NEIGHBORS

Cheery visit

Bob McMillan and fellow residents the Auberge at Scottsdale Assisted Living and Memory Care Community Kindergarteners in Scottsdale were delighted earlier this month when kids from Stephanie Schuller’s class at Scottsdale Child Care & Learning Center next door came to visit. Among the visitors were, from left, Kristopf Kolozar, Brooklyn Rivera, Matthew Dichiara, Cooper Chea, Charllote Tuttle and Olivia Bondy. Auberge once a month invites preschoolers and kindergarteners form the school to visit residents, usually with a theme. Scottsdale.org l @ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress

Teen philanthropist honored with big award

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Ashley Nevison, 15, is not your average teenager. She is the CEO of the nonprofit “Sargeants Army” which has donated over 24,000 hygiene bags that include eight items; shampoo and body wash, soap, deodorant, a comb, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a shaving razor and socks, and her nonprofit has raised over $54,000.

Because of those efforts, Ashley was nominated by one of her friends as one of 18 students from around the state to win one of the Junior Achievement of Arizona’s 18 under 18 awards.

However, the honor became something bigger when Ashley was chosen out of the pool of 18 students to represent Arizona at the American Spirit Awards gala and award presentation in New Orleans, where she received the Billy Michal Student Leadership Award. She was the third-youngest recipient at the event.

The award is presented annually to one student from each state and the District of Columbia who demonstrates the American spirit in his or her community and recognizes that the values of leadership, teamwork, tolerance, creativity and perseverance can and should be learned and lived by all Americans regardless of age.

“The one emotion that I was feeling was just honestly really grateful. In talking to all the other people that were there, it was incredible to see how, how many kids are making such a huge difference in their community,” Ashley said. “It was humbling to see that even though I’m really young, all of these kids are doing such amazing things and we are changing our communities for the better.”

Ashley began changing her community in 2018 just after the passing of her beloved cat Sargeant.

Despite her grief, Ashley decided to begin sewing cat toys and blankets and donating them to the Arizona Humane Society.

After about two years of stitching pet paraphernalia, Ashley — who also competes in beauty pageants — got an idea for a new way to give back to her community.

“When the pandemic started, I was asked by one of my sister queens from the pageants I do to make facemasks for healthcare workers and I thought it was a good way to help the people who help us and

15-year-old philanthropist Ashley Nevison, who started her nonprofit organization Sargeants Army in 2018, was recently honored with the Milly Michal Student Leader-

ship Award. (Special to the Progress)

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 26, 2022

Duo’s doc film looks at mindfulness industry

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

After first collaborating in 2020 to produce “TedxScottsdaleWomen,” the only Ted Talk in the nation during that time, Jeanna Valenti and Kelly Sallaway had forged a bond that went beyond the stage and screen.

Though the Scottsdale duo was busy with other projects like authoring a book and working on a documentary, the two bonded over a mutual interest in creating content curated for women who were interested in lifestyle transformational tools like meditation, mindfulness, yoga and other healing modalities.

Their vehicle for these tools was their film production company Pronoia Productions, which was founded in 2021.

Then came the idea of creating a docuseries centered around the evolution of mindfulness and the billion-dollar industry it has blossomed into.

“We just started having conversations about it,” Valenti said. “Kelly knew all these experts in that field as did I and we then discovered it was a $55 billion industry we’re like, ‘that’s cool’ and so we always found we have this common interest in these in this arena.”

The duo got to work on interviewing potential sources for their documentary dubbed ‘There’s No Place Like OM.’ “We found psychics that charge $800-aminute and corporate spiritual retreats that are $50,000 a night per night, so we’re really looking at the business of it,” Sallaway said. “This is a bigger industry than most people think. It’s not the psychic down the street; it’s corporate intuitive and it’s corporate retreats.” The first person the duo spoke to was JD Messinger, a nuclear submarine officer and the former CEO of Ernst and Young who later became a spiritual executive and numerologist to corporate 500 clients.

From there, the two met with Allison DuBois, a purported medium who claimed to have used her psychic abilities to assist U.S. Officials in solving crimes.

DuBois introduced the two to western astrologer Tom McMullan, who started off his career by offering his astrology read-

ings to guests at high-end resorts like The Phoenician, The Boulders and the Sanctuary Camelback Resort. “These are the people that have some pretty big and credible backgrounds and what happens is you do reach out to one and they recommend you to another one and so on,” Sallaway said. The docuseries is currently still in development and being shopped around to networks but the duo has already found an underlying theme in “There’s No Place Like OM.” “We’re delivering a message that that is that this is a way more mainstream than Pronoia Productions co-owners Kelly Sallaway (left) and most people think,” Sallaway said.Jeanna Valenti (right) are in active development of a docuseries that examines the growth of the mindfulness industry called “There’s No Place Like OM.” (Special to the Progress) The two also believe that these practices are beginning to become more accepted by the next generation of minds as well. “The next generation is definitely a little more accepting of these kinds of ideas as we go along, it’s showing that evolution,” Sallaway said. “As we go along, it’s just more accepted.

seePRONOIA page 17

NEW & Consignment | Antiques | Accessories | Furniture | Jewelry

7995 E. Paradise Ln Scottsdale, AZ 85260 stevansaz.com | 480-607-0143

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 26, 2022

After devoting the past two years to handing out over 24,000 Hope Bags fi lled with hygiene products, 15-year-old Ashley

Nevison was awarded with one of the Junior

Achievement of Arizona’s 18 under 18 awards.

(Special to the Progress)

NEVISION ���� page 15

are keeping us safe in the medical field, so I kind of switched my point of view and what I was doing is helping more people,” she said. After dropping off her first sets of masks, Ashley found out about outreach programs that helped homeless people and immediately began devising ways to help those less fortunate than her.

Ashley began by scrapping together hygiene products like toothbrushes, a toothbrush capsule and toothpaste and hand-wrote a card with kind words to be distributed among the homeless through what she calls “Hope Bags.”

However, she quickly realized that there was another item that was in high demand among the homeless population. Socks.

“I saw how important these items were for the homeless population,” Ashley said.

“So, I started fundraising and receiving grants to create hope bags, which are filled with the essential hygiene items you need on a day-to-day basis, plus socks because actually, they’re the number one requested item in the homeless population, which I did not know.”

In 2021, Sargeants Army was granted its 501(c)3 status, allowing her to work with big-name vendors like Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Chase bank.

“That’s really where the switching point of what Sargeants Army has become happened,” she said.

Because of this Ashley has also been able to partner with 27 different community outreach programs in four states; Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Kentucky, and her goal is to provide Hope Bags to homeless people in 12 of Arizona’s 15 counties and hopes to hit the remaining three counties by the end of the year.

Sargeants Army also made its way on the list of Qualifying Charitable Organizations or individuals who make contributions to charitable organizations in 2022 and Ashley plans to continue to branch out to additional organizations that work with children in foster care, people who work with domestic violence shelters and anyone who needs her bags. “My goal is just to give them out so that people can have the hope and the dignity that they need,” Ashley said.

Information: sargeantsarmy.org

PRONOIA ���� page 16

“It is more accepted to look inward than just outward so that people know that it’s okay to you know, meditate or to seek therapy or to look for things that work for you.”

Valenti believes this has become exacerbated as there has been a flood of bad news that has put everyday people on edge and looking for some way to feel a sense of solace.

“(Between) the pandemic, global warming and war in Ukraine I mean, most people certainly have people a little stress and so I think they might be seeking more alternative modalities to reduce their stress,” Valenti said.

“There’s No Place Like OM” is set to hit screens next March and is currently being shopped around to networks like National Geographic and HBO to hit streaming platforms.

Information: Pronoia.tv

New phases available for fall move-in.

• Maintenance-free, upscale detached homes for lease • Clubhouse/Fitness Center • Pool/Spa and Covered patio with BBQ • Energy efficient, year ‘round comfort • Private yards, maintenance included Home redefined. Community rediscovered.

16550 E Avenue of the Fountains

Visit HavenlyFountainHills.com for availability and other details.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 26, 2022

VA whistleblower to speak at local Legion post

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

Scottsdale American Legion Post 44 is presenting a special pre-Independence Day program featuring one of the region’s most renown whistleblowers whose disclosures rocked a scandal-ridden Veterans Administration.

Paula Pedene, who continues to advocate for veterans, and will speak at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at the post, 7145 E. 2nd St.

To this day, the VA has the most whistleblower disclosures of any federal agency thanks to Pedene. Her journey to get there was daunting, and she will share her compelling story and sign copies of her new awardwinning book, “A Sacred Duty.”

“Duty” tells the story of how Pedene found herself at war with an institution “bent on erasing her” and how her faith, perseverance, and grit were able to help her win her whistleblower case against the Phoenix Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System.

Pedene, a legally blind, 54-year-old, decorated U.S. Navy veteran endured a campaign to destroy her personally and professionally.

She exposed the waits and delays for VA health care amongst our nation’s veterans. When the scandal broke, both the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and the Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel were forced to resign.

Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman was later fired for ethical violations and became a convicted felon. After the story broke in Phoenix, the VA learned that 111 VA hospitals across the country were unethically delaying health care for our nation’s veterans.

Due to the disclosures of Pedene and others, the VA became a lightning rod for whistleblower disclosures and, to this day, has the most filings of whistleblower cases of any agency. “I believe that as we pause to reflect on our nation’s independence, it’s important to reflect on the need to support our veterans and stand up for what it takes to maintain these freedoms,” said Pedene. “My story is one that I hope will inspire others to maintain the focus on doing what’s right for those who have served our country,” she added. Pedene says writing her book helped her heal.

“I was mentally exhausted from the thousands of papercuts the leaders and bureaucracy were hitting me with each day. Writing the book gave me time to reflect, see all sides, cry, and heal to a better degree,” she added.

The book has won two national awards, the grand prize winner in the 2018 Book Pipeline competion and grand prie in the 2021 Skyrocket Press contest.

Paula Pedene, a renown whistleblower who toppled several corrupt VA offi cials, will be signing her book at the Scottsdale American Legion Post 44 this Tuesday. (Special to the Pro gress)

Host an Exchange Student Today!

(for 3, 5 or 10 months)

Hanna from Germany, 17 yrs.

Enjoys spending time with her family and younger siblings. Hanna plays volleyball and is excited to learn new sports while in America.

Make a lifelong friend from abroad.

Enrich your family with another culture. Now you can host a high school exchange student (girl or boy) from Belgium, France, Germany, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Spain, Japan, Italy or other countries. Single parents, as well as couples with or without children, may host. Contact us ASAP for more information or to select your student.

Giorgio from Italy, 16 yrs.

Loves to play baseball and spend time with his dogs. Giorgio also plays the guitar, and his dream is to join a drama club at his American high school.

Amy at 1-800-733-2773 (Toll Free) host.asse.com or email info@asse.com

INTERNA TIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS Founded in 1976

ASSE International Student Exchange Program is a Public Benefit, Non-Profit Organization.