Ashley L. Smith

In 2007, Ashley Smith was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20, however, instead of being a victim to the illness Ashley embraces her struggles and shares them with others to offer awareness. Ashley writes a blog, “Overcoming Schizophrenia,” which shares her life living with mental illness and how she overcomes it. She is also founder and executive director of Embracing My Mind Inc. a nonprofit that offers self-help groups and workshops. Her story was featured on CNN’s Human Factor with Sanjay Gupta, Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery documentary, The SZ Magazine, and the Tavis Smiley [radio] Show among other media. Ashley Smith is a mental health advocate, and serves as board member for NAMI Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) regional planning committee. Ashley resides in Atlanta, Georgia.