Alison keeps the Breakthrough functioning behind the scenes as project manager and supports teams as a coach. Growing up in a rural community—and then teaching in that same community—left Alison wanting more from the sexual and reproductive health education available to adolescents and young adults in her community, which led her to pursue a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Alison wants adolescents and young adults, especially those who face systemic barriers, to be equipped with the support and resources they ask for and to feel empowered by the adults who work with them to pursue their dreams, goals, and passions. Alison has rigorous training in quantitative and evaluation methods and is passionate about applied, multidisciplinary research and interventions that support and promote adolescent health and positive youth development. A lifelong bibliophile, Alison’s favorite genres are romance and young or new adult fiction, and you’ll find a colorful tower of books on her TBR prominently featured in her video call background.