Dr. Charise Breeden-Balaam has a long career in social work and higher education administration. She is also a professor at several local colleges and universities, focusing on the social sciences. With this experience, she has worked with various clients in mental health services and corrections departments as well as public and private partnerships. Most recently, Charise has worked as an administrator for the Equal Opportunity Program at Passaic County Community College and as a Director for Special Education Services for several institutions in Newark, NJ. Charise has been recognized by administrators and peers for creating policies and procedures to ensure that each special education scholar receives appropriate accommodations and modifications.Charise is the Founder and CEO of Road to the HOOD. As a dissertation coach, she provides support to students to get motivated, stay motivated and manage the inevitable challenges that arise during the dissertation process. Her dissertation was “Assessing Student Food Insecurity Levels at an Urban Community College.” This mixed-methods research study explored food insecurity at an urban, two-year community college in Passaic County, New Jersey.”By providing a better comprehension of the food insecurity faced by college students, namely those in NJ. Charise earned an EdD in Community College Leadership from National American University, MSW from Rutgers University, and a BS in Sociology from Thomas Edison State College.