Board of Directors

Halie Tumbleston

Co-Founder & President

Halie graduated from the College of Charleston in 2015 as a Special Educator. She taught in a severe and profound needs classroom for 2 years before switching over to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She is currently a Registered Behavior Technician serving children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is in graduate school, obtaining her Master's in Special Education and ABA, while earning her certification for Behavior Analysis. Her dream is coming true as Be the Change continues to grow into a community center serving the greater Charleston area.

Shaina Bermudez

Co-Founder & Vice-President

Shaina graduated from the College of Charleston with her BS in Special Education. She taught for two years in a public high school resource classroom, then felt called to work more closely with children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She currently is a Registered Behavior Technician for children and adolescents with ASD, providing them with high-quality, ethical Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. She is currently obtaining her Master's in Special Education Curriculum & Design and minoring in ABA in order to earn her certification as a Behavior Analyst. Shaina is personally dedicated to serving the special needs community throughout her career. Her younger brother has Asperger's Syndrome, and she continues to work hard to spread understanding and acceptance of all individuals with disabilities. She currently is the Student Representative for South Carolina's Association for Behavior Analysis.

Ashley Eppes

Secretary

Ashley is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.  She graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2010 and received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology.  She completed her graduate coursework for her certification at Florida Institute of Technology in 2017. She currently works for a private company providing ABA services to individuals with special needs. 
She has always had an interest in helping individuals with special needs succeed, starting at a young age.  Growing up, her family was involved and volunteered in many non-profit organizations throughout the Hudson Valley of New York.  Her parents founded their own non-profit organization, Angels of Light, benefiting children and families with life-threatening illnesses.  In college, through her sorority, she contributed and volunteered for multiple philanthropies including the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the American Cancer Society.  
Her goal is to aid individuals with special needs to reach their full potential to improve their life experiences within their local community. 
She lives in Mount Pleasant, SC with her husband, Blake and rescue hound, Macon.  They welcomed their son, Coast, to their family in March 2019. 

Emily Swanson

Community Outreach

Emily is a Charleston native. She stayed close to home and graduated from the College of Charleston in 2015 with a degree in Special Education and minor in Spanish. After college, she spent a year abroad in Spain teaching math and science to middle school students. She quickly realized her true calling and returned to the states. She has spent the last 3 years teaching students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities at Berkeley Middle School in Moncks Corner. When she isn’t teaching she loves spending time with friends and family or doing Crossfit!

Thea Bufi

Treasurer

Thea Sigal studied Special Education with a concentration in moderate to severe disabilities at College of Charleston for her bachelors. She received her Master's at San Francisco State University with a certification in deaf/blind education. Before heading into the classroom, she worked at county jails in San Francisco helping adults with disabilities work towards college. Currently, she works as a special education teacher for an autism-focused classroom in San Francisco, CA. Her classroom focus is on independent living skills and community connections. She believes every child deserves an education with adults who care and love them and where their strengths are highlighted and utilized to work on their needs. In her spare time, Thea cooks, sews and relaxes with her husband and kitties!