Behavior Management Experts
Dr. Rich Arend, Ph.D
Clinical Child Psychologist
Richard A. Arend, Ph.D., is a clinical child psychologist who began at Tuesday’s Child in 1987. He supports our Behavioral Intervention services on Saturdays. Dr. Arend obtained his doctorate at the University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development, where he did ground breaking research on the mother-infant attachment relationship and how it relates to children’s later competence. He has clinical experience in individual and family psychotherapy, consultation to schools, crisis intervention, and parent education.
Dr. Connie Weil, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Weil is a licensed clinical psychologist who obtained her doctorate degree from Michigan State University with a specialty in child and family psychology. She has extensive experience in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional assessment of children and in individual and family psychotherapy. Dr. Weil joined the Tuesday’s Child program after spending much of her career at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. While at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Dr. Weil specialized in the evaluation and treatment of families and young children with a variety of concerns, including children with both internalizing and externalizing mood and behavioral concerns, children with severe food allergies and other chronic medical concerns, and children who graduated from the NICU. This work has also included consultation with schools and other community groups in the Chicago area.
Gary Koenig
Development Director
Gary has been in Development for the last 30+ years. Being the Director of Development at various social service organizations, he has raised funds specifically for children’s causes. Gary is responsible for the fundraising efforts at Tuesday’s Child concentrating on Donor Relationship Building as well as Foundation and Corporate Relations.
Cheryl L. Kaplan, MS, MFA
Director of Parent Education
Cheryl first came to Tuesday’s Child as a parent in 2018 with her 2 young boys and truly believes the program changed their lives for the better in every way possible. Passionate about Tuesday’s Child mission, and wanting to stay connected, she continued as a volunteer peer mentor and is now Director of Parent Education overseeing the parenting component of our Behavioral Intervention program. She holds an MS in Disability and Human Development, and an MFA in Directing for the Theatre. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Letty Perez
Bilingual Coordinator
Letty started at Tuesday’s Child in December 2021. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University where she earned a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish. In July 2021, she completed her Masters of Arts in Counseling with a concentration in Art Therapy. Letty is a Bilingual Coordinator at Tuesday’s Child, where she coordinates our Familias Felices bilingual program. Letty works directly with our Spanish speaking families by providing them with parenting support and advocacy. She also does outreach to present workshops to the Spanish-speaking populations that could benefit from our Familias Felices Program. Her future plans are to have her own clinical practice and advocate for mental health awareness.
Juanita Tullis
Curriculum Coordinator/ Parent Liaison
Juanita came to Tuesday’s Child in 1985 as a parent participant with her three children. After completing the program, Juanita volunteered for Tuesday’s Child and was shortly after hired to work in our classrooms. After completing her degree in Early Childhood, she became the Curriculum Coordinator – designing and implementing Child Center activities, screenings and supporting individual learning styles. She works directly with our “Big Kids” classroom – working with children ages 4-6.
Fran Smith
Teacher
Fran holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois – Chicago and has continued her professional development in special education from Northeastern Illinois University. She spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in an Infant Survival Program and also worked in the Chicago Public Schools as a special education assistant. Fran has been involved with Tuesday’s Child since 1982. Fran originally came as a community volunteer and with time she became a member of the teaching staff.
Amanda Scott
TC Scholars Lead Teacher
Amanda came through Tuesday’s Child as a difficult child over 25 years ago. As she became older, Amanda began volunteering in the classroom and then joined the staff in 2007 as a Classroom Teacher. She is now the Lead Teacher at TC Scholars and Tuesdays Child summer camp. Amanda is currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education and brings her unique behavioral perspective to her academic lessons. She is a proud mother of three and believes that working at Tuesday’s Child has made her a better parent.
Jasmina Ejupovic, MSW
TC Scholars Social Worker
Jasmina joined Tuesday’s Child as an intern and has since been a member of our team in many classrooms, including a regular in our summer camp program. Jasmina has recently attained her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois Chicago, and we are so excited for her to bring her behavior management skills and thoughtful social emotional curriculum to our preschool program!
Loretta Rode
Education Coordinator
Loretta came to Tuesday’s Child in 2016 with her family after her son was struggling with preschool. Going through the core program made such a difference in her son’s behavior and impacted her entire family, that she continued on with Tuesday’s Child becoming a peer mentor and helping over 30+ families going through the same struggles she experienced as a new mother. Now Loretta has been given the opportunity to be a part of the TC family on an even larger scale and she plans to continue working with families and giving them the tools to succeed in an ever changing world.
Dannae Cadenas
Marketing/Development Assistant
Dannae was an intern on our development team for the fall of 2021, and is joining our development team in 2022! She will be assisting Gary with events, non-profit fundraising, and marketing. Dannae recently attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and Advertising at DePaul University. Her future goal is to be the Director of Communications and Public Relations at a non-profit organization.
Our Interns
Brielle Hampton- Undergraduate Intern
School: Northwestern University
Major/Degree: Psychology
Brielle is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She is from Chicago, Illinois in the Morgan Park neighborhood. Brielle is the middle child with an older brother and younger brother. Her future plans are to go to medical school or clinical psychology. Brielle’s hobbies include cycling, cheerleading and tumbling. A favorite experience working with children of Brielle’s was in the winter he and the kids she was babysitting built an igloo together. A few of Brielle’s favorite things include the color Pink, Reese’s cups, mac and cheese, dogs and hedgehogs. She likes the book Kindred, Octavia Butler. As a child Briell loved playing Just Dance and The Michael Jackson Experience. Welcome to the team Brielle!!!
Kaliyah Gowing– Undergraduate Intern
School: Northwestern University
Major/Degree: Psychology
Kaliyah is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She will be helping out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Kaliyah is from PG County, Maryland and has three siblings, one sister and two brothers. Her future career plans are to pursue a PhD in Psychology and work to provide accessible mental health care to underprivileged minorities. Kaliyah enjoys bike riding, reading and photography. One of Kaliyah’s favorite experiences working with children is when she tutored a six year old and watched them grow to love reading, be more confident in their education and achieve their tiny goals. A few of Kaliyah’s favorite things are the color green, sour gummy worms, thai food and monkeys. Her favorite movie is Tangled and favorite book is Folk of the Air series. As a child Kaliyah’s favorite toy was a hairbrush that her mom complained that I would walk around asking to comb everyone’s hair all the time. Welcome to the team Kaliyah!!!!
Gianna Chavarria– Undergraduate Intern
School: Loyola University Chicago
Major/Degree: Psychology major and minor in Biology
Gianna is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She is from Bridgeport Chicago Illinois and is an only child. Gianna’s future career plan is to become a physician assistant. Gianna’s hobbies include traveling. Gianna’s favorite experience working with children was when she was working as a junior counselor at the park district and looking after 3-6 year-olds. She is the oldest in her family and she grew up taking care of the younger siblings as she grew into the leadership role. A few of Gianna’s favorite things include the color green, peanut m&m’s, pasta and Giraffes. Her favorite movie is 10 Things I Hate About You, and her favorite book is Looking for Alaska. As a child Gianna ‘s favorite toys were Barbie Dolls. Gianna would like the staff to know that traveling is a huge priority to her and that she is interested in new cultures, places, history and things she never experienced before. Welcome to the team Gianna!!!
Claire Pardus– Undergraduate Intern
School: Lake Forest College
Major/Degree: English (writing Emphasis) major and minor in communication
Claire is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022, she will be helping out Gary. Claire is from Gurnee, Illinois and has 2 brothers, one her twin and one that is younger). Claire’s future career plans are to be a Social media management, adn P.R. Claire enjoys hiking, walking in the forest, preserving board games and playing the trombone. A favorite experience working with children is helping children understand larger concepts by breaking it down into smaller, easier-to-understand parts (beacon place writing boot camp) adn answering ridiculous questions while delivering food (pizza hut). A few of Claire’s favorite things include the color purple, nerds and mike and Ike’s, buttered popcorn, shrimp, cats, bears, and red pandas. Her favorite movie is Happy GIlmore, and her favorite book is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. As a child she loved stuffed animals and little pet shop toys. Claire would like the staff to know that she likes to binge watch The Office, her family has three ctas, and she is a HUGE coffee person. Welcome to the team Claire!!!!!
Lily Caldero – Graduate Intern
School: University of Illinois Chicago
Major/Degree: Social Work (MSW)
Lily is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She is from Chicago, Illinois and has one sibling from her mother’s side and seven from her father’s side. Lily’s future career goal is to become a school or hospital social worker. During her free time Lily likes to read, travel and find new food places to eat at. Her favorite experience working with children is teaching a child something new and seeing their face light up with joy and delight. The expression is priceless! A few of Lily’s favorite things include the color Pastel pink, peanut m&m’s, pasta and chimpanzee. Her favorite movie is Taken and The Notebook, and her favorite book is Love in Other Constellations. As a child Lily loved to play with Bratz dolls. Lily would like the staff to know that she went sky diving in 2021, she traveled to London in June 2022 for soccer training, and that she went out of the country for the first time in may to Guatemala. Welcome to the team Lily!!!
Claire Lewing – Undergraduate Intern
School:Loyola University
Major/Degree: Social Work, and Spanish minor
Claire is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She is from Kansas City Missouri and has an older sister who is a CPA! Claire’s future career goal is to continue in social work in Chicago working with women and children. In her free time Claire loves to read, cook, music and photography. Claire’s favorite experience working with children is when she was a summer nanny and was able to work with the same family for a few years. She also enjoyed her time at Chicago Hopes for kids because of all the fun activities that they incorporate into their lessons. A few of Claire’s favorite things include the color yellow, sour and gummy anything, pasta and elephants. Her favorite movie is The Perks of Being a Wallflower and her favorite book is Beloved (Toni Morrison and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. As a child Claire loved to play with her doodle bear and a digital camera. Claire would like the staff to know that her family has two orange tabbies and two black labs, they are from Arkansas and Louisiana, and that she was on a nationally ranked kick dance team. Welcome to the team Claire!!!
Joshua Becerra – Undergraduate Intern
School: Purdue University Northwest
Major/Degree: Psychology
Joshua is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. He is from East Chicago, Illinois and has three siblings, one brother and two sisters. Joshua’s future career plans include getting his masters and getting licensed. In his free time Josh likes baseball and photographics. His favorite experience working with children is when his mother was a preschool teacher, and he would walk to the school and help with the kids after school. A few of Joshua’s favorite things include the color blue, kitkats, burgers and hedgehogs. His favorite movie is Back to the Future. As a child Joshua liked to play with the Notebook from Blue’s Clues. Welcome to the team Joshua!!!
Grace Balcazar– Undergraduate Intern
School: DePaul University
Major/Degree: Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing
Grace is a new intern that will be starting in the fall of 2022. She is from Joliet Illinois, and has two siblings, a brother and a sister. Grace’s future career plans are getting her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with Child Focus. A few hobbies of Grace are reading, baking and writing. A favorite experience working with children is when she was working with children they were fascinated with her hair. Theory asked questions about it, braid it and put it in updos. She enjoyed seeing the children interact with something they were not used to seeing. A few of Grace’s things include the colors pink and purple, sour patch kids, Pozole, and Monkey’s. She likes the book City of Dusk by Tara Sim and the movie Wall-E. As a child Grace loved to play with legos, toy trucks and carebears. Grace would like the staff to know that this is her first internship and first time working with children in a therapeutic setting. Welcome to the team Grace!!!
Katherine Wimmer– Graduate Intern
School: Loyola University
Major/Degree: Master’s in Social Work
Katie is a new intern that will be starting in the Fall of 2022. They are from St. Louis and have a younger brother who is also studying at Loyola. Their future career goals are to work in special education. In their free time, Katie likes to swim and bake. Katie’s favorite experience working with children is listening to their stories and hearing their take on the world. They say “they are often much wiser than us adults give them credit for and are usually quite funny.” A few of their favorite things include the color purple, gummy bears, mac and cheese and bunnies. Katie’s favorite book is “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini. As a child Katie enjoyed playing with trains or dolls. Welcome to the team Katie!!
Winnie Chui– Undergraduate Intern
School: Northwestern University
Major/Degree: Psychology and Neuroscience
Winnie is a volunteer who interned during the summer, she wanted to come back and help out. Her future goals are to go to graduate school and potentially become a clinical psychologist. In her free time Winnie likes to draw, play video games, listen to k-pop and various arts and crafts activities. Winnie is from Chicago, Illinois and she is an only child. Winnie used to work at a summer educational program as their teacher aid in the toddler room. She has a great experience with one child and watching her grow. A few of Winnie’s favorite things include Lavender and Mint Green, Reese’s cups, gummy worms. Sushi, ramen, boba tea, bibimbap, and savory oatmeal. She loves cats but unfortunately she is allergic to them. Winnie wants to work on her communication skills during her time at Tuesday’s Child. Welcome back Winnie!!!
Nicole Houde– Undergraduate Intern
School: Loyola University
Major/Degree: Psychology, Criminal Justice and Criminology
Nicole is a volunteer who helped us out in the summer of 2022. Her future goals are to attend graduate school for clinical psychology and later become a license psychologist. Nicole is from San Jose, California and has one older brother. In her free time Nicole likes to cook, bake, and play roller hockey. A favorite experience of Nicole’s with working with children is as a ride operator at a children’s theme park during high school. She enjoyed talking with kids while they waited in line and watching how excited and happy they were. A few of Nicole’s favorite things are the color pink, kit kat, Macaroni and cheese, and Elephants. Her favorite movie is Logan Lucky and her favorite book is The Spectacular Now. Welcome back Nicole!!!