RealTalk Educators
Our team is passionate about equipping students to make healthy lifestyle choices by empowering them with effective relationship and risk avoidance skills. We are dedicated to informing parents, to raise strong children and build healthy communities with local churches, schools, and community based organizations.
Valerie Navarrete
RealOptions’ Senior Director of Community Outreach and Education
Valerie Navarrete has served as RealOptions’ Director of Education for the last two years. She is passionate about equipping parents and young people with healthy relationship skills . With a background in Psychology and a focus on Behavioral and Addiction studies, she understands the lasting influence of relationships on families. Her education and experience have uniquely equipped her to work with parents and students. She is happily married with five children in varying stages of life, ranging from toddler to young adulthood. When not at RealOptions, Valerie loves traveling with her family, watching her kids play sports, and spending time with her grandson.
Charmaine Williams
RealOptions' Education Manager
Charmaine has a lifelong passion for helping families. She worked for over 15 years in higher education graduating from Santa Clara University and Western Seminary. She also founded and co-teaches a premarital and marriage ministry called Marriage Fundamentals educating and coaching couples for 30 years. A native of the Bay Area, she is a wife and mother to four daughters. Coming from a family with a long history in the healthcare industry, she has a particular health interest in the medical arena.
Asaya Azah
RealOptions' Education Manager
Asaya Azah is a certified instructor in the RealEssentials Curriculum. She has a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Global Maternal and Child Health from Tulane University School of Public Health. She understands how invaluable having healthy relationships with ourselves and others is to our overall well-being, which is why she enjoys being in the classroom teaching students the RealEssentials Curriculum. She believes it gives them an opportunity to model true health and wellness in every aspect of their young lives, especially in the area of relationship.
Andrea Walle
RealOptions’ Lead Educator
Andrea graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2020. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice. That same year she began her missionary experience with the Missionaries Servants of the Word for a year and 8 months. At RealOptions she is an Assistant Patient Services Manager, a Community Outreach Manager and an Education Team Leader. One of her favorite Bible passages is John 8, 32. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jenn Gonzales
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Jenn Gonzalez is a Campus Outreach Manager, Optimal Health Educator, and facilitates Rachel’s Vineyard healing retreats for anyone who has been impacted by pregnancy loss at RealOptions. She is Mexican American and a Bay Area native bilingual in English and Spanish. She is a first-generation college graduate from Saint Mary’s College of CA with a BA in Women’s Studies. She is also a certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Relationship Education instructor. She is passionate about empowering women and students from underrepresented groups to access vital resources and embrace their unique gifts to thrive in all aspects of their lives.
Marjorie McNealy
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
San Francisco native, Marjorie serves as an educator. She also is a current student and single mother of a bright 3 y.o. She holds a certificate in Christian apologetics from Biola University. She has also served in the women's ministry and worship team/choir at her church. She has also taught at her church's vacation bible school as well. She has a passion to serve her community and learn from them as well.
Suzanne Stewart
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Suzanne Stewart is a certified instructor in RealEssential Curriculum, having joined Real Options in April 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree with a concentration in Human Resources from San Jose State University. After 20 years working in the High Tech field, she left in 2019 to spend a year as a drug and mental health counselor at an in-patient treatment center and became a Certified Life Mastery and Dreambuilder Coach with Brave Thinking Institute. She is a native of the Bay Area, a wife and mother to one son and step mother to two boys and a daughter. She enjoys spending time with her grandkids, walking on the beach, reading, and caring for her parents. She is excited to be working as a Contract Educator helping students achieve their life’s purposes and the importance of having healthy relationships with themselves and others.
Justin Park
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Justin, our dedicated educator and former General Manager, brings his passion for lifelong community changes to our team. With a degree in English and Secondary Education, he transitioned into the hospitality industry to better serve the community. Through the restaurant, he has established impactful youth internship programs in partnership with various schools, equipping disadvantaged youth with specialized skills and leadership training. Justin advocates for mentors and role models to be global change-makers, extending their impact beyond their immediate circles to create a better world for all.
Donna Rhodes
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Donna joins our team as a Real Options educator with extensive experience in social work, teaching, counseling, and life coaching. Donna received her Master's Degree from the University of San Francisco in Counseling Psychology. She served the Silicon Valley community as an adjunct professor at William Jessup University and Western Seminary. Donna's passion for seeing lives changed through education has been her mandate since the beginning of her working career. Donna currently resides in San Jose and has one adult son.
Ross Malinowski
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Ross Malinowski is UPWARD's Treasurer and founding board member, ran the Silicon Valley office for a leading national executive search firm for 15 years and conducted national and international searches at the C - Suite and VP level. Ross has worked at the Board of Director level with not-for-profits and was the founding board member of the Positive Coaching Alliance and served on their National Board of Directors for over 15 years. Ross brings all his experience and enthusiasm into the classroom as a RealOptions Educator.
Stefanie Ramos
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Stefanie joins us after stepping out of her role as Assistant Patient Services Manager, in our Union City clinic. She is excited to join the RealOptions Education team and has a passion for the next generation. She loves spending time with the youth and young adults, speaking to them about healthy relationships, self care, and goals for their futures. Stefanie was a youth leader for her previous church.
Becca Cha
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educator
Becca is a graduate from the University of California Davis with a BA in Psychology, as well as from Western Seminary with a MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is certified as an instructor in RealEssentials Curriculum and Ascend, and has a background in counseling. She loves spending time with students talking about anything related to building healthy relationships, thriving communication, and future goals. She truly believes that each student is unique and has a purpose for their life, which she desires to see them live out. Conversing with parents is also a highlight for her, as she believes they are vital in each student's life and can have a major impact.
Crownovers
RealOptions’ Optimal Health Educators
Alan and Maureen Crownover have been married for 36 years and are currently enjoying grandparenthood. They have a passion to share effective tools with parents to help equip their children to navigate their way to healthy relationships and sexuality. This passion is fueled by the love they have for youth and desire to see them flourish and their personal experience of being parents of pre-teens and teens and feeling ill-equipped to help their children face the challenges of managing their relationships and sexuality in today’s culture. Alan and Maureen are Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist certified and have been supporters and volunteers at Real Options over the last 15 years.