Hi!  My name is Lisa, and I am enrolled in the Psychology Program because of my personal desire to understand and help others.  When I was younger I never thought of myself as a college student because I never liked school, but as I grew older I realized the benefits that education has on a career.  About 5 years ago I decided to enroll in the local community college to get going on a path to a better life.  For me, a better life meant helping people as well as making a decent income.  At that point I had only worked minimum wage jobs, but after graduating from the community college I achieved my first “real job” at the local Community Services Board.  This was a HUGE accomplishment for me.

I have been through quite a journey in my 33 years.  I went from being the party person with no ambition really to someone who is constantly striving to grow and do better for myself while also teaching others the skills that I have learned along the way.  I currently work as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and for anyone who doesn’t know what that means I will give a little information.  Being a peer specialist means working from my own experiential knowledge of recovery rather than working from what I have learned in books.  Although, the books are certainly helpful.  In my position, I share my personal experiences with recovery in an effort to relate and connect with others while supporting them.  The biggest part of my job and my best asset is being empathetic.  I feel as though my job is very much a privilege even though it can be difficult at times.