A Team Dedicated To Mental Health
Our
Mission
At Ascend, we are driven by an unwavering commitment to ensure every student has access to quality tiered non-academic interventions, including mental and behavioral health interventions, regardless of financial or systemic barriers. We provide schools with a powerful data platform that simplifies the collection, analysis, and application of mental health and behavioral data, empowering educators, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and administrators to deliver targeted, effective support.
We envision a future where every student, in every district across the nation, has access to the mental and behavioral health support they need to thrive-academically and beyond. Ascend aims to break barriers, build partnerships, and lead the charge in equipping schools with tools that empower educators and saves lives.
Our
Vision
Our Story
Our story is simple - we just decided to do it. Friends and colleagues for many years, Shannon and Summer have always wanted to do something different and impactful for all students. They worked in the same district for many years, Shannon as an elementary counselor and then a district coordinator, and Summer as the lead counselor at one of the district’s high schools. They both moved on to other positions in other districts and even another state, but their goal of wanting to help students never waivered.
After struggling to find ways to efficiently review mental health and safety data, it hit us. “What if we had a clear and concise dashboard that would allow schools to quickly see their students who should be Tier 2 and Tier 3, suggest interventions for those students, and follow up on their progress? What would that do for our students and our schools?” This is when Ascend was born.
And then we just decided to do it. We started working with friends and partners to create a high-level data analysis tool for mental health, safety, and other non-academic supports. Data analysis about these topics is hard to gather and disaggregate. Parke (2012) declared that a major barrier to using data to advise school and district decision making is not having a practical data system to collect and use student data.
Ascend provides an easy-to-use tool to solve this problem. Students and schools climb higher because of Ascend. Learn more and Ascend with Us.
Shannon Jenkins, MEd
Shannon Jenkins' journey is a reflection of her deep commitment to the mental well-being of children and her passion for service. Raised in Central Louisiana, Shannon was instilled with values of faith, family, and community, with a strong emphasis on volunteerism. From a young age, she knew she wanted to have a positive impact on children's mental health.
Shannon pursued a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies with a Minor in Child Development from Louisiana Tech University, then relocated to North Texas. There, she began her career in private practice while earning a certification in Special Education. As a Middle School Special Education teacher, she saw firsthand the profound influence educators can have on students. This led her to pursue a Master’s of Education in School Counseling from Dallas Baptist University.
Her career in education flourished when she became an Elementary School Counselor, a role she held for 15 years in a large North Texas school district. She then transitioned to the role of Coordinator of Elementary Counseling for five years, where her leadership skills and expertise in mental health support were recognized. In 2017, Shannon was honored as an Outstanding Alumnus by the College of Education at Dallas Baptist University. Additionally, she was named a quarterfinalist for Texas School Counselor of the Year in 2018.
Shannon’s passion for developing future school counselors led her to serve as the Director of Communications for the Lone Star State School Counselor Association for three years. She has been an advocate for Youth Mental Health, presenting at state conferences and being featured in podcasts and publications. Currently, Shannon serves as the Mental Health Coordinator for a school district in Northern Colorado and recently co-presented at the 2024 Conference on Advancing School Mental Health.
Outside of her professional accomplishments, Shannon enjoys the beauty of Colorado's outdoors with her husband, Zack, and their dog, Gumbeaux. Their adventures in nature reflect the balance of work and life Shannon has cultivated, focused on both professional success and personal fulfillment.
Summer Martin, PhD
Dr. Summer Martin is a dedicated advocate for mental health and counseling in educational settings, currently serving as district counseling director in a school district in North Texas. In this role, she oversees comprehensive school counseling, mental health, prevention and intervention services, as well as pregnancy-related services, foster care, and behavior management initiatives, all aimed at fostering student success and well-being.
With over two decades of experience as a counselor and teacher, Dr. Martin has a deep understanding of the challenges students face and the support they need to thrive. She also shares her expertise as an adjunct professor of school counseling at Dallas Baptist University, where she nurtures the next generation of counselors. Her passion lies in advocating for mental health resources in schools, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to achieve their highest potential.
Outside of her professional commitments, Summer is a devoted wife to Jason, with whom she has been married to for over two decades. She is also a proud Army mom, with her son Kyle serving in the U.S. Army, and she treasures her role as the mother of 17-year-old Kadence, a high school senior. Summer’s personal and professional life reflects her unwavering dedication to supporting and uplifting the lives of students and families in her community.
