Kingston Fellowship for Wilder Employees
Developing Highly Effective, Culturally Competent Leaders
Wilder employees are able to apply for a Kingston Fellowship, which provides the opportunity to develop a highly effective, culturally competent set of leaders and promote ongoing improvement of human services in the entire community. The Kingston Fellowship is an honor awarded to Wilder employees annually from the Kingston Fellowship named endowment fund. This fund was established with a lead gift from Tom and Mary Kingston along with contributions from many friends of the Wilder Foundation.
The Fellowship provides honorees the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and develop innovative programs to address community concerns. Individuals are chosen for Fellowships based on demonstrated accomplishments in their discipline, commitment to the field of human services, and leadership potential.
Bethany Alexander
School-Based Mental Health Clinician
Bethany has been with Wilder since 2022. Bethany will use the Kingston Fellowship to continue her education and take the exam to become a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). With this credential, she will be able to provide education on the impact of substances on the developing…
James Driessen
School-Based Mental Health Therapist
Based at Battle Creek Middle School, James has been with Wilder since 2019. He plans to utilize the Kingston Fellowship to complete his educationand fulfill the necessary requirements for licensure. James is dedicated to helping the youth build strong mental foundations to overcome…
Tawana Freeman
Mobile Case Manager
Tawana has been with Wilder since 2022. She plans to use her Kingston Fellowship to pursue her Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHS) in Human Service Family Studies from Metropolitan State University, which she began in 2016. While pursuing her degree, she would like to gain experience in…
Dolly Her
Clinical Supervisor
Dolly has been with the Adult Targeted Case Management Program at Wilder since 2019. Dolly intends to leverage the Kingston Fellowship to complete a mixed-methods research project focusing on alcohol use in the Hmong population. "I want to increase awareness in the community regarding the…
Julia Miller
Research Associate
Julia has been with Wilder Research for over six years. She will be using the Kingston Fellowship to pursue a Master’s degree in Evaluation studies. She hopes to combine years of real-world research and evaluation experience she has gained through Wilder with graduate-level education to…
Chris Naw
Administrative Specialist Trilingual
Chris has been with Wilder’s Community Mental Health and Wellness since 2017. Chris intends to use her Kingston Fellowship to outline the K’nyaw Mental Health Initiative (KMHI), a Karen mental health educational resource within the community in the fall of 2025. Her goal is to bridge the…
Henry Ngo
Mental Health Therapist
Henry has been with Wilder’s Community Mental Health and Wellness since 2022 and transitioned to full-time clinical practice after completing his Master's in Clinical Work at St. Thomas University in 2023. Henry is planning to use the Kingston Fellowship to obtain Brainspotting…
Boo Thaw Paw
Targeted Case Manager
Boo has been at Wilder since 2018. She plans to pursue her Master's degree in Social Work through her Kingston Fellowship and become clinically licensed, practicing in therapeutic settings in the near future. Boo is passionate about improving the quality and diversity of individuals…
