Advisory Council

Ghenet Besera

Ghenet Besera is a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. As a daughter of refugees, Ghenet feels a deep connection to the refugee community and understands the many challenges they face. She has been a volunteer with Embrace since 2013 and prior to that, she provided support to pregnant refugee women in the Washington, DC area. Ghenet has a strong interest in reproductive health both domestically and globally, and has several years of experience working in both the nonprofit and federal sector. She graduated with her Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Global Health from the George Washington University in 2013 and prior to that obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Cincinnati.

Katherine Clay,
M.A. International Administration

Prior to moving to Atlanta, Katherine spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa working with orphans and vulnerable children in the town of Ghanzi. Her focus was on building the administrative and fund-raising capacity of the local organization she partnered with. After her tour ended Katherine moved to Washington DC and worked at both the Department of Education and Department of State. Currently, Katherine is an auditor with the Office of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General. Katherine first became interested in volunteering within the refugee community when she began visiting Elmira, a Meskhetian Turk women in 2007. She will never forget the fun she had at Elmira's youngest sons first birthday party. Katherine continues to enjoy the vibrancy of cultures found in Clarkston, and enjoys seeing the transformative work Embrace does.

Virginia Tester, CNM, FNP-C

Virginia Voyles Tester is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner who has been volunteering with Embrace since 2014. Virginia studied International Studies as a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she had the opportunity to work in east Africa with women and their families. It was there that she developed a love for maternal-child health, and realized that all women deserve access to culturally sensitive healthcare. As a Fuld Fellow at Emory University’s School of Nursing, Virginia recognized that Nurse Midwives have a unique opportunity to walk alongside women in pregnancy and childbirth, empowering them with knowledge to make healthy choices for their families. Embrace has given Virginia the opportunity to connect with and continue to learn from women from around the world, broadening her understanding of and appreciation for culturally-sensitive care. Virginia also serves as an Executive Board Member for Friends of Refugees.

Jennifer Mathew, MD (Bio and Pic coming soon)

Dr. Jennifer Mathew is a family physician with a passion for empowering others to achieve healthier lives through education and positive change. Jennifer is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Cornell University, attended medical school at SUNY Stony Brook University, then completed her residency as chief resident at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
As the medical director of Atlanta Morning Center (ATLMC), she strives to create an atmosphere that redefines “routine” prenatal care; the. goal is to provide quality, compassionate and equitable medical care, at no cost to the uninsured, through a philosophy of helping without hurting.
Her husband, Dr. John Lewis, is an emergency physician at Emory and together with their 3 children, they attend Passion City Church. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys cooking and feeding others Indian food, as well as playing tennis and hiking outdoors.