Hello
The picture you see here is one that I cherish. A friend snapped this shot of me during a storytelling performance. I'm an actor by training, but this image captures more than just a performance. It is from a night when I shared my lived experience with mental health difficulties. This was the first time I did this in a public forum but it would not be the last. I have lived with mental health conditions for nearly my entire life and that experience has taught me a great deal about my capacity for resilience, empathy, and a profound understanding of the human condition. As I venture out on the new path of recovery support, I look back on the night when I first shared my story with a small group of strangers and started my journey to where I am today.
I came to recovery support by chance when a member of my weekly support group suggested a CRSS program at College of DuPage. I pursued this path, and I haven't looked back. I hope to use my story and the skills I have honed throughout my life to uplift others.
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*Photo Credit: Jen Scarlato
Education
2023-2024
Recovery Support Specialist Certificate.
College of DuPage
During my time at College of DuPage, studying Recovery Support as part of the CRSS Success Program, I learned valuable skills that prepared me for this career change working in Peer Support. Courses: Mental Health Case Management, Ethics and Legal Issues, Recovery Support I & II. Graduated with high honors.
2011-2014
B.A. Theatre Arts
Columbia College, Chicago
Studying theatre allowed me to pursue my life-long passion of not just performing, but understanding the human condition through every role I found myself privileged enough to play. Courses: Acting, Stage Combat, Improvisation, Devised Theatre, Theatre History, Voice Training, Movement, and others.
2006-2010
Sociology Major
Ithaca College
I began college as a Sociology major with a side focus on social services and socially conscious theatre. I was fascinated by how social structures shape the world we live in, both the good and the bad. I eventually transferred to pursue my degree in theatre, but the coursework and lessons learned were pivotal in my development. Courses: Women's Lives, Group Counseling, Child Psychology, Youth Cultures, Sociology of Religion, Social Movements, Human Sexualities, Drug Culture, and others.