For Ashley Bachert, it has been 8 years since her journey began at Makin’ It Happen as a youth volunteer. Throughout her time, she had been pivotal in invoking change and impacting the Greater Manchester Region! It is very bittersweet that we announce that she has taken an opportunity as the Program Manager at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver! Though her time as an employee of Makin’ It Happen has come to an end, this is not goodbye, as we are excited to continue to celebrate and follow her successes in her next steps.
Please read below an excerpt about her time as a youth through becoming the Youth Wellness and Prevention Manager:
“Ashley’s prevention journey began in 2016 with Makin’ It Happen, a prevention coalition for resilient youth in Manchester, NH. Ashley played a foundational role in launching Makin’ It Happen in the 603, a youth leadership group serving students across the greater Manchester region. In this capacity, the student leadership team spearheaded the development and execution of the NH Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness, an initiative aimed at educating youth and preventing addiction. Ashley’s leadership extended to managing the summit’s planning, coordination, and implementation. In her time as a student leader, Ashley completed CADCA’s (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) youth leadership series, an evidence-based program focusing on health equity, community change strategies, and the Strategic Prevention Framework Model. This training further solidified her expertise in prevention and capacity building, equipping her with the skills to lead and support meaningful community initiatives.
In 2018, Ashley extended her advocacy work to encompass a broader definition of prevention within the community. While continuing a focus on substance use prevention, she organized and led Red Ribbon events at California School of the Arts and facilitated a peer-to-peer group that provided a safe space for individuals to discuss substance use in their lives or communities. Building on her work in substance use prevention, she expanded her advocacy to include raising awareness about eating disorders within the performing arts industry and promoted mental health through the arts by launching a campaign called Art and Soul Connection, which used creative expression as a platform for fostering mental well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ashley adapted by hosting virtual mindfulness classes and launching a campaign to raise awareness about ending diet culture, further diversifying her prevention work and collective community impact.
In 2021, Ashley embarked on a transformative gap year with Education First (EF), during which she interned as an English teacher in Spain, studied Italian in Italy, and completed leadership courses in England. Following her gap year, Bachert continued her international journey as an Au Pair in Germany, where she lived and worked for six months, further deepening her understanding of global cultures and building meaningful connections. Ashley expresses, “While these experiences may not directly relate to prevention, they significantly enhanced my education, and I value this time dearly”.
In 2022, she returned to Manchester to work with Makin’ It Happen as the Communications Coordinator. In this role, Ashley re-engaged with local partner agencies and assessed the evolving prevention landscape in the wake of COVID-19. In 2023, she was promoted to Project Assistant. Ashley worked across four different grants, gaining valuable experience in project management and multiprogram coordination. In this role, she helped bring CADCA Youth Leadership Training to two cohorts of students. She entered her third year at Makin’ It Happen as the Youth Wellness and Prevention Manager, where she continued to lead and expand her impact in the community.
Through her diverse experiences in prevention work, advocacy, leadership, and cultural engagement, she has cultivated a comprehensive skill set and a deep commitment to empowering communities, fostering youth wellness, and driving meaningful change.”
We are extending a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Ashley as she continues to conquer goals and Engage, Educate, and Empower!
