Trinity Together Advisory Committee
Carissa (Carie) Rosensteel - Program Director/Instructor of Medical Assisting, Shasta College
Carie, a Trinity County native and Hayfork High School graduate, is the Director and Faculty of Allied Health Programs at Shasta College, where she blends a varied background in healthcare, 18 years of teaching experience, and 9+ years in post-secondary education. A proud Shasta College alum, she went on to earn a bachelor’s in liberal studies from Simpson University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from National University, fueling her passion for inspiring students and advocating for access to education. Described as a creative, passionate instructor who truly connects with learners, she feels fortunate to serve her tri-county district through education. When she’s not developing programs, Carie can be found kayaking, swimming, chasing the best jumping rock, or keeping up with her lively little farm. She’s a DIY enthusiast, thrift-store treasure hunter, car lover, and fearless cook who would gladly take on Bobby Flay in a kitchen throwdown.
Onica Mello - Program Director, North State Together
Onica Mello serves as a Program Director at North State Together, a department of Shasta College. She supervises the implementation of the K-16 Educational Collaborative Grant in support of cradle-to-career initiatives within ten counties in far Northern California. She also coordinates the NatureBridge in Yosemite Program, funded by The McConnell Foundation, which serves 80+ high school sophomores and juniors from the North State each year. Her work emphasizes careful project management, creative problem solving, and regional networking with the aim of removing barriers and increasing career readiness for all in the North State.
Throughout her career in higher education, Onica has excelled in leadership roles focused on creating clear pathways for student access to assistance programs and counseling support. She is passionate about providing equitable educational offerings to all students — a goal which goes beyond the classroom and addresses unique personal challenges and varying local needs. Onica holds a Bachelor of History degree from the University of Oregon and an MBA with a specialization in Project Management from Chico State University.
NatureBridge in Yosemite NST webpage link: https://northstatetogether.org/programs/naturebridge/
Rosemary Mitchell - Program Director, North Star Regional Technical Assistance Center for Community Schools
Rosemary Mitchell, MSW, Ed.D. is a practitioner and scholar of radical place leadership, with a focus on community schools, rural education, spatial equity, systems change, and liberatory leadership practices. Raised in Trinity County and a proud graduate of Trinity High School (Go Wolves!), she has long been driven by a commitment to expanding opportunities for young people in rural communities like the one where she grew up. Her career spans more than a decade across K–12 schools, community colleges, and nonprofits, with a consistent focus on place-based systems change. Currently, she directs one of California’s eight Regional Technical Assistance Centers for Community Schools, supporting hundreds of schools across thirteen counties (including Trinity!) in advancing whole-child, partnership-centered approaches to school transformation. Deeply rooted in community, her practice and scholarship are rooted in collaborative methods that bring together educators, families, and local partners to co-create more equitable futures for young people.
Anna Carson - Program Manager, Trinity County Office of Education
Anna Carson leads Early Childhood Education initiatives and Special Projects across the county. Growing up in the rural mountains of Northern California, Anna’s perspective expanded during a transformative year abroad as a foreign exchange student in Finland. That experience sparked her passion for project-based learning, sustainable systems of support, and creating equitable opportunities for all learners—regardless of geography or zip code.
Anna is recognized as a dedicated collaborator, known for bringing energy, curiosity, and a “get-it-done” spirit to her work in support of children, families, schools, and communities. She earned her degree in Geography and Natural Resource Planning from Cal Poly Humboldt, but credits her greatest teachers as the children themselves: the toddlers from daycare, the kindergarteners from the garden project, the middle schoolers at science camp, the high school students in English class, and most frequently, her two daughters.
Cindy Dixon- School Counselor, Southern Trinity Unified School District
Cindy Dixon, PPS, CTE – is the School Counselor for Southern Trinity Joint Unified School District, an Adult Education teacher, a CTE coordinator at Corning High, a STAR (Students Taking Academic Responsibility) tutor, and the CUHS Assistant Music Director. Raised in Corning, California, Cindy is an alumnus of Corning High, Shasta College, and National University. She has proudly served Southern Trinity Joint Unified School District for more than 10 years. Before earning her master’s degree, Cindy spent 20 years working in small group instruction for special needs students in a middle school setting.
While she was raising her two children as a single parent, she went back to college to earn her master’s degree from National University and graduated from college at the same time as her daughter. Cindy can be found in her off time working with youth in the Tehama County 4-H program, where she has volunteered for more than 35 years. Her belief and mission is to give back to future generations and her communities through education and leadership.
Jesse Ferguson
Program Director, Trinity County Health and Human Services
Carrian Foster
Regional Supervisor, Business Services, SMART Center