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Project C.A.R.R.E.: The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling

This project was rooted in the partnering agency’s—An Insightful Journey—mission to drive equity through storytelling and creative initiatives that foster the organization’s vision and values, “To C.A.R.R.E. (pronounced care) for underserved and marginalized populations with an emphasis on health.” The acronym C.A.R.R.E. represents the organization’s values of Collaboration, Advocacy, Resource, Research, and Education.

Through this storytelling approach, the project aimed to align with the agency’s values, support the community in addressing inequities, and amplify voices.

This project raised awareness of the need for Social Justice and Community Engagement. The emotional connection built and fostered through storytelling helps us understand information and each other while creating a memory. Through listening, we can gain a deeper understanding of others while embracing the ability to share stories that spark conversation and reflection, allowing for teachable moments. The critical conscious awareness that takes place through shared stories reinforces the vitality of storytelling to the human experience.

The final project encompasses 6 hours of filmed personal stories shared in person by community members in three Stanislaus County zip codes, 95351, 95354, and 95358 in Modesto, CA. The project’s objectives were accomplished through applying empowerment theory and anti-oppressive practice.

From start to finish, the entire project was executed with a bottom-up approach, allowing community members to drive results through grassroots efforts. This project leaves behind Project C.A.R.R.E., a community committee in Stanislaus County that will continue doing the work required to reach solutions.

Project Outcome

A thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed five recurring themes.

  1. Understanding of Care Instructions 
  2. Patient Centered Communication 
  3. Barriers to Healthcare Access 
  4. Overall Patient Satisfaction 
  5. Impact of Social Determinants of Health 
Read the full policy brief here
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Jayme Luna brings extensive experience working within mental health and government organizations, which has profoundly shaped her belief in the power of research, advocacy, and collaboration. These core values of An Insightful Journey (AIJ) resonate deeply with her, especially the understanding that a collaborative approach—one that unites community members and professionals alike—is essential for effective advocacy.

Jayme emphasizes that truly addressing the challenges faced by communities requires research and understanding from the inside out. This can only be achieved through genuine collaboration with those living in the community, ensuring their voices are heard and their lived experiences directly inform the development of solutions. By partnering with government bodies and other organizations, she believes a collective effort can be forged to meet community needs, advocate for systemic change, and amplify voices that are often overlooked.

Looking ahead, Jayme envisions AIJ playing a vital role in building strong, lasting connections with the communities it serves—creating spaces where individuals feel heard, their issues are meaningfully addressed, and healing can begin. She is confident that with the right collaborative framework, AIJ can create lasting impact and foster empowerment within the communities it supports.

Sydney brings a strong background in compliance and a B.A. in Government to her role as a Board Member, ensuring transparency and integrity in nonprofit governance. Sydney is deeply passionate about housing justice and building systems that center people and dignity. With lived experience and a commitment to equity, she advocates for inclusive policies that uplift historically marginalized communities. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Sydney champions representation and belonging in all spaces.

Grace Carrillo serves as the Secretary for An Insightful Journey (AIJ) and is a dedicated and compassionate counseling professional and social worker with over a decade of experience providing client-centered services across diverse settings. Much of her career has focused on investigating abuse and neglect, with a significant number of cases involving individuals from underserved and marginalized communities. These populations often face barriers such as lack of awareness about available services or disconnection from resources, and many struggle to meet their basic needs.

Grace is deeply committed to educating and connecting these individuals with the resources necessary to improve their quality of life. AIJ’s core values—Collaboration, Advocacy, Resource, Research, and Education—resonate strongly with her, as she believes they play a vital role in illuminating systemic gaps and delivering meaningful support. Among these values, Grace is particularly passionate about collaboration and resource-sharing. She brings strengths in strength-based counseling, crisis intervention, and collaborative service planning—skills that align closely with and will contribute meaningfully to AIJ’s mission and ongoing efforts.

Having grown up in an underserved and marginalized community herself, Grace has experienced firsthand the challenges of accessing essential services, especially within the healthcare system. She credits her mother’s unwavering determination and strong voice for empowering her to overcome barriers and become the educated and influential woman she is today within her community.

These personal experiences have shaped Grace’s deep belief in the transformative power of support and access to services. She understands that when individuals receive the right resources and encouragement, it can significantly impact every aspect of their lives and shape their future in profound ways.

Windy Ly is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for An Insightful Journey (AIJ) and serves as the Community Resilience and Support Section Manager within the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division at the California Department of Public Health. In this role, she leads statewide initiatives that promote mental health, build community resilience, and support children and youth with special health care needs. Windy oversees innovation grant programs, supports local public health agencies, and advances trauma-informed, equity-driven strategies across the life course.

Windy is inspired by AIJ’s commitment to uplifting historically marginalized voices and working alongside communities to create real, systemic change. She values the mission’s core belief that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution—a principle she holds deeply in her own work. Of AIJ’s five core values—Collaboration, Advocacy, Resource, Research, and Education—Collaboration resonates most strongly with her. She believes that true change is only possible when partnerships are formed across communities, sectors, and through shared power. Windy has witnessed firsthand how collaboration fosters innovation, healing, and lasting impact.

Bringing a dual lens of personal lived experience and professional leadership, Windy draws from her background as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and her own experiences navigating complex systems as an at-risk youth. This has instilled in her deep empathy and cultural humility. Professionally, she has led strategic initiatives centered on equity, trauma-informed approaches, and mental health, particularly focused on children, youth, and families.

Windy’s passion for equity, health, and social justice is rooted in her family’s immigrant journey and her own story. Growing up in a household where language barriers, access challenges, and systemic obstacles were daily realities, she developed an early awareness of how disparities affect health, opportunity, and belonging. This awareness ignited her commitment to making systems more humane and just.

During her time on the AIJ board, Windy hopes to contribute strategic insight, bridge-building across systems, and a grounding presence that keeps the community central in decision-making. She also aims to help deepen AIJ’s work around mental health and culturally responsive approaches. Looking forward, Windy envisions AIJ becoming a leader in community-rooted, data-driven policy and systems change. She plans to support this evolution by bringing her public sector perspective, amplifying community stories, and co-creating pathways for sustainability and scale.

A fun fact about Windy is her love for outdoor adventures and budget travel. She has visited 38 national parks and 31 countries, finding joy in the awe of nature, culture, and human connection. She also treasures quality time with friends and family, often sharing good food. The quote that guides her work and passion is, “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” This saying reminds her to lead with heart, take meaningful risks, and stay grounded in purpose, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

Kayshaun Brooks is the Chief Operating Officer of An Insightful Journey (AIJ’s), As a World Record Holder, former nurse, and Holistic Pain & Trauma Warrior, Kayshaun brings a unique blend of lived experience, strategic leadership, and a deep commitment to advocacy and healing. 

At AIJ’s, Kayshaun plays a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission. Under her leadership, AIJ continues to grow its impact. Kayshaun has been a key contributor in the pilot of AIJ‘s newest initiative: California State University, Stanislaus Master of Social Work Students Igniting Innovative Social Impact. Kayshaun’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and practice with this framework positions her as a strategic driver of innovation and operational excellence at AIJ’s.  

She is also the founder and CEO of Renew You Body Butters, a 3x award-winning holistic skincare brand specializing in sensitive skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. With a strong foundation in relationship-building, she has successfully partnered with almost 70 affiliates and one celebrity brand ambassador, and she supports other entrepreneurs in launching and scaling affiliate programs that center collaboration and authenticity. 

Kayshaun’s passion for equity and healing, paired with her entrepreneurial spirit, makes her a powerful force for change in both nonprofit and business spaces.

Dejamarie is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of An Insightful Journey (AIJ) and a Doctoral Student at Howard University School of Social Work. She is deeply inspired by AIJ’s mission to uplift narratives that are often overlooked—reclaiming storytelling as both a healing modality and a tool for systemic change. The communities AIJ serves are often those most impacted by inequities, yet it is their wisdom, resilience, and vision for change that continually fuel the organization’s mission and momentum.

While all five of AIJ’s core values—Collaboration, Advocacy, Resource, Research, and Education—are integral, Research resonates most deeply with Dejamarie. She believes research, especially when rooted in community-driven inquiry, creates a vital bridge between lived experience and systemic solutions. Through mixed-methods and participatory approaches, she sees research not just as data collection, but as a means of translating pain into policy and stories into strategies.

On the board, Dejamarie brings a unique fusion of scholarly rigor, grassroots experience, and a deep understanding of intersectionality. From leading qualitative research projects and crafting policy briefs to conducting interviews in underserved zip codes and building cross-sector collaborations, she has consistently translated academic tools into community empowerment strategies. Her passion for equity, health, and social justice is rooted in her personal experiences growing up in systems not built for people who carry multiple marginalized identities. These experiences revealed the depth of structural inequities while illuminating the transformative power of voice and connection. She understands that health is more than clinical—it is cultural, environmental, and political.

During her time on the board, Dejamarie hopes to continue building AIJ as a think tank for public policy rooted in community inquiry. Her vision includes expanding storytelling initiatives, deepening academic partnerships, developing scalable research models, and supporting programmatic design that is culturally rooted and community-driven. Looking ahead, she envisions AIJ becoming a national leader in intersectional health equity research and narrative justice. She will support this growth by leveraging her doctoral training, expanding AIJ’s policy influence, and mentoring emerging community scholars. She also sees AIJ scaling its community committee model to co-create local solutions across diverse regions.

A fun fact that speaks to her long-standing commitment to equity: as a teenager, Dejamarie helped envision and plan a $25 million youth center in her hometown—proof that when young voices are invited to the table, they can build lasting institutions. The belief that guides her work is simple yet profound: “Our stories deserve to be heard. Every challenge, every victory—each step of our journey—can create change.”