Staff

Our Executive Director, JoAnna Selig, began her career in healthcare after attending Ball State University. In her downtime, she began volunteering for non-profit agencies and discovered a love for non-profit work and education. Her career path changed as she became a paraeducator in literacy programs for the Warsaw Community School District. During the nine years she worked as a paraeducator, she continued to volunteer in the non-profit sector. She worked as a volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister program for six years before joining the RJS Foundation as a mentor and housing program volunteer in 2017. Mrs. Selig became a full-time employee of the Foundation in 2018, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Butterfly Transition House and providing mentoring, educational, and advocacy services to its residents. She expanded her role in 2019 when she was promoted to Deputy Director of the RJS Foundation. She remained in this role until she became co-founder of Advocates for Education, Inc. in 2022.  She is currently focusing on her continued education in non-profit management and is board certified in special education advocacy.

Our Education Specialist/Diagnostician, Shellee Woodward, began her career as a school counselor. She graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a BS in Psychology. She then obtained an MS in School Counseling from Butler University. Mrs. Woodward worked within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as a Director of Guidance while she completed her Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) at the University of the Cumberlands.  It was through this degree program that she discovered a love for student testing and assessment.  Upon graduation, she took on the role within the Archdiocese of Director of Testing and Assessment.  She joined the RJS Foundation in 2017 as a volunteer and upon the creation of its Educational Services Program, became the Director of Educational Services. She remained in this role until she became a co-founder of Advocates for Education, Inc. Mrs. Woodward has volunteered with the Red Cross as a Disaster Mental Health worker, and has taught as an Adjunct Professor at Butler University.  She is contracted by Advocates for Education through EDbright, Inc. 

Cassandra Andrews serves as our Peer Development Coach.  She worked in Logistics for the majority of her career, but dreamed of earning her high school diploma and assisting people in recovery from substance abuse.  Cassandra was Advocates for Education's first client! In 2023, she earned her High School Equivalency Diploma.  Now Cassandra assists others through Advocates for Education's High School Equivalency Completion Program.  She ihas recently earned her Certified Peer Recovery Coach credential in order to better serve those in recovery. In her spare time, she enjoys dance, cooking, and being a mom.