The opportunity to attend
college and have a successful career and family can signify the fulfillment of
a lifelong dream for some people. In order to achieve that dream, there
is an expectation that certain sacrifices involving time and effort will need
to be made. For some people, even more may be required in the pursuit of
the American Dream.
Reynolds alumna Lynette R. Goode knows all about the many hardships that people
can encounter while pursuing that American Dream. Although Lynette has
enjoyed success as an author, motivational speaker and CEO of her own
non-profit organization; she has encountered a litany of obstacles in pursuit
of her goals and dreams.
Lynette has suffered with obesity throughout her life, stemming from her
childhood years and into her adulthood. This eventually led to bouts of
depression and overall failing health because of her weight. This
prompted Lynette to pursue gastric bypass surgery. Complications from the
gastric bypass surgery required Lynette to have 48 separate surgeries over the
next 12 years to correct the numerous issues she received from the gastric
bypass.
Unfortunately, due to the numerous surgical procedures Lynette had to endure,
she became addicted to opiates. Lynette was able to persevere though and
beat her opiate addiction while continuing to better herself by continuing with
her studies and career as well as becoming a wife and mother.
Lynette’s personal struggles with weight loss and opiates motivated her to take
classes in Substance Abuse Counseling at Reynolds which she credits with some
of the success she’s had in her career. “Reynolds offered everything I
wanted to do to help people that struggled with some of things that I have
dealt with during the last twelve years of my life.”
During
her time at Reynolds, Lynette earned a Substance Abuse Counseling Education Certificate
followed by a Human Service Associate degree in 2014. This ultimately led to
the development of Lynette’s non-profit organization Drugs, Education, Obesity and Nutrition (DEON) which provides scholarships to at-risk youth and brings
awareness to childhood obesity. Lynette also uses the book she wrote “Determined
to Live” as a way to share her struggles with people experiencing the same
issues that she has encountered with obesity and depression throughout her
life.
Lynette is a graduate of Southampton High school in Courtland, Virginia
and lists among her many accomplishments her marriage to husband Tyrone and
being a good mother to her daughter Tiffany. Lynette also has a
bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia Union University and serves as a
board member for a myriad of community organizations.
Lynette says that if there is one thing she could share with Reynolds students,
it is to never give up on your dreams. Her motto is a simple one ““Always Keep
Faith and Hope Alive”.
This
article was provided by Reynolds Communications Intern Derric Cushman.
Derric recently completed his master's degree at the University of Oklahoma.
He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte and
served as a Navy Mass Communication Specialist where he worked with
print
journalism, photography and public affairs as well as TV and radio
broadcasting
at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) at Fort Meade, MD.
