My name is Amanda Michelle but please call me AMJ (pronouns: she/they/AMJ) & I am a queer, disabled Black femme who decided to become a social worker after more than a decade of working in helping and advising roles in the nonprofit world. I earned my master’s degree in 2014 from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, where I hope to complete my PhD by the end of 2020.
In addition to my clinical social work degree, I am working my way towards becoming a Reiki Master. I also have an M.S. in Human Services Administration from the University of Baltimore/Coppin State University Collaborative, and a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. In the midst of, all that, I also worked in retail, food service, social media, and community organizing.
On the personal side, I live in Long Beach, CA, with my rescue dog, Dilla. I enjoy reading tarot, collecting crystals, and live-tweeting shows. Thanks to the tutelage of Elizabeth “Big Liz” Ruth, I’ve also been known to mix up an herb or few to help resolve sticky issues in life.