As an outsider, breaking into an industry can often seem like an impossible challenge and so we reached out to some very generous folks who agreed to share their stories of how they broke into their respective industries.

Billie Patinio

My name is Billie and before I worked in this field of helping others I never really knew where I was going to end up. I worked in many jobs after high school. This included fast food, gas stations, hotel industry and many more. My last job before working in this field was a Hawaiian Bakeshop. There I worked with family and during this time frame my cousin that was employed there also, she worked for a treatment facility as her full-time job and had mentioned to me that she really believes that I would be good where she works. She then asked me if I ever thought of working in an addiction treatment facility. My response to her was “No, I only did drugs and wouldn’t even know how I could help others stay off of it.” Read more>>

Allison Santos

I was nearing graduation from college, unsure of what I would do for work. I was about to graduate with degrees in Spanish and Biokinetics and all I knew was that I wanted to work in healthcare. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I hoped it would mean I could help people achieve better health in some way or another, and if I could offer support in Spanish, even better. Read more>>

Christina Shifflett

Nursing offers a diverse range of specialties, each with unique opportunities for practice. With over 11 years of experience as a registered nurse, primarily in hospital settings, I took a new path after completing my master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. I was eager to join the cannabis industry as a nurse, though at that time, cannabis nursing wasn’t yet recognized as a healthcare specialty. Read more>>

Vassilia Binensztok

In undergrad, I majored in English with a concentration in creative writing. My favorite books were always character driven, as I took an interest in personalities, but being a therapist was not my goal at the time. I was living out my childhood dream of being a writer. I dreamt of publishing poetry collections and personal essays that would inspire people to reflect on their own lives. Looking back now, the purpose I found in writing was akin to the purpose I find in psychotherapy. Read more>>