What keeps me inspired is watching someone take their first real breath of hope. It might be a mother finally feeling heard, a peer finding their voice, or a system starting to change because someone demanded better. Those are the moments that fuel me. The real breakthroughs that don’t always make headlines but change lives all the same. My educational path didn’t start with a traditional classroom. It began with survival. I’m someone who has lived through the very systems I now work to improve. Early on in my recovery journey, I realized that my experience alone wasn’t enough. I needed to learn how systems operate, how policies are shaped, and how to navigate spaces that weren’t built for people like me. That realization pushed me to seek out both formal and informal education. I’ve invested in professional development across peer recovery coaching, harm reduction, crisis response, trauma-informed care, and organizational leadership. I became certified as a Peer Recovery Coach and have completed specialized training in overdose prevention, cultural competency, and systems-level advocacy. Over time, I also stepped into leadership roles that challenged me to understand budgets, policy, nonprofit governance, and how to lead with integrity during crises.

While I don’t hold a traditional degree, I’ve taught alongside professionals who do. I’ve trained clinicians, first responders, and executives on how to understand substance use and mental health through the lens of lived experience. My education is rooted in both the trenches and the boardroom. It stems from walking alongside people through some of their most challenging days, and from collaborating with decision-makers to make care more equitable and responsive.

What I’ve learned and continue to learn is that credibility doesn’t only come from a classroom. It comes from showing up consistently, remaining teachable, and staying committed to transformation, both personal and systemic. What inspired me to step into this field was pain, both my own and the pain I witnessed in others who were navigating systems that didn’t know how to hold them. I came into this work through recovery. I didn’t start with a plan to become anything but a servant. I started with a desire to stay alive and then to help others do the same.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me outside. Gardening, building, reconnecting with nature, and hanging with my two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I also love spending time with the people who keep me grounded and whole with love.