I am currently a Certified Addiction Specialist; thus, I have a strong passion for serving the community and doing what I can to help those in desperate need. I would like to receive a Master's in Social Work so that I can continue contributing and utilizing my counseling skills directed at those suffering from the disease of addiction. I have had many opportunities to work with these mentally ill individuals in numerous different settings - rehab facilities, those in the Department of Corrections, people convicted of DUIs, etc. In working with this population of individuals I have learned a lot about myself as well as the lack of mental health care these people have been provided.Instead of providing proper therapy and/or mental medical assistance, addicts and alcoholics are thrown in jails and referred to as criminals rather than desperate people. Many people may disagree when I say that addiction is a disease but, in my opinion, this is why addicts are thrown to the side and not viewed as actual people. My aspiration after I graduate from the Master's Social Work program is to continue my ongoing support for substance abusers. As I have said, I worked in many different addict settings and plan to continue this path; specifically, I would want to go back to working with those in the prison system. I hope to host counseling sessions and work with them one-on-one to give them the therapy that they need to grow into sober and prosperous people. I am not sure if I would want to work with juveniles or prisoners at this time but I am hoping that as I grow and learn through the social work program, I can be guided into the right choice that would best suit me and my skills. I currently am working with children in the foster care program at Graceful Oaks Youth Ranch. I enjoy supporting these young kids and allowing them to work with horses in a therapeutic setting. I have owned a farrier (shoes, trims, and heals horses feet/hoofs) business with my husband since 2017 and this has given me the chance to use animals in a counseling setting to help people. I do not think in the future I would want to continue in equine counseling but I would possibly get a certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning just in case I would want to take this path at some point. A social work degree would allow me to accelerate this opportunity through the bachelor's degree education I received. My main priority and dedication is to serve. I may only be one person but I can use the skills I have learned and developed to do my best for the community. I appreciate any assistance in continuing my dream as the education system is very expensive and funding these endeavors can be complicated and hard. Thank you for your time and I look forward to a response and future communication! Amanda Rayl

I have had many struggles that took time and strength to grow through. I am a recovering alcoholic/addict, and my journey of suffering has not only helped me improve my spirit, intellect, and emotional state and strong relationships with others. At a point in my past, I had immense self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence. I was lost in my substance abuse. By allowing myself to live in this mentality, I could not improve and grow who I was because I was not myself. After years of this self-abuse, I realized that I was either going to die or find myself in prison. This is when I found my self-empowerment and began to improve on all the amazing qualities I possess. I surrounded myself with like-minded individuals who aspired to become the best they could be, found my faith, and decided I wanted to learn how I could help people who were spiraling down the same hole I was climbing out of. My journey of improvement began when I went back to school to get my certifications to become an addiction counselor. This led me to continuous growth and development. To get the training hours necessary to receive a certification I found a facility where I could work with substance abusers one-on-one. This position was at a rehabilitation center for addicts and alcoholics where I observed the counselor's and therapists' treatment plans with the clients. I was able to gain a great deal of knowledge from my experience and I gained more competence in the counseling field. Once I received my CAS, I decided that I was going to continue improving and wanted to work with individuals in the Department of Corrections. I worked at a DUI and DOC education/counseling facility. I counseled DUI offenders and Department of Corrections convicts. In this position, I took a close look at myself and thought about what I wanted to do with my talents and abilities; ultimately, I decided to go back to school and receive a degree in Social Work. Returning to school was a big decision because I owned a business, had a newborn, and was moving to a new city. Despite the fact I had all these going on, I wanted to improve myself and chase my calling to help others in addiction. In my pursuit to obtain a Social Work degree, I went to ACC for two years and I am now transferring to MSU Denver to join their exceptional SSWB program. In my continuous improvement, I only accept my best in my education; for this reason, I have maintained a 4.0 GPA and will continue this hard work. Not only have I improved in my education, but I have been able to grow my husband and I's business, have bought a beautiful house, and continuously strive to be the best mother I can be. My hope for the future is to receive a master’s in social work and use my talents to help people going through addiction or who have experienced trauma/abuse from those with addictions. I have been on the fence regarding working with children or adults but recently I have found employment at a youth ranch that supports children in the foster care and welfare system. Many of these kids suffer from severe behavioral issues and are unable to control their aggressive emotions safely. In working with these children, I have found that my passion is more toward the juvenile and youth side of social work. I believe that we neglect children who are addicts/alcoholics or have been abused by addicts/alcoholics. I want to help!