Her Story
About Beverly
Beverly Tilson serves as a substance abuse professional specializing in substance use disorders in the transit sector under DOT guidelines. She transitioned into this role five years ago after dedicating approximately 25 to 30 years to the broader field of helping individuals with substance use challenges. Her career began in nonprofits, where she worked with adolescents and led a mother-infant program that supported women completing prison sentences in the community while reuniting with their children, including those who were pregnant. Tilson earned an AA in Social and Behavioral Science and Community Social Services before continuing her education to obtain a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. She plans to resume her PhD studies, which were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tilson attributes her professional drive to her own personal experiences with trauma, which fuel her nurturing style and commitment to empowering others to develop self-love and reach their potential. She advises aspiring professionals in the field to maintain passion, act as empathetic people persons rather than pleasers, and provide nonjudgmental guidance.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Beverly
01What do you attribute your success to?
My own personal trauma that I probably never really addressed but carried with me made me want to pour back into others anything I felt neglected of. I'm very nurturing and like to keep empowering people to learn to love themselves first. It's a multi-faceted layer of self-motivation and helping people develop that.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You gotta have a passion. Be a people person, not a people pleaser. Be able to relate to people, be empathetic without being judgmental, and give them a little guidance to help them along the way.
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