the age or 24, I left home to attend Brownsville Revival School of Ministry where I obtained an AA in Practical Ministry and an Ordination with FIRE (Fellowship for International Revival and Evangelism).
In 2002, I left Pensacola to work for Teen Challenge here in Lakeland. I worked at this campus for 3 years, starting as a Direct Care staff and then moving up to Program Manager. During that time, I saw many young, hurting girls come in looking for someone to accept them. This is where they found the love of Jesus that transformed their lives. Each girl comes in the center broken, and each leaves whole.
In 2005 I moved back to Miami to spend time with my family and pursue ministry in my home church, but I was called back to Winter Haven and the Teen Challenge family in May of 2008. At this moment, I am in such awe of the Lord and His love for me. Now I can't wait to see what else the Lord has in store for me, the girls, and the staff here on our Lakeland campus!
NCJRS - NCJRS services and resources are available to anyone interested in crime, victim assistance, and public safety including policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, community leaders, and the general public.
Info for Teens- - Afterschool.gov is a one-stop website connecting the public, and particularly afterschool providers, to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school time. Afterschool.gov includes resources from a variety of federal agencies, including a searchable database of federal funding sources.
Info for Teens- - Students.gov is an official U.S. government web site designed for college students and their families. Our mission is to provide you with easy access to information and resources from the U.S. government - all the info you need, in one place, from all parts of the government.
