Johnson Service Corps believes that young adults benefit from relationships outside of their peer groups, and that these relationships help to grow their character, inner strengths, and overall leadership skills. It’s for this reason that JSC pairs each Fellow with a mentor during the program duration; mentoring helps a person move from where they are to where they want to be. A mentor assists one to become more clear, more focused, and unconditionally committed to getting what they want to give and to receive in their lives. Mentoring is an ongoing process that accelerates learning, compassion, performance, and character.
This special mentoring relationship will be a confidential, mutual relationship that encourages trust through open dialogue. This is a way for Fellows to work through the discernment process, to articulate personal and professional goals, to reflect on their experience in the program, and to tackle challenges that may arise in the Fellows’ lives.
Fellows and mentors meet at least once a month and check in as needed. It creates yet another layer of intentional community building, by offering a network of community members that care about both the Fellows and the program they are a part of. Our mentors are often JSC alumni themselves, and serve as a wonderful resource for our Fellows throughout the program year.
Meet the 2024-2025 Mentors!
Click each Mentor’s photo to read their full bio.
Amanda Ann Godwin is a massage therapist, life coach and lover of Creation. She loves to quilt and create Body Prayers and is a life long learner. She makes her home in Hillsborough with her partner Steve where they delight in creating a nourishing space & offering hospitality.
Frances Dyer is a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and and was recently invited to participate with JSC, a wonderful program for young adults. This will be her first opportunity to serve as a mentor.
Frances spent her formative years in Atlanta, Ga. After graduating from Spelman College, she moved to Durham to attend NCCU Graduate School in Music. She was fortunate to be employed as a social worker with the Durham County Department of Social Services, which led her to NCCU Law School. Upon passing the Bar, Frances practiced law in Durham for over 30 years. After retiring, it has been her pleasure to volunteer in many nonprofit/community organizations in Durham.
Frances and her spouse, James A. Stewart, are committed to serving their Church and community.
Hugh Harris is a Deputy General counsel for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Hugh is a Board Member for Haven House Services, Raleigh, NC. He also coaches 10U Softball for the town of Cary. He earned his Juris Doctor from the North Carolina Central University School of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He lives in Apex with his wife and three daughters. In addition, Hugh enjoys reading books, working on puzzles, board games, and playing sports, especially with his kids.
Hugh is excited to be a JSC mentor for several reasons. This program allows young people to focus on themselves and the community. JSC is teaching, showing, and allowing young people to grow and become “good human beings.” He is supportive of any program that helps guide and/or provides resources to young people. Being involved in the community is extremely important for young people. After college, Hugh was fortunate to work for a nonprofit that provided counseling for “at-risk” youth and their families. That experience has shaped who he is today.
In addition to being a public servant with the federal government, Kate Wisz serves as a Vocational Deacon at St. Matthew’s in Hillsborough, and is the parent of an Episcopal Service Corps (On Sacred Ground) Cody, Wyoming, alum. Drawn to JSC through contacts at St. Matthew’s and meeting Julia Tyler at a Durham clergy gathering, Kate sees serving as a mentor as an opportunity to provide an extended network of supportive community. Additionally, she views it as a privilege to walk alongside young adults as they navigate the transformation that a year in the Episcopal Service Corps offers.
Judge Shamieka Rhinehart is a native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She was reared by her retired grandmother and her working-class mother. Her grandmother taught her the importance of obtaining an education and treating everyone with dignity and respect. In 1993, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English. In 2001, she received her juris doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law. In June of 2005, Judge Rhinehart became an assistant district attorney in Durham County where she prosecuted various misdemeanor and felony cases. On January 2, 2017, she was sworn in as a district court judge for Durham County.
On February 8, 2023, Judge Rhinehart was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the Superior Court for Durham County. Currently, she presides over serious felony and civil cases. She looks forward to continuing to learn about her new role as a Superior Court Judge as she presides in courts across our great state.
Currently, she is a faithful member of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Durham. She is drawn to be a JSC mentor to help other young adults cultivate their personal & professional development. She believes JSC is a great program to train the next generation of leaders. When she has spare time, she loves to speak inspirationally to young people, spend time with family and friends, dance, and cozy up with a good book. She is currently in six book clubs.
Susan Baylies has lived in Durham since 1986 and loves being part of this diverse community. She has been a member of the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship since 1994, and co-leads the pagan faith group there. They practice Earth-centered spirituality by celebrating the rhythms of nature found in the turning of the wheel of the year, such as the Solstices and Equinoxes. Susan believes that everything is interconnected, and that the actions we choose have a ripple effect on everything else.
For her work life, Susan has started two businesses and has always been self-employed. Her first business is as an artist designing cards and t-shirts. Her second is Pathway to English, where she taught English to both refugee immigrants and visiting foreigners.
In her spare time Susan explores her love of languages and travel, and is currently studying Italian. She also volunteers with the Democratic Party, urging people to get registered and vote.