Meet Our Team
- Yasmine Ware - teen community outreach liaison & graphic designer
Yasmine Ware is a 17-year-old with a passion for advocacy through creative outlets. Senior at Madison Central High School, she intends to spread Open Up Mississippi and NAMI's missions through conversation and character. Yasmine's enthusiasm for mental health advocacy sparked at a young age when she accompanied her mother, Zandrea Ware, to NAMI advocacy meetings. Through those meetings, the experience of losing a classmate to mental health struggles, and her personal challenges, Yasmine understands the necessity for mental health resources and reducing the stigma around receiving them.
Yasmine spends her free time with her family and friends, writing songs, editing episodes for her podcast, Yasmine's Warehouse, and working on her graphic design business, Warehouse Enterprises LLC. In addition, she is a member of MC's Show Choir and Speech and Debate Team.
Yasmine hopes to give Open Up Mississippi a fresh and alluring brand design— one that is harmonious throughout social media posts and website redesign. She is beyond excited to combine her creativity with her passion for mental health advocacy through her role as Graphic Designer of Open Up Mississippi.
- cyntavia newton - public health intern
Cyntavia is a native of Madison, MS. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is passionate about helping others and serving her community. She is thrilled to be given the opportunity to work alongside NAMI Mississippi and Open Up Mississippi as an intern. Mental health affects how one thinks, feels, and acts. Often times it is looked over, and Cyntavia wants to bring a voice to mental health. She wants to help build better lives for those battling mental illness every day through advocacy and public awareness.