About Shine Your Light CT

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 Willona is a Ghanaian American children’s author, performing artist, philanthropist, and social worker. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Central Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut where she teaches as an adjunct professor. Willona has dedicated 25 years of service to mental health wellness and positive youth development for underserved communities. She has developed professional training workshops like Building Inclusive Resiliency for The Connecticut Women’s Consortium, Mental Health Advocacy for faith-based communities, and therapeutic social skills groups for East Hartford Youth Services. Willona’s artistic career includes performing at the Apollo Theater, playing the role of Harriet Tubman for Mazzarella Media’s educational video series, and casted in various theater productions including the Christian musical The Passion. The stage is Willona’s field of joy, and her mission is to create pathways to healing through the arts. Willona is also in pursuit of creating good, clean, and wholesome entertainment. She is completing her second master’s degree in Cinematic Production Management from Quinnipiac University. Willona credits her success to the power of her faith and the support of her family and friends.  

What Makes Your Light Shine?  

When sunlight passes through raindrops after every storm, rainbows are formed. My faith in God shines the perfect light to form all the rainbows in my life. 

Rajan is a lifelong resident of Wallingford. He is a member of the Wallingford Board of Education and is the Co-Director of the GLOW Food Pantry, a ministry of Wallingford Church of the Nazarene. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Meriden-Wallingford and the Wallingford Family YMCA. He is a student at Quinnipiac University School of Law.

What makes your light shine? 

Helping guide growth in the GLOW Food Pantry and watching students of the Wallingford Public Schools succeed.

Melissa Charter is currently a Mathematics teacher and Licensed Esthetician. She recently took part in a year-long study of the Universal Design for Learning.  While doing so, she developed and implemented a full-on UDL exemplar math program for her students and district.  

What Makes Your Light Shine?  

My family, church, friends, being creatively active, and surrounding myself with happy people makes my light shine. I truly enjoy helping others feel good about themselves through teaching them how to take care of their skin. My self expression is seen through skincare, clothing, photography, staying active, journaling, music, and reading.

 Lance James can be heard beating the drums; tuning out on a piano; composing lyrics and bringing down the house with his flavor of "Smooth Jazz with an Afro/Latin Groove". Kamau pronounced Ka-mah-oo, is Swahili for "Musical Warrior". He creates positive energy wherever his battlefield is staged. Once a business man in the corporate world and now a bandleader, performer, composer and manager in the music world, his spirit continues to soar.

Michele Urban is a singer, songwriter and performer in the kindie-rock (family) genre, who entertains, educates, and celebrates kids one song at a time! Michele’s whimsical lyrics and creative original tunes on her album, “Today’s A Special Day” (released 2023) explore themes of kindness, friendship, inclusion and acceptance. Michele’s improvisational music style creates fun moments where kids discover just how special they are! She engages both adults and children in singing along, dancing, playing rhythm instruments and community bonding. 

Michele Urban has been an early childhood music and movement educator for 20 years. She actively performs throughout Connecticut for schools, libraries, local fairs, and children’s events. Michele’s programs bring families together to support literacy, teach life skills and inspire creativity in a fun and exciting way.

What Makes Your Light Shine?    

Music has always been as natural to me as breathing. Like light to a firefly, music is the part of me that I express to the world. It evokes emotion, it lowers stress, helps with learning and strengthens family bonds. Especially for children, music is a way of connecting. I believe that music is a gift from God, and He wants us to use music to shine light into the world and connect with others. I encourage families to express and experience music with their children, because it brings us all together and helps us feel a part of something bigger. In other words, I let my light shine, by celebrating children, one song at at time.  

   Kelvin Young is a certified sound healer and recovery support specialist. He is also a person in sustained recovery which means he hasn't used alcohol or any other drug to cope with his mental and emotional distress since March, 6th 2009. Kelvin received his recovery coaching training at CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and his Recovery Support Specialist (RSS) certification at Recovery University in 2011. He is also trained in Intentional Peer Support (IPS) and Emotional CPR. (eCPR) The first time Kelvin was exposed to sound healing, he discovered the sounds of the crystal and Tibetan singing bowls and gongs calmed his mind, relaxed his body and nourished his soul. He went on to study sound healing with  Master Sound Healers, Zacciah Blackburn of The Center of Light, Paul Hubbert of the Holographic Sound and Inner Balance and Satya Brat Jaiswal of the International Academy of Sound Healing.