We are so excited to have Eulanda Thorne as the Mentoring Program Director who will be supporting both Mentors and Mentees on their 12 week mentoring journey together.

As a former K-8 educator and school counselor, Eulanda has over 20 years of experience working in public education. She has a passion for using her gifts to serve vulnerable children and teens who are living in or experiencing toxic stress or trauma. Her passion for youth and education led her to seek out a larger platform to share knowledge about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). As a result, she competed for and won the title of Ms. Black North Carolina USA, 2022. Since being crowned, she enjoys speaking and facilitating trainings which educates others on the effects of trauma, childhood adversity and building resilience.

Eulanda holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She later attended East Carolina University where she received a master’s degree on a dual track of Counselor Education and Clinical Mental Health. 

In 2018, she became a certified trauma-informed and resilience educator through Resources for Resilience™ allowing her to facilitate trainings and Listening Circles throughout Eastern North Carolina. She serves as a board member of Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) whose vision is to end generational cycles of trauma and poverty by preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences

Through her work with ROI, Eulanda has served as a panelist for the 2022 Workshop Series: Building a National Movement to Prevent Trauma and Foster Resilience. Her work was featured in the December 2019 issue of PACEs Connection during the ACEs Science Champions Series, and again in June 2022. She has also served as an ongoing guest trainer for teachers with the Rutgers University DREAMS grant sharing an introduction to building a trauma-informed classroom with knowledge about ACEs, trauma-informed practices and building resilience. 

Currently, Eulanda works for the Public School Forum of North Carolina where she serves as a Program Manager for Eastern, NC. In this role, she works to create trauma-informed classrooms, and build positive relationships that focus on the whole child. She is committed to living life with an open heart to not only serve others, but to meet people where they are. Eulanda lives in Wilson, North Carolina where she is a devoted mother of four active and resilient teenagers.