Hella L. Dijsselbloem Girón

Hella Dijsselbloem Girón is a Restorative Practice Coordinator with the Just Discipline Project (JDP). Born in El Salvador to a Guatemalan mother and Dutch father, she grew up in nine countries and has been living in and loving Pittsburgh since 2019. She holds a MSW from Pitt and an BA in Women’s & Gender Studies/Latin American & Iberian Studies from UMass Boston.

Hella has experience teaching Latina immigrants working toward their high school equivalency diploma, preparing youth for professional careers, and supporting children with IDDs in residential treatment. Her graduate-level internships placed her in numerous Pittsburgh schools, facilitating the Expect Respect program to middle school girls and as a JDP intern at Turtle Creek Elementary. Having joined JDP upon graduating, she looks forward to supporting restorative practices in schools in ways that empower students, particularly those most marginalized and pushed out.

In her free time, Hella loves long walks with her dog Picchu, making and sharing food, chatting on neighbors’ porches, and enjoying the sun whenever possible.