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. COVID safety protocols are implemented per CDC guidelines.
Mentors
Ryan Phillips
Ryan has a long history with the mentoring and consulting services that the Bodin Group provides. As someone who has benefited from Bodin's specialized care, he has a strong conviction to see that care extended to others. His time at a wilderness therapy program and therapeutic boarding school lends a unique perspective to mentoring, allowing him to share his journey with those who have gone through such programs themselves. In joining the mentoring team, Ryan is able to pursue his passion: helping others find their own way to success and personal growth. In his spare time, he hikes as often as he can, practices guitar, and quotes the tv show Psych just a little too much.
Hannah Bodin
Prior to joining the Bodin Mentoring team in July of 2020, Hannah cultivated an extensive background in working with kids and young adults through teaching dance, photographing school portraits, and working as a summer camp counselor. She continues to mentor incoming college freshmen at her alma mater to help curb new academic, social, and emotional difficulties. This, in combination with overcoming some of her own personal challenges, has equipped her with the skills to assist others. With a degree in Biology and Professional Writing, she hopes to eventually further her education with the goal of becoming a therapist.
In her free time, Hannah likes to rock climb, do yoga, discover new podcasts, and explore the Bay Area with her quarantine dog (an occasional mentoring session visitor). Her favorite part of being a mentor is stepping outside of her comfort zone alongside her mentees by trying new things together.
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.
Will Johnston
Will is a Bay Area native and graduate of Tulane University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Having spent much of his youth playing sports, Will loves working with a team to achieve a common goal. Since college, he has been working in sales in Bend, Oregon and in San Francisco, CA.
Working as a counselor for baseball camps in high school, Will developed a passion for working with adolescents and is excited to continue that with Bodin. Will enjoys the company of people from all walks of life and makes it his number one goal to be emotionally attuned so that the relationship feels comfortable. Will plans to pursue a graduate degree in counseling and is excited to work with mentoring clients in a different capacity while he builds his clinical skills.
In his free time, he can be found playing tennis, golf, hiking, spending time with friends and taking his intramural basketball league much too seriously.
Leadership
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.