Ryan Grady
image of Ryan Grady
 
Ryan Grady
California State University, Northridge
Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi Scholar

At the age of 17, Ryan Grady emancipated from parental care. He dropped out of high school and found himself on the street, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and engaged in reckless behavior. When Ryan entered treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, he was diagnosed as HIV positive. During this time, he had to rely on assistance from private, city and county social service programs.

After successfully completing treatment, and with new motivation and a desire to give back, Ryan completed his GED and earned both his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Currently, he is a graduate student at CSU Northridge majoring in social work. He is president of the Social Work Society and a student representative at faculty meetings. Ryan serves his community by volunteering with an organization that provides lunches to homeless people and advocating for more state services for underserved populations.

After graduation, Ryan plans to work with underserved individuals with chronic mental illness.