FSTM STAFF
Jessica Baynes, LM, CPM
EXECUTIVE Director
Jessica Baynes is a proud graduate of FSTM, a graduate of Chowan University and a native of Virginia. She is the youngest of three siblings and has always held deep ties to her family, who have been her greatest source of love and encouragement. Jessica’s faith in God has been the foundation of her journey, providing her with strength, guidance, and purpose every step of the way. The calling to midwifery began when she was just five years old. She vividly remember telling her mother that she wanted to be “a lady that delivers babies.” Even then, her parents nurtured that dream, believing in her passion and helped set her on the path that led her to where she is today.
Carmen Mojica, CPM, LM Regulatory and Compliance Coordinator
Carmen Mojica is an Afro-Dominican woman, born and raised in the Bronx. She is a certified professional midwife, educator, writer, and reproductive justice advocate. She utilizes her experience as a midwife to educate on reproductive health, maternal wellness, and healing from trauma.
Kerri Audette, LM
PROGRAM Director
Kerri is a licensed midwife and a graduate of FSTM. She currently practices in north-central Florida. Kerri also holds a Bachelor's of Design from the University of Florida School of Architecture. She was inspired to pursue work in women’s health as a result of her experiences with her local women’s roller derby league. Kerri lives in Gainesville and birthed her own children at home with midwives.
SOREll pagliara, LM
program coordinator
Sorell is a licensed midwife and a graduate of The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery. Her exposure to the loving and expert care of midwives began with the home birth of her siblings. She was led to midwifery as a career after the birth of her daughters, Willow and Juniper. Working with local midwives she has attended home birth and birth center births in her home town of Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding area since 2012.
Melissa Pierre
financial Aid Coordinator
Melissa is a birth doula and holds a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from the University of South Florida. Prior to her work with FSTM she worked as an English teacher in Jacmel, Haiti and as a campus manager at the Artists Institute in Jacmel. Melissa is married with 3 children. The birth of her first born sparked her interest in birth work. She enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Tim bryant
Business manager
Tim Bryant has worked in non-profit finance for 10 years and is excited to serve FSTM students, faculty, and staff as Business Director. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of One Love Prison Meditation Project, a non-profit supporting people who are incarcerated.
COURTNEY JULIEN, LM, CPM
IDEA Coordinator
Courtney graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in women’s studies where her interest in out of hospital care and midwifery began. In 2014, she began studies at the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery where she obtained extensive training and developed a skill set on prenatal, labor and postpartum care. Courtney is passionate about changing the disproportionate statistics for people of color during the perinatal period and helping students of color find their voice and representation in the birth community. Courtney is happily married and has a sweet baby girl. Courtney’s personal experiences are what motivate her to keep doing this work! Courtney currently works as a full time midwife at Labor of Love Birth Center in Tampa FL.
Elena Rosa, LM, CPM
program assistant
Elena has always gravitated towards the healing arts in service of others. She graduated from the Florida College of Natural Health in 2002 and maintained a massage license for 17 years. As a birthworker since 2008, she worked for several Central Florida midwives prior to attending FSTM where she realized her deepening passion for serving her local birth community. In 2017, she graduated from FSTM and became a mother in the same year. Obtaining her midwifery license in 2018, she created Kindred Holistic Midwifery with the intention of blending her experience as a massage therapist and purpose as a licensed midwife to offer Maya abdominal therapy (Arvigo) in conjunction with reproductive health counseling, midwifery care, and homebirth. Elena is currently an FSTM core faculty member and part of the program assistant team which allows her to support students in discovering who they are as people and who they want to be as midwives. Her non-birth related interests include traveling, cooking, camping, and personal growth.