Amber serves as a Rise Youth Peer Recovery Coach, supporting youth from age 12-17. Amber says her favorite thing about being a peer coach is hanging out with the kids, getting to know and love everyone that comes into the program and watching them become healthy and full of joy.

“It is amazing that I am able to be a person that the kids can look up to because I used to come here when I was their age. I started going to meetings at my school held by Rise Recovery when I was a sophomore at Alamo Heights High School. Then I branched off to the Rise Recovery meetings outside of school, meeting new people and going to the activities on the weekends where I finally got to learn how to have fun sober.

The counselors and peer coaches have always been people I have looked up to, trusted, and they have been there for me no matter what. Once I had a year sober, I started to intern/volunteer at Rise and got more involved. Now at 21, I am finally able to pursue what I’ve always wanted to do; help guide people that may be struggling, just how Rise helped guide me to a happier place. Rise Recovery has helped shape the amazing person I am now, along with many of my friends.”

Amber graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 2017 and is now pursuing her degree in Education. Her sobriety date is 7/17/2017. Other activities she loves are traveling, playing games with friends and dancing.