Episode 8: Beautifully Traumatic:...

Episode 8: Beautifully Traumatic: A Student’s Journey Through the Homeless Services Program with Tamyra Simpson

Doing What Works by Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins
S2 · E8
Jun 17, 2025
24:46

Episode notes

In our Season 2 finale, we flip the mic and hear from someone just beginning their career in homeless services. Meet Tamyra Simpson, a student from the inaugural cohort of Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program. With warmth, candor, and insight, Tamyra reflects on her path into the field—from growing up surrounded by helpers, to discovering the program on LinkedIn, to finding her voice through coursework, community, and a life-changing internship on Skid Row.

This episode highlights the transformative potential of education—not only as a professional springboard, but as a way to deepen purpose and reshape lives. It’s a raw, uplifting look at what happens when students are given the right support, the right mentors, and the right chance.

Whether you’re curious about the program, considering a career pivot, or just want to hear a powerful story of growth and impact—you’ll want to hear this one.

Keywords

Santa Monica College
homeless services certificate
social impact careers
low-barrier education
trauma-informed care training
wraparound student services
community college workforce programs
Skid Row outreach
internships in homeless services
career pathways in human services
peer mentorship in education
helping the unhoused in Los Angeles
emotional resilience in care work
lived experience in social services
SMC Homeless Services Program