BOSTON INTERNATIONAL TURNER SYNDROME SUMMIT
Meet the BITSS Staff
Co-Director
Lori Harris
(she/her/hers)
Lori is the parent of a 25 year old who has Turner syndrome, and has been involved with BITSS as President of the Board of Directors since 2015. Lori is passionate about connecting young people who have TS with one another, and helping them to build confidence, skills, independence, and connections. Outside of her volunteer work with BITSS, Lori has had a long career as a corporate attorney, and now acts as a life management consultant, helping individuals navigate through a variety of life events, challenges, and circumstances. An empty nester, Lori lives in Kentucky and spends her spare time hiking, gardening, and reading, and photographing nature and wildlife. Lori's thrilled to return to serve as co-Director for BITSS 2024!
Co-Director
Sydney DaCosta
Sydney is returning as a co-director of the program this year. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome in high school and has since loved getting to know people in the community, especially as a part of BITSS. Sydney works as a child therapist in the Boston area and has been doing so for the last four years.
Inclusion Specialist
Stacey Handel
(she/her)
Stacey is a graduate of Brandeis University, where she received her BA in Psychology. She later earned her Masters at Simmons University School of Social Work. Stacey has volunteered at BITSS since its inception and serves on the board as Co-director of Programming. She was the Inclusion Specialist for BITSS 2023 and looking forward to helping out in the same way this year. Stacey has been a psychotherapist for children for many years. She now works with survivors of traumatic or acquired brain injuries. Stacey lives in Boston and loves being a city girl. In her spare time Stacey enjoys creating one and two dimensional artwork.
Nurse Practitioner
Kristen Kowalski
(she/her)
Kristen is so excited to be back as one of your 2024 on-site nurses. Kristen is a family nurse practitioner hailing from Avon, MA. She received her BS from Salve Regina University (Newport, RI) in 2006 and her MSN from the University of Massachusetts/Lowell in 2015. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when she was in high school. She got involved with BITSS in 2018 and joined the board of directors in 2019. She loves cooking, theatre, decorating her condo, and traveling whenever possible. The friendships she developed through BITSS are something she treasures.
Nurse
Camille Gaddis
(she/her/hers)
Camille is excited to be back for her 5th BITSS as Camp Nurse! She is originally from Wichita, KS and was diagnosed with Turner syndrome at two weeks old. Camille currently lives in the Kansas City area (Go Chiefs!) and works in HIV care/prevention. Her hobbies include visiting my Turner syndrome friends all over the world, watching movies and working out at the gym. Camille's new favorite thing to do is take dogs that are in the Humane Society to the park for a “Dogs Day Out” and treat them to a pup cup! She can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet new people this year!
Meet the BITSS Mentors
Mentor
Jeanna Lee
(she/her/hers)
Jeanna Lee is a native Floridian who now resides in Virginia. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome at age 13 and did not meet anyone else with Turner syndrome until she was 24. She became active in the Turner syndrome community through TSSUS and now serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for TSSUS. During her free time, she enjoys reading, swimming, biking, gardening, and spending time with her two small dogs, Mimi and Miso.
Mentor
Judy Lu
Judy is a 28-year-old with Turner syndrome from Medford who hopes to make a difference in the BITSS community. She graduated from UMass Boston with a degree in management and wants to further her degree. In college, she found a love for math and working with numbers and took extra math classes for fun. She has a twin brother where she got her hobby of watching basketball and football from. She also loves healthy food and going to cafes. Lastly, anything comedy is up her alley and she loves making others laugh. Though she’s introverted she loves being around people and is excited to meet everyone who’s part of BITSS.
Mentor
Emilija Sipaviciuteq
(she/her)
Emilija is a fellow butterfly who is honored to join the BITTS 2024 staff for the very first time as a mentor and couldn’t be more excited! At 24 years old, Emilija works full-time as a nurse on a surgical floor at Faulkner Hospital, which she loves! Outside of work, Emilija pursues just a few of her passions, including musical theatre, singing, dance, and figure skating (just to name a few!). Emilija is currently in rehearsals for Rhode Island Stage Ensemble’s production of “Beauty & The Beast,” which has its performances this coming June! Should you find yourself in the area, come check it out! If you are interested in reading Emilija’s full story, feel free to check out her entry on the TSSUS blog
Emilija can’t wait to meet everyone and is looking forward to making BITTS 2024 the best one yet!
Mentor
Grace Lai
(she/her)
Grace Lai is currently a junior at Wheaton College studying early childhood education and psychology. She loves music, playing the guitar, reading, taking walks in the park, and spending time with friends. Grace was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when she was 19 weeks in utero. She grew up in Braintree, Massachusetts with her loving parents and two younger siblings that helped her through all the challenges that come with having Turner syndrome. Grace was a BITSS participant starting in 2018 and she is extremely excited about continuing her journey with the BITSS community as a mentor. Her main goal as a mentor is to teach the BITSS participants about overcoming fear, staying positive, and being confident about self-worth. She is looking forward to meeting everyone very soon!
Mentor
Cheyanne Shepard
(she/her)
Hi my name is Cheyanne I am 24 years old. I graduated at Worcester state in 2023 with a public health degree. I was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when I was five years old , I’ve been part of BITSS for a while now I was a camper for three years and now this will be my 3rd year as a mentor at BITSS. I am so excited to be back and meet everyone. One interesting fact about me is I love dancing and traveling.
BITSS is a community I call my second home, I feel I can connect with other people with Turner syndrome and I can be my self. That’s why I love BITSS so much.
Mentor
Caroline Walsh
(she/her)
Caroline, a 24-year-old lady from Boston, and is enjoying her best life with having Turner syndrome. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when she was two years old. Her particular case of Turner syndrome manifests itself in a variety of autoimmune diseases. She currently works in gynecology oncology at a nearby hospital. She enjoys eating, music (her current fave is Sublime), and her two labradoodles, Keeva and Cora. She loves BITSS because it connects her to a community of people who understand the complexity of living with Turner syndrome. She wants to empower other young people with Turner syndrome to utilize their voices and advocate for themselves while managing their own lives with Turner syndrome.
Mentor
Becky Fields
Becky is 28 years old from Dallas Texas. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when she was 3 months old. This is her second year as a BITSS Mentor. She has a Bachelors Degree in All Level Special Education as well a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She worked as a Summer Camp Counselor, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher, Office Aide, as well an Extended Day Aide and Substitute. Becky looks forward to being a mentor again this summer.