Wellness Center Staff

District Behavioral
Health Coordinator

(510) 537-5910 x3450

mmeadows@cv.k12.ca.us

Ms. Marian Meadows believes that working with children, youth and families is a privilege. She has worked in early childcare, before & after school, residential, summer camp, faith-based, mental health and school-based settings for 25+ years and has found it incredibly rewarding to be a part of peoples' desire to grow and heal. Her strengths include building partnerships, bringing new programming to scale and school reform for educational equity.  For the last 14 years, Marian has overseen K-12 Behavioral Health Services in Castro Valley Unified and led the team that launched the CVHS Wellness Center in November 2017 as well as the expansion of Behavioral Health services district-wide. Marian's current focus in CVUSD is leading the incredible team of staff, providers and partners who serve the CVUSD community with Behavioral Health & Wellness Services. In her free time,  Ms. Meadows enjoys making music with her two teenage daughters (a bassoonist and saxophonist) and is a recently ordained Interfaith Chaplain.

Lead Social Worker

(510) 537-5910 x3450

Janae Schallert, LCSW, is a School Social Worker at Castro Valley High School. Before joining CVHS, she worked in crisis response, behavioral threat assessment, human trafficking, and alongside law enforcement, and is an FBI-trained hostage and crisis negotiator.

Outside of social work, Janae has lived in seven countries, traveled to more than 50, and worked as a professional whitewater rafting guide. She also loves scuba diving, basketball, hiking, and pretty much anything that involves an adventure. At CVHS, she hopes to create a space where students can show up as themselves, feel supported, and always have someone in their corner.

Office Assistant and Operations Support 

(510) 537-5910 x3450

Mrs. Tavis is the eyes and ears of the Wellness Center. She has roots with CVHS, as she is a Trojan Alumni. She is extremely inspired by these powerful little humans. Ms. Tavis builds rapport with every student that walks through the doors. No student goes unheard in this space. In her spare time, you can find her on the softball field coaching, hiking, and spending time with her daughters.  

Student Advocate
slau@cv.k12.ca.us

Sophie (Ms. Lau) is a first generation immigrant from Canton, China. She arrived in the States when she was 9 years old and grew up in San Francisco. Being a product of SF public high schools herself, she decided to pursue a career in school social work while she was employed as a Paraprofessional for SFUSD.  However, she wanted to provide more than just the academic support to the students and families she was supporting. She invests in youth who have overcome tremendous odds (like herself, when she became a foster youth during high school) so that they can discover their own voice, grit, and resilience.  She is happy to be part of this Trojan community! In her spare time, you can find her playing with her 2 yr old Son, Liam who keeps her very VERY busy!  

Social Worker
MSW, ASW, PPSC

jverduzco@cv.k12.ca.us

Jazmine is a second-year Master of Social Welfare student at UC Berkeley and a proud CVHS alum. She is excited to return to her community to support students’ mental health and social-emotional well-being, while bringing a culturally responsive lens to her work. Jazmine previously worked in the district as a paraeducator, where she gained hands-on experience supporting students in the classroom. Her professional interests center on advocating for youth impacted by the juvenile carceral system and promoting equitable access to mental health resources. Outside of school and work, Jazmine enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and being in nature. 

Health Education Promoter

paul.keim@cv.k12.ca.us

Paul Keim is a singer/songwriter, community organizer, and founder of Smalltown Society, an arts collective dedicated to empowering local artists and building community through music, storytelling, and creative collaboration. For the past three years, Paul has worked with the Castro Valley High School Wellness Center, as its Health Education Promoter. In this role, he helps develop student-centered programming, promote wellness resources, build campus partnerships, and create welcoming spaces where students can connect, express themselves, and receive support. Paul lives in Castro Valley with his partner, Cathy, and their four children, where his work continues to bring together art, wellness, justice, and community-building.

Segen Araya is a first year Master of Social Welfare student at UC Berkeley and a Social Worker Intern at the CVHS Wellness Center. Segen grew up in Oakland, and attended public schools in the Berkeley Unified School District. They received their undergraduate degree in Psychology and African-American Studies at UCLA. Previously, Segen worked in LAUSD middle schools and high schools as a Youth Mental Health Educator, and provided youth and family-centered services at an affordable housing non-profit organization in San Francisco. Segen's professional interests center on youth mental health advocacy, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ and women of color. In their free time, Segen loves to spend time with friends, attend live music, and explore nature.