The goal of the Mental Health Peer Advocates is to empower college students by educating one another through shared life experiences. The advocates are students who aim to promote an inclusive culture that seeks to make everyone feel as if they belong, providing students an avenue to share and address mental health concerns with the encouragement of using college and community resources and supporting students in recovery. Mental Health Peer Advocates are a part of the college wanting to reduce mental health stigma on the Rhodes State College campus.
Deziree Ayers |
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I am Deziree Ayers, a Mental Health Peer Advocate at Rhodes State College. I recently completed my Associate of Applied Business in Accounting degree at Rhodes and am continuing with the Addictions, Mental Health, and Social Work Assistant program. Before starting college, I owned a small business serving parts of western Ohio and northern West Virginia. While I was great with numbers and business organization, I have discovered that I have a passion for helping people through difficult times. It brings me great joy to see their growth and progress. I strive to bring hope, strength, and encouragement to my interactions with others. My greatest accomplishment is raising three wonderful children: two daughters, ages 26 and 18, and a 20-year-old son. I consider myself to be a perpetual student. I enjoy reading, puzzles, and Hallmark Christmas movies. I believe that laughter is the best medicine. |
Crystal Cisco, CPRS |
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My name is Crystal Cisco, and today, I am 2 years and 8 months sober. My journey has been a beautiful one. I consider life and myself good friends. It has taken many years to get to this point in my life. I am 43 years old today, a child of adoption and raised by my grandparents at the age of nine. I have suffered with mental health my entire life. I never considered myself an addict; I gave many excuses to others and myself before getting the help I needed. Once I surrendered, I could own up to my own accountability. Nothing is perfect, so re-teaching my brain to relearn from negative learned behaviors to positive behavior was initially challenging. Understanding myself and working hard on my cognitive behavior has freed me from suffering from my past and/or traumatic events. Today, I have quit running from anything that used to scare me, success within myself and on the field, reaching out to who was where I once was. My passion will leave a mark on anyone I can touch, telling my story. The experience in peer support working at two different facilities was rewarding. Not only did I listen without judgment, but I was also able to reflect on what I learned from my clients in my own life and recovery. This experience gave me the courage to heal what I was ignoring in my life. I witnessed my peers’ ups and downs, holding on to any hope they had left then to shine so bright from the growth they had worked hard for; it was beautiful to watch. It was a breathtaking experience; I was honored to shed light on others and receive knowledge from my peers. |
Peyton Shellhouse |
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Welcome! I am Peyton Shellhouse, a mental health peer advocate at Rhodes State College. My long-term personal goal is to become a social worker to advocate for and support individuals with the utmost compassion and understanding. I am currently a CCP (College Credit Plus) senior at Elida High School and the president of Lifeliners, a suicide prevention club. My role in Lifeliners is to raise awareness of all things mental health-related, along with guiding those who may be in need of assistance. I am an avid lover of the winter season and the festivities it brings. My hobbies include drinking Starbucks beverages, working out at Planet Fitness, or dining at a Mexican restaurant. |
Rachel Shelton |
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My name is Rachel Shelton, and I am going into my final semester at Rhodes State College as the school’s first-ever Mental Health Peer Advocate. Outside of college, I am an Independent Scentsy Consultant, as well as a Professional Ear-Piercing Specialist and 3rd Key Manager at Claire’s Boutique. Some of my most impressive accomplishments consist of successfully obtaining and maintaining five years of continuous sobriety after battling a decade-long addiction to opiates, as well as multiple severe drug overdoses, which very easily could have taken my life at any point in time prior to my recovery. My past is full of many chaotic situations and stories that I will not bore you with here, but please know that my experiences with both addiction and mental health come from a place of dedicated knowledge and earned wisdom. I have devoted much of my own personal time to helping other members of our community maintain their own sobriety, as well. I have used each negative experience from my past to help continue to mold my journey for the greater good of myself and others around me. I strive daily to be a better person than I ever was in my past. I aim to continue furthering my education as much as possible regarding Addiction, Mental Health, and Social Work. My passion is saving lives, one step at a time. I will soon have my associate degree in Social Work with Addiction Services as my minor focus of study. Another major accomplishment to mention of myself would be making the ultimate decision to re-enroll in college when I did and finally finish my degree after years of putting it off and telling myself that I could not do it. After deciding to transfer to Rhodes State College, I am convinced I made the best decision. I am now employed as a Student Worker for the college, and I honestly never thought I would make it here. I am originally from the Virginia Beach area, so relocating so far away from home has not been the easiest of tasks for me. However, I know I have a purpose in helping others and saving lives here. A fun fact about me is that when I am not working as hard as I do, I usually spend most of my time hanging out with my six cats. That makes me “the crazy cat lady,” after all. I had two, until a litter was found born in my garage, so I suppose you could say I was destined to help save those in need! |
