June 2026 Student of the Month

I currently work as a medical assistant at a nonprofit Christian medical clinic in Georgia that serves many underserved and uninsured patients. In addition to my medical work, I am also the founder of Hope Dealer Outreach, a grassroots harm reduction organization focused on overdose prevention, education, advocacy, and connecting people to resources and support. Outside of work and school, I enjoy writing, volunteering, blogging, creating outreach content, spending time with my family, walking my dog Baxter, and studying topics related to addiction recovery, mental health, and harm reduction. I also enjoy faith-based studies and personal growth work. I am married, and I am also a very proud mother of five children. My journey as a mother, especially loving a child through addiction, has deeply shaped who I am and the work I do today. I also have a Labradoodle named Baxter, who keeps me very active and brings a lot of joy and comfort into my life. My passion in life is helping people who are struggling with substance use disorders and supporting families impacted by addiction. I strongly believe in meeting people where they are without judgment. I am also passionate about education, advocacy, overdose prevention, and helping reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health.

I chose ATI because the program was flexible, accessible, and focused on practical education that directly applies to real-world situations. ATI allowed me to continue working, volunteering, and serving my community while pursuing my educational goals. I am currently continuing my education at ATI and at Newlane University, I am finishing my bachelor’s degree in psychology.  My focus is centered around substance use disorders, mental health, advocacy, and community support services. What I appreciated most at ATI was learning information that I could immediately apply in real-life situations. The coursework helped me better understand addiction, treatment approaches, human behavior, and the importance of compassion and evidence-based care. Online learning gave me the flexibility to balance work, volunteer outreach, family responsibilities, and education. Without that flexibility, it would have been much more difficult to continue pursuing my goals.

I plan to continue expanding my outreach, advocacy, and community education initiatives. My goal is to create programs and recovery support services that help individuals and families impacted by addiction feel seen, supported, and connected to resources. I also hope to continue public speaking and community outreach work related to overdose prevention and harm reduction. My education allows me to better understand addiction, trauma, mental health, and recovery. It helps me communicate more effectively, advocate more confidently, and provide more informed support to the people and families I encounter both professionally and through outreach. My long-term goal is to continue growing Hope Dealer Outreach and eventually open a recovery-centered supportive housing program that focuses on dignity, healing, community, and second chances.