Our Staff

Director of Development

Marissa Alaniz (she/her) is passionate about leveraging philanthropy as a tool for social change. She has held several roles in development and communications at a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Food Gatherers, AMOS Health and Hope, and United Way of Greater Toledo. Marissa received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Communications from the University of Michigan and a Master's degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University - Indianapolis. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, she is excited to help bring the Garrett's Space vision to life and connect others to opportunities to make a difference for young people in our community.

Substitute Wellness Group Clinician

Kayla (she/ her) received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Psychology and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Currently she works for Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Michigan as an embedded social worker in the College of Engineering. Kayla is the Co-Founder of Dare To Be, a company that creates and facilitates evidence-based and customized workshops, programming and one-on-one coaching for athletes. She is also the head coach of the girls swimming and diving team at Franklin High School. Kayla’s clinical work is integrative and grounded in a strengths-based approach by focusing on developing resilience in groups and individuals through sport.

Substitute Wellness Group Facilitator

Erin Freeman (she/her) received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Michigan State University and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Currently she works for the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan providing therapy services to community members utilizing a holistic approach. Her experience working with groups comes from her time with Ele’s Place supporting grieving children and their families and her training in Ecotherapy where she learned nature-based techniques and activities to utilize with groups. She believes that humans are nature, and our healing is deeply interconnected with our planet and all of Earth’s kin.

Wellness Program Clinician

Danielle (she/her) received a Bachelor's of Social Work from Eastern Michigan University in 2015 and a Master's of Social Work from Grand Valley State University in 2021. Currently she works for Network 180, Kent County's Community Mental Health Authority, providing mental health and substance use services to the unhoused population in Grand Rapids. Danielle has experiences working with groups and individuals in child welfare, domestic violence, substance use, grief and loss, and crisis intervention. Danielle is passionate about supporting young adults through life's difficult transitions, which drew her to Garrett's Space. She is grateful to be serving as a Substitute Clinician and being part of the Garrett's Space Team.

Clinical Director & Support Group Clinician

LMSW - Clinical, ACSW

Peggy (she/ her) received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and her Master's in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked as a professional social worker in the Ann Arbor community since 1998. Her clinical work has focused on supporting children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings including schools, homeless shelters, and health clinics.

Peggy has extensive experience delivering and supervising individual, family, and group treatment addressing mental health, homelessness, poverty, women's health issues, and grief and loss. Peggy is passionate about ensuring that children, teens, and young adults receive the support needed for them to live safe, healthy lives.

Peggy is grateful to lead our incredibly talented and authentic Facilitator Team. She is honored to walk alongside our wonderful young adult participants as they navigate the joys and challenges of life, and to be part of their healing journeys.

Development & Communications Manager

Sarah (she/her) has built a dynamic career that spans city government, Fortune 100 companies, and tech startups. Throughout these diverse roles, she has honed her expertise in digital communication and marketing. As an inaugural fellow of the Challenge Detroit program, Sarah gained valuable experience in design thinking strategies by collaborating with local nonprofits. In her current position, she is dedicated to the seamless execution of the organization's development operations, including database management, process documentation, and fundraising support. 

Wellness Group Facilitator

Nai Sagherian (she/her) is currently a student at UM-Dearborn pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Health Psychology, as well as a registered behavior technician working with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury clients. Nai completed her B.A. in Psychology and Middle East Studies with a minor in Creative Writing, as well as worked with various mental health and cultural organizations across the metro-Detroit area. She hopes to become a psychologist looking at the physical manifestations of mental health and treatments within that realm. Nai’s hope for all Garrett’s Space participants is that they feel comfortable, authentic, and heard in this space.

Program Development Specialist & Wellness Group Facilitator

Marly Spieser-Schneider (she/ her) has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Michigan and is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She believes wholeheartedly in the wisdom of the body and the importance of working with the physical form in the healing process. As a facilitator, Marly’s only expectation is that participants show up and stay curious. She is readily aware of how the world around us, not to mention personal turmoil and trauma, can lead us into self-judgment, fear, and uncertainty. Her recommendation is always to attempt to stay open and receptive to what we can learn from our experiences. Her hope is to facilitate this process of discovery for all GS participants and help them build their personalized toolbox for navigating the challenges of being human.

Wellness Group Facilitator

Rachel Chapman (she/her) received her Bachelor's degree in social work from Central Michigan University and her Master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan. She has worked in Washtenaw County since 2019. Rachel has experience working in the mentoring space, school social work, and now young adult work. She is passionate about inclusive work, the importance of group and one on one work, unconditional positive regard, and strengthens based approaches. Rachel has held several roles with Garrett's Space throughout the years in an administrative role, ran our auction, and now is a wellness group facilitator. She is excited and thankful to get to work with our group participants who are amazing humans!