Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Annise Mabry.
Hi Dr. Mabry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2009, I was in my new season—newly appointed Dean of Graduate Studies, newly divorced, and newly navigating my life as a single parent of two children in the smallest county in Georgia. By 2010, my new season unraveled as my daughter was bullied so severely that she would experience a psychotic break which ultimately catapulted us into the abyss of the adolescent mental health care system. I wasn’t trying to become an activist for everything that was wrong with adolescent mental health or take on my local school system—I was simply being a mother who knew that there had to be a better solution to how the educational system addressed bullying and protected the victims. So, I took a leave of absence from my position as Dean of Graduate Studies and began homeschooling my daughter. The following year, I pulled my son from public school.
In the midst of my homeschool journey, my neighbor’s daughter dropped out of school in the 11th grade because she too was bullied. Our tiny neighborhood was in crisis. Kids were dropping out of school because they no longer felt safe in the classes. We were running out of options. We needed a hero; but no one was stepping up. So I built on online homeschool community for at-risk high schoolers. I was honestly only expecting to have my children and my neighbor’s daughter. I thought my plan was simple–homeschool these three to a high school diploma. Then I would return to higher education as a Dean or a Vice President of Academic Affairs. But nothing is that simple. My first challenge was buying curriculum. The curriculum vendor that I wanted to use only sold to school districts and nonprofit organizations. So I created The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation and made the homeschool cooperative a program under the nonprofit. Word spread about what I was doing. Everyone wanted to talk to me about getting their child into my homeschool community.
At first, I accepted everyone but then I started to realize that I was reaching capacity but I was still missing those who needed me the most–the students who had dropped out and didn’t have anyone advocating for them to become a high school graduates. They were the homeless lgbtq youth, sex trafficking survivors, youth aging out of foster care, youth aging out of the public school system, and older high school dropouts. This was the population that I wanted to reach. I knew that they weren’t going to come to me so I had to go to them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My greatest struggles have been operating a business. That’s right–even though The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization it is still a business. I often tell people that nonprofit is a tax status–not a business model. You have to operate a nonprofit organization with the same strategic planning that you do any other business. Grants are another challenge of operating a nonprofit organization. Don’t get me wrong–there’s nothing like the feeling of opening your email and to see those words “We are pleased to award The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation…” but for every grant that I receive, no one saw the 50 grants that I submitted that weren’t awarded.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation?
The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation specializes in assisting law enforcement agencies with implementing prevention-focused community policing initiatives. The Tiers Free Alternative Diploma Program is the only diploma program in Georgia for sex trafficking survivors, homeless LGBTQ youth, youth aging out of foster care and high school dropouts.
What sets us apart from others is we work directly with law enforcement agencies and survivor-focused nonprofit providers.
Brand-wise, my proudest accomplishment are the 400+ high school dropouts who are now high school graduates. 46% are enrolled in GA Technical Colleges (Athens Technical College, Oconee Fall Line Technical College, South Georgia Technical College–just to name a few). My homeschool cooperative redefined what homeschool looks like. So many parents use to be afraid to award their child a homeschool high school diploma but my homeschool cooperative normalized homeschooling.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
So the part about my life that I didn’t tell you is I have CMT4a (Charcot Marie Tooth Disease) 4a (a rare genetic mutation). CMT is a progressive, degenerative, hereditary neurological disease. It affects my hands, feet, face, eyes, and sometimes even my ability to swallow. Every step that I take means that I am risking a fall but I keep taking those steps because I know that I am racing against a clock. I mean we are all racing a clock but when you go to your neurologist every 6 months and you watch your body slowly deteriorate from visit to visit, your entire reality becomes the risk. Some people are in jobs or relationships and they keep waiting for the right, perfect moment to do something different. That right, perfect moment is now. You are living your best moments right now; and if they aren’t your best moments then you need to do a self-inventory and see how can you make them your best moment.
Don’t be so afraid of doing what you everyone else expects you to do that you forget to do what you want to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.drannisemabry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drannisemabry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAnniseMabryPhD/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drannisemabry/
- Twitter: @DrAnniseMabry
- Other: http://www.tiersfreeacademy.org
Image Credits
Selena Weinert Graves (SMW Creations), Mystie Medlin Photography, and Crown Cultivation Media
