Justin joins Tree after being in New York City for the past 10 years. During his time there, he worked with various children’s programs throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens as a teacher, director, and trainer through various organizations. He is originally from Massachusetts and went to college at the University of New Hampshire. He is the proud dog dad to a tiny chihuahua named Poppy and is looking forward to being a part of the Tree Street and Lewiston communities.

Keenan (he/him) grew up in Maine, moved to Rochester, NY for middle and high school, and found his way back to Maine to go to Bates College. After graduating in 2018, he started working at Tree Street in the BRANCHES program. He lives in Lewiston with his cat, Kitty Jeep, AKA Beepers. When not at work, he’s immersed in his passions, cooking and reading. Food is his love language: it’s one of the ways he most shows his care. Keenan also loves dance, hosting, and being outside.

Born in North Carolina, Kevin (he/him) grew up in the Cumberland/North Yarmouth area after a childhood spent living in many places, including New York, Virginia, and Germany. After graduating from high school, Kevin attended the University of Maine, Orono, where he dual majored in Social Work and English while also remaining highly involved in the University’s music program. In his senior year, Kevin interned at Food AND Medicine where he worked to build community gardens and expand food access in the Bangor area. After graduation, he worked as an Ed. Tech and librarian at Auburn Middle School before joining Tree Street in 2024. When not at work, Kevin is an avid music listener and percussionist; his other hobbies include reading, writing, and going on walks.

Kyra grew up in the hills and forests of western Massachusetts. She developed a love of music making, writing, whitewater kayaking, beekeeping, and gardening. After earning an Environmental Studies degree at Bates College, she deepened connections in Maine, which led her to stay in the area. She worked with several groups to improve access and justice in local food systems. After working on a masters degree in Science Teaching and Learning at Antioch University of New England, Kyra worked as part of a team of educators for eight graders at NextSTEP, in Lewiston, during the 2023-2024 school year. The following year, she co-led a new pilot program called OWL, based at Tree Street Youth, for middle school students. Kyra is grateful to be part of the team at Tree Street Youth, which she finds to support so many youth and to foster a sense of belonging.

Born and raised in Lewiston, Maine, Lanyha graduated from Lewiston High School in 2020 and is currently pursuing a degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies at the University of Southern Maine.

Known for her extroverted, sociable nature and love of the outdoors, Lanyha values cultivating deep connections with those around her. She has always been drawn to helping others become the best versions of themselves. From a young age, she embraced the importance of independence and personal accountability, qualities that have shaped her passion for supporting others.
Her favorite quote, by Maya Angelou, reflects her values: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

In her professional journey, Lanyha aspires to be a leader who uplifts communities, fostering growth and connection. She is dedicated to empowering others and creating positive, lasting change.

A Lewiston-Auburn native, Max (he/him) was raised in a single parent household by a mother who values non-traditional education and encouraged all of her children to pursue their own various interests. As a teenager, he struggled to engage with traditional schools and created his own unique pathway combining part-time public schooling with homeschooling. This pathway allowed him time to engage with classical music at a competitive level, as well as pursue his passions for art and fashion design.

Upon completing his GED, Max attended The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and spent subsequent years living all over the country before permanently returning to Lewiston in 2015. Since then, his passion for youth development coupled with experience navigating unique educational pathways has allowed him to drive innovative programming at both Tree Street Youth and Next STEP.

Originally from Sudan, Mojo grew up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mojo has a long music career. In 2003, Mojo joined the first Arabic hip-hop label, NAS JOTA – a label established to test and practice free speech and expression within the limited landscape of civil rights offered in Sudan. The label opened the door for a new generation of artists and paved the way for MOJO’s 2004 release of his first Arabic album, Al Shabaab, while living in the U.S.

In 2007, MOJO returned to Sudan to learn more about Sudanese history and engage with the growing artistic community. By 2013, he released his third album, Ma People – a compilation of rap, reggae, soul, and R&B dedicated to the support of the youth voice in his home country.

Mojo currently resides in Lewiston. He began working at Next STEP in 2018 for two years before moving across the street to Tree Street. Currently, Mojo works as a RootED Program Mentor as well as oversees the recording studio during after-school programming for middle and high school students.

Nick (he/him) grew up in Portland, Maine and attended the University of Vermont. After graduating in 2017, he worked in both schools and after-school programs across different communities in Southern Maine. His main focus has been to help teens navigate mental health and behavioral challenges. Since joining the team in January of 2024, he has been engaged with community through both Tree Street Youth and Next STEP.

He lives in Portland with his wife Emily and their dog, Dunkel. Nick loves trying new things and will talk at length about birds, photography, basketball, and food.

Oren Stevens, Iowa born and raised, but has called Maine home for the last twenty-five years. For the past decade, Oren has been dedicated to social and emotional learning and advocacy for at-risk youth in educational settings. With an MFA and extensive training in Motivational Interviewing, expressive arts and deep listening are his tools of choice. An acting member of Portland Playback theater, Oren can be found improv singing, dancing, or telling a story just about anywhere.

Roy was born in Haines, Alaska but grew up in the midcoast area of Maine. After college he spent several years working as a musician, traveling and living in Austria, Texas, Wyoming, and finally back in Maine. This is where he began working with youth at an arts-based summer camp, teaching music and wood-working. He spent the better part of the next decade continuing this work with teenagers in the mental health, education, enrichment, and career readiness fields. Roy joined Tree Street in 2022 to help launch the PINE Program, assisting young people with learning new skills to be successful in their work and career goals.

Bio coming soon!

Sophie was born and raised in Maine. She enjoys traveling and exploring new scenery. During her leisure time, she also enjoys cooking and trying new cuisines. Sophie began her journey with Tree Street as an intern, as a prerequisite for her Human Services degree. During this time, Sophie discovered that she was passionate about working with youth. She says, “It is immensely rewarding to work with children, and watch them grow, develop and flourish.”

Ty is one of our astounding alum. Born and raised right here in Lewiston, Maine, Ty has had an important influence in shaping many programs at Tree Street from their beginning, including the SEQUOIA Program and Next STEP. Ty is passionate about traveling and hopes to move to New York City in the near future. He serves as a mentor to many of our youth; Ty is often the first smiling face they see after school and his uplifting spirit is a warm welcome after school.

Tula was born and raised in Maine. She loves traveling and experiencing new cultures, digital design/art, singing/composing music and gaming. She started working at Tree Street in 2021 as a Street Leader, moved up to a CEDAR intern in 2022 and has been working as an Ed Tech for the elementary RootED program since 2023. Tula loves working at Tree Street because she says the Tree community is a beautiful and welcoming place where there’s endless heart warming moments. Tula is known for her calming and patient presence in the building and is always ready to jump into any and all situations. Tula’s future dreams are to work as a teacher in a Montessori school in New York City, along with traveling the world.