Meet the Team Behind the ZMWJr Foundation
LaToya Mason, Founder
LaToya Mason is a mother first. Everything else flows from that.
After losing her son, Zedrick Maurice Warner Jr., LaToya made a decision that only faith could sustain. She would take the heaviest thing she had ever carried and use it to lift someone else. That decision became the Zedrick Maurice Warner Jr. Foundation.
The foundation exists to ensure grieving families and underserved communities have access to healing, hope, and the reminder that they are not forgotten. Through grief-centered programs, community outreach, and spaces created for remembrance and restoration, LaToya honors her son by serving others. The foundation also supports students impacted by gun violence who are pursuing STEM degrees at HBCUs, providing assistance and encouragement as they continue moving toward their future.
She is a first-year educator, advocate, and the author of Becoming Through the Breaking: This Is My Oil, a deeply personal testament to what happens when God meets you in the middle of grief and turns it into something only He could create.
LaToya leads with compassion, walks by faith, and refuses to let loss have the final word.
Her mission has never wavered: to bring light, love, healing, and hope to every person the foundation touches while ensuring Zedrick’s legacy lives on through every life reached.
Zamiya Warner, CFO
Zamiya Warner is a graduate of Pearl High School and a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. During her time at Mississippi State, she served as S.P.A.R.K Director, Orientation Leader, Co-Director of Staff Training, Presidential Endowed Scholar, Kinesiology Student Ambassador, and Brickfire Mentor. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Despite enduring the heartbreaking loss of her twin brother, Zedrick Maurice Warner Jr., Zamiya continued to persevere with strength, faith, and determination. Through grief, she remained committed to her goals, using every obstacle as motivation to keep pushing forward and make a difference in the lives of others. Her journey is a testament to resilience and the power of purpose.
Zamiya is currently attending the University of West Alabama pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. As she takes on a key role within the foundation created in honor of her brother, she hopes to inspire others to keep believing in themselves and their future. Through leadership, service, and compassion, Zamiya is dedicated to creating positive change in the world and encouraging others to find strength even in life’s most difficult moments.
Jarek Peterson, President
Jarek Peterson is a community leader, advocate, and proud alumnus of Jackson State University, where he served as the 9th Mister Jackson State University. As a survivor of gun violence, he has transformed personal adversity into a mission of empowerment, using his platform to inspire hope, resilience, and positive change. Jarek remains dedicated to uplifting communities, mentoring young leaders, and making a meaningful difference through service and advocacy.
Avaughn Johnson, Youth Engagement Chair
After losing his father at age three and his mother at fifteen, Avaughn used those experiences as motivation to create opportunities for others in his hometown. A former top-10 basketball player in Mississippi, he graduated from Murrah High School with a 4.4 GPA and a 27 ACT score before attending Jackson State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology Pre-Physical Therapy. Through leadership experiences in organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, Men of Excellence, and Blue Streak Mentoring, he developed a passion for mentorship and community impact. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Sport Management at University of West Alabama while continuing to grow his 501c3 nonprofit organization You Look Like Me.