New grad used overcoming obstacles to inspire others

May 14, 2026

Rachael Ryan is a newly minted bachelor's graduate with a degree in organizational management. Presently serving as the interim executive director at Family Promise of Gainesville, a community-based collaboration of civic and religious groups that provide resources for the area's homeless, she was looking to upskill in a way that would significantly undergird the work she has been doing long before her current role — a type of work with which she is personally familiar. 

Ryan was a justice-impacted individual who moved to Gainesville with her family, then fought to navigate her way through the limited resources available for support — many of which came with additional barriers, due to her past. 

Undeterred, she made her way Santa Fe College in Spring 2021 and completed her associate degree in social work. Ryan set her sights on her next educational objective, a bachelor's degree with scholarship assistance through Santa Fe College's Freedom to Learn program, created in 2023 to create access and educational opportunity for those with unique needs as a result of incarceration. 

Not content to be just a recipient of the Freedom to Learn scholarship, Ryan was an ambassador for others in the program who have walked a similar path, offering her unique perspective, helping them feel seen, and modelling the perseverance that has inspired current and prospective SF students.