David Anthoni with Dr. Xellex Z. Rivera- Founder of the #iAmSHE Women’s Empowerment Conference

David Anthoni dialogues with Dr. Xellex Z. Rivera about Charting New Waters through Choice and Change.

“Dr. X”, is a native of the Bronx, New York, and a graduate of Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY, with a double Master’s Degree in Counseling and Mental Health Counseling. A proud HBCU graduate, Xellex attended Livingstone College, Salisbury, NC with a major in Liberal Arts, English. Initially, with the dream of becoming a journalist, Xellex quickly realized her life calling was going in another direction. In 2019, she was conferred her third Master's Degree from Walden University in Philosophy. With a passion to help people realize and chase their potential, Xellex currently works as the Vice President of Shelter Services at Bronx Parent Housing, New York, NY. Her primary clients are families with children that are struggling with homelessness, as well as being severely mentally ill or drug-addicted. She completed her doctoral work at Walden University with a concentration in Social Policy Analysis & Plan. Featured in Forbes Women and on Bronx Network, her dissertation, “Experiences of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials in New York City Shelters”, explored the experiences of long-term stay millennials, 25 to 34 years of age, residing in single adult NYC shelters to understand how they explain and interpret their extended stays.