About
Who We Are: The Monika Kørra Foundation Directors
MONIKA KORRA
Monika Kørra is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Monika Kørra Foundation. After she was kidnapped and raped in 2009, she decided she would not be defined as a victim the rest of her life and began speaking up about the rape. Monika found that not only did she empower herself, but her voice gave other Survivors their voice back. Thus, Monika realized that she had found her mission in life: to turn her experience into something good by empowering others. She is determined to "Kill the Silence" surrounding rape and abuse in our society.
Monika and her foundation will work to do this in two ways:
1) Raise awareness and support.
2) Assist survivors through their healing process.
Monika is a native of Loten, Norway. In 2008, she was offered a full athletic scholarship to run for Southern Methodist University's Track and Cross Country team. Running has always been her number one passion in life and she strongly believes it played a significant role in her healing process.
"To have a passion in life reminds you of who you are and who you want to be, and that's why I never accepted the role as a rape victim," she says.
"I had my identity long before this happened and I'm planning to keep it. Running is a part of who I am." In 2012, Monika graduated from SMU with a B.S. in Applied Physiology and a minor in psychology. That same year, she also became a rape victim advocate through Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center's volunteer training program. Monika is a certified ACSM Health and Fitness Specialist and currently works as a Personal Trainer and Running Coach. She is also in the process of completing a book about her experience and healing.
JONAS KARLSEN LEKVE & ANETTE KORRA LEKVE
Anette Kørra Lekve is Monika Kørra's sister. She lives in Oslo Norway with her husband Jonas Karlsen Lekve. Anette earned her bachelor degree in Pre-School teaching and is currently working on her master in special teaching for children with disabilities at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. In 2009 she did charity work at the AidsHeaven center in South-Africa where she helped children diagnosed with HIV/Aids and left behind by their families live a happier life. She's done volunteer work for the Red Cross and Adults for Children among other local organizations. Anette has through her education and work seen the importance of giving children tools from a young age to keep them from falling into the trap of criminal activity, especially when they're from a troubled background. Her dream is to be able to help children find their path in life to prevent future violence. She is thankful to her sister for being given the opportunity to help and for the trust she has shown her by asking her to be a part of this very important project.
Jonas Karlsen Lekve is Monika Kørra's brother in law. He earned his Bachelor degree of Pre-School teaching, specializing in outdoors, at the University of Sør-Trøndelag. After, he specialized further in English and Physical activity for children. Jonas has worked with his family taking care of children protected by the Child protective services by having them come to their farm on camps with other children of the same background. On these camps the children can spend time in a positive learning environment where outdoors, animals, and farming is in focus. He is currently working as a Pre-School teacher in Oslo where he lives with his wife, Anette Korra Lekve. Jonas passion is the outdoors, hiking in the mountain and the woods and he wants to give children the opportunity to enjoy nature and physical activity the same way because he truly believes that by using nature, sports and other forms of activity we can be able to help both children and adults going through hardships. He is truly honored to be a part of this project and hope to be able to help a lot of people trough it.
COURTNEY UNDERWOOD
Courtney Underwood was born and raised in Dallas and graduated in the top 1% of her class at Southern Methodist University. During her freshman year at SMU, Courtney learned that Parkland was the only Dallas County hospital performing rape kits. Dallas was also the largest city in the country without a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program and the largest city in the country without an independent rape crisis center. Courtney’s fierce determination to create change turned into an eleven year campaign to improve sexual assault services in Dallas County.
In 2009, after years of working with the Dallas Police Department, The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, Texas Health Dallas formally committed to opening Dallas’ first SANE Program. During that same time, Courtney met Jana Barker and together they co-founded the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center (DARCC). With Courtney’s help both programs received a $2 million grant from the WW Caruth Jr Foundation, as well as grants from the Meadows Foundation, The Women’s Foundation and The Office of the Governor.
Within four months of the Texas Health SANE Program and DARCC opening their doors, sexual assault reporting in Dallas increased by twenty-five percent; in the Fall of 2011 Texas Health opened the W.W. Caruth Jr. Center for SAFE Healing, a 3,000 square foot center dedicated to sexual assault victims, and in January of 2012 DARCC opened its second office location.
Now, Courtney is the Executive Director of The S.A.N.E. Initiative, a part of Safer Dallas, Better Dallas, which is dedicated to expanding Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Programs throughout Dallas County and the metroplex, while also expanding support services for victims of sexual abuse. Courtney’s work has been recognized in a number of news stories and publications, including stories in the Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, The Observer and in multiple news stories on all local stations. In 2011, Courtney received the Public Safety Leader of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Dallas and Safer Dallas Better Dallas, The Good Works Under Forty Award from the Dallas Foundation, The Ron J. Anderson Healthcare Servant Leadership Award from the Alliance for Healthcare Excellence, and the SMU Women’s Symposium Profiles in Leadership Award. In 2012 The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) awarded Courtney with the 2011 Excellence in Advocacy Award and The Taking A Stand Against Sexual Violence Award from Arise! International.
Courtney Underwood Newsome has also recently named the Executive Director of The SANE Initiative, a program through Safer Dallas Better Dallas which will focus upon expanding more hospital SANE Programs throughout the City of Dallas and Dallas County.