​​Jessica Mery faced daunting challenges, including homelessness and addiction. By surmounting these experiences she has become an example of hope to those still struggling.

Today Jessica is a senior at California State University, East Bay majoring in health sciences and minoring in political science with emphases in community health and public policy. She is in the university honors program and maintains a 3.7 GPA. Jessica currently volunteers as a community health outreach worker, providing harm-reduction services to hard-to-reach homeless in San Francisco and Oakland.

Jessica also spends her free time fundraising, tabling and attending conferences to promote the needs of the clients she serves. She plans to pursue a master's degree in public health and hopes to combine her education and life experiences to better serve marginalized communities.