meet the team

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For over a decade, Courtney has been a leader in the non-profit after-school/youth development space. She has become a pillar in the community on Chicago’s Southside, serving as the Executive Director at The Ark of St. Sabina since 2016. 

Courtney has seen many successes while serving at The ARK. Not only has she raised over five million dollars in funding to provide youth with amazing after-school programming, but she has also provided service for over 3000 young people (6-24 years old). She has secured internships for over 200 youth since 2018 and has ensured 80% retention of the youth she’s served year over year for the past seven years.  

It’s not all about the numbers for Courtney. Her love of serving others and her desire for them to harness their talents have guided her track record. Courtney has worked hard to build positive and lasting relationships with the youth she serves, their parents, and her staff. She prides herself on leading with integrity, fairness, personal accountability, respect, and teamwork.  

As Courtney moves into a new phase in her professional career with The Missing Peace Inc, she hopes to provide her constituents with the tools they need to promote a greater sense of self-awareness, and positive transformation, and improve the relationships they have with themselves and those they love. The Missing Peace Inc will allow Courtney to make deeper connections to her community and empower the next generation of leaders.  

Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Roosevelt University (Chicago, 2011) and a Master’s in Non-Profit Administration from North Park School of Non-Profit Business (North Park, 2016). In her free time, she loves watching the WNBA/NBA, spending time with her family, and personal development so that she can continue serving her community.  

Born and raised in Chicago, Anthony graduated from Brooks College Prep in 2016 and earned a degree in Political Science and African American Studies from Roosevelt University in 2020. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and leading workshops, they have traveled across the country to advocate for gun safety and gun violence prevention. Passionate about basketball, anime, and politics, they are also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Raised in Chicago and a graduate of Brooks College Prep, Class of 2020, Rie'Onna holds a Bachelor's Degree in English with a Teaching Certification from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In August, they will begin pursuing a Master's in Literature with a specialization in African American Literature while teaching African American Literature to incoming freshmen at SIUE. Passionate about educating youth and advocating for positive change in higher-risk communities, they enjoy reading, binge-watching Netflix, and are driven to create a violence prevention curriculum for all schools.

Born and raised in Chicago, Camryn graduated from Dyett High School for the Arts in 2020 and is currently attending Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, majoring in psychology with a minor in forensic science. Aspiring to become a psychologist, they also have a passion for acting and writing poetry. With 3 years of experience working with youth, they have facilitated workshops on healthy relationships and boundaries while serving on the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student council. They are deeply invested in self-care and personal improvement.