Great schools and training programs offer learning opportunities that go far beyond the syllabus. We asked some amazing folks from the community to share stories from their educational journey with us.

Mela Blust

People are always sort of fascinated that this is what I do, and especially that I have received formal training for it. I received certification through Cuddle Sanctuary. The course was something that I stumbled upon and immediately knew that I wanted to take part in. It was valuable to me to further my knowledge of consent, boundaries, compassion for human beings, and overall better social skills. Read more>>

Heather Cobbs

My schooling was a long process. I completed 1 and a half years of junior college after high school and then moved out on my own, so bills became priority. Then I became a mother at 22, I was making good money in the nightclub scene but as years passed by I started to realize I needed more security and stability for my daughter. Read more>>

Jessica Grier

My training as a professional counselor truly helped me get an understanding of how I could best integrate mental health and spirituality because I was able to learn the traditional methods and theories of counseling while also embracing my own spiritual growth. Read more>>

Shanequa Thomas

My school experience for grad school was challenging, stretching, and exciting. In a new space where you are the minority I felt it was a stretch to speak about my intelligence in a field that was new. Most, people in my field were coming from a prestigious background versus me who took on a completely different career change. Read more>>

Molly Mitchell-Hardt Field

It was in graduate school that I was first introduced to the mytho-poetic perspective and that prismatic shift in orientation transformed the way I relate to myself, my clients, and the world. It was like seeing the world in black and white and then suddenly the whole spectrum with nuances in between. Read more>>