Dena M. Hodges is the first-born grandchild of Charles M. Schulz, creator of the highly acclaimed Peanuts comic strip and internationally recognized Snoopy character. Dena was the only grandchild of Charles M. Schulz for the first seven years of her life. She is also the only child born to the oldest of his five children.

Dena is a single mother of two biological biracial daughters by her first marriage, and her children are the two oldest great grandchildren of Charles M. Schulz. Dena and her daughters are animal lovers who reside on a small farm in north central Florida. Dena also oversees the Paws and Claws Florida division of a 501c3, Howey Horse Haven, through which she cares for neglected and abandoned cats and kittens.

Dena initially pursued an education in psychology to better understand the abuse she suffered as a child and the residual physical and emotional impacts it had on her. Despite struggling with debilitating health challenges for nearly two decades with no familial support, she continued to pursue higher education even while bedridden with what was later determined to be Sepsis and Chronic Lyme Disease. Dena now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Currently, Dena is a Doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Homeland Security. Her education, coupled with her personal experiences resulting from her mother’s abuse, makes her uniquely knowledgeable about topics of physical and mental abuse, substance abuse, and mental illness.