Academic Empowerment Agency
AEA Leadership
Dr. Janjay Gehndyu
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Dr. Gehndyu (Dr. J) has taught students in Manatee and Sarasota County for 14 years, ranging from college to elementary school. With extensive experience in STEM education, Dr. Gehndyu mentors students to be creative problem solvers who have the ability to overcome challenges.
Dr. J has taught courses from AP chemistry to biology. His data driven approach has produced many successful students in these courses who either earned AP credit, Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, Dual Enrollment credit or a passing scores on their Florida Standardized Assessments (FSA). His focus on personalized learning speaks to those who believe all students, with the right guidance, can accomplish great things.
Dr. J’s award winning dissertation on learning styles has allowed him to create a database useful for helping students succeed on College Entrance Exams such as the SAT and ACT test. His research based approach has helped many students not only enter higher education but complete their degree requirements within 4 years or less. Dr. J has worked with over 75 high school students who have all earned bright future scholarships.
When Dr. J is not devoting time to helping young adults succeed for the future, he loves spending time with his wife Jackie and their two young children Ellie and Emmitt.
Jackie Gehndyu M.S.
Reading Coach & Family Support Specialist
Jackie is the Exceptional Student Education Specialist for the Academic Empowerment Agency. Jackie has over 10 years experience teaching and mentoring students of all backgrounds. Most of her experience has been with the underserved and underprivileged population at Visible Men Academy in Bradenton, Florida. At this Title 1 all-boys school, she has taught grades K-5, been a Reading Coach, English Language Learner Liaison, Response to Intervention (RTI) Specialist, and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Specialist.
Jackie received her Bachelor’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University in Psychology. She then furthered her education and received a Master’s Degree from the University of South Florida in Elementary Education. The combined degrees have empowered her with the understanding that teaching children does not require just an academic mindset, but also emotional support of the whole child which focuses on their unique personalities and learning styles. Jackie and Dr. Gehndyu have been married for 10 years and reside in Bradenton, Florida with their two children, Ellie and Emmitt.
Dawnyelle Singleton
Vice President of Development
Dawnyelle is a Suncoast native and Communications professional with experience in Graphic Design, Advertising, and Community Relations. After receiving her B.S. in Communications from Florida State University, she pursued her interest in art, by attending the Portfolio Center for Art and Design in Atlanta, GA majoring in Graphic Design. Dawnyelle started her freelance Graphic Design business, Red Elephant Designs, where she worked on communications projects for several non profit organizations.
After working in advertising, her passion led her into education, where she attended the State College of Florida in Bradenton, FL where she earned her teaching certification in Art K-12. Dawnyelle is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Leadership Sarasota (Class of 2009) and Gulf Coast Leadership Institute (Class of 2019) graduate, and a past Board Member of the (Florida State University's) Sarasota Seminole Club.
Rich Brooks
Director of Digital Media
Rich has been working in the nonprofit sector for more than 12 years. He previously worked as a video creator at Manatee Educational Television in Bradenton, Florida. At METV, Rich produced long and short-form documentaries, Public Service Announcements, and educational videos for local nonprofit agencies, The School District of Manatee County and local government and civic organizations.
In 2018, Rich took over as content creator and social media manager at Soar In 4, a children’s literacy nonprofit. He worked as a paid advertising consultant for The Corelink Solution and Holyculture Radio, two nonprofits that help young minorities develop entrepreneurship opportunities.
At the Academic Empowerment Agency, Rich gets to combine his passion for content creation, web design, digital marketing, and education to help college bound students get the training and mentorship that will help them achieve their higher education goals.
Megan Lott
Executive Assistant
Megan Lott is the Executive Assistant for Academic Empowerment Agency where she ensures things are kept moving in an efficient manner and productive direction.
She is always happy to assist clients by scheduling appointments and answering any questions they may have. Megan's work history is with reputable companies in the Bradenton and Sarasota area as an administrator/customer service representative for the past 15 years and she loves it!
When you are dealing with Megan, you can expect a friendly, helpful and personable experience. Megan is one of the few who were born and raised in Manatee County. When she is not working, she and her husband of 15 years are chasing their two boys.
Tenezee Gehndyu
College Admission Writing Editor
Tenezee Gehndyu holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a focus on technical writing. She is an avid writer and copy editor with over 2 years experience helping students develop writing skills that creatively and clearly express their thoughts and arguments.
Tenezee focuses on helping students draw from their experiences to develop engaging content for their writing and guides students in putting to use the grammar and punctuation skills that help them express themselves clearly and concisely.
Mya Widmyer
Event Coordinator
Mya brings over 10 years of non-profit experience to Academic Empowerment Agency. Mya has worked on numerous projects in the non-profit world that include fundraising, development, marketing and special events. Mya is originally from Maryland and has been a resident of Sarasota, Florida for the last 14 years.