About SondR

A native of Chicago’s Southside, Dr. Foster began her post-secondary matriculation at Western Illinois University earning a B.A. in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. She continued her educational pursuit by earning a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University and recently earned a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from National Louis University.  Dr. Foster’s work experience directly parallels to her dissertation title, “An Examination of  Community Members’ Reactions to Violent Viral Media and their Perceptions of its Impact on Black Communities.” She has dedicated 13 years to diligently working in the social justice/youth mental health field. Her most recent efforts have been to rebuild and advocate for marginalized communities, transform teams, re-evaluate communal structure, and restore programs on the South and North side of Chicago. She previously served as the Chief Program Officer at Howard Brown Health. Her service has supported over 20 programs eliminating barriers to healthcare by helping patients engage, re-engage, and maintain access to care. Dr. Foster is currently the VP of Programs for NAMI Chicago where she continues to support educating and advocating against the stigma and discrimination of mental health.

Passionate about working with young people and helping them transition from trauma to triumph, she likewise currently sits on the Board of Directors for One Roof Chicago—a new and innovative program incorporating intergenerational supportive housing that focuses on affirming housing, meaningful connections, and career development for youth ages 18 and older and seniors identifying as LGBTQ. In addition, Dr. Foster also sits on the Center for Health and Housing Board of Directors advocating for every person to have a place they can
call home.

A proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Foster has willingly dedicated her time to community outreach through community cleanups and giveaways, team trainings, providing non-violent crisis intervention trainings, and has even committed her time to speaking up against systemic racism through anti-racist protests in her community. She is too the curator of the GRIT podcast (God. Resilience. Integrity. & Tenacity) which focuses on the lives and stories of black men and women and their journeys of healing. She is also the proud mother of 5-year-old Sincere who continues to motivate her work.