welcome to C.H.A.R.J.

Maribel is a Japanese-Peruvian kindergarten teacher. She worked for 15 years teaching kindergarten and pre-K in English and Spanish in Peru. Then, she worked for 5 years in a Dual Immersion Program (English-Spanish) in North Carolina. During those years, she collaborated with families to support students' academic and social success. She holds a Master’s degree in Family-Educational Counseling. Additionally, she has completed studies in TESOL and Learning Disabilities, and she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Multicultural and Multilingual Education at George Mason University. Maribel works as a Graduate Research Assistant with “Amigas de la Comunidad” and other Participatory Action Research projects. She is a passionate advocate for family engagement and cultural awareness. After completing her doctoral program, she aims to continue working with diverse communities, advocating for the needs of multicultural families. 

Chen Chen is a first-year master’s student pursuing an MEd in School Counseling. An immigrant who grew up in China and an aspiring school counselor, she is passionate about improving the quality of life for adults and children in immigrant communities. She graduated with a MS in Data Science from New York University in 2024 and has several years of experience in quantitative research, including working at the International Monetary Fund as a research analyst. Chen is excited to combine her data skills with her passion for human-centered work through community-based participatory research that supports local immigrant communities.  

 Gozde Sensoy Murt is a Fulbright Dissertation Research Fellow; Visiting Scholar at George Mason University, where she is engaged in community-based work with women. She is currently a Research Assistant in C.H.A.R.J. Lab., and she is originally a doctoral candidate in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at Middle East Technical University (METU), Türkiye. She holds a research assistant position at the same institution. She has contributed to a national-level trauma-informed and disaster-response project in Türkiye, focusing on psychosocial support, school-based interventions, and community resilience following large-scale crises. She also She has contributed to other research projects, published in peer-reviewed journals on psychosocial support and trauma interventions in school settings. Her academic work centers on intergenerational trauma, resilience, and meaning-making, with particular attention to women and families navigating adverse life experiences and cumulative adversity. Methodologically, her work draws on advance qualitative and quantitative methodology. In parallel with her academic work, Gözde is a practicing psychological counselor and is completing advanced training and supervision in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) in Türkiye. Her work aims to integrate psychological counseling practices with academic research.