Heather Sommers

First, to God. I've had seasons I couldn't have walked through on my own strength, and He has been faithful in every one of them. Second, to my mom. She spent 45 years in information technology with the government , and later with Tyler Technologies, helping implement vital-records systems used across the country. She earned her IT degree when very few women were in the field, and she never let anyone decide what she was capable of. I watched that my whole life. So when I walked into a federal prison as a woman, I already knew what it looked like to hold your ground with grace.

The best advice I ever received was that I define my future, not anyone else. Break the glass ceiling if you're called to, but know that choosing to stay home with your children is just as admirable. That stuck with me. I've worked inside a federal prison, supported executives, and managed a therapy practice, and now I'm home with my daughter while going to school and building a business. Success doesn't have to look one way. It has to be faithful to who God made you to be.

Trust your journey, even when it doesn't make sense to anyone else. My path went from state government to a federal prison to real estate to mental health, and then back to school as a mom. Each turn felt random at the time, but looking back I can see how every step prepared me for the next. Don't let a room full of men, or a late start, decide where you belong. It is never too late to change direction or pursue something new. Stay humble, keep learning, and take the next step in front of you.

The biggest opportunity in behavioral health is reaching people earlier. At the Bureau of Prisons, I reviewed inmate case files and kept seeing the same story: men whose trauma started in childhood. Speaking at graduations for the Residential Drug Abuse Program showed me that people can change, but by then so much damage has already been done. My research at Grand Canyon University has focused on how childhood bullying connects to violence later in life. The challenge is that help usually arrives too late. The opportunity is to reach children first and help break the cycle before it begins.

Faith, family, and service. My relationship with God shapes how I treat people, how I work, and how I handle hard seasons. I volunteer through my church preparing meals for families in need, because serving others keeps me grounded. Right now my priorities are my education, being present for my family, and growing Iris and Earth. I'm not after recognition for its own sake. If sharing my story encourages even one woman to believe it isn't too late to start over, that's more than enough.