Who we are

SonRise Equestrian Foundation could not successfully make a difference for children and horses without the efforts of each of our volunteers. Especially important to defining the "personality" of our program are our Founder, Executive Director, Mentors and the members of our Board of Directors.

SonRise Founder — Melanie

Melanie is the Founder of SonRise.

• Graduate Castro Valley High School, Castro Valley, California
• Oakland Academy of Court Reporting, 4 yrs. Oakland, CA
• Certified Shorthand Reporter 15 yrs
• Patten University, Oakland, California – Bachelors Degree, Christian Leadership
• Youth Leader, First Baptist Church in Castro Valley

In her words...

"As a young child my world was shattered when my father abandoned our family. In her wisdom, my mother recognized that in my passion for horses, there was a way to help heal my broken heart and bought me a horse when I was eleven. That horse and its surroundings changed my world by providing me with unconditional love and hope.

"As a young adult, when my world was darkened by the unexpected loss of the mother I loved, I turned to horses once again in an attempt to heal. In that process a call was put on my life; a call to develop a place where children with shattered lives could experience refuge in the presence of horses. SonRise is the product of that call, a very special place where children find hope and love.

"After spending many years in the conventional halls of education getting my degrees in Stenographic arts and my Bachelors in Christian leadership, I now find myself on a wondrous new path of learning; a path where horses are once again a way of life.

"With my business skills safely in hand, I have entered the world of equestrian arts, expanding my understanding of horses through work with Donna Snyder Smith (master biomechanics coach) Tina Hutton (TTEAM practitioner) Charles Wilhelm (successful foundation trainer), dressage master Vitor Silva, and many others."

— Melanie