Santi Hefner
Friend (Professional Mentor)
Santi was born and raised in Indonesia. She came to United States in 2005 and moved to Colorado in 2009. Santi worked in Special Education, Early Childhood, Before and After Care Program in Douglas County School District for 9 years. When she worked as On-Call Counselor for almost 2 years at teen mental health residential and addiction treatment center for women, Santi realized that connecting with a caring adult mentor is one of the best strategies for prevention and support for children affected by a family member's substance misuse, trauma and mental health issues. She noticed that kids who connect with mentor earlier in life get most benefits.
Santi came to Friends of the Children because she loves the longevity of the program. She believes in the inherent worth of every individual and finds great fulfillment in helping others recognize and achieve their full potential. She has always loved working with children and individual with disabilities. Her favorite part of being mentor is all the connections she makes and hopes to keep for a lifetime.