Our Team
Our mentors are trained to provide resources, opportunities, and experiences for their clients. They undergo detailed background checks, are insured, and undergo fingerprinting. Additionally, mentors review case notes with supervisors weekly.
Mentors
Hannah Bodin
Hannah has been a Bodin Mentor since 2020, before which time she cultivated an extensive background in working with kids in a variety of settings, including as a dance teacher, photographer, sleep-away camp counselor, and mentor for UC Davis freshmen. Having first earned a B.S. from UC Davis in Biology and Professional Writing, she is now approaching the finish line for her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Hannah deploys humor and relatability to build lasting connections with mentees, through which she is able to challenge them to push the boundaries of their own comfort zones. She has worked with many young adults on building life skills, and has extensive experience working with mentees on the spectrum.
In her free time, Hannah likes to rock climb, do yoga, discover new podcasts, and try new activities.
Jenna Smith
A Bay Area native and long-time camp counselor, Jenna is excited to work with teens and young adults to explore new local activities. Since starting at Bodin in 2020, she has acquired new hobbies alongside her mentees, including watercolor painting and rock climbing.
Jenna is incredibly passionate about the importance of mental health, and aims to help those who need an extra push achieve their full potential. Her degree in Psychobiology helps her more deeply understand the complex interactions between the brain and body. She believes strongly that developing a balanced lifestyle filled with social activities, exercise, hobbies, and self-care, is key to success.
On any given day, you’ll likely find Jenna playing volleyball, maintaining her extensive collection of houseplants, or trying out a new cookie recipe.
Grant Willig
Prior to joining the Bodin Mentoring team in 2023, Grant worked for several years as a volunteer and mentor at the Foundation for College Education in East Palo Alto. After growing up in Redwood City and graduating with a degree in History from UC Berkeley he spent several years working as a tutor on the peninsula helping high school students with their social studies work. He has spent the better part of the last decade as a corporate and technical recruiter, providing him with a deep breadth of knowledge around resume and cover letter writing as well as general job search skills. Grant plans to return to school to pursue a license in Marriage and Family Therapy
In his free time, Grant likes to play disc golf, see live music, hike, and go to the gym. He has a passion for fitness and nutrition that he enjoys sharing with others.
Tristan Jones-Diez
Tristan was born in San Jose and grew up along the coast of California. He has spent the past several years working directly with patients in clinical settings as a TMS technician while simultaneously pursuing his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Southern New Hampshire University.
Tristan’s passion lies in helping individuals recognize their strengths, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward independence. As a high school student, Tristan enrolled in the Middle College program at De Anza College. This experience helped him realize the benefit of programs that offer both individualization and independence - as well as close personal connections. We at Bodin are lucky to have him pay that experience forward in his role as a mentor.
In his sessions, Tristan emphasizes providing practical support and encouragement, helping teens and young adults develop the skills they need to thrive, such as assistance with job searches, resume building, and interview prep.
Tristan also encourages social engagement by helping mentees step outside their comfort zones - and to have fun. Outside of work, Tristan likes to stay active, whether in the body through hiking or basketball or in the brain through reading sci/fi and medieval fantasy novels and comics. He is hoping one day to write his own! (Or at least write an ending to Game of Thrones that satisfies him)
Monika Mednick
Monika grew up in the Bay Area and has lived in New York, Washington, and Spain before eventually returning home. She knows a thing or two about being outside of her comfort zone.
She holds a degree in Creative Writing and Literature from Sarah Lawrence College and continues to be an avid reader and writer. For over six years, she has worked with youth, teaching English and creative writing in schools and nonprofit programs.
As someone with ADHD, Monika brings a combination of professional expertise and lived experience to her work at Bodin Mentoring. She understands the unique strengths and challenges of a neurospicy brain and believes that growth and success will look different for everyone.
Monika is also a small business owner. As co-owner and operator, she facilitates meetups for young adults who are looking for facilitated conversations on meaningful topics in an inclusive and diverse setting.
In her downtime, Monika likes to plan fun activities and incorporate healthy practices such as swimming, hiking, meditation, and yoga. Her creative outlets include collaging, baking and photography.
Fun Fact: Monika is an Open Mic enthusiast! We like to think that she uses this passion to help Bodin Mentoring clients set the stage, step into the spotlight, and find their own voice!
Jonah Dirks
After 5 years in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Jonah is back in town - trading rain for sunshine! First order of business is perfecting the art of cooking. In fact, Jonah has officially commandeered the family kitchen, outdoor smoker and barbecue grill!
Jonah grew up in the Bay Area and has a degree in Political Science from Western Washington University. He possesses a genuine love for learning and has plans to become a high school teacher. From his own journey as a student struggling with dyslexia and ADHD, Jonah knows how important it is to meet mentors along the way who care. He has also learned the importance of self-advocacy and how to maneuver support systems in high school, college, and beyond.
Jonah spent the last several summers working at a sleep-away camp. He was a counselor, unit head, and outdoors coordinator. Jonah is passionate about modeling and facilitating all kinds of learning through hands-on and experiential activities. He is playful and intentional to the core. This last summer's activities for Jonah and his teen campers included running in the mud, cooking at the campfire, listening for owls, and hosting dinner parties for baby goats.
Back in the Bay Area, Jonah enjoys Lego nights, Dungeons & Dragons, nerf battles, 3D printing, and hosting dinner parties. And if his cat has him pinned to the couch, well then, he doesn’t mind doing nothing at all.
Megan Wolfe-Polgar
After growing up in Auburn, California, Megan spent 5 years in Colorado obtaining her BA in sociology and psychology. She has an extensive background in working with young people, including having worked as a registered behavior technician for children at an autism center, and currently volunteering as a youth program leader, teaching a cooking class, at the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula.
Megan is a student at Santa Clara University, where she is working towards getting her master's degree in counseling psychology and becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist.
In her free time, Megan loves anything outdoors. She has been on a series of van trips throughout the country and loves hiking, canyoneering, rock climbing, and running. When life gets hectic, however, she opts for some more low-key hobbies, including crocheting and baking. If the zombie apocalypse hits, Megan’s our first call: vanlife survival experience, elite homemade bread, and the rare ability to drive a getaway tractor.
Megan is super excited to work for Bodin’s mentoring team. She believes strongly in the value of pushing one’s limits and trying new activities. She looks forward to helping individuals grow into their potential and accomplish their goals—whatever they might be.
Alexander Berbey
Alexander grew up in Marin and brings a distinctive mix of technical know-how and a genuine commitment to personal growth and mental wellness. With a background in Econometrics and corporate finance, he made a deliberate shift toward more people-centered work—driven by a desire to make a lasting impact in others' lives. That path led him to mentoring with the Bodin Group, where he also draws on his training as a behavioral technician to support clients from a wide range of backgrounds.
Known for his positive energy and practical mindset, Alexander helps mentees tackle everyday challenges—whether it’s navigating career goals, building better habits, or even learning to enjoy cooking for the first time. He’s passionate about helping others develop confidence, structure, and a sense of direction.
Outside of work, Alexander balances his love for the outdoors with more cerebral hobbies like chess, puzzles, and strategy games. He’s also a lifelong music lover, having grown up in a household with not one, but two karaoke machines—one for casual jams with the family, and another reserved for full-blown parties.
Leadership
Mentoring Director
Trine Syverinsen
Trine has been an Educational and Therapeutic consultant with Bodin since 2005, and has recently stepped into a new role as Director of Mentoring. She is passionate about partnering with families of teens and young adults to help them experience success with regards to social engagement and independence skills.
Trine takes a proactive approach to help families identify realistic goals and develop strategies for how to get back on track towards healthy development. In her role as parent coach, she provides a space for check-in and support for parents. She is able to support and guide parents independently in order to preserve the relationship between the mentor and mentee, which is an essential part of the effectiveness of the mentoring program.
Trine also does consultations for schools and programs, and hosts public speaking engagements on how to develop successful parenting strategies around screen use, parent-child communication, school avoidance and anxiety, and how to manage feelings of fear and risk involved in parenting teens and young adults.
Originally from Norway, Trine still visits family there every year. When in California she enjoys super early sunrise hikes with her dog, Charlie, watching re-runs of the West Wing, and attending athletic and theater events with her husband and two high school girls.
Founder and CEO
Douglas Bodin
Since 1993, Douglas has worked with more than two thousand children, adolescents, and young adults in a variety of educational and treatment settings. More currently he has also developed considerable experience coaching adults and families. He is the architect of the unique “Team Approach” that Bodin brings to its cases and developed the visionary integrative approach to serving clients that is the model for the industry.
He also lectures at hospitals, high schools and to a wide range of professional groups and colleagues. Douglas has been featured and cited in local, regional and national newspapers, magazines and journals and has appeared on radio and television shows regarding various topics related to working with children.
He was the recipient of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs 2009 Essential Piece Award for Outstanding Service educating members of Congress and the Senate about our industry. He was also the co-recipient, along with Miriam Bodin, of the 2011 Reaching for the Stars Award of the Sky’s the Limit Foundation for a career in Outstanding Service to Young People and Their Families. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.